Review: Praxis Protest, 187cm

I may have missed something, but I was surprised not to find more reviews up on the Protest, though certainly there are lots of comments scattered around various threads. It seems like the Protest is such a staple around here that maybe it's just one of those skis that everyone feels like they sort of know it.

I don't find it to be the easiest ski to try to describe. With pretty much every ski, the more time on it, the more you adjust and get used to it. But this seems to me to be even more true of the Protest.

Anyway, here's a stab at a review:

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-re...praxis-protest

Nice review JFE24. It's good to read your review (as you said, not much out there on this ski - besides references to it in the wootest thread)...

You might consider posting up the text of the review here.

My fiancee should be getting her first days on the 163 cm version (9 mm narrower throughout than the 128 waist on all other lengths) this weekend. Mounted with sollyfits.

Lotus 138 Pure performance is mentioned in the Protest review.

I assume you'll be posting up a Lotus 138 review at some point?

hoarhey - if your fiancee is ripping around on Protests, it sounds like you are making some solid life choices.

And yes, definitely a 138 review, just want more time on it in the right range of conditions.

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Originally Posted by JFE24

if your fiancee is ripping around on Protests, it sounds like you are making some solid life choices.

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Well put!

I have my own mini-review of the 202 L138 v. 196 Protest. I'll try to get some more days on both, do a better write up, and post it here.

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Originally Posted by auvgeek

I have my own mini-review of the 202 L138 v. 196 Protest. I'll try to get some more days on both, do a better write up, and post it here.

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Nice, auvgeek, look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Well, since you guys typically do a "first impressions" post, I'll do the same. Keep in mind I only skied the Protests for like 1/2 a day before swapping back to my L138s. Correspondingly, I had no learning curve with the 138s, which is opposite of most people's experience.

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Originally Posted by auvgeek

Bumping this because I bought a used pair of 202 138 F2 from the bamboo-sidewall generation from bptempleton (thanks mang!). My thoughts echo Olympus' exactly, and I think that's one of the best reviews I've seen on the site.

After a handful of days on them, I'm willing to say it's the best, most confidence-inspiring ski I've ever skied. It almost feels like cheating. It's odd to term a ski this wide as a quiver killer, but it's the ski I want whenever there's more than 6"...and if there's less than that I'm in the bc. Powder is heavenly, but we all knew that. The impressive part is how well they ski after the resort has been tracked out. I can carve trenches down a chopped-up mogul field at like 40 mph no problem. They can ski tight trees - much better than I expected, actually. But let's be realistic: I'm 5'11" 165# on a 202 L138. If the trees are spaced widely enough, it's not a problem, but once they get tight the speed has to drop. But I think it's a big credit to the ski that I'm not scared to take them into the trees, I just know I can't ski them as quickly as my 186 Renegades, for instance.

I borrowed my friend's 196 Protests the other day because it wasn't a pow day and I hadn't finished installing inserts on my other skis. I skied the Protests for a few runs, and then switched back to the L138. I can't think of a condition or time where I would want the Protest instead of my L138s. For me, they just do everything better than the Protests. I convinced the same friend to take them for a few run last weekend. I wouldn't presume to speak for him regarding which ski he actually prefers, but he couldn't get over how fast and confidence-inspiring they were.

I will note two issues:
1) The bamboo sidewalls crack - I put a huge crack in mine. This scared me pretty badly at first (there were not cracks when I bought them), but it's just cosmetic, according to Marshal. Throw some epoxy in the crack and call it good. I'm still not 100% convinced it's not structural, so I'll continue to watch it closely.
2) DPS added a significant more amount of rocker, in both height and length, to the current version. The lack of flat spot will probably decrease the carveability while not offering that much more to the ski unless all you ski is untracked. I really wish they still made the "202 L138 RP," but I'd like to try the new 202 at some point. [Edit: See Marshal's post below. Happy to be proven wrong!]

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auvgeek - i should add that the increased rocker in the new 3.2 rocker actually very much ADDS carvability on firm snow compared to the rocker 2's that you have, since the sidecut is basically flat, and its super stiff, the rocker gives you a rounded edge to carve.

sorry to go off topic, but the speculation on that post is speculation only IMO.

Awesome! Super pumped to hear that.

Okay, I better stop talking about the L138 in the Protest thread before kidwoo tracks me down and makes me repent. :biggrin:

The 187 Protest is the most fun ski I've been on in the pow. It reminds me a bit of my old Powders but I can drive the ski and it's a better on hardpack traverses and runouts back to the lifts.

I was considering the 196 (which I'll get next year) but this is fine for very high speeds and it turns on a time. It's been a blast this crappy Tahoe season when I've need to zip around or over the numerous boulders, rocks, shrubs, logs, etc.

I can finally - and with great pleasure - add to this thread.

Disclaimer! I've only had 3 days on my Protests, but probably did 30k+ vert each day.

Protest 187, medium flex, carbon lay-up. Mounted with STH 14s on the dimple.

Me: 6'1 x 175, middle-aged non-slayer who loves to go fast on long pitches.

Conditions: Reasonably diverse; from 8" of light pow to chopped up cream cheese gack (thankfully just the bottom 50-100m vert in the afternoon).

Those of you who've helped me out with info will know, that I've had an irrational attraction to these skis. Something about the shape just seemed so right. At the same time, I was a bit intimidated by their massive 128mm and short, shallow sidecut. Not to worry, it took me one run to feel completely at home. They just inspire complete confidence.

In quite tracked out powder, they could still be driven at high speed or be skied more upright and relaxed. Very little deflection, and importantly no hookiness whatsoever.

On smooth, wind-affected powder I felt no speed limit and could carve them hard in giant arcs. The tips would vibrate (can't call it flap) a tad, but they remained smooth and confidence inspiring.

In light powder, well they are just dreamy. As fast as you want to go, any turn shape, as delicate or hard as you want to, they just do it.

I didn't have any issues on traverses or icy wind-scoured ridges. Surprisingly good edge-hold considering their width.

They are definitely not titanal freight trains a la LPs, but have that distinctive lively-yet-damp feel characteristic to carbon.

Hopefully I'll get to ski them in corn soon. I'm sure they'll go well, but then what doesn't in corn?

Thanks for listening. Hope this might tempt others to give them a go. It was quite the revelation for me.

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Originally Posted by Island Bay

Hopefully I'll get to ski them in corn soon. I'm sure they'll go well, but then what doesn't in corn?

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You always know a heart is in the right place when you read this.

Thanks for the review.

Hope you avoided most of the avalanche risk in recent days down there. Went pretty big I read.

Hohes, I was being good - promise!

The Craigieburn Range had surprisingly good stability. We got 3ft or so over the whole cycle, whereas the Ragged Range farther west apparently got 6ft or so, and the Mt Cook area 10!

The patrollers were very happy with the state of the snowpack, and I didn't see any signs of instability - except for very sporadic pinwheeling on the lowest 50 meters of sun-baked slopes in the afternoon.

Here's a wee taste of what we got; North Peak (2000+ft of vert) in the afternoon sun.

Attachment 120811

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Originally Posted by Hohes

You always know a heart is in the right place when you read this.

Thanks for the review.

Hope you avoided most of the avalanche risk in recent days down there. Went pretty big I read.

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And yep, I can confirm that they absolutely shine in corn. What a ski.