Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

I bought my 172 cm Hurricanes last Spring, so they must be 2008 Hurricanes. I skied them for 3 days in mid-May'08 in Blackcomb and I had to learn how to ski such wide skis. (It was the first time ever I skied wide skis.) I made a point of learning and it paid off. This time I just returned from Snowmass (6 days) and Vail (3 days). Conditions were Eastern (surprise). Very little powder. No fresh snowfall. Some soft snow in glades and north-facing steeps, but mostly the hardpack and also some frozen crud. These are not the best conditions for Hurricanes. Nevertheless, I ran my 172 cm Hurricanes through steeps (Hanging Valley Wall, Aspen Highland Bowl, Steep-And-Deep in Vail, glades, moguls, and groomers). The verdict: superb skis for soft conditions. Good in moguls, except when the moguls are very closely spaced. Very good in steeps. Superb among closely spaced trees (and I do mean "closely spaced"). Will carve on a groomer, if the groomer is reasonably soft. These skis will not hold the edge on solid ice. Recommendation: Hurricanes are fantastic for Western type of skiing. For the Eastern sheer ice I would rather recommend Nordica HellCat or Volkl TigerShark, which probably are not that good in the soft Western snow. About myself: 52 yr young, 172 cm tall, 65 kg. I am an advanced skier: moguls, steeps, and trees. I only use groomers to get to my favorite terrain. Conclusion: I highly recommend Hurricanes as advanced all-mountain skis for soft conditions. Very forgiving and easy to use. But do not take them to solid ice.

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

I'm a pretty hard skier and I definitely work these skis on all sorts of terrain, deep powder, moguls, hard pack, and ice. I've skied Tahoe and Vermont with them so they're good in just about any condition. They carve well even on the ice of the east coast, float well in the powder at Squaw, and have great control through trees anywhere. I would recommend these to anyone, they are a great all-mountain ski.

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

I came back to skiing this year after years away. Bought this package at the beginning of the season and skied them all over the mountain. Just finishing a week at Mammoth with tons of fresh snow. These skis were discounted heavily and are worth it at that price. I can't say much bad about them, except in heavy new snow they don't float well. But that's to be expected. I'll use them for years, I assume. And they will take a beating without looking worse given the wear.

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

I dont think you are going to get a better ski at this price then the Hurricane. It is truly a all mountian ski. It holds well in the fluff but can lay down some good speed on the flats will good control. Turns well in the bumps. Not the best in the ice od the east. But then again what ski truly is?? I think I hold onto these for a while!!!

Rich

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

wife and I purchased new equipment in Oct 2009. We got killer pricing and quality products.

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

Haven't been able to use the skis much this year- but the couple of times I have been out- I have been impressed. Good bang for the buck...

Comments about Salomon XW Hurricane Skis + Z10 Bindings 2009:

I live in Vail and ski every day. These skis would be great for a skier that skis only a few days a year, but I quickly outgrew these skis. These are a soft, flexible ski that rock the moguls, and groomers; however, they lose their edge easily in icy conditions. The flotation in powder was non-existent, they sink right in and you have to muscle through turns in powder.

Bottom line, I would recommend these skis to beginner and intermediate skiers only. Also, if you ski a resort that has icy conditions, don't buy these.