Prophetic (Line) Prohets

Dec 15, 2006 Comments (0)

fonixmunkee

Name: Richard

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Life Status: Single

Experience: Advanced Skier
Novice:

10385 Points

Contributions:

fonixmunkee has reviewed 63 resorts, written 35 blogs, made 11 comments and shared 42 photos

Photos

This year's ski season has been hard on me. First, the conditions in Minnesota have been less than optimal: snow, warm, rain, snow dusting, rain, warm. The conditions are just horrid. I remember this time last year, skiing 8" of fresh at Spirit Mountain. SPIRIT MOUNTAIN...8"...that just doesn't happen that often. But last season, it did in December.

Besides crappy conditions, I've had another problem...my equipment.
Since I'm a huge ski nerd, it's up to me to keep my quiver current with the latest trends. Additionally, since I am representing the ski shop I work at (Continental Ski & Bike, Duluth MN), it's only appropriate that I ski the sticks we have in stock. This is where the equipment trouble comes in.

I sold a pair of mid-fat Blizzards (which we carry in the store) earlier this fall that I had been skiing out West and in Mount Bohemia (on Michigan's UP). My plan was to replace them with a longer, fatter ski. My first pick for replacements was Line's Prophet 100s. I got my greasy mitts on a pro form and went to place my order for some 179 Prophet 100s...

...but they were sold out. My next stop was the Line rep, who was not only unresponsive, but had nothing to sell me. I then moved to my second choice of skis, the Atomic Pimps at 183. Of course, these were sold out too, as it was now late November and most fat skis sell out by the beginning of the season. I was getting desperate.

I next moved on to a pro purchase of a pair of Scott Missions at 179. Scott was reporting that they were in stock, but when I never got word back on my order, I found out shortly that they, too, were sold out of Missions. It was the first week of December, and things were looking bleak.

Then, one day, a miracle. Another ski shop employee ("Generic" here on OTS), noticed that Line had a new shipment of Proph 100s in stock. I took my time on the purchase, and then--three days after Generic noticed the Proph 100s were in stock--they were sold out again of the 179s. The 172s were in stock, but did I want to go that short?

After some heart-felt discussion with Generic, I was convinced. I needed some fat skis, he said. I also could still make stuff work with 172s--only 2.5" shorter than my original ski--and since I'm not that great of a skier, I could really not get my ass handed to me by a longer ski. So I made my purchase. The ski that I yearned for so long ago was finally mine.

Now, why are the Prophets prophetic? For a few reasons. First, it was the ski I wanted to start out with from pre-season. Then, when people asked what new ski I was getting this year, I told them the Proph 100s. I even posted my setup when asked on a few ski forums, listed as the "Line Prophet 100s" in the signature block. I even set a few form passwords with the word "prophet" in it. Even after all the changes in ski inventory and orders, the Prophets were still a thread of my being. Although they were gone, and a new pair of sticks was supposedly going to replace them, a piece of the Prophets was always around.

And then, they came back to me. I'm skiing Prophet 100s this year.

So tell me that's not prophetic. It's not just a clever name.