Thread: Spring ski: 95mm, 25m radius, 1.8kg, rockered tip.

Originally Posted by Karl May

oops, just read, the w99s only have 18m turn radius, thought it was bigger. other than that, I think they're still awsome, though.

just for the record, the w99 is a progressive 18-22m radius. what that means is bases flat you engage an 18m radius. once you are up on edge and bent into the sidecut its 22m.

You guys are killing me with ideas. Thanks.

Happy to see others like 25m+ radius on corn and other late winter alpine snow.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Start a thread on a narrower praxis freeride.


I mean shit, that's what I would do.

If you named your modified Protest the Wootest.... I'll call my narrower lighter version of the Freeride the Ho-ride. You heard me.

Just back from super fast super smooth unbreakable alpine rimed ice crust. Shit was damned fun until I ventured out onto 40 degrees. Then down onto south aspect corn. yew! Love that stuff. W112's were fine, but the whole time I felt like something plankier on the down with less side cut for when the crust became breakable, and narrower for the long rising traverses.

Yeah I would say you definitely want some thing +25m on the radius as skinning on steep/hard stuff with a ski with lots of sidecut sux. Volkl Nunuq does have rocker this year (23m radius, ok not great). It's the Mantra with a light wood core and no metal.
http://www.voelkl.com/skis/touring/t...ide/nanuq.html

Shit, look at that. Thanks. New rockered Nanuq in 178cmx96mm comes in at 24.6m radius and 1.65kg's. Hello.

I'm on the Nanuq from last year (or the year before). With a bit of tip rocker I'd imagine it will be ideal for what you want. Skis well with Vertical STs for such a light setup.

Originally Posted by gregL

No tip rocker, but I like the 177 Volkl Nanuq - super edgehold, very precise ski.

If you used the smaller set of holes on the Manaslu, you can use the more forward set of two for the Radical pattern, if you are in the larger set you will have to drill the two forward holes.

Actually, the current version of the Nanuq does have tip rocker. In a 177, it weighs in at 3lbs 9oz per ski (~1.61 kilograms), has a 23m radius and is 96 underfoot <=> pretty close to what you are looking for. Essentially the same shape as a Mantra without metal and a softer flex.

Edit: Just saw the post from utly_guy. Sorry for the redundant post...

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Rossi S3 fits the bill for everything you seek, except I don't know what it weighs. Love mine though.

98mm, 23m radius, rocker, is about as close as you are going to get I think.

Too soft.

I know I am way off in width area but humour me.

I am just over the border in Niigata (so a higher water content I am dealing with than Hakuba) and I think the perfect ski for spring touring is the Praxis concept. That little bulge and variable camber works so well in spring snow. I originally bought it as a resort ski but quickly converted it to my spring touring rig after riding on it for a season.

For long traverses it really bites well, due to the bulge, but doesn't have the same hookiness in breakable crust and cement. Can carve on ice and slarve in corn. The tip rocker profile is ideal for spring but a little shallow for mid-winter.

Get it in a 177 and I am sure Keith would put a lightweight topsheet on it with a carbon layup and it would get close to your target weight. You know the quality is going to be perfect being Praxis. The turn radius is listed at 23 but with the design it really feels for more variable, which is great for above and below tree line skiing.

Wider than your rp112s so not meeting your specs but would definitely be my spring ski of choice. It also skis thinner than the waist would suggest because of the bulge.

But I have seen some reviews from people who have disliked it, so it may be a ski which splits opinions

The only other skis I can think of that that get close to the description above:

Kastle FX84 seems to tick all of the boxes except for the radius and the fact that it is impossible to get hold of/demo in Japan

Movement Bond - Good on sizes but again turn radius is too tight (met a few people in Europe who loved them, never skied them myself)

Kei Ski Cycho Kaributo 183 cm (125-93-115) R25 but order made and expensive Japan brand. http://www.kei-ski.co.jp/facebook/ca...log/index.html

Originally Posted by snoboy

I's funny, Pat was trying to talk me into a 187 Fat BRO, and I replied along the lines of I'd rather have a 95mm BRO with an early rise tip. This is for an everyday work ski, BTW.

I feel like a 185-190cm x 95mm underfoot, 25-30m radius, small bit of early rise, and durable construction would be an awesome working, beating around the mountain ski. Not to mention it would probably be a great touring ski also for anything less than those bottomless days - Spring corn anyone? I have a pair of 191 Lhasas and a pair of 188 Bros, and I can see a hole in my quiver.
.

Just spent the day on those 187 Fats in ice, slush, rimey crust, rocks and weeds (killer snowpack we have here in Tahoe and my bases show it after today) and they slayed it. I'd have no problem swapping the demo binders for touring binders later. But that would take some more snow for there to be a touring season. I shortened to 28 meter radius down to about 15 meters just powering it through turns, it straightlines like a champ, vedels, cut trenches, is smoove on long arcs and I am ecstatic when I ski it. It holds an edge like a mofo, too. Other than skintrack width issues, I don't see a down side.

This years g3 saint fits that bill. I have it and love it. Just fyi The 177 is really 175 and same with the "185". The la sportiva Lo5 and Movement Magnet would work too if you can wait.

Originally Posted by Hohes

If you named your modified Protest the Wootest.... I'll call my narrower lighter version of the Freeride the Ho-ride. You heard me.

I think you win.

Originally Posted by wcf3

Actually, the current version of the Nanuq does have tip rocker. In a 177, it weighs in at 3lbs 9oz per ski (~1.61 kilograms), has a 23m radius and is 96 underfoot <=> pretty close to what you are looking for. Essentially the same shape as a Mantra without metal and a softer flex.

Edit: Just saw the post from utly_guy. Sorry for the redundant post...

Actually handflexed a pair this weekend and I'm hunting for a deal on them myself. They are far from noodles (I have a pair of S3's, those are noodles) and are very light for their size.....tempting!

Yes, very tempting!

Originally Posted by kidwoo

I think you win.

Because my ski has a radder name than yours, or because I live where it actually snows? Today I went touring from my front door.
Me =

I'd consider also the blizzard bonafide. They're maybe a bit heavy, but will ski very well on spring snow. Radius should be around 21m

Originally Posted by Hohes

Because my ski has a radder name than yours, or because I live where it actually snows? Today I went touring from my front door.
Me =

Yeah but your snow has gamma rays.

Kästle fx94, chris davenports to-go steep ski?

Or plakes upcoming elan himalaya?

Both skis in the 95mm category,in the 1.8kg ballpark and good on steeps & hard. Any ski will work in the soft snow, so that should be an issue?
Thinking personllay replacing my legend pros (97mm/176cm) at some point with either of those.
But the LPs just ski so goddam well and seem to be indestructible ,so...

Originally Posted by Meathelmet

Kästle fx94, chris davenports to-go steep ski?

Or plakes upcoming elan himalaya?

Both skis in the 95mm category,in the 1.8kg ballpark and good on steeps & hard. Any ski will work in the soft snow, so that should be an issue?
Thinking personllay replacing my legend pros (97mm/176cm) at some point with either of those.
But the LPs just ski so goddam well and seem to be indestructible ,so...

Hand fucked the Elan....will ski it later this week. Its light as fuck but the tip is also the softest thing ever, rest of the ski seems good though. Small rocker tip and tail, 24m radius and pretty sexy too....;

Bonafides too heavy from what I have heard.

Meathelmet - not so much looking for a steep ski.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Yeah but your snow has gamma rays.

I'd share my gammapow with you. I just want you to know that I'd do that. Today was knee deep and looked across to this. Nice in a photo due to the sun, but baked by midday. North aspects were not baked. All aspects were gamma.

Gamma snow looks strange.



Let me share it with you, Woo.

Hey, missed your post altogether. Greetings, from Hakuba to Niigata.

Concept is just to wide for me in spring. I cover distance in April and May - sometimes 30km day trips - up and down lots of vert and long traverses. I need a narrow ski.

But I'm hearing your Praxis love. And stoke for the Concept.

Originally Posted by Leisg

I know I am way off in width area but humour me.

I am just over the border in Niigata (so a higher water content I am dealing with than Hakuba) and I think the perfect ski for spring touring is the Praxis concept. That little bulge and variable camber works so well in spring snow. I originally bought it as a resort ski but quickly converted it to my spring touring rig after riding on it for a season.

For long traverses it really bites well, due to the bulge, but doesn't have the same hookiness in breakable crust and cement. Can carve on ice and slarve in corn. The tip rocker profile is ideal for spring but a little shallow for mid-winter.

Get it in a 177 and I am sure Keith would put a lightweight topsheet on it with a carbon layup and it would get close to your target weight. You know the quality is going to be perfect being Praxis. The turn radius is listed at 23 but with the design it really feels for more variable, which is great for above and below tree line skiing.

Wider than your rp112s so not meeting your specs but would definitely be my spring ski of choice. It also skis thinner than the waist would suggest because of the bulge.

But I have seen some reviews from people who have disliked it, so it may be a ski which splits opinions

The only other skis I can think of that that get close to the description above:

Kastle FX84 seems to tick all of the boxes except for the radius and the fact that it is impossible to get hold of/demo in Japan

Movement Bond - Good on sizes but again turn radius is too tight (met a few people in Europe who loved them, never skied them myself)

Kei Ski Cycho Kaributo 183 cm (125-93-115) R25 but order made and expensive Japan brand. http://www.kei-ski.co.jp/facebook/ca...log/index.html

Originally Posted by Hohes

Hey, missed your post altogether. Greetings, from Hakuba to Niigata.

Concept is just to wide for me in spring. I cover distance in April and May - sometimes 30km day trips - up and down lots of vert and long traverses. I need a narrow ski.

But I'm hearing your Praxis love. And stoke for the Concept.

Yeah I kind of figured so, I remember reading about that epic Kita Alps Traverse you made on your blog. But I definitely think there is something in that concept design with variable snow.

I also have a pair of wootests just waiting to be mounted up and am very interested to see how they perform in the spring touring season which with all the snow here probably should be a long one.

Wootests in Japan? =

Spring lasts a long time here simply because it takes so long to melt it all out. But it is getting shitty next week for a while, so start looking higher.

Originally Posted by Leisg

I definitely think there is something in that concept design with variable snow.

Variable snow is the biggest driver of a mountain ski for me. Not carving, not precision edge hold on ice, not float. A ticket to ride in variable is what matters.

- Above treeline winter: matters a lot, but seldom get there due to BTL pow every day.
- Early spring: matters a lot, and often.
- Mid spring: it helps
- Late spring: not such an issue, but damned if I'm buying a ski just for late spring.

I want a narrow mountain ski that will cover all those bases.

ps - that traverse was a lazy multiday, though I'd still want a functional narrow ski for it. The 20km walk-out in ski boots on gravel was an added extra, not not skiing.

Volkl Mantra
Salomon Sentinel
Rossignol Experience 98

All three of these skis excell in mixed bag conditions. Also, I haven't completely carefully read this entire thread, but these three models may be some of the only ones listed with layers of metal in them - if that's your thing.

Edit: the Blizzards and Kastle's mentioned have metal too.

Originally Posted by Hohes

Wootests in Japan? =

Spring lasts a long time here simply because it takes so long to melt it all out. But it is getting shitty next week for a while, so start looking higher.

I planned my annual homage up to Daisetsuzan National Park a bit later this year because there are a few lines that I have wanted to ski off Tokachidake and Asahidake that have always been closed in or lacking stability in late Jan/ early Feb. So I planned for 9 days at the start of March, may be the best time to get off the main island, should stay cold enough up there to avoid the warm weather coming in... sorry way off topic.

Good luck in finding the skis, the Volkl Nanuqs may be the answer.

[QUOTE=Hohes;3563534]Bonafides too heavy from what I have heard.

^^Blizzard is coming out with a lighter version of the Bonafides, the Kabookie. Supposedly it will have the same dims as the Bonafide but less metal and come in around 8oz lighter per ski. That would put the 180s ~8lbs/pair and the 173s at sub-8lb. 21m turn radius, though, so perhaps not exactly what you wanted.

Here are some details from a Blizzard rep posting on epicksi: http://www.epicski.com/t/109280/2013...kis-preview/90
"wasatchback

I don't have the weights in front of me but I believe the Kabookie is 1/2 lb lighter per ski in the 180 length as compared to the Bonafide. It's not overly light but it is lighter than the Bonafide. Flex profile is fairly similar. Performance was more important than weight when they made this. They tested lighter constructions but weren't happy with the performance. Camber/rocker profile is exactly the same as the Bonafide. Bonafide is unchanged for next year other than graphic. It has the exact same construction, no less metal. The Kabookie will be beefier than the Bushwacker. There is more fiberglass in the Kabookie than in the Bushwacker which gives it a stiffer overall feel."