PM Gear Kusala pow

[jumpturn]

I think there is a diminishing return at some point...additionally the added mass for those touring would be cumbersome as well. These are just my opinions of course. I think the dimensions are great. After touring around on praxis pow boards earlier this winter I can appreciate the aforementioned facts a little better.

That's my guess too.

There are tradeoffs between float, weight, latteral stiffness, rocker synergy, landing loading, ice carving, versalitiy, and "max orgasmic output!"

Nonetheless, the Kuros with dukes and stiff langes are really fun in deep pow and they tour, albeit slowly. They are spicy on 50 degrees, though.....but better than your basic powder noodles. Maybe there is something to learn there....I suppose we will have to wait for 2014 for the FAT Kursala.....

[splat]

Coming....as soon as we get to them.....186 Lhasa Fat.
But, at 122 waist and a 150 tip, they might be to skinny for your ice-climbing tech weenieness, JT.

Doesn't matter what dims you put on a ski. Everybody and their brother knows.....if you just tweaked it to their specs....someone else will come along who wants something entirely different.

You still in Cham?

[DeeDub787]

F the ski nonsense... let's talk about FKNA Apparel - Ya Baby!!!

[jumpturn]

Coming....as soon as we get to them.....186 Lhasa Fat.
But, at 122 waist and a 150 tip, they might be to skinny for your ice-climbing tech weenieness, JT.

Doesn't matter what dims you put on a ski. Everybody and their brother knows.....if you just tweaked it to their specs....someone else will come along who wants something entirely different.

You still in Cham?

Mmmm, lhasa fat!

Just working from the underfoot width in units of 7-12mm, you don't get that many variants if you hold the side cut constant, ie, 100, 112, 114-115, 122-24, 132, and 142 (for deep alaska)! But, you may have lateral stiffness issues with the wide sizes without metal....dunno.

I could test out one pair of that there new gear for ya....maybe leave a rental pair in Snells so they get some exposure. The ski tech girl in Snells, who treats me fine, ooggles the heck out of the 187 Bros every time she gets her hands on them.

Back in the USA for few weeks before the Spring session. Check out the vids from local couloirs earlier in this thread showing off the 179 carbons... Might be more vids coming if it stops snowing long enough to see something!!!

[splat]

Finally got out on the Kusalas yesterday and was blown away in all conditions. They're so damn easy to ski. 18" of fresh to chopped up pow to hardpack to ice under pow. I have never jumped on a ski and found it so unnecessary to familiarize myself with the way it handled different conditions. It was just so natural to just ski it. I was quite blown away. Also got to ski rens back to back with it to compare.

[JRainey]

Also got to ski rens back to back with it to compare.

And......

[BaNosser]

And......

Finally got out on the Kusalas yesterday and was blown away in all conditions. They're so damn easy to ski. 18" of fresh to chopped up pow to hardpack to ice under pow. I have never jumped on a ski and found it so unnecessary to familiarize myself with the way it handled different conditions. It was just so natural to just ski it. I was quite blown away.

think that kinda says it all...

[auvgeek]

The PNW Kusalas should be mounted up tonight or tomorrow morning with Griffon demo binders. Again, PNW mags should contact me if you'd like to take them for a spin.

[jumpturn]

Finally got out on the Kusalas yesterday and was blown away in all conditions.

Glad you are out skiing....sounds like a nice dump....and a fun ski!

[splat]

And......

The rens felt predictably planky, most noticeable dif - in fast carves through chop, kusala was more stable and smooth.
On grooms the ren felt like a Lhasa 186 with the tail ready to break away faster than the kusala, kusala felt like it held the arc smoother and more to my liking, as it would break away from the tail grip if I wanted it to. The ren was more like I was making sure it didn't spin out. As unpartial as possible going into it, I found I just really loved the kusalas and wanted back on them.

[powdork]

i've sort of had an ongoing review of the kusalas as i've tried them out in different conditions. since my last post i've had the chance to get them out in just about every snow type there is except corn. they've been in terminal cancer with soft to medium hard crust/slabby conditions. killed it. they've been to snowbird's icy inbounds bumps and the surrounding backcountry which was excellent (and which they killed). they came back to tahoe to find excellent conditions and continued to amaze me with their stable landings.

the entire review (which includes the parts from earlier in this thread) can be found at the link below
http://www.powdork.com/2013/kusala-pow-186-from-pmgear/

[splat]

Local boys and girls - I have a pair with griffon demos if you'd like to take them for a spin this weekend. El Chup???

[jumpturn]

How is production of these sticks going?

[powdork]

they are producing very well for me thank you. after 4 days off snow i took them up to rose knob peak today for a walk in the mountains and some corn sampling. as i said in the tahoe thread it seems like once I left my volkl g4's i hadn't really had a ski i loved for corn. i still loved skiing corn, but it was different. i had just assumed fatter skis weren't as good for corn. i'm guessing it's the reverse camber, cause these are the fattest skis i've ever had and the feeling is back. i giggled and maybe even peed a little. video in a bit. oh, and the video will also answer the question of how they do "off piste".

[powdork]

[N1CK.]

where did all the snow go?

[powdork]

been a while and its been super warm. Kinda stuck on the the south and west facing slopes which are getting thin. Plus its the north shore and they never get snow. ;-)

[splat]

Getting back on pressing the kusalas tomorrow. Had a rough week after a session with my rolfer lady left me with my cuboid bone in my ankle all pushed out of whack, which in turn threw my knee all out of whack and I could barely walk. Finally got it squared away. Sorry for the delay to all who are waiting.

[jgb@etree]

I think these bad boys need to be put thru the east coast product testing regime. People are probably dying to know how these pow skis handle on east coast boilerplate. Just fedex me a pair, and I might even mount them with demo clamps and let people take them for a spin.

[Ottime]

Yesterday was 4-6" over icy crust, and despite this they were a blast.
Plenty of float to run flat and stay above the ice, and whether it's the ski or the kickass tune from the Peruvian, they had no issue going from soft to crust and back-totally stable.
The CF/fiberglass blend means they are damped but lively-none of the planky feel of the Ren despite tham being pretty damn stiff. Like the Ren they want to go fast, yet shut down easily.
Auv will be a better judge, but I think they also have a super high speed limit (like none my fat ass will find), yet a bit easier to turn and shut down speed. 99cm from tip fwiw.

I thought I posted in this thread before, but turns out I'm crazy. I got on these powdork's skis I think the very same day as Otto's post above. They were sick.

Wind loaded zones were skiing relatively deep, only occasionally touching bottom. Wind blown zones were close to ice. The Kusala worked perfectly, transitioning between snow textures. Landing felt plush. Super stable, but easy to make a quick adjustment. And when I did fuck things up, they recovered really quickly, and I think that is the feature I liked most. My Wrens punish you hard when you fall out of the driver seat, and I have endured that, because they crush so nicely when you do stay on top. But, I am getting older, and tire more quickly. On this day though, I was never in want with the Kusala - they drove perfectly fine through everything. I even went poking around to find a straight line that had wind blown at the top, powder in the middle and an icy exit. As I accelerated on the ice, the skis just grabbed hard, and had no problem biting and initiating a turn once out on the slick apron. Brilliant. I would love to jump on these and try them any day of the week. I can't imagine them not being fun except for the firmest days around here. And even then.

I'm just left wondering what a 192 would feel like.

[BaNosser]

where did all the snow go?

PacificNW....

Baker has gotten 2 1/2 ft the last 2 days.. 22 degrees, no wind.. fukkin rocked today..

[SB]

PD, your ski partner looks like he loves pow.

The Kusala looks like it loves pow and anything else white.

[bsavery]

It was mentioned somewhere that the tips have a bit more progressive flex than the renegade. What's the overall flex comparatively?

[Tye 1on]

Are there plans for a 192 or does the 186 ski long?

[Ottime]

^^^^ I found them to turn much easier than my 191 Wren. But they did not feel squirrelly. Once, when I was in trees with variable 8-12" light powder to 2" powder on crust, I went to crank a turn like I was on my Wrens an the skis popped out in a squirrel like fashion, but it was more me being spazzy than the ski. Still, I'd love to try them in the 192 range. But I would consider the 186 as a one ski quiver type of thing. They were super fun to ride and not once during they day did I think "this ski would be so much fun if it was just longer." They did not feel too short per say, but I felt like I skied them with a lighter touch than usual. Maybe more finesse and less brute force.