Review: DOWN Countdown 2

[workinforturns]

Review DOWN Countdown 2

190CM, 134-114-128, R:25

Me-6’1” 175 lbs, Racer background always pushing my skis as hard as I can.
Skied- DOWN 50 days across the Alps in every condition, ice to blower and moguls between.
20 days back in North America mainly skiing knee to waist deep powder

Mounted “down the line” with Marker Jesters and later with Dukes

Have skied-Praxis Pow 195, Praxis Big Mtn 194, Stockli DPS Pro 201, Igneous FFGS 194, Rossignol Axiums 183, PM Gear Bros 179 and 188, Seth Pistol first model

I was a little skeptical of the flat camber with early rise tip and tail being able to hold up as an “everything ski,” mainly holding an edge on hard pack. Rolling the Countdown 2 over on edge on a groomer is equal to a traditional cambered ski in my experience. It was easy edge to edge, popping you into your next turn. This also made traversing on icy hanging snowfields much less tense than with my Praxis Pows.
In variable conditions the tapered tip chewed through crud and tracked out snowfields with ease. The tip has plenty of floatation to not dive in powder, yet is stiff enough that I haven’t found their top speed doing straightlines. In really tracked out conditions one day this last season, I found them fun to straightline from pow stash to pow stash and ditch speed on a dime. They handled moguls really well with their poppiness, able to smoothly go from tranny to tranny.

Touring with them is relatively easy for a flat cambered ski, being able to dig an edge in on icy side hill skin tracks. The tip and tails provided good solid connections for my BD ascensions skins. I am, and have never been, a stickler for weight, so the combination with either the Jester or the Duke never felt that cumbersome. After further research, the Countdown 2 and Duke is 15.6 lbs.

Overall for me it has been the ski that has matched my style best to allow me to lay slash turns, straighline and ski everything in between smoothly and playfully.


Photo-Shunichiro Kikuchi


Photo-Enrico Satima


My Countdown 2 met the Countdown 1 in Italy

[arild]

Sweet. I´m waiting until dec/jan for a demo pair of Countdown 3s myself. Should be fun.

[Nordic75]

They look like an alternative to SS7, Bibby Pro JJ AK and the like. Came up on my gearwhore radar a while back due to some favorable reviews. Would be interesting to get more intel on these.

[Nordic75]

..only thing that turns me off is the graphics... they just copied Black Crows, but made it worse = a poor mans Black Crows. They should aim to develop their own identity rather than copying a more established brand. I would guess they didn't engage a graphic designer for the job.

[ectreeskier11]

never heard of these but looked up their site when i saw this. they have some really cool shit, those "skinny" reverse sidecut skis look way interesting as well as pretty much all the other models too.

[workinforturns]

some more information for you if you are interested
http://www.downskis.com/ski-specifications/countdown-2

[Norseman]

Thanks for sharing. Those look pretty nice.

[iscariot]

The Countdown 3 looks ill. Can't wait to hear reviews.

[miahw2828]

never heard of DOWN til this thread. Countdown V is intriguing...

looks like only availabe in Euroland for now

[Huck_Schmuck]

Can't wait to ski this range, looks like SiSt nailed it. Send some to BC!

[workinforturns]

They will be coming to America this year but in limited numbers.
Addict's brother also tried them out and loved them.

[SiSt]

Can't wait to ski this range, looks like SiSt nailed it. Send some to BC!

Thanks! Being completely unbiased, I can say that they kick ass... Eagerly awaiting some snow to try out the final flex version of the CD1, and it looks like I may be taking the CD4 out this weekend. Should be good.

There is one pair of each of the CD1 and CD2 in Revelstoke. Check your PM.

[ExoticSkis]

We're looking to do a formal review of a pair or two of DOWN skis in January...will post ASAP if we get on 'em.....

[ankhou]

This is a bit of a bump, but I wanted to throw my support behind the CD2s as well. I skied them in Revelstoke for a month at the end of last season and they handled everything I threw at them with ease - chest deep pow, 30-foot drops and icy groomers (as icy as they get in Revy). When skiing big lines the stability reminds me a little of EHPs, but they feel more nimble in trees and more playful in pow. I have them mounted with Barons (size small) and they'll be my go-to touring ski for this season as well.

I also have a pair of the CD1s (151-135-145 which I'll be mounting with Look Pivot 14s, BSL 318mm. I didn't get a chance to ski them last season, but I'm really looking forward to taking them out on a tits-deep day this year. If anyone's in the Revelstoke area this season with a similar boot size and wants to try either of the skis out, you would be most welcome. Shoot me a PM and we can figure something out.

Again, full disclosure: I received the CD1s and CD2s as a gift, but I don't think this has affected how much I enjoyed the ski. I worked in the RMR rental department last season and had access to any ski we had in the shop (some really high-end stuff, including Rocker 2s), but as soon as the CD2s arrived I didn't ski anything else.

[geo039]

FYI Huck if you are reading this...we will get some more out into WA and Western CA very soon.

This is a bit of a bump, but I wanted to throw my support behind the CD2s as well. I skied them in Revelstoke for a month at the end of last season and they handled everything I threw at them with ease - chest deep pow, 30-foot drops and icy groomers (as icy as they get in Revy). When skiing big lines the stability reminds me a little of EHPs, but they feel more nimble in trees and more playful in pow. I have them mounted with Barons (size small) and they'll be my go-to touring ski for this season as well.

I also have a pair of the CD1s (151-135-145 which I'll be mounting with Look Pivot 14s, BSL 318mm. I didn't get a chance to ski them last season, but I'm really looking forward to taking them out on a tits-deep day this year. If anyone's in the Revelstoke area this season with a similar boot size and wants to try either of the skis out, you would be most welcome. Shoot me a PM and we can figure something out.

Again, full disclosure: I received the CD1s and CD2s as a gift, but I don't think this has affected how much I enjoyed the ski. I worked in the RMR rental department last season and had access to any ski we had in the shop (some really high-end stuff, including Rocker 2s), but as soon as the CD2s arrived I didn't ski anything else.

[shasti]

I would be stoked to get on a demo pair in Seattle/Revy

[Toby]

Addict's brother also tried them out and loved them.

Hi Lars!

Yeah, I loved them. I was severely hamstrung by the skis/bindings I was riding and workin' kindly lent me his skis for a day. In mixed conditions ranging from tiny pockets of soft snow through melt/freeze chunder through what would've been chalky a few days after a snowfall but warm temps had turned into boilerplate non-flat conditions and even a few GS gates on piste these skis did it all for me. I had a really good day and probably would've laid down my cash for a pair then and there if there was a pair in a shop. I skied 100 times better that one day than I had been on my skis and it was super fun to just open it up and let 'er rip with no fear at all.

The thing that amazed me most of all was I was hesitant to even try these skis given the lack of snow and an inbounds day. However, they rode amazingly well on piste, way better than my more-or-less traditional skis. As I mentioned, I ran a half dozen /10 gates a couple of times and they were literally on railroad tracks. In fact, it took effort to break them loose on hard stuff.

The only time I had problems was one particularly steep slope late in the afternoon when it was scoured from people sliding down all day and lack of snow. Basically ice. People sliding everywhere. On any ski it would've been a slide the whole way but the Downs have a shorter contact length than I'm used to so they were a bit pivoty and unstable with such short edge contact. The obvious solution would've been to point it, but I was leading a family group at that stage so had to be conservative.

All in all I was stoked with them and of course it's always a pleasure skiing with Lars.

[ankhou]

I'm on the Countdown 2s in this video - there are a couple of shots near the end which aren't me, but you can tell by the topsheets (and the better skiing). Should give you an idea of how they perform!

http://youtu.be/uNpZrGKyD38

edit: apologies for the Creative Commons music in advance.

[geo039]

Thanks Ankou for the DOWN stoke. Looks like the CountDown 2's are enjoying the new snow.

[ankhou]

Thanks Ankou for the DOWN stoke. Looks like the CountDown 2's are enjoying the new snow.

No problem - they're loving it. Only had a chance to take the CD1s out 1 day so far this season, but hoping for some more big dumps. Glad Europe is picking up a little, I was worried for you guys for a bit there!

Here's a version of the video cut from just my footage, HD quality and with better music.

[ARpowhound]

never heard of DOWN til this thread. Countdown V is intriguing...

looks like only availabe in Euroland for now

Yes, I would like to try the V as well. Looks like a skinnier Spat.

[Toby]

I spent four weeks in Europe on the '12/'13 CD2 skis this winter. I love them. I was lucky enough to ski a whole bunch of pow and they rip - large or medium turns, smear or carve. Short radius turns are possible but hard work if you want to turn out of the fall line much (like any big ski). They feel very light, mounted with FKS180s, but super bomber. No issues with crud, chopped up snow or crust. The tip is softish and with the rocker rides over anything, while underfoot is stiff and holds its line. I only had a couple of moments where I felt the tips start to fold, and that was in very firm crusty windslab and all it took to correct was a slight leaning back (whereas normally you can drive the tips with confidence in anything soft). It also holds a line very well at super-G speeds. For me, this ski was a perfect one-ski quiver. So, was there anything I didn't like? Flat running at speed they waver a bit, like I guess any rockered ski would. It's easily handled but they prefer to be on an edge. So a slightly wider stance and not going to sleep is a good idea on cat tracks. And zippy, aggressive short turns - they can do them but it's hard work (as any big ski is). Not an issue for me since I'm lazy and prefer medium or long radius anyway.

I also like the new colour scheme and whether through luck or skill mine are still almost unblemished top and bottom. A few scratches from rocks and three small topsheet edge chips but they look pretty new and are holding up very well. Much better condition than the old ones that inspired this thread that I rode before that workinforturns had done his best to kill. The weight difference also feels noticeable compared to those older ones.

Finally, geo039 and SiSt are super helpful with any questions and if you manage to get in on a presale they are a killer price, particularly for Euro-people.

[geo039]

Merci Mec! I am super stoked you like the skis and we got them to you in France on time. Hope to connect next year when you are this direction.

I spent four weeks in Europe on the '12/'13 CD2 skis this winter. I love them. I was lucky enough to ski a whole bunch of pow and they rip - large or medium turns, smear or carve. Short radius turns are possible but hard work if you want to turn out of the fall line much (like any big ski). They feel very light, mounted with FKS180s, but super bomber. No issues with crud, chopped up snow or crust. The tip is softish and with the rocker rides over anything, while underfoot is stiff and holds its line. I only had a couple of moments where I felt the tips start to fold, and that was in very firm crusty windslab and all it took to correct was a slight leaning back (whereas normally you can drive the tips with confidence in anything soft). It also holds a line very well at super-G speeds. For me, this ski was a perfect one-ski quiver. So, was there anything I didn't like? Flat running at speed they waver a bit, like I guess any rockered ski would. It's easily handled but they prefer to be on an edge. So a slightly wider stance and not going to sleep is a good idea on cat tracks. And zippy, aggressive short turns - they can do them but it's hard work (as any big ski is). Not an issue for me since I'm lazy and prefer medium or long radius anyway.

I also like the new colour scheme and whether through luck or skill mine are still almost unblemished top and bottom. A few scratches from rocks and three small topsheet edge chips but they look pretty new and are holding up very well. Much better condition than the old ones that inspired this thread that I rode before that workinforturns had done his best to kill. The weight difference also feels noticeable compared to those older ones.

Finally, geo039 and SiSt are super helpful with any questions and if you manage to get in on a presale they are a killer price, particularly for Euro-people.