# RIP Legend 8000s



## riverc0il (Feb 8, 2010)

Well, I snapped my third pair of Legend 8000s this past Sunday. I have owned four pairs total and one of those pairs was sent to me by Dynastar on a warranty after I snapped a pair within three months of mounting them. The one I snapped on Sunday was the warranty pair after about three years of skiing on them. In all fairness, I had a cracked edge and a partially blown sidewall already, so it was probably just a matter of time.

The first pair I blew out I had mounted up AT with Freerides and was skiing them at Cannon pretty hard including lots of bumps so I had assumed the combo of bumps and the Freeride binding itself had put the stress on the ski (mounting point on the Freerides is further rear than an alpine binding due to the bar). Since all three pairs that I have snapped have failed in the same way, I see this as a combination of poor construction and an upper weight limit of about 200 pounds for the 178 length (currently tipping the scales at 220 but I have been as low as 200).

I still have one final pair also mounted up AT but I plan on stripping the Freeride from that ski and selling it this summer when I but a new powder board and go Dynafit. What does that leave? Two of the "pairs" to my two non-warrantied breaks. Granted, they are two different top sheets but this was prior to the 8000 redesign so they are the same regarding construction. Time to remount the binding from the current broken ski to the former lonely unbroken mate... I had purposefully saved it figuring it was only a matter of time!

All three breaks were from the top sheet separating from the ski under foot exposing the core. I have had various degrees of separation but this past Sunday was the best with almost a full foot of the top sheet separating. Worst feeling in the world is hacking your way through a tight drainage in hard pack conditions and feeling your heel rise ever so slightly... then you look down at your boot and notice you do not have a loose buckle... that was the WRONG time for a ski to break but thankfully I hacked my way  down and out.

Any ways, I am going to beat my mis-matched pair into the ground and have a final pair on backup duty for the inevitable once I switch up my AT setup. But I can not in good conscience continue to recommend this ski. I have spoken to several other people over the years with similar experiences that have noted "great ski, too bad it breaks so much". No idea if the new Sultan has changed construction or not but I will not be paying to find out when that time eventually comes.

:-?


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## deadheadskier (Feb 8, 2010)

That's some ski model loyalty right there.


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## severine (Feb 8, 2010)

Wow! You're rough on your equipment!  (Loyal, though!!!)


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## mondeo (Feb 8, 2010)

severine said:


> Wow! You're rough on your equipment!  (Loyal, though!!!)


Others might switch brands each time they broke a ski...


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## RootDKJ (Feb 9, 2010)

mondeo said:


> Others might switch brands each time they broke a ski...


I would.


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## Edd (Feb 9, 2010)

Love this ski...makes me sad.


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## Greg (Feb 9, 2010)

I love my 8000s. Luckily, I'm only 170 and not particularly hard on equipment so I have no concerns about it breaking. Really is an awesome all-around ski. sucks on hard pack, but good in the shallow powder/crud I've taken them in, and at times I prefer them in the bumps over my Twisters.


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## riverc0il (Feb 20, 2010)

Here is the carnage:







This is impressive even by my standards. I have broken four skis this way. The first was a foam core Rossi many years ago due to a freak accident. All other three were Legend 8000s broke in the same fashion as this break. This by far is my most impressive work.

So one of those three 8000s was sent back on warranty. That meant I have two pairs of Legend 8000s sitting around the house with only one ski of the pair broken. Only problem? They have two different top sheets. :lol:






This is sure to generate some interesting discussion on the lifts!


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## kingslug (Feb 20, 2010)

Ever try Volkls...built like tanks.


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## riverc0il (Feb 20, 2010)

kingslug said:


> Ever try Volkls...built like tanks.


I have owned two Volkls. P40 Plat and P50 Motion. Great skis for me at the time. I have also skied their older Six Star ski which insane on the groomers. I keep thinking about picking up their modern version of that ski for groomer days. That said, I delamed the P50s but I beat them up really hard so I don't hold it against Volkl.

Definitely absolutely 100% not a brand I consider for my current needs. "Build like tanks" indeed. Through the use of metal. I prefer my core wood. The titanium that Volkl uses just kills the ski for my purposes. Before going with Fischer for my powder board, I tried the Mantras and thought they were better on the groomed than off the groomed which seems to be the trend for most Volkls. IMO. Though I have never tried the Goat. Given my experience with the Atuas, I may start going gaga over Fischer just like I did with Dynastar and the Legends.


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## hrstrat57 (Feb 20, 2010)

riverc0il said:


> I have owned two Volkls. P40 Plat and P50 Motion. Great skis for me at the time. I have also skied their older Six Star ski which insane on the groomers. I keep thinking about picking up their modern version of that ski for groomer days. That said, I delamed the P50s but I beat them up really hard so I don't hold it against Volkl.
> 
> Definitely absolutely 100% not a brand I consider for my current needs. "Build like tanks" indeed. Through the use of metal. I prefer my core wood. The titanium that Volkl uses just kills the ski for my purposes. Before going with Fischer for my powder board, I tried the Mantras and thought they were better on the groomed than off the groomed which seems to be the trend for most Volkls. IMO. Though I have never tried the Goat. Given my experience with the Atuas, I may start going gaga over Fischer just like I did with Dynastar and the Legends.



You would love my Explosivs.

Unfortunately, I rarely get out on them, flatlander that I am at present.


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## riverc0il (Feb 21, 2010)

hrstrat57 said:


> You would love my Explosivs.
> 
> Unfortunately, I rarely get out on them, flatlander that I am at present.


The Mantra was the next generation of the Explosiv as I recall correctly. I really doubt I would enjoy them based on what I know about the Explosiv and my experience with the Mantra. 

Guys, I am not looking for a new ski here... just posting a damage report. No need to sell my on what has worked for you.


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## Mildcat (Feb 21, 2010)

:blink: Wow, I'm surprised the heel piece didn't rip out. I never saw damage like that before. I don't blame you for switching brands. At 160 lbs I don't think I have to worry about my Legends doing that anytime soon. 

At Sugarloaf last year I did see one guy with B2 Bandits that had different top sheets. Looked pretty funny but if it works who cares?


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## hrstrat57 (Feb 21, 2010)

riverc0il said:


> The Mantra was the next generation of the Explosiv as I recall correctly. I really doubt I would enjoy them based on what I know about the Explosiv and my experience with the Mantra.
> 
> Guys, I am not looking for a new ski here... just posting a damage report. No need to sell my on what has worked for you.



Not even close Steve....completely diff skis, Explosiv is like a fat race ski.....which is why as a 5 + y/o design they still go for big bucks.

However, your miss matched 8000's will be beyond cool. I ski'd a miss matched pair of Rossi 4sk's back in the day and I was the bomb!


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## riverc0il (Feb 21, 2010)

hrstrat57 said:


> Not even close Steve....completely diff skis, Explosiv is like a fat race ski.....


This was my opinion of the Mantra that I demoed....

I double checked my beta and it was the CMH Explosiv that was the precursor to the Mantra.


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## hrstrat57 (Feb 21, 2010)

Mine are buddhas 2005.

Seriously love the miss matched look, hopefully they will flex the same.


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## riverc0il (Feb 21, 2010)

The flex will be interesting. The ski design itself is 100% identical. However, one ski received significantly more use than the other ski so I am somewhat concerned that one ski may be a little "softer" due to extended use. Regardless, I am sure they will get me through at least the rest of this season just fine as I rarely use them unless there has not been any fresh snow recently.


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## kingslug (Feb 21, 2010)

What are the main differences from volkls to what you ski...I might be on the totaly wrong ski for my "new" purposes...I'm finding them very stiff which is fine for super hardpack but murder when it gets bumpy. I did like the Mythic riders when I  rented them in Utah...any opinions on that one?


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## bigbog (Feb 21, 2010)

...By the looks of those 8000s you're arcing makes the World Cuppers look like a bunch of wusses Steve:smile:
If anyone up the Dynastar ladder were to spy your pair...I'd put $$$ on them being prototypes for a "memorial" model in another decade.  $.01 would be to hang onto em'....


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## riverc0il (Feb 22, 2010)

kingslug said:


> What are the main differences from volkls to what you ski...I might be on the totaly wrong ski for my "new" purposes...I'm finding them very stiff which is fine for super hardpack but murder when it gets bumpy.


Exactly! You are looking for a ski that has a little more flex and forgiveness that is not built strictly for power and arching groomer turns. Its all about the percentage of sacrifice. Many skis try to be a "one ski quiver" but fail miserably because the qualities required to have an incredible groomer ripper are almost in direct opposition of qualities that make skis great in the moguls, trees, and especially powder. I steer clear of skis reinforced with metal such as titanium. Great for stiff groomer ripper skis but that type of setup is punishment in the bumps.

No idea about the Mythics.


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## bvibert (Feb 22, 2010)

Nice work Steve, that's impressive!


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## kingslug (Mar 2, 2010)

Now that I got the powder boards think I'll get some wateas after the season is over.


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## tarponhead (Mar 2, 2010)

kingslug said:


> Now that I got the powder boards think I'll get some wateas after the season is over.



78 or 84? Guess its what slot in the quiver your trying to fill.

FWIW my 84s rip on groomers and are "ok" on ice. They killed in the recent dump at Hunter though.


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## WJenness (Mar 2, 2010)

tarponhead said:


> 78 or 84? Guess its what slot in the quiver your trying to fill.
> 
> FWIW my 84s rip on groomers and are "ok" on ice. They killed in the recent dump at Hunter though.



I <3 my 84s

I've used them all season.

I had one day in October when I used my old skis (K2 enemys) out of rock concerns.

I had one other day a couple of weeks ago when I decided to try out my K2 silencers I got cheap in the offseason (sierraskis clearance sale). I don't know if it was a bad tune or they're just not the right skis for me, but they just didn't hold an edge for me at all... Went back to the Wateas and all was right with the world.

I have the 184 length (6'4" about 250lbs) , and they're very light and manageable.

On the iciest of the icy, sometimes I'll have trouble getting the edge to bite, but usually, I don't have a problem getting an edge at all.

I skied them this past weekend up at Sunday River in lots of fresh snow (sometimes heavy, sometimes light powder depending on where you were on the mountain) and they performed very well. I had a blast.

-w


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## kingslug (Mar 2, 2010)

I would get 84's as my Volkls are 82 but just too damn stiff in the bumps..they kill on ice though. Skiing in the east is tough as you literaly need different skis for different times of the day at times. This upcoming weekend will be icey in the morning then mashed later on...volkls in the morn, rossis in the afternoon I guess.


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