Ski Test 2009
Diavolezza Staff Training Ski Test May 2009
15 Ellis Brigham ski staff members have just returned from the beautiful Swiss resort of St Moritz, in the Graubünden region, after testing our soon-to-be-launched 09/10 range of skis. You may not think there’s much skiing in late May but what there is can be very good!
A 20hour road and ferry trip saw us arrive at our hotel, The LodgeInn, Celerina, at 6 o’clock Sunday evening. After spending so long cooped up in cars we were keen to get going the next morning and were loading skis into the cable car by 7.45am.
The skiing took place at Diavolezza, a freeride-orientated mountain with outstanding late season snow, and May 2009 was no exception. The glacier at the top was in excellent condition; firm and quick in the morning with smooth, soft snow by lunch. Top-to-bottom skiing was still possible, with a long, fast run from the door of the cable car, right down the car park with barely a patch of grass on the way. The skiing was good till 4 in the afternoon and the blue skies stayed with us all week. We really couldn’t ask for more.
Shops from all over the country were represented with staff demo’ing each of the skis for next season, learning first-hand exactly why the ski has been selected, what makes the model is special, and who will benefit most from every ski. Priceless information that can only be gained personally. Fat skis were tried in soft spring snow, performance piste skis were pushed on early morning ice and all-mountain choices were tested… all over the mountain!
But we weren’t just there to ski, we also spent every evening down in the boot room working hard on improving skills such as servicing, footbeds, boot adjustments and biomechanics.
4 days of sun and snow, excellent food, and testing and training passed very quickly with the packing of the vans on Thursday afternoon and a long drive home.
After 6 years of this training it’s safe to say that this was our most successful staff ski test ever. The Graubünden region is a beautiful place, the people are friendly and helpful (especially the lift company who deserve a very special mention for all their help), the weather was perfect, the scenery is breath-taking and it’s hard to think of a better way to spend a week in May than in the mountains around St Moritz.
(in no particular order)
Name: Sean Lowe
Age: 25
Weight: 10st
Height: 5’7”
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 19 weeks
Describe your skiing: Instructor / aspiring freestyler. Spend most of my time doing on-piste technical skiing, starting doing freestyle and improving my technique off-piste.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why: There were so many ski’s that impressed me in all the different categories of both men’s and women’s ski’s, but the ones that really stood out for me were:
Salomon Storm New at Ellis Brigham this season, this is a really good ski that will suit a wide ability range, from a low intermediate all the way up to a good advanced skier. I was impressed that I could really chuck it into short sharp turns with ease, but still carve it hard and fast and it grips really well.
Fischer Progressor 8+ Don’t let the rather plain graphics put you off, this is a surprisingly exciting ski. If you like to carve your turns then this is the ski for you. Due to the dual radius and sidewall construction, it is able to do shorter turns with ease, yet really powers through the long fast turns.
K2 Extreme with the Marker Schizo binding Now with Marker’s new Schizo binding that allows the binding to be moved forward or backward +/- 3cm, this is an awesome ski binding package. Just turn the screw to move the binding to your desired position. The ski is light weight, easy to use, and really stable, whether skiing it forwards or backwards.
Fischer Watea 78 This is a great ski for those that want to start venturing off-piste, easy to use on piste in short or long turns, and with a great flex that will make it easy to use off-piste.
Dynastar Exclusive Fluid This was one of the most impressive women’s ski’s that I have tested. The combination of capped and sidewall constriction really inspire confidence, meaning that it is easy to use and has fantastic grip.
What is your personal favourite (s): My personal favourite is the Line Blend, as I have last years model, but as I didn’t test this years model (my size wasn’t available and the design is the same as last year, with a new graphic), I would have to say it was the Salomon Storm.
Put down your thoughts on the range: Great range this season, with something to suit everyone.
Any other comments: I don’t see the benefit of rocker’d skis. (Damn this freedom of expression! The views expressed here reflect those of the individual not of the Ellis Brigham test team – we think rocker technology used on the right skis can create an epic ride for a range of skiers in a range of environments. But for the time being we don’t employ pre-programmed robots).
Name: Tom Wilson
Age: 27
Weight: 12.5st
Height: 6’3”
Years skiing / weeks on snow: Skiing for about 9 years including 2 Canadian seasons, 5 years as an instructor/coach, 3 years sponsored Pro.
Describe your skiing: Freestyle in design and technique!
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Salomon Shogun Smooth and progressive edge transitions through quick short radius turns, amazing through soft/deep conditions, graphics are outstanding.
Fisher Watea 84Easy to initiate into skidding, short turns, great through variable snow/terrain, quite snappy finishing edging.
Movement Jam Good rack appeal, easy to use even in long length on test, stable in straight line and grippy through fast, sweeping carves.
Line Blend Smooth through skiddy, short radius turns, great big bouncy powder turns in soft conditions, very stable in straight line and looks to back it all up.
Head Supershape Magnum Responsive! Super snappy, silky edge control, fantastic short radius edge-to-edge roller turns but doesn’t kill you if you overload the pressure. Not usually a fan of “race skis” but these were superb!
What is your personal favourite (s): Salomon Shogun
Put down your thoughts on the range: Comprehensive…should be able to find a suitable ski for every level of aspiration held by our customers.
Any other comments: Great ski test – resort and conditions were perfect for testing such a diverse range of products. Once again, many thanks to EB for taking us out and giving us the chance to put the new gear through its paces….bring on Test ’10.
Name: Rhys Jones
Age: 25
Weight: 73kg
Height: 5ft 10
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 10ish
Describe your skiing: Disappointing
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Fisher Watea 84 I put these on when the weather was pretty terrible and the snow was very variable and they felt really controlled and capable in all that was thrown at me. A real go anywhere do anything all mountain ski that is super fun to use.
Moment Rocker I really didn’t know what to expect before using these, and to be honest my hopes weren’t very high. Luckily I was proved wrong and I was really impressed by how agile and versatile this ski was. Coped really well with everything the mountain had to offer and felt really enjoyable at the same time.
Line Prophet Flite Very easy ski to ski and feels really light on your feet making it a great option for a first wider ski. Despite being 90 under the foot, it feels just like a piste ski when on the groomed and is nice and flexible for easy powder skiing.
K2 Kung Fujas A brilliant all rounder that is completely at home in any condition. Everything I skied these through it felt solid, stable and really enjoyable to use. The graphics look great as well and the price looks pretty spot on, bound to be a best seller.
Salomon Shogun Probably the easiest 100mm ski I’ve ever used. It’s so forgiving but also full of performance when you push it and obviously it really stands out in the powder.
What is your personal favourite (s): There was a lot of good stuff this year so I don’t think I could pick a favourite. But if you put a gun to my head I would probably go for the Scott Punisher.
Put down your thoughts on the range: Lots of great skis this season, and I think graphically it’s the best range we’ve ever had. Really surprising to see how well all the wider skis performed on piste, and fat skis is definitely the way forward. Anything under 85 is pretty much a piste ski now, and I don’t think it’s too long before its going to be wider than that.
Any other comments: The new ski range is great but I think the boot range is equally as impressive with so many good quality boots next season. Goggles and poles also looking great with loads of colour everywhere, so it should be a really exciting year.
Name: Ryan Watson
Age: 24
Weight: 10st
Height: 6’
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 2 to 3 weeks
Describe your skiing: I’m interested in having fun skiing rather then concentrating on the technical side of things – like to ski the whole mountain and enjoy skiing fast enough to slightly scare myself.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Salomon X-wing 8 Really smooth in and out of turns, handled well at all speeds, great piste ski.
Atomic She Devil This ski seems eager to get going, responds really quickly to what you want it to do. It’s also very light and easy to chuck about.
Movement Jam Handled really well in the heavier snow at the end of the day, felt very sturdy under foot, was very easy to ski considering the size.
Moment Jib Very nippy, had lots of energy, accelerated out of turns, surprisingly easy to ski.
K2 Extreme Really lively on the piste, handled speed very nicely, very springy when jumping about, skied every bit of the mountain really well.
What is your personal favourite (s): The K2 Extreme is easily my favourite, although other skis performed better at certain aspects of skiing I thought this was the best all-rounder and most fun to ski on.
Put down your thoughts on the range: A great mix of skis across the range. All brands had at least one great ski in the mix. I didn’t seem to favour one company, there were lot’s of good skis on offer.
Any other comments: As I’ve only skied on rental skis in the past it makes a huge difference skiing on new skis with all the latest specifications. Now I know the difference it can make I don’t think I’ll be renting again.
Name: Steve Wells
Age: 35
Height: 6ft
Weight: 14 stone
Years skiing: 22
Describe your skiing: All Mountain, relaxed – don’t want to work too hard! Enjoy skiing everything.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Volkl Gotama Love this ski. So stable and smooth, epic in all kinds of conditions but surprisingly easy to use. Some reverse camber skis can feel soft and unresponsive on firmer snow but the Gotama still has a really positive feel.
K2 Kung Fujas Fun, stable and encouraging, this could be the ultimate all-rounder for anyone wanting freeride, freestyle and all-mountain capability. Good value too.
Fischer Watea 84 Brilliant all-mountain ski; responsive and lively on piste with power when you push it; stable and forgiving in variable snow with enough width for powder days. You want one ski to do everything and don’t know what conditions you’ll find at resort - this is the answer.
Movement Jam Another all-mountain ski on my list! A massive nose and medium waist help make this the ultimate all-condition cruiser. Good grip for firm snow and nice energy.
Moment Rocker I’m not a freestyler but I enjoyed this ski a lot. It makes you want to hit all the little drops and bumps, it’s poppy and light but still feels solid. Works surprisingly well on piste and with it’s fattish waist and reverse camber makes a good all-mountain ski too.
What is your personal favourite (s): It’s really close between the Gotama, Jam, and Kung Fujas but I reckon it has to be the Jam because whatever the condition I love skiing this ski – powder, corduroy, chop or slush it’s always a blast to ski.
Put down your thoughts on the range: Loads of super versatile skis, that really do work in a big range of conditions, plus lots of specialist stuff that is at the top of its game. Just don’t be afraid to go a little fatter!
Any other comments: Thanks to all the testers for helping to put together a brilliant and well-considered range! All the work (and fun) has been well worth it.
Name: Jakub Bugno
Age: 29
Weight: 75kg
Height: 178cm
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 17 years (I missed 2 or 3 seasons)
Describe your skiing: I like to ski fast and aggressive, mostly on-piste. Hope to improve my technique to start doing some off-piste skiing as well.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Scott Crusade Really demanding ski, you have to work hard all the time to get the best of it but if you do it’s just astonishing.
Scott Maya Best women’s ski I’ve tested, really fun and lively, fast and forgiving.
Volkl Gotama Super stable and very fast, surprisingly easy to ski on.
K2 Crossfire Great on-piste ski for everyone, smooth-going and forgiving.
Movement Spark Perfect for freeride/skitouring, will go everywhere and do whatever you want.
What is your personal favourite (s): K2 Kung Fujas – amazing how that soft ski can be so stable and fast, first run and I was like: WOW! Definitely number one for me this season!
Put down your thoughts on the range: Great range for all type of skiers, amazing women’s skis (they are so easy to ski on and so fun!).
Any other comments: Some of the skis are really hard to categorize, in general manufacturers are building skis more versatile and “all-round”, which I think is the right way.
Name: Justyna
Age: Varies, 28-29 depending on what I put down last year
Weight: 63.3kg
Height: 169cm
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 22-23, depending on the age
Describe your skiing: I’m the ski instructor with some racing ‘past’. I’m promising myself to do some more freestyle every season but it is scary and hurts
List the 3 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Atomic She Devil Universal twin tip. The ski feels light and bursting with energy but it deals smoothly with slush and heavier snow. Very graceful!
K2 Burnin Luv Luv their new look and the way they performed- as good as ever! They are quick and reliable, boosting your confidence.
Atomic Cloud 7 Had a few great runs on them! They will forgive you loads of mistakes and make the runs feel smoother for you!
What is your personal favourite (s): Cannot decide between Dynastar Fluid and Legend. The first one felt amazing on piste with its fantastic edge hold and energy. Legend was as grippy and fast but also solid, no matter where or how fast you went. It was amazing in long, GS turns but also the quick and short radius ones! Want them both!
Put down your thoughts on the range: Ladies’ skis are getting more and more impressive every year. The times when a strong female skier was seen on a pair of performance men’s skis are long gone! My favourites are from Dynastar Exclusive range and K2 (you cannot go wrong with any of them) but it is worth to check out the biggest surprise for this season- Atomic.
Any other comments: I DID ski some men’s skis (you can still ask me about them) but female range is so much more exciting!
Name: Julian Thorp
Age: 40 years young
Weight: 19st on the nail (according to Wii fit!!!!!)
Height: 6’ 3”
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 36 years
Describe your skiing: Ex Racer (many years ago) Instructor. I like to ski technically and fast, preferring hard pack conditions and moguls to anything else.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Scott Crusade 189cm. This has to be one of the best “do-it-all” skis around. It’s wide enough to sail through the powder, yet the deep sidecut and short-ish radius make it playful and easy to use on the piste. It’s fairly stiff too so it holds its line in chopped up changeable snow brilliantly. It is quite heavy, but it doesn’t feel it when you ski. It’s a corker!
Movement Jam 173cm. I found the Jam to be just as stable as the Crusade even being 16cm shorter and nowhere near as stiff! The turn initiation is silky smooth and the edge hold and stability right through the turn is phenomenal at any speed! Intermediate skiers would find this ski very flattering to use and advanced skiers would have a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon as soon as they initiated that first turn! There’s a lot of ski for anyone here!
Salomon Shogun 191cm. I’ve never really been a big fan of the fat skis! I find a lot of them dull and lifeless. Not this puppy! What a blast, I’m a convert! The grip and power oozing out of this ski is unstoppable. The rocker tip gives so much more lift in deep snow but don’t go thinking that’s the only place to ski it, Oh no! On piste this powerhouse feels shorter thanks again to the rocker tip and even though it prefers the bigger turns it is fast in and out of the turn and super stable. Featuring a wood core with Bamboo reinforcement (Yes Bamboo!) and Basalt as a damping agent! Yes this ski has volcanic rocks inside too! What will they think of next? All round, the Shogun is awesome.
Volkl Mantra 184cm. The same ski as last year but with a new shiny livery! But what a ski! I think the best way to describe this beast is that it’s like a fat GS ski! The flex feels solid, especially in the fore-body, and the wide profile makes any type of snow submit to its power. Again this is another ski that I happily ski’d on the hard pack without a second thought. It will do short turns and it loves the big fast cruisey arcs. This is the ski I chose to ski down to the car park with most nights after testing, as I knew it would laugh in the face of the progressively wetter and stickier snow on the way down and hold its line without being forced. It’s a dream ski!
What is your personal favourite (s): It’s hard to pick one favourite from my list as I loved them all. The Crusade, Jam and Sultan all blew me away through their versatility in all conditions but mainly by the sheer fun I had skiing on them. However I think to pick an absolute favourite, it has to come down to the Mantra or the Shogun, and I think I have to say that the Shogun has it by a nose. Why? Well I know all about the Mantra from previous years, I know it’s an awesome ski and I knew it would not disappoint, and it more than lived up to my expectations. However, the Shogun was an unknown quantity and I really wasn’t expecting much of it, as I said before, I’ve never been much of a fan of the big wide floppy skis with not much side cut and I really didn’t think this would be much different. How wrong I was. I had more all round fun on this ski than any other. Diving in and out of the soft snow carving big arcs on the piste, thinking this is not the big soft floppy noodle I was expecting, I love it. Well done Salomon, you’ve produced a ski that comes top of my list for the first time in quite a few years, keep it up!
Put down your thoughts on the range: I think we’ve used a lot more precision in the thought process and selection of this seasons range of skis, and it has paid dividends as there isn’t one ski in there that doesn’t deserve its place, and nothing is in there just to fill a gap. Most of our skis are getting wider but that really doesn’t detract from their performance on piste, so, piste skiers out there should not be worried, move up to an 83mm waist and just see how much fun you have!
Name: Cameron Whyte
Age: 26 years
Weight: 75 kg
Height: 5 foot, 11 inches
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 15 years, 30 weeks.
Describe your skiing: Very much social and quite daring (sometimes caving to peer pressure). Always recreational apart from Ellis Brigham ski test (very professional). Generally confident and aggressive over the whole mountain and looking to improve my technique in the soft.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Scott Crusade and Punisher Crusade for all round versatility. Very quick and agile on piste for such a wide ski. The Punisher for being more forgiving and really easy to use. Both have a deep sidecut making them very entertaining to ski.
Fischer Progressor 8 Really solid wood core construction with a short turn radius (and dual radius technology) give this ski great edge grip and very quick turn initiation. Made me smile every time I used them.
Atomic Smoke Ti A complete surprise. Great edge grip for a relatively forgiving ski. Carves really smoothly. My pick of the range for progressing intermediates staying mostly on piste.
Dynastar Exclusive Fluid A very powerful women’s piste ski, great grip and you can tell they’re well made.
What is your personal favourite (s): The Scott Crusade. For all the reasons listed prior. As an added bonus the appearance can only be described as ‘sick’. Soon to be a proud owner.
Put down your thoughts on the range: I was really surprised at the standard of the entire range. It’s hard to rate skis when you’ve enjoyed skiing pretty much all of them. I guess what surprised me the most was versatility. Freestyle and freeride skis that are equally at home ripping short to medium turns on the piste as they would be in the park or in the soft stuff.
Name: Dan Botham
Age: 24
Weight: 13 stone
Height: 5’11
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 14 years skiing, more times on snow then I can count on my fingers and toes.
Describe your skiing: Relaxed freestyle/ freeride skier who loves riding anywhere.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Moment Night Train I loved how easy they were to use on and off piste, a great ski and crazily wide underfoot. Perfect for someone who loves back country freestyle.
K2 Kung Fujas Amazing edge-to-edge, really easy to steer on and off piste and lots of fun in the park.
Line Prophet 100 A really rigid ski so easy to use off piste and lots of fun, I was surprised on how amazing these skis were.
Atomic Smoke Ti I never thought I would say this but these skis were a lot of fun. Excellent piste ski for someone looking to get more technical, really light and easy to use. A perfect recreational ski.
Scott Crusade Lots of fun off piste, they have an amazing yet simple design and deliver loads of float. This is the perfect 4x4 of the ski world.
What is your personal favourite (s): Moment Night Train and K2 Kung Fujas
Put down your thoughts on the range: I really enjoyed the skis, a really good range which will attract all levels of skiers.
Any other comments: I hope everyone will enjoy this years range as much as I did.
Name: Dave Casey
Age: 30
Weight: 9.5 Stone
Height: 5’ 7”
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 27 years
Describe your skiing: Aggressive piste, aggressive freeride and aspiring freestyle.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
K2 Crossfire Still going strong as ever; stood out slightly from the other advanced piste skis due to its well rounded character, very capable over all types of piste condition and over a range of speeds and turn shapes. Powerful and dependable yet still manoeuvrable, the more you push this ski the more you get back!
Line Prophet Flite For an ‘all-mountain’ ski, at 90mm wide the Flite is certainly embracing the current ‘bigger is better’ philosophy. Though 90mm is nothing new on advanced/expert skis, what sets the Flite apart is the fact that it’s aimed at improving intermediate/aspiring advanced skiers. Thanks to a bit of thoughtful design, the Flite manages to pull off this difficult combination remarkably well. The result is a ski perfect for improving intermediates wanting a ‘shortcut’ to great powder runs.
Fischer Watea 94 Though we have three widths of the Watea in our range, for me it really comes into its own in the form of the ‘94’ version for the freeride category. For an advanced to expert freeride ski a width of ‘only’ 94mm would normally leave me wanting more, instead the Watea 94 takes a different tack by incorporating several alternative (and unique) off-piste adaptations. Significantly this allows the designers to keep the width down (noticeably increasing on-piste performance) whilst maintaining off-piste capability. Consequently this is possibly the most versatile of the freeride skis, surprisingly good on-piste and for its width ‘punches well above its weight’ off-piste as well.
K2 Coomback Last year this was my favourite of the freeride skis and indeed my overall favourite as well. Considering it’s unchanged from last year (aside from the graphic and a subtle name change) it was never going to be difficult for it to make it on to this year’s list. My original review can be found on last year’s page (link at the bottom) but in short the Coomback earns its place here thanks to its successful combination of effortless off-piste capability and considerable on-piste manageability.
K2 Extreme The venerable Extreme has to be my favourite of this year’s freestyle skis though it was close with the Salomon Suspect. As ever both skis are two of the best examples of ‘general purpose’ twin-tips, good in the park, on the piste and in the powder. As such both make really good ‘seasonaire’s skis’ for improving to advanced parallel skiers only wanting to take out just the one pair for the season. The subtle difference between their characters would have to be that the Extremes are the slightly softer of the two and hence more ‘playful’/lively, whilst the Suspects, being slightly stiffer, coped better with higher speeds and uneven piste. I found myself favouring the Extreme though as it leant more in the direction of my natural ‘playful’ skiing style and thanks to a bit of thoughtful design it gained more than it lost in going softer in my opinion. As if that wasn’t enough, this year the Extreme even comes with the option of adding Marker’s new radical ‘Schizo’ binding; the ‘Schizo’ means that for the first time you don’t have to worry about where on the ski to mount the bindings (further forward for park preference versus further back for off-piste preference) as it allows the position to be adjusted quickly even after mounting (a LOT more than normal) with just a screwdriver. The icing on the cake for an already great ski and would seal the deal if it wasn’t sealed already!
What is your personal favourite (s): Would have to be the K2 Extreme this year. Just felt like the one ski I could happily use all the time if I had to and thanks to its lively nature was bags of fun at the same time. With the addition of the new ‘Schizo’ binding (see above) allowing even more possibilities this might just be as close as you can get to the mythical ‘one ski quiver’!
Put down your thoughts on the range: With the economy like it is it hasn’t been easy keeping the prices down this year; despite this the line up is as solid as ever so you know you’re especially getting value for money this year no matter what you go with! Also notable for this year is the welcome introduction of the innovative new Marker ‘Schizo’ binding, finally saving you from having to answer that age old problem of ‘where to mount my bindings?!’ (see above for a more detailed explanation!).
Any other comments: Well if last year’s test was all about the snowfall then this year’s was all about the endless sunshine! A substantial snow base left over from another good season and recent snow still made for valuable testing though. Once again evenings were a useful opportunity to get together, swap ideas and of course simply kick back! Once more, thank you to everyone involved in the staging of another successful and very enjoyable test!
Name: Jenna Griffiths
Age: 24
Weight: 9.5 stone
Height: 5’2 1/2
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 20 years
Describe your skiing: Relaxed, will ski anything and like to push myself sometimes.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Volkl Mantra I was so surprised by how powerful and responsive this ski was, it had amazing edge hold and was super stable. This ski can really handle any condition piste, powder, slush it’s amazing!
Scott Maya I loved this ski! This ski is an excellent all-round, feel good ski, which is really lively yet forgiving. This ski would be great for an intermediate who wants to improve.
Dynastar Fluid This is a super fun piste ski with amazing edge hold and really responsive. This ski was fantastic at speed which makes it perfect if you want to push yourself.
K2 MissDemeanor I’m such a fan of this ski that I even own a pair. It handles well in any condition and it is super lively. The MissDemeanor a real feel good ski because it’s so easy to use. What more could you ask for in a ski! This ski is perfect for someone that would like to progress into freestyle.
Volkl Kiku I think this was the biggest surprise for me. I was so impressed by how easy it was to turn, because it has such a wide waist. It was so smooth and stable, a great freeride ski. This is definitely one that I want to get my hands on and try again.
What is your personal favourite (s): The Punisher was my favourite because it gave me everything I wanted out of a ski, it performed well both on and off piste and it really had loads of energy. Amazing!
Put down your thoughts on the range: Amazing, there is something for every type of skier.
Name: Marcin
Age: constant 16 (around 27)
Weight: 80 kg
Height: 177 cm
Years skiing / weeks on snow: 22 (years)
Describe your skiing: Ski Instructor with few racing years, trying to avoid piste skiing - looking for fast freeride stuff only (whatever conditions).
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Line Sir Francis Bacon 182cm Never tried a ski which is so smooth in the soft snow. Off piste never gave me so much good time without hard work. Pure fun! Surprisingly - the fastest ski during the race J
Line Prophet 100 179cm This ski has no speed limit, amazing stability even when you have to go through the cruddy area. Wide enough for powder, stiff enough for icy conditions, beautiful graphic. Perfect!
K2 Coomback 181cm Unbeatable in the range - light & fat. Best option for freeriders (with ski touring binding), surprisingly no problems on the piste - just take bit more space for smoothest and widest turns ever!
Volkl Gotama 186cm Didn’t like these skis last year and I believe Volkl has changed it just for me! - these rockers combined with flex of the ski will take you every where you want to ski. Freeride ski of the year - no doubts.
Atomic Drive Titan Sport 172 cm Since I’m not racing any more I’m extremely lazy on the piste and this ski allows it - effortless, responsive, very user friendly.
Fischer Watea 94 Don’t remember the size I was skiing - never mind - it was great anyway J. This set’s got everything I like to have in powder skis + something extra (this amazing NOSE). Feels like skiing on the water
What is your personal favourite (s): Can’t decide... ALL THE FATTIES (no exceptions)
Put down your thoughts on the range: I’m a bit confused - there is everything for everyone. Amazing lady skis (tried them all), some good stiff bustards for the piste, many all-rounders, good freestyle (Moment’s!), and freeride, freeride, freeride...
Any other comments: It was really nice to put our hands on the skis and see how much fun we can get from skiing together (like race from the top to the bottom only in underwear). Happy days
Name: Rob Evans
Age: 32
Weight: 14.5st (the spreads starting)
Height: 6ft 4
Years skiing: 26
Describe your skiing: Still technical, but not quite as fast or loud (due to knee injury in winter 2008/09). Bring on 2010. “I’m havin’ it”.
Each season there is less piste involved, the deeper the better. Adaptable is still the best description as I will ski down anything if I have to.
List the 5 skis that impressed you most, and explain why:
Dynastar Sultan 85 For the aspiring freerider who skis the whole mountain. On or off these do it all. 85mm underfoot ensures good floatation, while the 3D arms in the construction lets you hammer down the piste with great edge control and stability.
Head Peak 73 What a bargain ! Super smooth with good grip and edge hold. A real confidence booster at lower speeds. So easy to initiate the turn, even those without sound technique will find it a doddle to use.
Volkl Gotama Probably the biggest surprise of the test. Having been a fan of the previous versions I was expecting an awesome ski that needs to be worked for the most enjoyment. From the moment I got off the lift I was recognising the same feelings but this time hardly any effort was being required. By adding a rocker it has made a huge difference to the agility. One of the best freeride skis out there, great floatation, stable, and now user friendly.
K2 Recon And the lifelong achievement award goes to the (drum roll) K2 Recon (cheers and whoops). Each year I test this ski to feel for any changes that K2 introduce. I think I am probably guilty of thinking too much about the differences and not really giving the ski the respect it is due. This year there has been very little change, so I didn’t have to do much thinking. The end result is I actually notice just how super-versatile, lively and precise this all mountain option is.
Fischer Watea 84 Regardless of where you are on the mountain, you will never be caught out with ‘the wrong type of ski’. Cruising on the piste and you will love the power and feedback that comes from the sandwich construction. Sidewalls make sure that grip and edge hold is plentiful and a versatile 18m sidecut with 84mm underfoot gives superb floatation in the variable snow conditions.
What is your personal favourite (s): Always a difficult question to answer, but this year the Volkl Gotama is the pick on the freeride bunch.
Put down your thoughts on the range: Something for everyone, you really will enjoy any of the skis this year. One word of advice thought. Buy early so not to miss out.
Any other comments: Big thanks to all involved in making this happen.
