I've heard that they are strictly good for groomed runs and that they perform badly in powder. Talk to 20 experts, and you'll get 20 different opinions. My opinion I am a ski patroller with the Canadian Ski Patrol and spend most of my time skiing the mountains of British Columbia's Coastal Range. When I look for a new pair of skis, I need something that will cover all conditions. Here than anywhere else, one has to be prepared to ski just about every condition imaginable.
Conditions can change with a few short hours as the ambient temperatures fluctuate.
Even more troublesome is the fact that the snow conditions can change with altitude so that the top of the runs might be icy and the bottoms of the run sopping wet. This year, I decided to opt for new skis and relegate my old Rossignols to the role of late-spring rock ski. The first thing you should know about selecting shaped skis is that you have to go with a shorter ski than you would otherwise buy. You want a shorter turning radius for the type of carving you'll be able to do. I ended up going with 187s.