As the subject of "good skis" came up ...

What would you look for in a pair of all-mountain skis?

I'm currently on a pair of relatively generic "recreational" level skis.
Recent discussions have emphasized the importance of "good" skis ... so now I
need to figure out what that means.

On any given day, I will ski both bumps and groomers ranging from Colorado
blue to black. I've done a few double blacks last season and expect to see
more this year. I'd like a ski that will handle all conditions decently,
although, considering my location, ice is the least important. Oh, and if I
can use the same skis for recreational racing, that would be good, too.

Okay, now that I've established my unrealistic hopes/expectations =P

1) Any suggestions on the types of skis I should consider?

2) My ski instructor suggested skis with a fatter waist, somewhere around
75-80mm ... mine are very wasp-waisted. He said that a narrow waist will
allow you to swap edges faster, but that he can go from edge to edge as fast
as he needs. He also said they are more fun if you want to try freestyle-type
stuff ... opinions on this opinion?

3) I like my old K2 Powers, except they're really too long for me, especially
now that I don't have the thigh strength that came from diligent martial arts
practice. So I looked at the K2 T-Nine (women's) lineup, but the only
wide-waisted ski they had looked to have a pretty narrow shovel. The
unisex/men's Apache Recon looks more like what my instructor described,
though. Any women have opinions on women-specific skis and on the T-Nine
series in particular? I've always liked K2, although it probably has more to
do with Glenn Plake than anything. Actually, my first ski was a gyrator, and
those made me happy, too.

--
monique
Longmont, CO