voile ultravector

[papab]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new set of gear. I on T2, voile switchback, and K2 world piste 174 now (for about 15 yrs, hey if it works why change!). I've decided to make the switch to NTN, TX Pro's and 22D Outlaw. I'm leaning toward the 178 ultravectors. These will be used both ski area, and backcountry in Colorado. I'm getting up in years and don't ski aggressively, but I like to ski trees and turn when I need to.
I've demo'd the ultravectors, superchargers, bishop chedi, and armada invictus.
I thought the tele specific summitcone or chedi seemed like a great idea, but the chedi's don't seem like a very quick turning ski and are kind of heavy (23m radius and 3450g). I'm a little cautious about the summitcone's since it's a small company, and not sold or demo'd here. The invictus were nice for the 3 or 4 runs I did, but heavy. I liked the ultravectors better than the supercharger's due to the lighter weight, easier transitions and they seems to turn quicker. The other ski I might consider would be the V6.
Opinions, suggestions?

[phoenix]

Haven't skied any of those myself, other than the World Piste's, but there's loads of previous posts here on the V6 and Ultravectors. Haven't heard much, if anything, about the others, but the Voile's are very highly spoken of. If nobody chimes in on this post soon enough, a little search here will provide lots of reading material on the Voile's.

[voilenerd]

I own a set of Ultravectors, V6s, and Hypervectors. All of them have scales. If you ski a lot of powder or soft snow I would recommend the V6. It seems to float and turn easier then the ultravectors. The tips and tails are also softer so it makes tele turns easier on the v6. One of the drawbacks to the v6 it does not kick and glide as well as the stiffer ultravectors. If I'm going on a long tour I usually take my vectors.

For NTN setup the outlaws are nice however the boot choices are lacking depending on what you ski. Most of the ntn boots are 4 buckle and don't do well when your on the flats but performance is huge increase for going down with ntn and more responsive. I currently have the Lynx paired with TX Pros. If your thinking on 75mm binding get the Axl. Hands down the best 75mm binding I've used and pairs well with the v6 or ultravector. T2 Eco and Axl combo rocks for backcountry travel.

[fgd135]

I've been skiing this season and last on Icelantic Pioneer 96's with Voile Switchback X2's, and Scarpa T2Eco boots. Good setup for me; the skis turn well and are wonderful dealing with varied conditions. Nice up and down BC ski, too, especially with the X2's, but I think they're a bit heavier than they need to be for longer tours.
Probably because I'm so used to them, riding lifts on some days I still prefer my old K2 Super Stinx, as they are narrower and are easier to edge on hardpack at the hill, and turn on a dime.

[Andy M]

The V6 is slightly better in soft snow and powder. However, if you are doing a mix of area and BC, the Ultravector may be a better choice, as it is a better all-around ski -- it still does well in powder, just not as well as the V6. Both the Ultravector and V6, IMO, are quick-turning skis.

Regarding the switch to NTN and Outlaws, have you demo'd the Outlaws? If so, great. But if you haven't, I would demo them before buying -- the skiing difference between the Switchbacks and Outlaws is huge -- some might say that the Outlaw is better, but others would say the Switchback is better.

[papab]

Yes, I've demoed Outlaws, Lynx, and the bishops. I still can't ski as well on the NTN's as I can on the switchbacks, but I don't fatigue as quickly & I think once I've made the transition it will be worth it. I'm going for the ultravectors, they'll be good enough on the powder, and better everywhere else.

[voilenerd]

If you haven't placed order yet, get the Axl. The climbing bails on the Switchbacks are so archaic and a pain to get up or down for climbing. The amount of power you get on turns on Axl is wild. They do feel super stiff when the springs are new but soften up after about a month. The free pivot is also very nice. However the Axl is a bit heavy. I run the binding on position 1 for most places touring, then crank them up to position 2 or 3 for bigger peaks.

[lowangle al]

Yes, I've demoed Outlaws, Lynx, and the bishops. I still can't ski as well on the NTN's as I can on the switchbacks, but I don't fatigue as quickly & I think once I've made the transition it will be worth it. I'm going for the ultravectors, they'll be good enough on the powder, and better everywhere else.

I think you will like the ultras in powder, all Voiles wide skis are designed for it. I love my hyper vectors but the V6 does sound tempting.