Bluehouse Maven Review

[laseranimal]

^

yeah!!

[laseranimal]

well, just for absurdity, I took my Mavens out at Jiminy

in the past 2 weeks we've gone from 30" of powder to straight up ice

I've skied some awful conditions before and tonight was unreal, picture a small local hill overrun by the holiday hordes, then add the fact that we've had no snow and warm wet weather followed by freezing spells for the past 7 days.

basically what I'm trying to say was this was about the iciest it was ever going to be

and.......the mavens still killed it

while I never did anything steep, it was amazingly fun to slarve, slip, butter and slide sideways down the hill. It made what should have been a shitty day into something where I could legitimately spend 4 hours just goofing around and not feel like I wasted money on a lift ticket.

I'm also finding that the Mavens are even more fun when I use my alpine boots with them. With my AT boots they're fun, but the tip can own you. With my Alpine boots I could feel the tip start to fold, but with the added stiffness in the boots I felt like I could power through better, with AT boots I just felt like I would pitch forward due to the fact that the tongues wouldn't support me the way an overlap shell does

[alpentalskierx]

I am wishing I read these reviews before mounting (such a pain, but done right and straight) because I mounted mine at -.25 cm and another pair at -.5 cm... Well ahead of the -3.5 people seem to be recommending. We'll see as soon as we see a big dump i'll take em out and hope for the best. For the record though, i have been skiing a wider version of the obsethed (about 115 at waist) with a much larger tip rocker and mounted pretty much the same as one would a Hellbent. So, fingers crossed or its back to the mounting bench...

[gaijin]

Still @ -3ish and loving it.

A few things have caught me off guard:
1- I am blown away by how much I like this ski.
2- I never anticipated liking it outside pow. I do. I'm surprised at how well it performs in all soft snow.
3- New snow is too easy. New snow is stupid easy. In new snow, I can't feel anything... therefore- I don't know where to pressure the ski. Skiing is honestly too easy in new snow. It would be boring if it weren't so cool.

[alpentalskierx]

I finally got to ski the Mavens today at Alpental (20 degrees F 6" of new with deeper blower pockets) and the abso-F'ing-lutely killed it!!! Skied some knee deep chutes in flat light with variable pack and didn't care if I hit ice chunks, or even if I was on the snow... Also skied internationale (totally bumped out) and they rail! I must say this is a true "all-mountain" ski... Also, I have these mounted at the -.5cm back from BH's 0 point and after reading all the posts on this here forum I must say I was worried... Turns out the peeps who did not like them at this point just aren't used to skiing true center mount-styled skis... It's kind of like someone learning on a Cessna then trying to go full-throttle on a F-18 (not that I am dissing on these people, just its a different skiing style). I love them mounted near the center, you totally surf on the snow... Final report, two thumbs, waaaaaay up.

[dfinn]

anyone got time on these and ARGs that could compare the two?

[laseranimal]

alp

I think you're right on

0 to -1 makes the maven an all round ski

I'm really wishing I'd gotten 2 pairs so I could mount the 2nd pair -3/-4 with dynafits

[PowTron]

Alp, how much do you weigh?

If you see my ON3P caylor review, I skied that mounted pretty much center and I loved it.

For me, I am sticking to my guns that the Maven mounted at center or right near it is just way too weak and WAY too easily overpowered. I am going to get out for day two this week on mine mounted at -3.5 and will then write the follow up review. I am liking them way more mounted back, though.

[alpentalskierx]

I weigh b/w 185-190 depending on dinner... I am a pretty strong all-around skier and have been tearing up the Alpental BC for the last 15yrs...

I skied some stuff on Sunday that was steep and variable (ie dropping down a flat light face and hitting an ice chunk) and the Mavens powered through everything. I never felt like they were overpowered at all... In fact much like an earlier reviewer stated, these things flatten out the hill... I'll be curious to see if there is any difference between mounting at -.5 and 0, since i should be getting my wide brakes in for my pair today (fingers crossed) and riding about two feet of heavy PNW pow at Alpental tomorrow.

My setup will also be lighter due to the fact that I have the Sths on my pair instead of the regular 916's on the other pair. (Yes I bought two, I was going to monkey around with them, but they are so easy to ski, that one pair now belongs to my gf (who rips)).

Here's a ? for you Pow, what boot do you use? And as long as you're lovin' the ski, it doesn't matter where it's mounted, i was just worried after reading here...

[Mex]

Finally got to take the Mavens out in Fernie at New Years. After much inner debate I got the sticks mounted at -4cm from factory 0. (the wife couldn't handle me measuring and writing all over the top sheet and talking to her about it anymore)

Me: 200lbs, 6ft, big feet-->Which I was told should put me behind the factory line on any ski. (I've been told to mount my skis with the toe 10cm from the 0 point on my skis after I was "balanced"...if that makes sense)
Ability: Don't we all slay the Gnar? I ski pretty agressive and fast and like to lean into my skis
Conditions: Pow, Chopped Pow, Crud, Groomer, Scraped Groomer
Boots: Nordica Beast
Current Quiver: 189 Seth Pistol, 180 Explosiv, 184 Mantra

Was worried about these babies out of the gate as I'm used to a stiffer ski and we tried out a groomer at speed first thing. Had the helmet on tight just in case. No problem. I was expecting to wash out of the turns with the soft tail but I could lay them down like my Pistols. Once the groomers got scraped at the end of the day making it back to the chair I found it harder to make them bite in but I may just have been tired.
In the pow they were ridiculously fun, even in the chop and crud they were great. I found them super easy to turn. Even skied some bumps with them without it being a disaster. Not sure if I would use them as a one ski quiver but they could do the job better than you would think.
Got lots of looks in the lift line too.
Glad I picked them up when I did. And I'm more than happy with the -4cm mounting point, I don't really ski backwards or spin..on purpose anyway

[PowTron]

Here's a ? for you Pow, what boot do you use? And as long as you're lovin' the ski, it doesn't matter where it's mounted, i was just worried after reading here...

I use Nordica Speedmachine 12's...120 flex.

And, I don't love the ski, I find it ok at -3.5. I absolutely HATED it mounted at -.5, though. I really think that the mounting points were off on this ski. Even if you ski centered mounted skis a lot, the stiffest point of the ski is not usually behind your midsole as these are at the 0 mark.

I weigh 215lbs, and I have a lot of fatty skis to compare this to. I have ridden and/or owned Prophet 130's, Kuros, EP Pros, Hellbents, Caylors, Thugs, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I think the Maven has a good idea in shape, but I seriously feel that it needs to be stiffer in the tip and tail. I can flex the ski with my two fingers and twist it laterally in the tip WAY too much for this to really blast through anything for me other then blower pow.

I am glad you are liking them, though.

[alpentalskierx]

So all the new snow that Alpental got (rought 24" in two days) turned to rain in about 2hrs... So much so that they closed it down... However, we were able to ski that rain-soaked new for a run on the Mavens and once again, they did not disappoint! I could pretty much do whatever I wanted and ended up passing many bogged-down snowboarders... heh... Lovin' this ski mounted basically at BH's 0 point...

[Chugachjed]

I've got my maven proto's mounted at 87cm from the tail and they're so money its not even funny. I think its all the camber and how stiff they are but they're actually better on hardpack than my 189 seths or than my 190 EHP's were. I lucked out with the proto's they're stiff as hell and they charge. 6'2" 250 w/o gear. The second day I skiied the mavens I had a skipiphany they made my skiing come up like 3-4 notches. I wish Bluehouse would make the mavens stiff and with camber instead of flat and soft because the proto's are money.

[JongWhisperer]

jong question here. I am 155lbs @ 5'8". should I do the factory mark or -2 from factory mark? (am getting these guys mounted this weekend). thanks

[Limowreck]

I'm 5'10" 165lbs and have mine mounted at -1.5. I've had a couple pow days on them at Mt. Baker and am %100 happy with where they are mounted. Awesome job on the skis Bluehouse.

[K-Dub]

All of this mounting talk has my head spining. I was hoping someone might pass along some advice as to where they mounted for a tele set up. I am a pretty aggressive skier and will be mounting the BD 01. The dude at Bluehouse told me to mount the ball of foot at the zero mark. Thanks for any advise.

Cheers K-Dub

[SkiEvil]

itching to go......they are getting drilled as I type....picking them up tomorrow.

[2stix]

Finally got them mounted at -3.5cm. Going out tomorrow with them and am looking to have a blast. I will post my impressions after.

SOOOOO STOKED

[capitalJ]

You bring up some valid points... but I wouldn't say it's a "burly ski"...
Big, yes. But because of its soft flex, it seems like it'll be pretty forgiving. Indeed, the flex is probably what contributes most to its "driveability." (Granted, being 200 lbs + is going to make it feel even softer.)

Hopefully it's manageable for a 170 lb. weakling, like myself.

I'm 5'8" and 170 and these are awesome, soft enough to make quick turns but stiff enough to pull it out if you land in the backseat. I mounted mine at +.2cm

[2stix]

So I finally got out the Mavens, heres is my review.

Me 275# dressed and ready to go.
Ability, alright skier, no pro, no racing background, but playful and adventurous.
Skis I have skied/had, Praxis Pow, Spatula, AK Enemy and Gotomas.
Daily ski is the AK Enemy mounted with Dukes at +3, heavy, damp, soft tip and tail, large turns.

Mavens mounted at -3.5 from recommended 0 with large dukes. Boots are Nordica beasts, flex 120.

Snow, wind effected pow, sometimes crusty, sometimes deep, wet pow to boilerplate to groomed runs.

First impression, they are fun! In any kind of soft snow, I could do what I wanted with them without any real effort. I ski more of a neutral stance, so the flex of the Maven and the ramp angle of the Dukes work in my favor. I could go fast with big turns, I could fly through the trees and I could stop on a dime as long as it was soft.

They were a blast on fresh untracted (what isn't) , but were equally fun on the chopped up powder as the day wore on. You just seemed to float above and have soft confident turns all day. They even handle a thick wind crust with enough ease to make a normally "hooky" snow, fun and fast!

I only got the back seat feeling when I lost my stance because I would realize how fast I was going and stand up, but otherwise it was very easy for me to stand neutral and balanced and ski very aggressive for my style. I never did experience any tip dive, but the snow was not deep enough to get down into it far enough to make it possible. I think it may be possible under the right conditions, but with all of the little airs I did and the drifts I ran into, the skis always came up and out. Very confidence inspiring in the powder.

I did find that if the snow was hard or you hit a hard bump the ski would easily get deflected or "fold up" (as Powtron stated) giving you that immediate forward momentum that feels like your going over the bars. But the ski always came up for me and continued on. The Spatulas and the Praxis, being much stiffer, did not suffer from this affliction, they tended to just jolt upwards with more force.

The pow performace for me between the full RR ski's and the super fat rockered Mavens is very close. I can slarve and float and pivot the skis almost the same. But the big plus for me is I can ski hard snow with them, I could never really get used to skiing the full RR skis on hard snow. I would bail or go into survival skiing mode and not enjoy it at all. Therefore the skis became epic day skis and did not last the whole day for me.

The Mavens on the other hand, even though they were not made for hard snow, I could ski them confidently and actually have fun on them in these conditions. I could carve them on the groomers as long as I did not get going to fast. Once I did, I felt them chatter and I would start to lose confidence in them.

I did not hit any bumps, but I suspect they will suck for me in them unless they are soft powder bumps. When I did hit ice, they would chatter and complain, but would hold a solid edge under foot and give me confidence to keep going.

Overall I am happy with the skis and the mount. They are not perfect and sometimes surprise me, but overall I like them and will use them a lot more then I did the Praxis Pow.

I can totally see where a more advanced or aggressive skier would find the faults in the skis flex pattern as it is very soft in the tip and tail, but for my style of skiing, it works. I would not go any further forward on the mount as I was well balanced at this mount and feel I would lose my neutral position and be pushed into the back seat if I was at the Zero mark.

The looks and conversations the ski evoked out of people were awesome, but with my size, its great to finally have a powder ski that will float me fast without having to go top speed.

Now to find some skins for these bad boys!

[laseranimal]

Now to find some skins for these bad boys!

if I can plug, climbingskinsdirect.com's twin tip skins work PERFECTLY for the mavens just buy the 130's trim and go

[PowTron]

I've got my maven proto's mounted at 87cm from the tail and they're so money its not even funny. I think its all the camber and how stiff they are but they're actually better on hardpack than my 189 seths or than my 190 EHP's were. I lucked out with the proto's they're stiff as hell and they charge. 6'2" 250 w/o gear. The second day I skiied the mavens I had a skipiphany they made my skiing come up like 3-4 notches. I wish Bluehouse would make the mavens stiff and with camber instead of flat and soft because the proto's are money.

I want the protos, no doubt...I am going to get with another local mag here that has the protos, and we are going to swap skis and give it a shot.

I have now had another two pow days on the Production Mavens, and I do like them. But, if I can get a stiffer flex and more "burl" in these (ie Proto), I think I may be SUPER DUPER HAPPY

[PowTron]

Now to find some skins for these bad boys!

G3 Alpinist Skins in a 130mm...no trimming needed, just slap em on and go. The tip "hooks" work GREAT on fatter skis.

[2stix]

G3 Alpinist Skins in a 130mm...no trimming needed, just slap em on and go. The tip "hooks" work GREAT on fatter skis.

Out of curiosity, If I had the choice to get wider and trim them, why wouldn't I? Is the general consensis that at this width the surface area should be fine for the amount of touring (slackcountry) one would do with skis like this? Or just dealing with skins that wide are an issue already?

Just trying to get some real world answers. BD Glidelight and Ascension are available in 140 and Climbingskinsdirect.com has one in a 145.

Anyone care to share their opinion?

[PowTron]

^^^^^^^^ You could do that, yes...and trim them down.

But, a skin in 130 is already heavy enough as it is, and SOOOO much Glue due to the surface area.

You will still have quite a bit of coverage, IMO. Either will work, but you will have a lot of coverage either way.