Volkl Kuro

[wizard604]

Maybe I'm bored or something... anyways I found a couple of new reviews of the Kuro's. There wasnt a lot of info out there last season.

http://www.skiandsnowboardequipment.com/Kuro/p/SS1071

http://jessmcmillan.com/?p=370

Enjoy

[volklpowdermaniac]

I love the kuros, ordered a set for myself.

But as for the reviews, I think the videos have been out a while and

Jess McMillan rides for Volkl so not much to be said about her overwhelming review of the kuro....classic line at the end, "oh yeah and I recommend that you get a set of marker jesters"

like i said, im getting kuros and jesters, but still you can't expect much different from a volkl/marker rider

[njfreeskier]

So them at a volkl clinic the other day. They are big. I have praxis pows, and i feel like they are skinny compared to these. Interesting ski and engineering. The volkl rep was saying that they have an extended tip profile, which seems to the be the opposite of line's early taper. Basically the widest point of the ski is at almost the very end of the tip, so when you put them on edge you get maximum edge contact almost the full running length of the ski. Also, with regard to the rocker, while there is a lot, it starts very early, and rises very subtlely. So subtle in fact that the tip and tail on these is no higher then the tip and tail height of the gotama. Also, he said they have a very soft tail he said helps when stomping cliffs, it allows you to land really center, and not have to tailsmack it. I don't know how much of it I believe, but it seemed like there was a lot of technology packed into the ski. I'd be interested to demo a pair. OH Yeah, bases didn't seem super durable. He had a massive core shot that was base welded near the edge underfoot, about the size of a half dollar.

[JimLad]

I don't really see the advantage of the oversized tips. I've seen the Kuros in person and they are even bigger than the Pontoons silly front end.

[Rasputin]

The Kuro's shovel is really stiff while the tail is soft. Interesting, they seem like they would dominate choppy crud, as well as allowing a soft float on powder. They are, of course, huDge, and they are also a beautiful ski with a faded wood tone similar to the familiar sunburst on a Les Paul guitar.

[verbier61]

in myopinion they are a nice evolution of the pontoon design (big shovel, smaller tails), with a more balanced ratio of the tips so to avoid the backseat feeling that some people (me included) had with pontoons. So far only one of the people i know used them extensively (and he's a volkl pro so maybe biased), but he's deeply in love with the kuros and use them any day with soft snow

[freak]

did they do something about the sidewall-cracking problem?

freak~[&]

[MarnMan]

I skied them a few days last year, and they are pretty sweet. Yes the tip is stiffer than the tail but not super stiff. With no metal in the ski it can be so stiff. The core is the same Sensorwood/multilayer setup, as like the gotama, bridge... It is a fun ski that you can ski in any soft newish snow. I also heard that they did change the sidewall to help stop the breaking. I do know that the warranty department is still awesome and will take care of you if they happen to crack. I would to recommend the jesters on them to.

[PeachesN'Cream]

The Kuro was/is having sidewall issues too? I thought that was a Katana thing?

[freak]

yeah, ive seen two pairs of kuros last season, and both of them had broken sidewalls. on all 4 skis both sidewalls were broken multiple times after just a few days of use...

thats why this:

I also heard that they did change the sidewall to help stop the breaking. I do know that the warranty department is still awesome and will take care of you if they happen to crack.

is good to hear. i didnt try them, but they look like a nice ski...

freak~[&]

[Dug]

Demo'd them last season and wasn't impressed. Took them for two runs on a boot-top pow day with crap underneath. Tried them through some tighter stuff with a few drops and took them back to the rep way before my hour was up. Durability/quality looked bad too.

The whole flex profile is weird and makes the sweet spot feel strange and hard to find. If I hit any irregularity while carrying speed, they tended to completely "lose it" and go all over the place. Like someone was pulling the rug out at an angle from underneath me. They didn't inspire confidence.

They were mounted with jesters, fwiw.

[Dug]

Oh, they weren't too bad on the groomed as long as you go faster. I was a little surprised how well it held an edge. I didn't notice much flap either.

[spindrift]

After about 10 days use, I'd say I like 'em a bunch.

I clipped a few rocks last spring & was surprised at how well they took the hits. Edges fine. A shallow flake or two out of the base. Not even close to a core shot.

The biggest durability issue for me so far is that the junction of topsheet and sidewall seems weak as heck & ends up with the topsheet layers chipping and fraying like crazy. As far as I can tell, this is purely cosmetic.

[MarnMan]

With the chipping topsheets i just took a panzer file at went to town on mine. Then took out some 220 sandpaper to smooth out. Seems to help the issue a bit. My .02

[irul&ublo]

Is that guy in the video from post #1 squaretail?

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

The biggest durability issue for me so far is that the junction of topsheet and sidewall seems weak as heck & ends up with the topsheet layers chipping and fraying like crazy. As far as I can tell, this is purely cosmetic.

Very common issue with the latest generation of Volkls. My Gotamas have held up very well underneath (and I have beat the crap out of them), but the top sheets are a disaster. As long as you file down or epoxy so it does not get out of hand, then yes it remains cosmetic.

Honestly, I was debating the Kuros. I went and spoke with the Volkl rep and handled them (no skiing), and did the same with the BD Megawatt, and I went with the Megawatt. The Kuros just seemed like they would fall apart.... (and frankly the Megawatts have gotten much better reviews than the Kuros).

[squaretail]

Is that guy in the video from post #1 squaretail?

No, but I ski with him a lot.

We appreciate the positive comments here. We're aware of the topsheet chipping on the early skis from last year and we have addressed this on the finished production ski.

[spindrift]

(and frankly the Megawatts have gotten much better reviews than the Kuros).

Not from the folks I know... The few people I know personally who've skied the Megwatt feel the rocker & "sidecut" are mismatched & left them skiing the back half of the ski. The one person I know who has skied both liked the Kuro a ton more.

Personally, I think Volkl is onto something with a great match between sidecut & rocker. But then I've been unabashedly enthusiastic about the Kuros since I got my hands on a pair.

This season for me, on a great day it'll likely come down to a choice between Praxis Powders & the Kuro. With the deciding factor being some combo of serendipity and whether or not I'm gonna be stuck fooling around much on cat tracks & groomers.

[grock5000]

They're made in China so therefore they suck and will fall apart

[SuperGaper]

Skied the Kuro at the on-snow at Snow Basin, very fun. Again, it's a case of learning how to ski a different technology. In the heavier cut up crud on the Strawberry side was a case in point- traditional skis would "plow through" kind of slowing you, the Kuros skipped up and over every thing, sort of like a hovercraft going mach looney.

BTW- Jess McMillan has preferences among the Vokl product line, I would say the Gotama and the Kuro are her go to skis, while her husband loves the Katana.

[volklpowdermaniac]

They're made in China so therefore they suck and will fall apart

just like the most ignorant comment of all time? Or maybe the second most.

Volkl might not be perfect, but they certainly have a strong and loyal following and I don't think there quality (while again not perfect) is too big of an issue.

Yeah, I have also heard the BD Megawatts getting sub-par reviews. soo....Kuro for the win

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Yeah, I have also heard the BD Megawatts getting sub-par reviews. soo....Kuro for the win

I really haven't seen any sub-par reviews for the Megawatt. Powder, Freeskier, Wildsnow, Outside Magazine, Noah Howell, reviews on this Forum, etc... all indicated that they are pretty sweet. On the other hand, while I haven't seen any bad reviews of Kuro, I haven't really seen any chatter period - don't seem to be getting much attention.

I am sure they are both pretty sweet - like I said I went with the Megawatt b/c the Kuros (i) just looked like they are going to fall apart and (ii) I can do short-tours in the Megawatt (Kuro would suck for that in IMHO).

[RaccoonFace]

just like the most ignorant comment of all time? Or maybe the second most

Pfffft! Second most?! You've obviously not been spending much time in "Political Asshattery".

okbye

[Kied]

They're made in China so therefore they suck and will fall apart

What a chode statement. Like it or not they make better skis than we do. When K2 first sent production of their pricepoint boards to China the finished product came out way cleaner than the "high end" stuff that was beeing produced here in the States. Additionally, in that first year there were almost no warranty issues on the boards manufactured in China wheras, the US made product had a tremendous amount of warranty issues.

That's K2. I can't speak for Volkl, but to say that a ski sucks 'cause it's made in China is crap.

[Jessnjh]

Only my experience............I skied the Kuro almost everyday last winter and for six weeks in Argentina. No sidewall issues, no top sheet issues, bindings didn't rip out, and the bases are pretty bomber......much thicker than the Katana. The Katana has some issues, but we're not talking about the Katana. Volkl took their time making this ski and it they did right.