Thread: Praxis Powderboards as a heli ski?

There is currently a great deal on Praxis Pows and since I'm looking for a ski for an upcoming heli trip they seem interesting at least.
But having never had any experience with reverse/reverse skis before I'm really not sure whether it's clever to take them as the only possible ski for the heli trip. As far as I can understande heliskiing doesn't always mean perfect powder.
So will I be wise if I get a pair of Pow's or is it better to go more traditional re sidecut and camber?

They would be great, especially in one of the longer lengths. If you're paying thousands of dollars, you should be sking powder, but they also do well in other untracked but harder snow conditions.

Go longer than you think you should.

Seriously.

Anytime I've been I'll bring a least two pair. One for the uber deep and something more traditional ie... 190/197 Katana, just in case. You're right that it's not always perfect.

How do you want to ski your pow?

If you are a bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy powder-8 kind of pow skier, reverse/reverse does you no good (and may funk you up)

If you tend to steer and charge your pow, then R/R adds some fun. Now you get to steer, charge, and SCHMEAR your pow.
In that case, R/R will blow your mind.

Although I consider R/R to be a specialty ski myself (due to its limitation on hardpack or skied out snow) I would not only bring them on a heli trip, I would WANT them for a heli trip.
In fact, if I were signed up for a week of heli, I would shell out for a Lotus 138 202cm for the ultimate in high speed schmear and schmoo.

Get a R/R ski.
Even if the snow is not perfect, then R/R is better in those conditions too.
the only thing that woudl suck is hard hard unbreakable windslab and ice.
But that ain't really heli skiing. I assume they know how to find soft snow.
as long it is soft, you will be stoked.
Breakable crust and slab is easiest on R/R than any other ski.

Originally Posted by Core Shot

How do you want to ski your pow?

If you are a bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy powder-8 kind of pow skier, reverse/reverse does you no good (and may funk you up)

Because rockered skis are really hard to make tight turns in powder with.


Wait what?

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Because rockered skis are really hard to make tight turns in powder with.


Wait what?

no, they are easy

my point is that if you do the bounce-turn (old school stylee) it will be a big adjustment to ski R/R

[in neutral, the R/R ski makes a sharp turn. When you bounce weight them down, they make an even tighter turn. This will feel different than a flat or cambered ski]

Any good skier can make the adjustment to steering and schmearing, but they may not like how it feels.

I sold my praxis because they sucked on hardpack but also partly because i missed that bouncy pop in the ski that levitates you when you give it a push. Dont get me wrong, they were really good and easy to ski in pow, but i think i prefer to get some feedback when pushing down on the ski.

i wouldn't exactly call it bouncy bouncy old school style, but i like that really perfect tight s turn in powder, and my pows kick ass doing that. In powder they can make any turn shape, style you like. If i could choose one ski for a heli trip these would be it for sure.

An FFsup, granted you can't carve them, but I wouldn't say they suck on hardpack. I've skied some pretty bulletproof stuff with them, and they were still one of the easier skis to ski. As long as you know/keep in mind you can't carve them, hard pack isn't an issue.

Depending on your size and skill level, as a heli specific ski, I would go a size up than the one you think you need. You will definitely enjoy the added stability and surface area.

Absolutely.

In case you decide that you hate them, find out whether your heli company has a demo supply. But you'll love them.

With all the sick deals on used Praxis Powders these days, its worth the purchase. You'll absolutely love them... on the deeper days when I've had my Praxis out this season, it was the most fun I've had in powder all year.

Originally Posted by smmokan

on the deeper days when I've had my Praxis out this season, it was the most fun I've had in powder all year.

he speaketh the truth. i couldn't have said it better myself. also, they shine in variable snow, and are almost as much fun in variable snow as they are in pow. pull the trigger, you won't regret it, but if you do, you could always sell them and demo from the heli op you're using.

You'll love em! My pows are my dedicated sled ski, nothing is better for the untracked...

I spent a day on my Powderboards with Wasatch Powder Birds in LCC. First time I went into backcountry with them. They were absolutely great. No problems whatsoever. I'm considering getting some skins for them now (I have Dukes on them). Actually, I just ordered another shorter pair (175's - i'm on 185's now) just to see what the difference might be. I'm 5-9 and 165 and I just seem to prefer a shorter ski, even a shorter r/r ski.

If you are going to do the Praxis pre-order deal, you won't get them until next season, but worth the wait.

Thanks for the replies, guys!

wheres your heli trip? post pics!

Do it.


Been there done that.


For the 5% of the time they won't be great in shitty conditions, it will be worth the 95% of the time they kill it in the pow yielding multiple orgasms.

wheres your heli trip? post pics!

Next spring, heading to Alaska.

Praxis Powders are great in anything soft, but they really shine for me in the variable conditions especially in heavier snow and crud. I was skiing Whistler today in 15cms of new wet spring snow, that was wind affected up higher and melting into mashed potatoes down low. Everyone was struggling except those with rockered skis. Lots of S7's, JJ's, Arg's etc. The Praxis made short work of it. I can't think of any of my other skis being nearly as good. In blower powder, I prefer my Sanouks, but in all other deep snow the Praxis rule. They are easy on everything except icy hard pack and firmer snow that you can't slid your edges on.

You are right about heli skiing not always having perfect conditions. Last spring I went for an impulse heli day trip with some friends. All I had with me were my Dynastar LP's. I was wishing I had the Praxis. The conditions ranged from a couple of feet of fairly heavy fresh over more firm snow to spring corn and the LP's were fine. Then we hit a slope with an unbreakable sun crust with a frosty surface that was the most difficult snow I have ever skied in 40 years! I would have been hating life had I been on the Praxis. It was bad enough on the LP's. It was like skiing down a steep concrete sidewalk with a light layer of grabby frost on it. You never know what you are going to get in the back country, especially in the spring. Bring two pairs if you can.

Praxis Powders changed my life. I often consider punching myself in the face for not buying them sooner.

I ski them more than my "traditional" skis here in UT. I'll echo what the others have said about being fun in variable. And I actually love slarving the hardpack.

Oh, and if you're wondering about length, just go longer and don't look back.

Get 'em...they will be sick on your heli-trip. I had mine on a couple heli days and they were fantastic...exactly what they were made for. However, as others have said, bring a second pair of more traditional skis.

Enjoy!

Another Awesome powder day at Whistler and another shinning performance by the Praxis. Who would have guessed a powder day in May! The Praxis just diced it up from the untracked in the alpine in the AM to charging through the cut up tracked up stuff to the ripping through the lower altitude stuff that was like glue. I had a riot tearing short slalom turns on my way back down at the end of the day in the spring corn. I just lay them on edge and carved them like a race ski. They were super maneuverable. I could have run gates with them. All the difficult choppy stuff that everyone with traditional skis was avoiding was a veritable playground for the Praxis. Heliskiing, hell yah!