New BD Carbon Megawatts

[sfotex]

Anyone have any time on the new new Black Diamond Carbon Megawatts? Things are damn light for the size.

http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/...g.html#start=1

[Moralkaka]

Wildsnow has a review up if you have missed that one!

[whyturn]

2014 review
http://www.wildsnow.com/10025/carbon...t-review-2014/

Don't seem quite as good as the 2013, but lighter

2013 reviews
http://www.wildsnow.com/7923/black-d...tt-ski-review/

http://www.wildsnow.com/9494/black-d...ry-ski-review/

[werdswerf]

Considering these or the new BD Converts for an everyday PNW touring setup. Currently have last year's 187 Hojis mounted with Dynafits, which are a great ski but a bit heavy on the uphill at 9.8 lbs per pair. 188 Carbon Megawatts are 8 lbs per pair, and 180 Converts are only 7.3 lbs. The Hoji is a fun ski, just not sure if it's worth the extra weight.

[sfotex]

Considering these or the new BD Converts for an everyday PNW touring setup. Currently have last year's 187 Hojis mounted with Dynafits, which are a great ski but a bit heavy on the uphill at 9.8 lbs per pair. 188 Carbon Megawatts are 8 lbs per pair, and 180 Converts are only 7.3 lbs. The Hoji is a fun ski, just not sure if it's worth the extra weight.

I'm thinking the 178 Megawatt at 7.1lbs a pair. That's a ton 'o ski for the weight.

[NShultz]

I skied the 2014 production version of the Carbon Megas last season - got around 16 days on them in the backcountry and thought they skied GREAT. And this coming from touring on DPS Lotus 120's almost exclusively 70+ days a season for the past 3 years. If money was not a consideration I still prefer DPS, HOWEVER, this is the most comparable and competitive ski I have seen yet to a Lotus 120... I think BD finally made a really good ski for the weight... About time! I would not hesitate...

[TripleT]

I got to ski em at the OR demo day last Jan (or was it feb?) at solitude....
Conditions sucked...pretty damn hard pack. This was one of my favorite skis of the day, despite conditions that the carbon mega clearly wasn't designed for. so light that I was able to swing them around and held edge just fine on hard...was actually fun. I've been eyeing them ever since...

[pfluffenmeister]

they look nice.
good dims, sexy rocker profile.
but they're still a grand, ain't no poor man's DPS.

[LightRanger]

they look nice.
good dims, sexy rocker profile.
but they're still a grand, ain't no poor man's DPS.

Pretty sure list price on BD's site is significantly more on all of their products. I bet it's $750-900 or thereabouts in stores.

[sfotex]

^^^ Were you guys on the 188 or 178s?

[TripleT]

188s. I'm 5'11" about 170 for reference. Not sure I'd go lower...didn't feel like too much ski at all. Granted it was only demo runs on hard ass conditions but they were just so easy to swing around and make do what you want. The 1k price tag is scary though...

[Christopher3000]

178 w/mohair&speed radical. only one boot for the job.

[sfotex]

^^ That's exactly what I'm thinking (except I have some OG speed's that are going on them and a pair of Dyna Evo boots)..

[NShultz]

^^^ that'll be a fun set up. I had a pair or lotus 120's in 178cm for a fast/light pow set up and loved it. Super versatile. Gotta say my 188's are super easy to ski tho. They're happy in wide open bowls and in tight threes.

[Christopher3000]

I think Evo could work in perfect snow but I don't think you'd get a whole lot of versatility out of the skis with those boots. I imagine frozen chunder in the choke above the superior butterfly, icy snowshoe tracks on the way out of whitepine, windboard, breakable substances, etc, applying a lot of torque to such a wide ski and causing the boots to fold violently.

Of course, you should give it a try...

[Dry]

I'm thinking the 178 Megawatt at 7.1lbs a pair. That's a ton 'o ski for the weight.

BD is 147 / 120 / 126 mm
Dynafit Huascaran is 134-112-123 and 6.5# per pair on a 177cm.
As you said the BD is a lot of ski for the weight if the numbers are accurate..

[NShultz]

My 188cm weighed in at 8lbs even... Same as my 2012-2013 Lotus 120's in 184cm.

[hoarhey]

BD is 147 / 120 / 126 mm
Dynafit Huascaran is 134-112-123 and 6.5# per pair on a 177cm.
As you said the BD is a lot of ski for the weight if the numbers are accurate..

and 177 protests 139-128-132 are 8.8#/pair

I think 178 Lotus 120 spoon vs 178 Carbon Megawatt would be an interesting comparo...

I think 178 Lotus 120 spoon with pure3 will likely be heavier than 7.1 lb carbon megawatt (both at 120 waist)

[Climber Joe]

carbon megawatts, dynafit beasts, and vulcans. Think about that... 3 grand for a single setup.

I want to see lower prices as innovation.

[TuckerYorktown]

carbon megawatts, dynafit beasts, and vulcans. Think about that... 3 grand for a single setup.

I want to see lower prices as innovation.

That an interesting point but sort of an oxymoron. If you want something cheap then look back a few years at gear that was the most innovative but now the economies of scale have caught up and demand has dropped...ie price has dropped.

You cite three pieces of gear that are at the forefront of innovation right now...tough to have the best of all worlds. There are A LOT of R&D costs involved to make the lightest, most functional, toughest, etc piece of gear. Plus if it's completely new there is new tooling and production processes that have to be created, so on...

[Dry]

And I was thinking Alien 1.0, Dynafit Low tech race and the Megawatt

900 SKI or a 1300 dpc PURE
1800 BOOT
800 for the binding

4000K with tax and shipping

bet the weight would be a hoot however.

[Hugh Conway]

That an interesting point but sort of an oxymoron. If you want something cheap then look back a few years at gear that was the most innovative but now the economies of scale have caught up and demand has dropped...ie price has dropped.

There are no economies of scale in BC ski gear. they only spend "alot" on R&D relative to the tiny market (eg Black Diamond spent $5.5 million on R&D in 2012 on net sales of $175 million. that's nothing. SGA were >10x R&D) . the numbers involved are tiny by most scales.


Because of the tiny market, and consolidation, you'll likely never see innovation as lower prices. they don't actually want to grow the market.

edit: I hate fucking avantlinks

[I've seen black diamonds!]

carbon megawatts, dynafit beasts, and vulcans. Think about that... 3 grand for a single setup.

I want to see lower prices as innovation.

Praxis Protests, Maestrale RS, and Dynafit Speed Turn bindings- run about $1600 for the lot at MSRP.

[Skiwurrel]

I have protests with Dynalook plates, onyxs and dabello viruses, seems to work pretty well

[Driver]

Still rockin the old blue MWs as a deep day ski. Impressed w the new BD construction (they finally killed the cap!). These may be a mid to post season target.