Brennan,
It seems like what you want is a big mountain ripper that can do just as well in the powder. Unfortunately these skis, the Night Trains, wont do too well when it comes to big mountain skiing. They're rather soft and love to play and jib around a lot.
When yu look at your other options you see have some good skis lined up. The volkls are on the stiffer side of things and are not going to be all that playful. The Obsetheds and the JJs are probably your best shots. Both skis are getting amazing reviews and do really well in both the powder and big mountain catgories. I would definitely take a closer look at those skis and see what you really want.
Hope this helps!

I think that the Night Train is going to be your best bet, especially since you already have an all mountain ski that works great on the groomers and just about everywhere else. The Night Train is really a powder oriented ski. It will do great in the fresh powder bust also the beat up powder that you say you encounter. This ski will really make powder an extreme pleasure since it has amazing float.
As for size I would say that the 168 is the best way to go. The 178 will be a bit too much, especiall in those tight trees that you seem to enjoy.
Hope that this all work out and feel free to follow up with any questions!

The Chopstick is a bit more powder specific. It doesn't have as much camber as the other skis so the groomers will be a little harder to deal with.
The obsethed is a great and soft ski. It will do great all over the place.
Same goes for the JJ. The JJ will probably do the best on the groomers while still doing an excellent job elsewhere.

Go for the 179 bro. You'll not only get tons of float but also a bunch of stability. From what I understand the nose is supposed to be pretty with a pretty soft tail. If you really push the 179 you'll be able to get the quick turns in in order to help you in those tight trees.
These would be pretty goof for touring. The rocker might be a little hard to deal with at first because you won't get as much connection with the snow compared to the weight that you'll have underfoot. But that shouldn't thrown you off. Just more exercise!!
Good luck!
Any questions, just ask!

From what you say the 173 would seem like a good choice. Its 1 cm taller than you are so with its waist and rocker it will give you all the float you need. The 173 is better than the 182 for you because it sounds as if you are appreciating the tight trees a lot more. The 182 will be a bit too big for you for tight trees but might be the better choice if you plan on doing a bit more big mountain/open face oriented skiing.
Hope this helps!
Follow up with any questions if necessary!

Well it all depends on what you want to do. The 4frnt CRJ is a very playful and poppy ski. If you want another ski for the deep powder that might be a little steeper and more big mountain oriented, The Czar is a great option with tons of stability but still the ability to play around. You might also want to look at the Nordica Radict. This ski is one of the stiffest powder skis on the market today and it's meant for big open faces.
Just tell me what you want to do with your second powder ski?

If I were you I would go with the Marker Dukes. They're pretty large and will help you transfer more power to the ski, since you're a bigger guy. Secondly they do great on the inbounds side of things. They are great in terms of touring if you are going to do some small single digit touring. They seem to be getting better reviews as well. And almost most importantly, they help you ski a lot closer to the ski, thus allowing for better control, which is really key with today's big mountain freeride skis, such as you Katanas.
Hope this helps!

Davey,
The one problem with mounting the ski so far ahead of the progressive line is when you will be in the big mountain extremes. You won't be falling over but you will clearly be a little front seat. This will allow shorter turns but maybe not as much float. On the other hand you are skiing a 190 at 5'6". The ski will already be giving you tons of float so that won't be too much of a problem.

Brennan,
Compared to the Night Train these skis are a little less jib oriented and a lot more big mountain friendly. With a larger turn radius and a stiffer construction these skis are meant to shred the big alpine. But don't be fooled. These skis also do great in the tight trees and are real easy to turn if you put a bit of hop into your turn. On the other hand these ones aren't rockered in the tail, compared to the Night Trains. This means that they won't excel as much when going backwards in the deep powder.
Overall, just slightly more directional, meant for the bigger mountains, and a little less jib orientated.
Sorry but I haven't heard that much about the ruby yet so I can't really help you out there.

Mounting progressive is clearly not what you want. Doing so would help you have a very different feel for the ski and it would make turning a lot easier. The classic stance will give you a very traditional feel and have you rather back-seat. In between will still give you a little bit of the centered feel with a bit of a classic feel as well. This will also give you a bit of a chance to land switch if you just happen to throw a 180 off of a little feature. It's all up to you bud.

Wow. It's great to see such a joyful and friendly response.
Both the Bridge and the Kung Fujas come in a 179. According to what you have told me this seems like the great length for you. If you are just looking for some fun time on skis (aren't we all?) then this length will be great. It will be long enough to give you that stability you love from all your race experience but at the same time it will be short enough to allow you to be playful, try some new stuff up, and enjoy the entire mountain.
I hope that this helps!
And Happy New Year!

Shogun: Light, quick and responsive, fun. With the bamboo the ski is really quick from edge to edge and with a 102 under foot and some generous rocker you will get an ample amount of float.
Kung Fujas: A little wider with more rocker. A bit more powder and backcountry jib oriented. Will float a little better and be a bit more stable. Overall a little heavier, more stable, and meant for higher speeds in deeper powder.
Bridge: A lot skinnier but still great gradual rocker that will help with float. Very friendly in the park (some athletes actually use it in park comps as their ski of choice.) Still great all around the mountain. And also a little stiffer. Meant to be like that in the park and does the same all over the mountain.
Where and what do you ski? What do you want to do the most and where on the mountain do you want to excel and spend your time?

The 191 will be too bulky, especially with the Tour put on them. The 182 will be a better bet. They will not only be lighter but they will also be a lot more responsive and very quick in the trees, which is where it seems like you will be spending most of your time. That's what I would do.

A lot softer and way more powder oriented. Then again with that comes more playfulness.

Totally agree there. The ski is built to do what Seth does best, big fat lines. The 189 will definitely be a huge challenge but a great way to progress and build on your skiing. It will be a huge platform to help you ski the steepy deep. Of course with that comes a little less playfulness. Just keep that in mind.

This ski skis short. Keep that in mind. The 188 can be great if you plan on doing some more open bowl powder skiing. If you are planning on keeping it tight and in the trees you might want to consider the 176. Just know what you are going to do primarily.

Actually there the 09/10 model is 101 under foot with 350mm of rocker in the tip while the 10/11 is 102 under foot with 400mm of rocker in the tip.

These are a little more jib friendly. The S7 is a bit more directional. This ski will allow you to ride switch with a bit more ease. On top of that these skis are a little stiffer. The S7 is a real inbound tight spot friendly ski. This is not to say that it won't handle well with big open turns but they will really excel in the trees. The Bibbys will be stronger with the larger turns but still reliable in the tight tree runs we all love.

You have really stumped us dude. These are all great skis that can do a lot. Let's go in order.
As you can see the Salomon Lord is a rather skinny ski. I don't think that it has that much rocker and the 87 mm under foot does not allows for all that much float. But the ski still does an awesome job on the hard stuff and it should be pretty poppy in the park.
The Salomon 2012s are brand new this year and have gotten great reviews. Mike Douglas has shown in a few episodes of Salomon Freeski TV that those skis are great all around. They do a great job when it comes to floating and since they are park specific they will excel there the most. Overall they are a soft ski that will be fun to throw around.
Now I don't know much about the 4frnt MSP but I think that they are more of an overall all mountain ski that will do well just about anywhere.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck!

So all K2 Factory skis this year, such as the Obsethed and Hellbents, come with pre-cut skins. What this means is that there are skins that can be bought separately that are shaped and cut to fit the ski precisely. I haven't been able to find them here at backcountry but I am sure that you can find them on other sites. For example, here: http://k2skis.com/skis/skins/obsethed-skins
As for AT bindings I highly recommend anything Black Diamond or Marker. To be precise the Marker F12 or F10 tour bindings make a great set. The Black Diamond Fritschi Diamir Freeride Pro Binding is a great choice as well. These options are real light and look pretty cool as well.
Hope that this helps!

So I've been riding the 2007 Volkl Gotama at a 190 hoping to do some Big Mountain stuff. Then one day some friends took me out to do some powder skiing and I got hooked immediately. Ever since I've been saving up and looking for the perfect powder ski. I hope to do a lot of tight powder skiing inside and some occasional big mountain stuff.