Thread: Praxis BC 190- first impessions

Did I say impessions? ImpRessions!

Finally got to ski my BC's, and FWIW here's a wee write-up.
This is only two days' worth, so by no means an exhaustive review.
I bought these thinking they'd be perfect for the notoriously variable NZ conditions, and I got to put them through the paces in exactly that. Mounted on the line (105 from tips).

Saturday @ Porters (Craigieburn Range): We were hoping for powder (first day after a big storm), but the strong southerlies had put paid to that, so conditions went from beautiful windbuff to spring snow to light re-freeze - with a bit of crud for good measure.
First run was pure joy, making me do half the turns at twice the speed. As things got more cut up, they really shone at just crushing through the more lumpy stuff.
On warm, sunny slopes, it was easy to let them run, but they'd also effortlessly scrub off speed in tight spots.
As it got colder, I was sceptical of the ability of such a light (and significantly rockered) ski to not chatter all over the place, but man are they damp.
I always thought they looked perfect (I shape my own surfboards, and like to think I have a good eye), and they do seem to have the perfect shape; the low-profile, early rise and -taper tip just will not hook, it just wants to slice and engage beautifully evenly.

Sunday @ Mt Hutt: Very sketchy conditions off piste with lots of rocks, sastrugi etc, so spent most the day doing big turns on the groomers. Holy heck, can they rail! Very, very good edge hold going fast (there was a GS race on right next door, so you could easily compare your speed.

I won't bore you any more, but I'm so incredibly impressed that one ski (well, two) can do so much. I could not imagine a better quiver of one, except if you ski Utah powder all the time. Can't wait to try them out in powder (surprise!).

For reference, I'm 6'1 x 170. Surfing 100 days/yr, but would be lucky to get 25 days skiing.

I realise I made the classic mistake of just broadcasting my opinion.
A few comparisons would probably highlight qualities, so here's a few skis I have skied and liked, though not as much.

2010 Gotamas (183): Very fun, but very strange too, I found. Given its unusual flex pattern (stiff tip, med mid, softer tail), I thought it had a funny sweet spot, and that you had to be very firmly onto the tips. Try and squeeze speed out of the end of a turn, and the soft tails would let me down. On the Praxis BCs I could push and push and they'd just accelerate. The shape of the tips (no early taper) also led to slightly more hooking. None of the with the BCs. Super smooth engagement. Also, the 183 Gots are a lot heavier than the 190 BCs.

2010 Salomon Shogun (182): Felt like an overall good ski, but somehow not that fun. It did a lot of things well, but didn't make me all that excited. The Praxis BCs did, and then some.

The Gots impression is based on two days skiing in powder, windbuff, spring snow and chopped up powder. The Shoguns just half a days worth of dust on crust, soft groomers and a few pockets of powder.

Thanks for the review.

Looked that these online a lot last year and I'm still seriously considering these as my daily touring ski for trees and alpine in Japan, all snow conditions.

Sounds like you like them.

What was wrong with them?