Thread: 179 Bro Stiff v. 188 Bro Stiff

I searched but could not find the answer I was looking for, despite the 1000s of Bro-related posts.

Is the 179 Bro Stiff comparable stiffness to the 188 Bro Stiff?

I did read (I think) that next year's 179 Stiffs will be stiffer than those of this year. Would that mean the order of stiffness goes something like:

179 Soft << 188 Soft << 188 Stiff << 179 Stiff << 188 V Stiff

?

Thanks...I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a pair.

! own 188 Softs, and I demoed 179 Stiffs,

I think they were about the same. Neither ski = Noodly.
I hear that last years 179 stiff will be this years soft.

But I would say SPLAT can say for sure. I just felt like typing.

Forgot to add that this ski will be exclusively for longer tours...skinning or on my back.

Originally Posted by MTT

! own 188 Softs, and I demoed 179 Stiffs,

I think they were about the same. Neither ski = Noodly.
I hear that last years 179 stiff will be this years soft.

But I would say SPLAT can say for sure. I just felt like typing.

Thanks, MTT. Hm...I'm probably leaning to the 179 for weight reasons.

Seems like in a given length, the "soft" weighs a bit less than the "stiff."

I guess the question is (next year's) 179 Stiff (stiffer than this year's per your message) or Soft.

Splat can correct me if I'm wrong on this.

05-06 179 Stiff = 06-07 179 Soft
06-07 179 Stiff > 05-06 179 Stiff

My 05-06 188 Soft Bros feel very similar to the 05-06 179 Stiff Bros I tried. I have skied both on the same day.

I also have 04-05 188 Stiff Bros and 179 "uberstiff" brototypes. The 188 stiffs require more input than the 188 softs or the 179 stiffs.

Next year's 179 stiff Bros are very desirable.

not that this related, but I thought some might want to know.
Sherman over at igneous has got some purple heartwood for this years line.
very tempting!

UAN, did you ever find the weight stats? I'm in the same boat and was leaning toward the 188 soft.

Originally Posted by Vets

Splat can correct me if I'm wrong on this.

05-06 179 Stiff = 06-07 179 Soft
06-07 179 Stiff > 05-06 179 Stiff

My 05-06 188 Soft Bros feel very similar to the 05-06 179 Stiff Bros I tried. I have skied both on the same day.

I also have 04-05 188 Stiff Bros and 179 "uberstiff" brototypes. The 188 stiffs require more input than the 188 softs or the 179 stiffs.

Next year's 179 stiff Bros are very desirable.

Based on comparitive flex, there was really only a proto 179 stiff [and Vets' supastiff] built this past season, mostly because the idiots at the factory had no clue what a ski should flex like. They knew how to make them, but that was it. We made three proto flexes and skied them in Quebec. The guy doing the cad design was so stoned, he was beyond useless. AK Pogue was with me. The dude couldn't draw a straight line in autocad. I would tell Danny, the cad dude, what needed to change, and he'd forget how to do anything. The next day, he'd remember. Most of the quebecois in that place had a weird hidden agenda.

So, just before we were heading back to the states, I made a change on the core, and Danny changed the core a bit at the last minute. We were skiing and didn't get phone service for him to run the change by me. By the time we got back to the factory, the cores were shaped. We had a glass layer pattern that was used on the protos and that was being used on the 179's that had been pressed and were being pressed. It was to be the 179 stiff. But it should be the soft in terms of flex. But those changes to the core worked out just fine, as did the modified sidecut I threw in. Besides having the [somewhat] same dimensions as the 188 (which, on a shorter ski, automatically shortens radius), we added a half a millimeter to the tip and tail, while taking a half a a millimeter from the waist. The sidecut rules. We'll use it on our next skis, whatever they are. It carves anything and is stable running flat. Two most impressive characteristics of the ski for me. The lack of weight is a bonus.

As for controlling the stiffness, we'll add glass to make a stiffer 179 that will be......the stiff. What has so far been referred to as the stiff will become the soft. More glass makes more weight for that stiff - maybe 3 or 4 ounces per ski. A stiff 179 this year will be a powerhouse. The ultrastiff 179 Brotos that Vets has are proof, even though his pair have 1mm less sidecut on 188 cores and are almost impossible to flex. The target on this stiff is to stiffen the body without reducing tip float, plain and simple. It will also have less camber. Adding glass is a good thing to get the flex on the stiff. It costs more to do multiple layers of glass on a core, as opposed to one layer of glass top and bottom. But glass is what gives a wood ski the flex and durability and personality. It enhances the properties of the wood, while allowing you to shape it's performance.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, Splat. So the 06-07 179 Stiffs = Vets's uberstiff protos. Hmm.... It sounds like something a touch stiffer than last year's 179 Stiffs would be great for the BC stuff I want to do. (not sure about the "powerhouse" term... it sounds like they will be "almost impossible to flex" if they're like the Bro-totypes, if I read that correctly.)

Vets...you said that next year's 179 Stiffs will be "very desirable". Sorry if I'm being dense here, but I want to confirm before laying out the ca$h... are you thinking that something equivalent to your ultra-stiff 179 prototypes (=impossible to flex) will be "ultra desirable"?

Hmmm...sounds quite stiff for a BC ski (even for steep/tight couloirs/exposed terrain).

Thanks Splat and Vets!

Originally Posted by upallnight

Thanks, Splat. So the 06-07 179 Stiffs = Vets's uberstiff protos.

I didn't intend to leave that impression at all, but if I did, no, they will not be as stiff as Vets' uberbrotos. Those are iron-stiff. A 188 core in a 179 is waaaay too much, but the wanks at the factory fgured one size fit all when you're in a hurry to fuck things up. [/end rant].

No, the 179 stiff this year will flex comparatively to the flex difference between the 188 soft and the 188 stiff.

Originally Posted by upallnight

Hmm.... It sounds like something a touch stiffer than last year's 179 Stiffs would be great for the BC stuff I want to do. (not sure about the "powerhouse" term... it sounds like they will be "almost impossible to flex" if they're like the Bro-totypes, if I read that correctly.)

Vets...you said that next year's 179 Stiffs will be "very desirable". Sorry if I'm being dense here, but I want to confirm before laying out the ca$h... are you thinking that something equivalent to your ultra-stiff 179 prototypes (=impossible to flex) will be "ultra desirable"?

Hmmm...sounds quite stiff for a BC ski (even for steep/tight couloirs/exposed terrain).

Thanks Splat and Vets!

A good point to clarify. I think what both Vets and I are trying to say is what we've talked about while skiing Mammy this summer - that because the uberbrotos he has are so fast and stable, while the production model is so smooth and friendly, that stiffening up the 179s from what was made this last year, will be pulling the best characteristics of both skis into one - the 06/07 179 stiff.

edit: Just think of the way the 188s flex, not Vet's I beams.

Originally Posted by splat

A good point to clarify. I think what both Vets are trying to say is what we've talked about while skiing Mammy this summer - that because the uberbrotos he has are so fast and stable, while the production model is so smooth and friendly, that stiffening up the 179s from what was made this last year, will be pulling the best characteristics of both skis into one - the 06/07 179 stiff.

Thanks so much for the clarification. I probably misread/misinterpreted the initial comment, but your 2nd post makes it crystal clear. Think I'll be sending some funds your way shortly.

We'll leave the light on for you.

Originally Posted by splat

We'll leave the light on for you.

Probably later this weekend, once I verify the finances...

Originally Posted by Pow4Brains

UAN, did you ever find the weight stats? I'm in the same boat and was leaning toward the 188 soft.

Hey, p4b...
Sorry, I missed your earlier question.

The only info that I have been able to find (since I couldn't find the post with the photo of the ski on the scale) was the following quote from Splat in this thread:

Originally Posted by splat

Without further input due to my bias, I'll just say the finished weight of the 188 Bro soft is right on 4 lbs. per ski, the 179 stiff is 3.75 - 3.8 and the soft 179 is 3.5 lbs per ski.

Given what Splat said above in this thread (next year's 179 stiff will be 3-4oz/ski more), that means the that the 179 stiff may be the safe or just a touch heavier than the 188 softs at about 4 lbs/ski.

Hmmm... that makes the decision tougher. Looks like it may only be next year's 179 softs that weigh in around 7.5lb/pair. I was hoping to get something in that weight range...with the performance of the stiff. The decision's more complex now.

It will depend on what glass combo we use, uan.
I can't predict that until we ramp up, so I won't blow any smoke trying to.
Things have a way of working out.
Especially when we control them.

Originally Posted by splat

Especially when we control them.

Thank guys. Are you still taking orders?

Originally Posted by splat

It will depend on what glass combo we use, uan.
I can't predict that until we ramp up, so I won't blow any smoke trying to.
Things have a way of working out.
Especially when we control them.

totally understand; makes sense to me.

i was thinking that a savings of 2 lbs/pair over a current BC ski that i like would mean i'd pull the trigger right away.

just need to do some more thinking...

(that is super-light for the 188 soft)

upallnight,

You can come by anytime and check out my last year's 179 stiffs. alpinepronghorn let me do the same last winter when I was waffling over 179 bro stiffness. As I discovered, the 179 stiffs really were quite moderate in stiffness and really not overkill for soft bc conditions and AT boots. A totally kick-ass touring ski.

I live on Broadway so PM me if you want to come by.

PS - Your PM box is full.

Originally Posted by phattypowpow

upallnight,

You can come by anytime and check out my last year's 179 stiffs. alpinepronghorn let me do the same last winter when I was waffling over 179 bro stiffness. As I discovered, the 179 stiffs really were quite moderate in stiffness and really not overkill for soft bc conditions and AT boots. A totally kick-ass touring ski.

I live on Broadway so PM me if you want to come by.

PS - Your PM box is full.

thanks for the cool offer1

it seems like (next year's) stiff is the way to go, but i've got to get my head around whether i want to pay the $$$ for a 1.5 pound decrease in weight over a ski i'm using now.

Anyone know if there are different color options for the top sheet this year?

cant wait, me bros be coming to me soon! Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

i'm jonesin' for these things. i'm with pow4brains, will the topsheet be any different this year?

You want 179 topsheets on your 188s?

So, I should mount my 05/06 179 stiffs up tele and order the 06/07 stiffs for charging?

Originally Posted by Andy_B

So, I should mount my 05/06 179 stiffs up tele and order the 06/07 stiffs for charging?

charge on your teles on the 06/07 stiffs! they're only 179!

where's "detriot"?