(Yet Another) Review: 186 Glass Lhasa Pow - First Impressions...w/ a Little POV Stoke

[sierraskier]

Ski: PMGear Fiberglass Lhasa Pow
Length: 186 cm
Boots used: Dalbello Krypton Pro (stiff tongue)
Bindings used: Marker Duke mounted on the line
How many days on the skis: 2
Resort or backcountry: 80% Resort, 20% backcountry intended
Geographical region: Snowbird and Snowbasin
Tell us about the terrain you ski: mostly off piste
Do you know how the skis were tuned (bevel): Factory
How long have you been skiing: ~30 yrs
How many days a year: 30-50
Previous ski that you liked: 183 04/05 Gotama (black buddha), 183 06/07 Gotama (white), 174 K2 Coomba
Previous ski you did not like: Atomic R:EX (with Fritschi's), K2 Apache Chief
Stats: 37 yrs old, 6'0, 170lbs

Discussion
There's already been a ton of Lhasa Pow reviews on the forum but just thought I would add my 2 cents as I've benefited a ton from all the info other mags have posted up here. I wanted to add a specialty pow ski to the quiver, a funshape with some amount of rocker. Never having skied a funshape or a rockered ski, I wasn't sure how much rocker I wanted, but I knew I wanted a ski that could handle some occassional variable snow, a groomer/cat track back to the lift, a boney chute entrance, traverse, etc... Basically I didn't want a ski I would have to take back to the car at 11 or 12 or whenever the resort got tracked out.

Other skis that I thought might fit into this category and considered, in order of priority, were: Volkl Kuro, Praxis Hybrid/Protest, Armada JJ, Rossignol S7, and K2 Hellbent. After checking them out I think the S7, JJ, and the Hellbent are too rockered/gimicky for me. The Kuro and the Hybrid made the short list but I ended up picking up a blem deal from Splat and mounting them up with some Dukes.

After getting an epidural in lower back morning of Christmas eve, then hopping a flight to SLC out of Reno, I was finally ready to get on these bad boys.

My very first impression was that I was not that stoked about the stack height of the Duke. Never skiied the Duke before, but have skiied Fritschi's a bunch so I knew what putting a touring binding on the ski was going to do with the stack height.

Pow
Awesome. To be expected, but never having skiied a rockered ski, bullet-nosed tip, or a ski with quite this much surface area I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The slight amount of tip rocker on the Lhasa Pow could almost be called an early rise tip, but whatever you call it, in combination with the bullet-nose tip, the ski allows you to make many different turn shapes in pow. Super fun. You can weight forward, back and pretty much anywhere in between to create your desired turn shape and the tip rides above everything. I found it a little harder to throw the tail out than I had anticipated, but that's relative to the larger, up-turned tail of the Goat that I'm used to. Also, the snow was mostly skiied already so fresh bottomless turns were sparse.

Packed/Tracked Pow/Crud
Super fun. This is where I was the most surprised. I let the ski run and was amazed when I could make huge, maching GS turns through variable packed pow without the slightest bit of tip hook or fear or going over the bars. With the rockered tip and bullet nose, the ski bombs over everything. I have never been able to do this at these speeds or this turning radius on any other ski.

Groomers/Boilerplate
This ski can rail turns on groomers. Skis like my Goats do on groomers, which is pretty damn good. I was very impressed and frankly a little surprised with the construction of this ski - probably an order of magnitude better than any mass production ski I've been on. In addition to zero top sheet chipping or base damage, the rock solid construction translates into a torsionally stiff ski with amazing edge hold for it's size. As is to be expected, the more firm the snow gets, the harder it is to get the ski up on edge but this ski will not let you down when you need an edge.

Wind Blown/Firm Variable
This ski is totally manageable on variable/wind blown but this is where the ski started to kick back and tip-hook on me a little bit, but I think this possibly due to a couple factors:

+ the sheer size of the ski
+ my weak-ass first-day-of-the-season gaper-style
+ the progressive flex: stiffer flex under foot and in the tail
+ variable/wind blown being harder to ski in general!

Parting Comments and Thoughts
Overall I am stoked on these skis. For their intended use, which is primarily powder days, mission accomplished. Obviously still getting used to them as I've only skiied 'em 2 days, but I would be really interested to see how these skiied with Solly 916's on them. I'm also wondering how they would feel with a slightly more uniform flex pattern (read slightly softer underfoot and tail). But again, this is with only 2 days on them and I'm kind of wondering if this is due to the Dukes. Too many variables and not enough time on them yet to know but I've had the same feeling about my Coomba's with Fritchi's... so it's possible. I also just have to mention that these are the fucking coolest looking skis I've ever owned. I can't wait to get some more days on 'em and will update with more info.

Here's a little POV footage from 2nd day at the Basin:

[jondrums]

thanks for the write-up! nice pov too - looks like your trip didn't suck at all

[Toadman]

Call me crazy but that ski doesn't look all that wide from your POV. Was that a busy day at the Basin? What was your ski partner riding? Nice review.

[LivinCO]

FKNA! Great write up. I'm on the 188 Stiff BROs and think they are the cat's pajamas, so I'm sure the Lhasa just kills it. I hope to find out sooner than later.

I'm impressed with the 188 on everything but groomers, so it's interesting to hear your thoughts on the Lhasa's groomer skillz. Either way, they are built for bottomless pow and crud killing, so everything else is just extra stoke.

[sierraskier]

Call me crazy but that ski doesn't look all that wide from your POV. Was that a busy day at the Basin? What was your ski partner riding? Nice review.

Well, at 140-112-122 the Lhasa Pow certainly isn't the fattest ski out there by but it is significantly larger than the Goat I'm used to riding at 133-105-124.

The Basin did not seem too busy to me. I've only skiied there 2 days and both seemed empty, which is amazing considering one was Presidents weekend pow day and the other was Xmas holiday pow day...

My buddy skis his Volkl AC40's, which he is in love with.

[sierraskier]

I'm impressed with the 188 on everything but groomers, so it's interesting to hear your thoughts on the Lhasa's groomer skillz. Either way, they are built for bottomless pow and crud killing, so everything else is just extra stoke.

Exactly. It's all relative. Definitely NOT saying I would take these skis out just to ski corduroy, but for a powder board I was pleasantly surprised at how well they handled.

[Sloafer11']

nice footage man, thanks.

Also, I think the Lhasa's school groomers - super fast and super fun. I used them for two days on strictly grooms, had a blast. I've found that to push them and really haul you just shift your weight forward and engage the tip, sets up big fast turns - then if you just stay square on top of them, stand up real straight, you can pivot around and slide some super fun turns on the trail side. Anyways, the ski is dope, and I'm glad your as stoked as I am.

[squirrelmurphy]

I'm impressed with the 188 on everything but groomers, so it's interesting to hear your thoughts on the Lhasa's groomer skillz. Either way, they are built for bottomless pow and crud killing, so everything else is just extra stoke.

You serious? I thought the 188s killed groomers (and everything else, except pow). I thought the 186 Lhasas were fine on groomers, certainly much better than praxis or other super-fats, but were no where near as fun to carve as the 188s.

[schindlerpiste]

Great review. Right on, IMHO. The only disagreement I have is regarding the graphics. Nice graphics, but the actually piss me off. Now, I don't know where on the ski to place my stickers.

Also, I had to rivet one tail, as the aluminum kept detaching. That should be my biggest problem in life.

[bennettc14]

I agree with every part of your review. Someone please review the 196s!!!

[squirrelmurphy]

Someone please send me my 196s and I'll get right on that!

[XtrPickels]

You serious? I thought the 188s killed groomers (and everything else, except pow). I thought the 186 Lhasas were fine on groomers, certainly much better than praxis or other super-fats, but were no where near as fun to carve as the 188s.

I thought 188's kill groomers too. If you understand they aren't a 15m cahving machine you quickly find out that you can haul ass and make big unflappable turns with confidence.

[LivinCO]

I thought 188's kill groomers too. If you understand they aren't a 15m cahving machine you quickly find out that you can haul ass and make big unflappable turns with confidence.

Yea, the 188's rail like a SG ski on groomers. What I meant was exactly what you said, you can't expect them to ski like a GS carver, which is fine, I prefer mach looney SG speeds anyways.

[Long duc dong]

Nice review. If I did not have 186 EHP's the lasa's would definitely be on the radar.

[splat]

If you do your base and edge bevels at 1 base, 2 side, you'll find they'll ski even batter. For some reason, the machine we've been using isn't doing the base bevel as well as it should. We do them by hand if we can, but in the process of hauling ass trying to get skis shipped, it appears our bevels have suffered a bit and re-doing them has improved performance tremendously amongst those mags who have done it. Worked for The Suit quite noticeably.

Having re-read your post and noticing it was your first day on them, I got a chuckle, knowing that when your 'relationship' with them matures a little (about day 2 or 3) and you are ready to 'commit', you're gonna be married to them babies. Enjoy...

[Sloafer11']

If you do you base and edge bevels at 1 base, 2 side, you'll find they'll ski even batter. For some reason, the machine we've been using isn't doing the base bevel as well as it should. We do them by hand if we can, but in the process of hauling ass trying to get skis shipped, it appears out bevels have suffered a bit and re-doing the has improved performance tremendously amongst those mags who have done it.

I sure as shit don't know how to do this, but I'm sure my boys at the shop will . . .