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  1. #1
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    Review: ON3P Wrenegade

    I had another opportunity to try out a pair of ON3P’s, the Wrenegade. It was a cold, windy, semi-fresh day at Loveland. Lots of windblown, some soft blower in the trees, and some ice-crud death chunks to play in.

    Ski Specs: 191cm, 15cm x 1.5cm tip rocker and flat camber underfoot, 142-113-128, 30.5 meter turn radius and mounted -9 from chord center. They have a bamboo core, and a 2" carbon stringer.

    Me: 5'10", 215 lbs, ski fast and prefer big ass turns in almost all types of snow, but also like to play around in the trees quite a bit.

    Boots / Binders: Nordica Speedmachine 12 and 916’s

    Other skis ridden/owned to compare: 195 Mothership, 190 Katana, 191 Goliath, 194 LP, 190 Moment Ruby, Bluehouse Shoot, Salomon Rocker


    First Impression: These are WAY lighter then my Motherships. They also seem to flex softer, but the shape looks spot on. The tip rocker is minimal, but enough to really notice when looking at it. More tip rocker then a Katana or Mothership.

    Results of real world...


    Groomers / Hardpack / Packed Powder:

    The Wren was a fun, all-around ski on conditions like this. It handles packed powder and groomers with ease, and is a very fast ski. The ski feels very feather-weight under foot, but is very quiet and damp. It is a strange feeling to get used to, but I liked it quite a bit. It performed well in all turn shapes, and was incredibly easy to swing around in short turns in tight trees. They do not handle hardpack as well as the Motherships or XXL’s, but for a ski with a 113mm waist, they did pretty well. If you ski them centered over your arches, the tip rocker does not wash out and you can really engage the edge.

    Other reviewers have said that this ski likes to go straight and doesn’t like to turn much, but I really don’t see it. The ski is sooo easy to turn, but it can also carry speed and straightline. Good combo, and again, a very easy ski to ride. The only time I was wishing for more stiffness was when I got going over 35 to 40 mph and that is when I noticed that the Mothership and Goliath type skis were better off. More metal, more dense wood, who knows.

    Every other time, though, the Wren was a champ.




    Crud / Mank / Windblown:

    The Wren’s tip rocker is perfect in this type of snow. ON3P is spot on with this amount and “Stiffness” of rocker. When I say stiffness, I mean that although the ski curves up at the rocker point, it doesn’t flex a lot (like the Maven or Rocker does). It will allow you to really, REALLY drive the front of the ski and it does not fold on you at all.

    It became apparent in this type of snow that the full ski was there (up through the rocker) and was going to support me. I really, REALLY liked that feeling a lot. Even with the ability to drive this ski, it still allows you to back off and smear the crap out of turns up front. It did a better job at this then my Shoots or Motherships do, but even with an ease and relaxed approach. Again, another spot this ski rides way burlier then it feels under your feet. All turn types were again easy, and the ski doesn’t skip a beat when changing up your speed, style, or line.

    As for crud and ice chunks, it handles it no problem with just a little bit of tip deflection. Again, not as powerful as the Mothership or Shoot, but damn close and way easier to ride.




    Powder / Deep Powder:

    The Wren is a cream-dream (see Tenacious D ) in soft, silky powder and blower snow. The ski does not need a lot of speed at all to get the nose to stay up on top of the snow, and when you do pressure it hard, it only sinks for a second, and then pops right back up to go in whatever direction you want it to. This was a very similar feel to another ON3P I tried, the Caylor, but with a lot more power and stability behind it. Long to medium turns can be surfed and really initiated from every part of the ski (Front, center, back), and the tail seems to be perfect for stiffness; not too stiff, but won’t fold under you either if you land backseat or are “hanging ten” on these boards.

    I thoroughly enjoyed the Wren in 7” or so of windblown POW off of Chair 8 at Loveland, and in the trees it was total automatic. It is much, much easier to ski in deep POW then my Motherships or my Katana’s were last season, and I am not sure why. I know they don’t “feel” as stiff or damp as the Mothership, but it is almost as stable in POW and deep snow as well, and that impressed me.



    Overall, the Wrenegade impressed me. It was the second ON3P I was on that skied WAY stiffer and more stable then it appears they would by hand flexing and their relatively light weight.

    To sum it up, this ski was MORE fun in pow and windblown then my Motherships (which is one of my favorite skis of all time), and is also easier to ski then any other ski in the 110 to 117 waist range I have been on.

    Usually with “easy to ski” comes the feeling of no stability or wash outs on fast, packed snow. Also when charging big lines, a lot of skis that are “easy” are easy for a reason…they cannot take the speed or abuse of the conditions.

    The Wren isn’t like that…it is just Easy and Strong, all at the same time.

    This ski is pretty much perfect and could be an amazing quiver of one for all but the hardest days.

    EXCELLENT job again, ON3P
    Last edited by PowTron; 01-12-2009 at 01:15 PM.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by PowTron View Post
    Easy and Strong, all at the same time.
    Pretty much exactly what I like about all the skis. Easy to get on and just go. I don't need to adjust much at all, even on skis with really different shapes and rocker, and I find skiing them almost effortless. The skis don't fight me at all, but they also don't wimp out and you can just cruise on em. But I am probably biased for some reason....
    Seriously, this can’t turn into yet another ON3P thread....

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by iggyskier View Post
    But I am probably biased for some reason....
    It may appear to be bias, but you are spot on as well. Automatic fo sho.

  4. #4
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    what is the relative stiffness of these, compared with some other skis?


    I ask because I hope to be in the market for a 188-192ish stiff wide charging ski. Right now looking at the 192 big bro, but considering others,

    any lay ups of this close to xxl stiffness?
    Do I detect a lot of anger flowing around this place? Kind of like a pubescent volatility, some angst, a lot of I'm-sixteen-and-angry-at-my-father syndrome?

    fuck that noise.

    gmen.

  5. #5
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    They will be comparable in flex. I think Jay mentioned this in the review, but they ski stiffer than they feel.

    I am not sure what the XXL is on marshal's stiffness scale (maybe someone can add that) but I would put the final flex of the wren around 250 (so my guess would be it hand flexes a bit softer, but will be comparable while skiing).

    You should shoot Wren a PM if you want a comparison of the big bro, wren, and possible the XXL.
    Last edited by iggyskier; 02-08-2009 at 05:12 PM.
    Seriously, this can’t turn into yet another ON3P thread....

  6. #6
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    I have not been on the XXL, so I can't compare to that one, but in my review (it's around somewhere) I compared it to the Big Bro. They are different because there is a very noticeable difference between the 30.5m radius vs. 41m radius. The Wrenegades do like to go fast and straight, but they will still carve turns. The Big Bros perform similarly on cruddy/bumpy stuff, but want to ski longer and faster on the groomers. The Wrenegade is much easier to ski the rest of the mountain. They are my everyday ski pretty much no matter what. It was mainly bulletproof conditions out there on the groomers this past weekend and they performed pretty well (a little sketchy when you hit the icy patches). I skied them back to back with my bro's 194 LPs and while similarly stable, the absolutely unbelievalbe grip of the LPs (and slightly longer turning radius) make that thing want to go faster and straighter.

    It should be noted, my Wrenegades are stiffer than most out there. I'm not sure by how much exactly, but Scott can probably clarify.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by wren View Post

    It should be noted, my Wrenegades are stiffer than most out there. I'm not sure by how much exactly, but Scott can probably clarify.
    Your wrens, as well as my and paprika's are on the stiffer side of things, but that is where the production flex is going to end up. We made medium flexing ones for smaller, lighter people to try the shape, but for production they will be similar to the stiff ones.

    I would put yours at 255, mine at 250, and 250 is what I am thinking for production.
    Seriously, this can’t turn into yet another ON3P thread....

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by iggyskier View Post
    We made medium flexing ones for smaller, lighter people to try the shape
    It is ok to call them pansy-asses

    And, whatever the ones were I reviewed (I assume 250), they were SUPER easy to ski, as I keep saying. Not too stiff at all.

    As much as I love my motherships, the Wren could replace them as my everyday ski, and I would keep my Mo-ships for just absolutely, gnar lines with bulletproof conditions and variable snow...like three days a year

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by PowTron View Post

    And, whatever the ones were I reviewed (I assume 250), they were SUPER easy to ski, as I keep saying. Not too stiff at all.
    That basically is what I like most about them and is a characteristic I am really hoping to have in all our skis. They are easy to ski, you don't feel like the ski is going to overpower you or punish you horribly if you fuck up, but the stability is there to go basically as fast as you want. It is a really good balance, IMO.
    Seriously, this can’t turn into yet another ON3P thread....

  10. #10
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    Iggy gives good ski fershizzle.

  11. #11
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    how would you compare them to the Fatypus Dsenders as far as stiffness and stability goes, i have a feeling that the Wrens are gunna float better than the dsenders cause of the early rise tip. i love my dsenders but and going to try somethin new soon, and these are prolly my first choice so far...i just was wondering how well they hold up to straightlines and if theyll stay stable at high speeds?

  12. #12
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    bump....
    Quote Originally Posted by Danno View Post
    I suggest we do more airmchair QBing with no facts except as stated in the article.

  13. #13
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    Over the top review Tron. Would you mind posting pics of the rocker?
    Quote Originally Posted by SpinalTap View Post
    I'm really troubled by whatever pictures the Don had to search through to arrive at that one...

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