# First Time at Stowe (I broke my ski in half)



## ss20 (Mar 23, 2015)

Date: March 20-22
Weather: Some sun, some snow, and some cold
Conditions: mostly PP with some machine groomed

If you want to read the trip report, scroll down, but I'm sure the words in parenthesis got your attention, so I'll start with that story first.

*The Broke Ski Story* (which is probably why you're reading this)

Got to the mountain at 8:10 on Friday for my first tracks at Stowe!  So pumped!  After a freeze-thaw earlier in the week, I thought things would be pretty bad on the ungroomed, so I played it safe my first two runs.  Ridgeview to T-Line and then Lord to Hayride.  The snow was exceptional, so I decided to dabble in the trees on that infamous third run...

That third run would be Nosedive.  After the top hairpin turns (side note- holy crap this must of been an awesome trail back in the day) I entered the woods to the skiers left.  It was nice.  Real nice.  It was only my third run and my first time in the trees so I was taking it slow.  Nice and easy.  I think I made it 15 turns before *SNAP!* 

I think I fell.  I don't remember.  But I do remember looking down at my skis and seeing the snap right in front of the binding.  I swore.  Loudly.  I was pissed.  My 2013 Atomic Nomads were destroyed.  I was an incredible break.  Every layer was destroyed.  I've never seen anything like it... let alone have it happen to me.  Me thinks their was a tiny crack or something I had missed last time I waxed them... which was that Thursday.  I've never done rails or anything.  Never had serious damage with these skis.  I wasn't going fast or anything.  Just hit a trough wrong and snap. I took the damaged ski, hobbled out onto the trail, and began my descent.

Like I said, I was pissed.  My first time at Stowe was ruined.  I was only a 1/4 of the way down Nosedive, if that.  With my poles and broken ski in hand, I went down with one ski on.  I got down in 6 minute.  I looked like the guy from Better Off Dead in the final race with one ski.  

At the base, I went into the Stowe Toys Demo Center.  This was where the weekend began to turn around.  For $58 I could demo anything all day and switch skis whenever I wanted.  Purchases were 50% off since it was the end of the season.  I tried out a pair of Rossi's that I wasn't too impressed with.  Very stiff and heavy.  Next I tried a pair of 2012 Dynastar Paradise Legend skis.  Wow, these were good skis.  Very responsive on anything.  Crud, groomers, trees, even moguls were no match for these babies.  After a few hours, I walked into the demo shop and asked "Is there any used ski that could be better than this?"  The shop techs told me no.  

Now here's the good part... The skis retailed in 2012 for $920.  They were down to $340, I believe.  Add in 50% off, and the reimbursement of the 58$ that I paid to demo them, and they were $120.  $120 for skis that had never left the demo shop and were $920 three years ago.  I think I did good.  I was told to bring them back Sunday and they'd tune em up before I went home.

A note from the editor:  That night I looked up reviews of the new skis... and found out they were woman's skis.  Oh well.  I should've been told that though.  I don't have enough technical knowledge to know the difference between a man's ski and a woman's ski.  With the color schemes these days it's impossible to tell the difference, unless you have technical knowledge (which I don't).  One reviewer said that the sweet spot on these skis is in the front.  I found that sweet spot Sunday on Gondolier.  OMFG... wow.  My amazing skis just became perfect skis.  A small stance change makes all the difference.  With a little more bend in the knees I could do anything on these skis.  I felt like Superman.  

Pics:

F*** you
 



My new babies



The actual report:

The snow is much better than I thought it would be, considering I heard they had a freeze-thaw earlier in the week.  Coverage is really good.  The Front Four is in good shape.  Few rocks to be found.  In the woods, things are amazing.  I love the woods here.  So much off the map stuff it's nauseating.  My favorite trails were Lookout, Gondolier, and T-line.  I love the gondola area.  So much vertical.  Good, consistent angle for cruising and trees.  Loved the brook that's over there.  Also loved (since everyone knows about it) the sidecountry trees next to Chin Clip.  Bypass woods were great.  Wish I had ventured further in there.  Didn't want to find myself on top of a 20 foot cliff though.  

My complaints: 

Spruce Peak was pretty disappointing.  I couldn't find good terrain over there.  Only spent a couple hours there Friday and then returned there on Saturday because some friends wanted to go.  Need more terrain off the gondola, or reduce the capacity of the lift.  Perry Merrill and Gondolier looked like scenes from a Chinese Downhill all weekend.  Stop the brutal grooming of Liftline.  If you're gonna groom it, do it right.  It was ice all weekend while other groomers were in perfect shape. 

Overall:

I'm coming back to Stowe.  Soon.  Freak'n awesome mountain.  It shattered my high expectations.  So much vertical.  So much variety.  So steep.  So much history.  So awesome on so many levels.  It feels like a smaller Killington without the traversing and more tree skiing.  Similar atmosphere (minus Spruce) and similar variety.  I love it.


Let's end this report with the Mighty Mt. Mansfield.  She broke my heart (and ski) but quickly rebuilt it.


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## gmcunni (Mar 23, 2015)

maybe some sweet words to Atomic customer support will yield a new set of skis from them

glad your weekend turned out so good.

didn't warm up enough saturday to result in frozen PP on Sunday?


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## Warp Daddy (Mar 23, 2015)

Which  specific Nomad were you on ?


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## Savemeasammy (Mar 23, 2015)

Great report, ss20.  I was there a few weeks ago with my wife.  I had been a number of times in the past (circa high school - and once last year), and never ventured far from the forerunner.  I was actually pleasantly surprised by the spruce side.  We skied the lift off the top, and I found it to be much more entertaining than I expected.  The gondola was the same shit show you described...   We only skied it once.  My wife isn't much of a tree skier, so we skied one of the cruisers.  What a mess...!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## k123 (Mar 23, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> maybe some sweet words to Atomic customer support will yield a new set of skis from them
> 
> glad your weekend turned out so good.
> 
> didn't warm up enough saturday to result in frozen PP on Sunday?



The cord was a bit firm but not too bad.  Anywhere protected from the wind had a few inches of powder.  The woods were really good on Sunday, 2 inches of new snow felt like a lot more with the wind drifts.  And the cold kept away the crowds so it wasn't too hard to find freshies every run.


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## deadheadskier (Mar 23, 2015)

Just a couple of words on Stowe Gondola side.  

A.  There will never be more developed trails over there.  Years ago there were plans of trying to squeeze a terrain pod between Perry Merrill and Nosedive.  It got shot down.  There's the Haselton hiking trail through there and fans of it don't want ski trail development.  Other option is skiers left of Chin Clip.  That ain't happening either.

B.  Get to know that side of the hill and you will never complain about crowds.   Hundreds of acres of lift access tree skiing and short hikes yield even more.   I typically spend well over 50% of my day on Gondi side to escape crowds in the trees.


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## from_the_NEK (Mar 23, 2015)

Great report. Although I'm somewhat disappoint the story didn't end up with the broken ski being thrown off the Kitchen Wall .


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## thetrailboss (Mar 23, 2015)

from_the_NEK said:


> Great report. Although I'm somewhat disappoint the story didn't end up with the broken ski being thrown off the Kitchen Wall .



+1


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## k123 (Mar 23, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> Just a couple of words on Stowe Gondola side.
> 
> A.  There will never be more developed trails over there.  Years ago there were plans of trying to squeeze a terrain pod between Perry Merrill and Nosedive.  It got shot down.  There's the Haselton hiking trail through there and fans of it don't want ski trail development.  Other option is skiers left of Chin Clip.  That ain't happening either.
> 
> B.  Get to know that side of the hill and you will never complain about crowds.   Hundreds of acres of lift access tree skiing and short hikes yield even more.   I typically spend well over 50% of my day on Gondi side to escape crowds in the trees.



There's no good tree skiing off the gondola, not sure what you're referring to :wink:


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## octopus (Mar 23, 2015)

so you bought women's skis?


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## thetrailboss (Mar 23, 2015)

octopus said:


> so you bought women's skis?



I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't know what kind of skis they were giving you.


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## rocks860 (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm wondering if I should try Stowe this coming weekend instead of sugarbush


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## rocks860 (Mar 23, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't know what kind of skis they were giving you.



I would be pissed if I found this out


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## ss20 (Mar 23, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't know what kind of skis they were giving you.



Yeah, very strange.  Probably trying to get rid of skis that have sat in the shop for a few years.  Think there'll be much of a difference if they were men's skis?

Anything that's wide is better than those Atomics.  They were narrow and a good all mountain ski for low-intermediates.  My edge angle was too aggressive for them.  They sucked in powder.  Unfortunately, I didn't know anything about skis when I got them. Now I know next-to-nothing, which is an improvement :grin:


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## octopus (Mar 23, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't know what kind of skis they were giving you.



i bet they knew exactly what they were doing.


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## mishka (Mar 23, 2015)

ss20 said:


> Yeah, .  Think there'll be much of a difference if they were men's skis?



 construction wise no difference. If anything women ski be shorter and slightly softer


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## WWF-VT (Mar 24, 2015)

octopus said:


> so you bought women's skis?



_He bought 3 year old women's skis that had an original sticker price of $650. _


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## ss20 (Mar 24, 2015)

WWF-VT said:


> _He bought 3 year old women's skis that had an original sticker price of $650. _



You mean $920?  Could've been the jacked up mountain rate.


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## WWF-VT (Mar 24, 2015)

ss20 said:


> You mean $920?  Could've been the jacked up mountain rate.



No - sticker for the ski was $650.  They must have gold plated the bindings to get to a $920 price tag.


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## gmcunni (Mar 24, 2015)

WWF-VT said:


> No - sticker for the ski was $650.  They must have gold plated the bindings to get to a $920 price tag.



cost of the bindings perhaps?


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## ss20 (Mar 24, 2015)

gmcunni said:


> cost of the bindings perhaps?



Yes, that makes sense.


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## skiMEbike (Mar 24, 2015)

octopus said:


> so you bought women's skis?



After reading the TR, that is the only thing I took away & kept asking myself...Is this for real?   I orginally thought:  SS20 must be a woman who typically skis mens skis, and therefore was disappointed when she purchased a set of woman's skis.    I guess they are technically the same construction as a men's ski, but they look much prettier.


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## gmcunni (Mar 24, 2015)

i don't see the big deal with them being women's skis. he skied them and liked them so he bought them.  not like they are pink and white.


but then again, i drove a VW Cabriolet for years so i might not be the best judge of manliness.


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## Warp Daddy (Mar 24, 2015)

Hey if you like ' em and  they performed well for you and you think u got a deal , eff it , ride 'em , but dont break 'em 

Yo  VW cabriolet aint no big deal either G man , BUT hangin with AI at this late date , well thats another story  hahahahaha


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## WWF-VT (Mar 24, 2015)

thetrailboss said:


> I'm actually kind of surprised that they didn't know what kind of skis they were giving you.



Seems like Stowe Toys must have a lame set of demo skis if they still have 3 year old skis to try


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## thetrailboss (Mar 24, 2015)

WWF-VT said:


> Seems like Stowe Toys must have a lame set of demo skis if they still have 3 year old skis to try



Yes.  Note to self: don't go to Stowe Toys.


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## Domeskier (Mar 24, 2015)

Men's v. women's skis sounds like a marketing ploy.  I bet the manufacturers charge more for women's skis, too.


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## jrmagic (Mar 24, 2015)

As said before generally women's skis are a little softer as most women don't have the body weight or strength to flex a stiffer men's ski properly. If I recall Dynastar Legends are on the still side so having a slightly softer flex could make the ski more playful


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## from_the_NEK (Mar 24, 2015)

For "best exit", I won a pair of women's skis at Burke's pond skimming 6 years ago. I didn't realize it at first as they were still in plastic. As I was loading them in the truck I noticed it said "She Devil" on the side of them. I knew they were too small for me anyway so I figured I won my wife a new pair of skis 
She is still skiing on them.


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## Puck it (Mar 24, 2015)

Binding position is different on women's skis, if I am not mistaken.


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## SkiingInABlueDream (Mar 24, 2015)

The only case for female-specific skis I've ever bought into (besides marketing/fluff) is that, for any given combo of factors (skier weight, ability level, skiing style & terrain choice), a male skier is likely to push/load/drive/use/whatever the ski harder than a corresponding female skier. Going with that, the women's ski can be more softer/more forgiving/whatever version of the man's ski.  

But even then, there's not a lot of direct overlap.  You don't have too many 130# adult male expert skiers out there. Or 200# adult female expert skiers.  

I've read the claim that the difference in upper-to-lower body proportions between men & women creates a need for women-specific skis, but I don't buy it.  

It just seems to come back to marketing to me.  
(As Jaded Local in Pow Mag once wrote, it's not like women's knees bend the opposite direction.  )

Edit: Hip width and knee angle in women - I think this is absolutely a factor with boots and the whole fitment & alignment process, but still not skis IMO.


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## slatham (Mar 24, 2015)

I have three daughters that rip. And there is of course Lindsey and Mikaela. So I say "SKI LIKE A GIRL!!" and you'll beat most of the guys.


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## WWF-VT (Mar 24, 2015)

Puck it said:


> Binding position is different on women's skis, if I am not mistaken.



Dynastar says this about this ski:

_EXCLUSIVE BALANCE SYSTEM
Because women's anatomy is different from men's, we developed a specific technology adapted to their needs to help them improve their performance and make progress faster. A. Forward mounting point - precision B. Raised heel - balance C. Lightweight - effective. For less fatigue and more skiing pleasure!_


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## octopus (Mar 24, 2015)

are you gonna wear a dress next because its more comfortable?


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## Madroch (Mar 24, 2015)

If you like how they ski, and feel you got a decent deal.. Enjoy em!  But i would probably have a word with Stowe toys about not identifying them for you- maybe u can knock a few more bucks off!


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## thetrailboss (Mar 24, 2015)

Madroch said:


> If you like how they ski, and feel you got a decent deal.. Enjoy em!  But i would probably have a word with Stowe toys about not identifying them for you- maybe u can knock a few more bucks off!



Agree on all points.  If you're happy, who cares?


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## ss20 (Mar 24, 2015)

I contacted Stowe about the ordeal and will see what they say.  I'm not picky- it was $120 in a "I had to do it" situation.  Hopefully they'll give me some compensation.  If I had bought new 2015 skis that had never left the rack I would be absolutely livid.


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## ss20 (Mar 24, 2015)

octopus said:


> are you gonna wear a dress next because its more comfortable?



Are you gonna take the stick out of your ass?


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## Scruffy (Mar 24, 2015)

skifastr said:


> I've read the claim that the difference in upper-to-lower body proportions between men & women creates a need for women-specific skis, but I don't buy it.
> 
> .



What don't you buy about woman carrying more weight on their hips than men, who carry their weight higher on there chest?
Think leverage, when you, as a man, I presume, lean into your boots and flex them you have a much grater mechanical advantage to bend the front of your ski, than your GF. Not to say some women, Lindsey Vonn, for example can't bend a stiff ski, but the average women skier is better served by a ski designed for their anatomy.


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## Scruffy (Mar 24, 2015)

ss20 said:


> I contacted Stowe about the ordeal and will see what they say.  I'm not picky- it was $120 in a "I had to do it" situation.  Hopefully they'll give me some compensation.  If I had bought new 2015 skis that had never left the rack I would be absolutely livid.



For $120 why worry about it. You obviously liked the way they ski, if nothing else, keep them for rock skis.

BTW, a lot of men use women skis because they are appropriate for their height and weight. Not sure of your stats, but don't get hung up on the top sheet. Cover the top sheets with hard core stickers, and you'll be good to go.


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## deadheadskier (Mar 24, 2015)

for me, I'd just be upset at the principle of the matter if I was ss20.  Whether he likes the skis or not doesn't matter as much as it would appear the shop tried to take advantage of him to dump skis they were having trouble getting rid of.  

I'd call the manager and ask for an explanation.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 24, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> for me, I'd just be upset at the principle of the matter if I was ss20.  Whether he likes the skis or not doesn't matter as much as it would appear the shop tried to take advantage of him to dump skis they were having trouble getting rid of.
> 
> I'd call the manager and ask for an explanation.



I do agree with that.  It does sound like either you had folks in the shop who don't have a clue or someone that knew what he was doing and took advantage of the situation.  Either way I will remember and be sure not to go there if I go to Stowe in the near future.


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## crank (Mar 25, 2015)

Anyway, we skied Stowe Sunday and Monday.  Lots of nice creamy, dry and somewhat dense snow in the trees and on some bumpers.  We stayed in the woods mostly.  Place was empty on Sunday and emptier on Monday so we were finding fresh lines all day long both days.  Skied the Bruce trail for my first time last run Sunday afternoon.  Monday afternoon we lapped Goat's woods and were skiing through the blowdown area there and there was plenty enough base to make it safe.  Felt like western tree skiing.  Hit Goat from the top for my last run - haven't skied the top of Goat in decades.


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## ss20 (Mar 25, 2015)

deadheadskier said:


> for me, I'd just be upset at the principle of the matter if I was ss20.  Whether he likes the skis or not doesn't matter as much as it would appear the shop tried to take advantage of him to dump skis they were having trouble getting rid of.
> 
> I'd call the manager and ask for an explanation.



Exactly.  That's what I'm mad at.  They saw my broken ski and knew my predictiment.  That was a bad idea on my part I guess.


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## RISkier (Mar 25, 2015)

Pretty sure we saw you skiing down on 1 ski carrying what appeared to be the other ski. We were there during the same time period. Excellent skiing though a couple of days were very windy and cold for this time of year.


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## deadheadskier (Mar 25, 2015)

ss20 said:


> Exactly.  That's what I'm mad at.  They saw my broken ski and knew my predictiment.  That was a bad idea on my part I guess.



Have you called them?

If I were the manager of that shop and found out one of my employees did this and now it's being discussed online? I'd be PISSED.   The last thing you'd ever want is a reputation that your facility is either shady or doesn't know any better than to give women's skis to a man.  

The whole situation is really surprising to me because Stowe Toys used to be the best of the best as far as demo gear.  The many years I was a pass holder at the mountain they always had the most top of the line gear available.  Except for the start of the season sale, the gear would always be the current year model.  Reading of this experience, I guess they've fallen away from that level of quality. 

It's definitely worth a call though.  They might be willing to work an exchange that's very favorable for you if you want to go that direction.  I bet had you shared this story under Stowe's Yelp or Tripadvisor page, someone from the mountain would have contacted you already.  Online reputation is that important for businesses these days.


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## Hawkshot99 (Mar 25, 2015)

mishka said:


> construction wise no difference. If anything women ski be shorter and slightly softer



The differences between mens and womens skis will vary greatly from company to company.  
K2 for instance makes a completely different ski for their women then the guys.  They have a team of women who decided what they want and they get it done.
Other companies do almost nothing for a womens ski, saying how a women doesn't want a "lesser ski".
The 2 standards for a ladies ski are a more feminine graphic, and the bindings are moved forward 2 cm.

If you skied on them and enjoyed them then who cares, but I would be pissed off that I was not informed by the salesman.
I have sold many pairs of ladies skis, gloves, ect to guys over the years.  However I ALWAYS make sure that they, or their parents are aware of it.  The last thing I ever want is a pissed off customer when they find out they were dooped.


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