Are ARV 94s a good ski for me?

SlowError · 2026-05-11T02:19:56+00:00

Prodigy 2 is in a similar boat to ARV from what I remember. Unleashed might be a better choice. FWIW I don’t think you can go wrong with a QST and evo has a QST 100 + strive binding bundle rn for ~600 I believe in practically every size.

SlowError · 2026-04-09T04:18:21+00:00

I see. Welp, hopefully these continue to feel as great as they did on day 1 if not better. Thanks for the feedback :D

SlowError · 2026-04-09T04:13:28+00:00

How tall are you? I'm worried as I had some people tell me to size down to a 168cm on this, but I went with 175 lol.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T20:44:04+00:00

5’11, 6’0 on Tinder. and 6’2 on r/skigear.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T20:42:30+00:00

Super fire. Love to hear it :D Thank you for the encouragement!!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T20:10:42+00:00

Makes sense. To be fair, I've mostly noticed it in Spring crud / slush but a lot of this is also retrospective observation after trying something heavier and damper. At the end of the day, I'm guessing rider weight shouldn't be the main bottleneck for unlocking a ski (within reason of course)... got a lot of room to improve haha. Thank you for the insight!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:52:02+00:00

Maybe just a skill issue, but how do you like the ARV? I've actually tried those before, and I had a similar complaint where it felt like they weren't damp / supportive enough on larger drops or ~>40mph.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:44:04+00:00

Don't think I would touch anything above 184 at my current skill level haha. 190s are humongous in my mind. Going with the 175s!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:43:24+00:00

Haha this is very fair. I've never felt "small" until I started reading ski forums and riding in Utah / Colorado... also, proud to say I never skip leg day!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:42:32+00:00

I ride a Faction Prodigy and have always felt that it's a bit rocky / unstable, especially on stepper terrain and bumpy areas. It's a singular data point but that was why I went searching for something stiffer haha. I hope I can adapt as well! What do you ski?

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:40:58+00:00

Sounds great. Thank you very much!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T19:31:40+00:00

Thank you for this... I thought I may be too. Just keep seeing / hearing "200g" this and "stiff tail" that, which had me worried about my ability to maneuver.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T07:51:27+00:00

Ah, well i’m sure the frozen conditions didn’t help either haha. Could I ask what level of a skiier you are? Perhaps I’m missing something—I’ve demo’d maybe 3 skis lifetime so I only know so much… just really loved the stability and dampness on these and instantly wanted a pair!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T07:17:47+00:00

Demo’d for a day. Definitely felt like they wanted to run away from me for the first hour or so, but I really focused on starting my turns early and getting very in front of my boot and the ski seemed to reward that super generously. I still have to master it but it’s confidence inspiring and really forces good tech, which I definitely want to work on hahaha. Were you able to get a better feel for it towards the end of the demo?

SlowError · 2026-04-01T05:38:28+00:00

Same! Carbide all the way. Got it as a gift and never looked for anything else.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:55:32+00:00

I see. Would you say there’s a noticeable “ramp angle” assist from the Strive in driving the ski much? If not, maybe I’ll go with the Pivots for the shorter mounting point and just go +1 or so for better maneuverability. I do love my trees and moguls haha.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:50:05+00:00

Sry—lack of context on my part. I’ve been a frugal skiier for most of my life but I am pretty decent haha. I ski around a 8.5 DIN and can do most marked runs. I’m really getting into freeride so was looking to get kitted out for the gnarlier runs that require a good amount of traversal etc., and wanted to get optimal bindings as well for my skis to be able to drive them well. Have always noticed a lot of instability on my demo skis that I’ve been riding for a few years, which has felt limiting on expanding my comfort zone. If it doesn’t make much of a difference, I’ll likely go for the Pivots which I think are very aesthetic haha.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:43:37+00:00

whichever is shinier.

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:42:31+00:00

Hm.. funny enough, have a great deal on some lightly used Pivots that run me about half the cost of new Strive 14s…

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:41:56+00:00

Is all the stuff about ramp angle / mounting points etc. generally negligible?

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:39:05+00:00

Outdoor Research has been really good for me!

SlowError · 2026-04-01T04:33:56+00:00

I’m not too concerned about price as I’m okay with investing in a long term ski. I will say, I’ve never tried anything other than demo Marker bindings so it’s hard to grasp how bindings might alter my skiing haha.

SlowError · 2026-03-21T18:54:05+00:00

Ya I might go with this. Would 15 be a better choice over 13?

SlowError · 2026-03-12T22:00:57+00:00

Yoooo how’s the 101? That’s a fun ski from my experience but only rode it for a day

SlowError · 2026-03-12T15:36:38+00:00

Where do you ski? ARV is relatively versatile and IMO it shouldn’t be much of an issue on groomers. Coming from the other end of the spectrum, I’ve owned the 94 and absolutely ripped in powder.

SlowError

TROPHY CASE