Rax Ski Demo Day

[maskinut]

Tom from Austria had been spotted at several of the east coast ski resorts on his "Rax Skis" (www.raxski.com recently). Mags had skied with him at Magic, Sugarbush, Cannon etc. so when I saw him in the line at Stowe last Saturday I had to give his skis a try. This is not the first time I had seen someone skiing around on 80cm skis with what looked like spoilers on the back made from ice skate blades. I had noticed him skiing around on them last year and thought he was just a strange guy, making lots of turns with really short skis. Little did I know that he was trying to create a new category of ski.

Several mags rode up the lift with him and we got talking. By the time the lift got to the top I was lined up to take a pair of his skis out for the day. Here are my thoughts.

• These skis are not for going super fast. They are just too small.
• They aren't the most stable skis you could have on your feet.
• The worse the conditions the better you will like these skis.
• People who are older may like these skies because they are easy on the legs.
• They are probably the most maneuverable skis I have been on. In essence these are similar to snow blades but with nothing behind the heel except a piece of steel designed to cut into the snow/ice.

After a few runs I though there were a fun distraction on what was proving to be one of the worst ski conditions days of the year. Flash Frozen Ocean/Blue ice everywhere.

That is when this ski started to show what it is meant for. I'll be honest. I would not wear these skis in good conditions. I like the my 188 Bluehouses/176 Elans/188 Lines/Burton Canyon/Head Teles's etc way too much.

But, if the conditions suck these skis start to perform. A few of us got the Rax skis on and went into some steep and tight trees. Because it had rained and frozen over the past few nights there was a nasty ice crust probably about 3/4 of an inch thick. When you broke through it in the trees it sounded like breaking glass. If i were on my 188's I would have had a hard time staying on top of the crust or cutting into it. I would probably have hung the tips or tails up a few times and got off balance. Instead we put the Rax skis on their heels and stepped into the trees. Think of the kids at the mall with rollers in their sneaker heels. That's how we skied these in the trees and it was positively fun. We sliced through some of the nastiest ice/crust I had seen all year and had fun doing it. My only worry was if I post holed anywhere I might tear my leg off.

We skied the rest of the day with Tom and at 3:45 realized our other skis were still at the top and rushed back to collect them. At the end of the day Tom hooked us up with a couple sets of skis to keep.

If you are east coast and want to give these things a whirl drop me a pm.

They are certainly unconventional and I'm not sure how big the target market for this type of ski is. But, if you are an EC tree skier or a Midwesterner these are a fun set to have in your quiver. Even if you look like a tool in the liftline there is fun to be had on these.

Rax Ski is still in pretty early stages but they were saying they might try to get some pairs on the market in the US next year for $200 or under.

Thanks for the hookup Tom! These will be a fun addition to my quiver and if you see someone on jongish looking short skis with steel blades on the heel say hi. It is probably me, Reganized, VT Session or one of our lurker friends.


Some pics below of the adventure.












Check out the girl scoping my short sticks.


Some day two dust on crust. Not too shabby considering what Day 1 had to offer.





We shot some video but nothing came out very good. Next time we go out we will post some RAX Ski action.

Best of luck to the Rax guys and thanks for the fun day.

[Pow4Brains]

Persistence.

[lobstahmeatwad]

finally a ski that makes ec skiing tolerable, few! Maybe more people will hit the slopes there.

I have a feeling I might rather not ski than ride those but if you dig it, rax on and make TOA a million.

[summit]

SHENANNIGANS! SHENANNIGANS! I CALL SHENANNIGANS!

Nobody in those pictures looks like a maggot. What's more, no self respecting maggot would allow themselves to be photographed with such equipment, except on April 1. I see no maggots in those pictutres. I do, however, see a JONG in a green poofball hat on the most retarded snowsports invention since snowlerblades.

In summary, you sir, are a LYING JONG RAT!

Check out the girl scoping my short sticks.

I wonder what she was thinking...

[Goatski]

your quiver just got a bit queerer

[ex-powderbroker]

i see no cost to the community supporting TOA hauling his ass out here to ski and pass out his skis.

They aren't snow bikes, and if people are having a good time on them, cheers.
If it's truly wack, they can make their own stupid messageboard when they fail to convert enough subscribers here to believe. Otherwise I fail to see what difference it makes to cheer on underdogs.

For anyone else that has that "it wasn't a powder day so i didn't want to go out anyway" attitude please enjoy summer, you fucking posers.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

that pic ^^^ summitt put up was taken at Sugarbush, judging by the trails on the signpost. ...why no TOA pics?

edit: are those last two pics of the Saddle off the LT? you would'nt go out there with those, would you?


Tom,
please, please, please design a longer really wide powder ski, but instead of the rax skeggs you would have a hydrofoil. The ski would float above the fucking top! ....think about it.

[summit]

They aren't snow bikes

Snowbikes are less ghey that those long shoveled ski blades. Hell, jib skates are less ghey. What could be more ghey than Rax skis? A long tailed ski blade? A monoski blade?

Otherwise I fail to see what difference it makes to cheer on underdogs.

That's because you are a JONG. Why don't you go cheer for ski blades?

[Vt-Freeheel]

that pic ^^^ summitt put up was taken at Sugarbush, judging by the trails on the signpost. ...why no TOA pics?

edit: are those last two pics of the Saddle off the LT? you would'nt go out there with those, would you?


Tom,
please, please, please design a longer really wide powder ski, but instead of the rax skeggs you would have a hydrofoil. The ski would float above the fucking top! ....think about it.

Look again, No Toll Road at the Bush.

[snowsprite]

Wait, these are not cool skis...right? Because I want to make sure I am only ever riding on the cool skis. Those "fat" kinds that everybody likes. The ones that won't ever get me laughed at. (Oh...forgot, my skiing alone gets me laughed at)

Sprite

[H-man]

I wasn't laughing when you were ripping the trees at Jay on Powder Plus's.

And, for the record, I have seen Tom from Austria and the Rax at a resort. I did not get my picture taken with him.

[reganized]

I don't think anyone in northern VT was skiing woods on 3-21 except for the Rax crew. You had two alternative choices that day, do get drunk or stick to blue ice groomers!

The Rax got the job done!


What others had to say about Saturday:

"Yea...it was downright scary at Jay last Saturday...warm temps during the week plummeted Fri night. I wouldn't even say boilerplate....like skiing on a polished diamond (insert hardest material) surface. Groomers were a shitshow. The only improvement came at lower elevation where the sun could warm up top inch or so to make the surfaces edgable. Patrol was busy, saw a guy being lowered out of Kitz woods with a shattered ankle."

[maskinut]

Of course the expected jonging by someone with almost 10k posts and nothing of value to add.. I feel like I gave these skis a pretty fair review. They aren't going to change what I ski 45 of the 50 days I get in a year. I mix it up between skis, teles, and a snowboard. When there is an ice crust or the snow is sketch I will probably ride these in the woods.

You would be better to call "jong" on anyone skiing anything wider than 70mm underfoot last Saturday at Stowe. The entire mountain was race course ice. But of course there were lots of gapers riding wide boards meant for overhead blower. It is the coolest these days to over-gear yourself with fats and backcountry equip you will never use.

I like what Rax/Tom is doing because they are putting their money up and their energy in to progress ski design. Whether it is in the right direction or the wrong direction or not is up to the market to decide. If it is in the wrong direction they will disappear. If there is some value in what they do the design will make some kind of impact.


It was only losers and jongs who rode parabolics when you were rocking your 220 cms and Scott Schmidt 1988 one piece. These skis may not be game changers but I had some fun.

[Powder Pirate]

maskinut U. R. A. total gaper bottom line anyone who knows how to ski would not need to try a Rax. All you East Coast queers should learn to ski before trying anyone attempt to compensate for your lack of skiing ability with a tool like the RAX.
Reganized as I stated before U.R.A. self proclaimed East Coast Gaper Jong Douche

I would love to see anyone of you on my hill for a Pirate bashing.....
kinda like ghey bashing but not as random and polite you gotta' earn it.

[summit]

snowblades would have worked in your woods. i support trends that will progress the sport. rax is just a snowbladesque frankenski with a new name. it is not a progression. it is a regression.

as far as the ice fest, hey, it's not my fault you live in a place where it sucks that much...

anyway... i'm gonna go ski now... 9" fresh reported out my door

[HankScorpio]

maskinut U. R. A. total gaper bottom line anyone who knows how to ski would not need to try a Rax. All you East Coast queers should learn to ski before trying anyone attempt to compensate for your lack of skiing ability with a tool like the RAX.
Reganized as I stated before U.R.A. East Coast Gaper Jong Douche

I would love to see anyone of you on my hill for a Pirate bashing.....
kinda like ghey bashing but not as random and polite you gotta' earn it.

Hahaha I spend a lot of time skiing with these guys and I know for a fact that Reganized and MaSkinut will ski circles around you.

Stop taking yourself so seriously.....


get



a




life

[Powder Pirate]

no they can't ski with me......east coast douche
i live a fine life, better 4 sure
don't take yourself so seriously all you flat lander out east can suck it
careful you don't know shit gaper
Get me some more Maple syrup bitch.

[maskinut]

Hey Arrrrrrgh Kelley- I skied west for 30+ days this year. Some days were good. Some days were bad. I lived there and moved east for better or worse. In the end it results in more snow for you.

Where do you live? I'll come visit and poach your lines while you try to keep up. They you will be happy when I go back east. PS the turned up 1/4-1/2 tails (innovation?) on my "west skis" will blow my snow right into your face the whole way down.

[DoWork]

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!


NOOOOOO! YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES HOW AWESOME I AM!! STOP IT!!!

[insert western skier dick swinging here]

[LIP]

I remember when fat skis were ghey.

[crispy4505]

maskinut, where were those woods shots taken?

[EarlyWood]

I wasn't laughing when you were ripping the trees at Jay on Powder Plus's.

^this man brings up a good point spriteybird

And, for the record, I have seen Tom from Austria and the Rax at a resort. I did not get my picture taken with him.

^this..is another good point



I applaud maskinut for getting us the real story on TOA's tools, for TOA's ability to hang here and TOA's excitement at shredding the icey gnar...may I never get caught dead on those things but yur alright TOA. (and the new recruits

[Sinfield]

those things are fucking dying for a "Change for a Nickel" sticker.

[maskinut]

those things are fucking dying for a "Change for a Nickel" sticker.

That is one of the funniest things I have heard so far. Truly clever and funny.

[maskinut]

maskinut, where were those woods shots taken?

Those woods shots are all inbound @ Stowe. Some off Gondolier and some off the quad/double and they do not suck. Also skied some of the skiers right near the waterfall on Sunday. Wind had whipped 8+ inches or so into the lee side. You can get in there right off the top of the gondola. Trees are tight though in that section.

PM me if you want to get more detail.