Goode Skis

[Dockoelboto]

I tend to see a lot of Goode Skis in pictures of tournament winners. For example: https://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/22378/stock-fins

 

The two tournaments that I have attended as a spectator at my home lake tend to be dominated by Goode skis as well. Is this a marketing thing or are they that good?

 

I realize that the price of high end skis across the board has gone up but Goode always seem to be at the high end of the high end pricing.

 

Are Goode skis worth the price for the average, non-tournament skier? Or are they worth it only if you are a tournament level skier?

 

I'm just curious if I am missing something.

 

I'm considering a new "high" end ski and I'm meeting with a D3 rep soon. Just wondering if I should consider Goode as well.

 

Not that I am nearly good enough of a skier to really justify a high end ski.

 

I'm not trying to start an inflammatory debate, just mostly curious as I have never had the chance to ski a Goode ski.

 

Thanks!

[PatM]

Goode Skis are great skis and are made with some of the highest grade materials. I was on several Goode skis until 7 years ago. Now most ski companies have a really good/comparable ski to Goode's offering. Radar, D3, HO, Denali, etc. all make great skis. Try them all if you can. It's what works for you.

I went to a Mapple 6.0 after my Goodes and it was my favorite ski of all time. Unfortunately it's getting old and needed to move on. I am currently on a D3 and love it.

All that said Goodes are worth the money.

[Cent]

Goode skis as the results show work. So do others. Currently I am using a D3 after quite a few years on Goode.

[Ed_Johnson]

Spent years on Goode's from the 9100, and would get a new one every year, till the Nano TWIST tried to kill me at 38 off. Switched to the Mapple 6.0 that I LOVED !!! Spent last year on an NRG, and now on a Denali !!

 

 

[BraceMaker]

@Dockoelboto - They're probably worth it but I think lots of the prevalence of the skis that you see at certain events like the pro-am and nationals tend towards the amount of skiers in things like the Big Dawg events who use them and the use of them at Nationals.

 

Last tournament I was at had primarily Radars a few D3s and 1 Goode - so there is probably a fair bit of regionality to what folks are using.

[Than_Bogan]

I contend there was a time period when Goode skis were really just better than other options. I don't think that's the case anymore. They're still awesome, and may be the best ski for a given individual. But for others a different ski may be better.

 

Or maybe the Denali c75 is now better than all other options, but I could be just a hair biased. :)

[Dockoelboto]

Thanks for the info! Very helpful. Seems like they were ahead of the field for a while but others have caught up. Nice to have a lot of options!

[The_MS]

N1 greatest ski to date from Goode but I have not tried any of the new line up.

What ever happened to the greatest ski ever, the future of skis, the Fish Tail?

[Ed_Johnson]

Take into account that a D3 EVO won this last Tournament, a Mapple won the Big Dawg Championship, and a Connelly won the Worlds !!!! And none of those cost $3000.00.

 

 

[MDB1056]

+1 for Connelly. GTR is amazing.

[jhughes]

You should try one. I still feel like they make the lightest/thinnest "feeling" ski on the market FWIW. High amounts of feedback and tactile responsiveness. Very "lively" feeling. That's the first thing I notice. Lots of 34mph podiums and serious skiers that have solid technique seem to ride them. They seem to support the sport quite a bit and that's very cool. I personally ski more consistently on D3 at my (mid -32 hack) level.

[Dockoelboto]

I have limited skills, forgiveness is a big positive in any new ski for me. the Goode skis look amazing, but 2800+ for a new one? Ouch!

[bishop8950]

You see Goode skis on top of so many podiums because they ski very well. I don’t think any amount of marketing would convince people to pay top dollar for a Goode if they did not believe it was the best choice for them. They work.

 

Regardless of your skiing level you need to try before you buy. Only you can tell if a ski feels good to you and your skiing style. So if you have a buddy with the right size ski and who will let you try it, take it for a ride. Or, engage the manufacturers that have demo programs and try skis that way.

 

While this forum and feedback from others will be helpful, it will never be enough to select a ski online. So take as many as you can for a ride and enjoy!

[Dockoelboto]

I had an amazing experience demoing D3 NRG R1 and EVO-S. First of all, the demo experience was amazing. Very helpful and insightful. Plus the skis were really really amazing. I felt best on the NRG R1, mostly because that is more at "my level". Stable, fast, easy to turn. It just felt so solid and it wanted to work with me. It was a great experience. Thanks D3!

[jhughes]

I think it's interesting that D3 and Goode make only one level of water skiing product: The top level. They aren't putting out tubes or "free skiing" skis "hybrid" models or combos or anything like that.

 

Both companies at any time are offering only 2 slalom ski models (generally). When you only make 2 skis they'd better be pretty good.

[aupatking]

I would never buy a used Goode from anyone I didn’t know. I’ve seen WAY too many of them break and Goode not stand behind his/their product. This new $3000 carbon core is SUPPOSED to be more durable. I won’t be the one to find out.

[BraceMaker]

@jhughes of course Goode sells carbon downhill skis and ski poles... I was even at a place that had Goode Rental ski poles. So I think that's their profit line (remember they moved from Michigan to Utah)

 

D3 makes tricks and jumpers

 

I think what you're mostly seeing, companies such as O'brien, HO etc. were founded, grown and then sold to larger corporations who own several brands. Square One,

[ToddL]

Like it or not, Dave Goode made his brand a "podium" brand. He put his high-end skis into the hands of the 34 MPH Big Dawgs (a.k.a. the "average Joe's" pros). He probably lost money on those "sponsorship" deals, but I bet he made it back 10-fold when so many of the M3-M6 skiers all flocked to his skis. He is always ready for a shoreline video interview with a winner on his skis. He has put effort into counting, collecting photos, and communicating how many times his skis are on the podiums at Nationals. Clearly the product has to live up to the expectations of the top skiers, but his branding plan was/is a pretty big part of the success.

 

I owned the original Goode 9100. One of the best skis I ever rode. It definitely pushed the sport into a new era. All that said, I have been on Radar Skis since 2011.

[bishop8950]

@ToddL No. There are very few "sponsored" Goode skis out there. Just about everyone at a Big Dawg chose their ski and paid for it. And, if any of those guys thought they could run one more buoy on a different ski, they would in a split second.

[swc5150]

I personally pay more attention to what the BOS members are raving about than what I see on the podiums. But the 9100 was probably the 2nd best ski I ever owned, next to my '16 Vapor.

[RAWSki]

I have heard of early Goodes breaking or breaking down------but I have owned 9 different Goodes. I bought 5 used and 4 new and none have broken on me. In fact a 9200 I sold to a neighbor is still skiing well at over 20 years of age. Goode changed the game but, as others have said, all the ski companies caught up and now there are probably a dozen top quality skis that can perform equally as well or better depending on the skiers and their style. A decade ago I would say you saw a majority of Goodes at tournaments but now there are a Lot of Radars and others. It's a very good thing.

[ToddL]

@bishop8950 - there may or may not be sponsorships. But my point is that those Big Dawgs were an intentional target market. When a majority of Big Dawgs are on one brand that becomes noticable.

[bishop8950]

@toddL Big Dawgs ride Goodes because they are the best ski for them, not because its a target market. Does the fact that Goode dominate the Big Dawg (I think 25/30 at the finals) help Dave? For sure. What is the largest market for high end skis? Guys over 35yrs old who go up the rope. My point is intentional marketing and skier choice are unrelated. These guys test skis, across different brands, and want the one that will get them the most buoys period.

[The_MS]

My problem with Goode was no 2 skis were alike. I always said that I would buy a new Goode yearly if they sent me 3 to try and I could send the 2 back that I didn’t like. But then I went through 4 N1s and all rode the same. I think something changed around that time as far as consistency goes. I’m getting down the line just as far on my KD so no need to drop 3k at this time.