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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    JH
    Posts
    468

    Review: 184 Praxis Freeride

    NOTICE: If you scroll down to post #3, you can find the exact same review, only formatted into comforting paragraphs.

    Although I don't have many days on these, I wanted to put something up since it was so difficult to find any info on this ski when I was trying to decide whether to buy it during the Praxis pre-season sale. Although I started off tele, my trick right knee has forced me more the alpine route, which now is 80-90% of my skiing. The skis in question are the 11/12 Praxis Freerides, mounted with Plum Guides on the suggested line with Skookum boots. The rationale for their purchase was to replace my first generation Coombas mounted with Dynafits that were finally getting beat to hell, for use as a mostly mountaineering ski. Conditions have mostly been the suck, dominated by hardpack and variable crud, with a smattering of boot high powder runs. Straight out of the box, the build and finish were excellent, Keith is making some beautiful skis. On their first WROD day liked to make quick short turns, but felt hooky and planky. I went to town detuning the tips and the tails (which have very minimal splay) to their contact points, and voila, the next day these things charged. Excellent edge hold, still prefers quick, short turns-as expected with their tight turn radius and positive camber-but could now lay them over without fear of any hookiness and get GS turns out of them. Started opening them up more and more once some more terrain became available and became more and more impressed. The stiffness of the ski, along with the tapered rocker, allows you to hammer it through crud and variable conditions. Although these skis are quick edge-to-edge, they also have a smooth, damp flex. These things really thrive in soft snow, although I haven't been afforded the opportunity to get in anything too deep. Putting the 184 Freerides up against my old K2s, they are almost exactly the same length as my un-rockered 181s, with maybe a mm or 2 more camber, and the same sidecut radius. I mounted on Keith's suggested line (dimple on the sidewall), and while he has moved the line back this year, I still feel like it is a fairly forward mount for me. Since it falls in line with what I want from the ski, I probably won't move the bindings back, but at this mount position there is a lot of tail, (which has been nice on hardpack and small airs) and it feels like the tapered rocker might be given a little more opportunity to cut through crust with a more rearward (maybe -1?) mount. It is also highly doubtful you would be giving much up in terms of quickness since these are so quick already. These skis have been an outstanding replacement, just what I was looking for in terms of more stiffness and the tapered rocker. I was also looking extensively at the Backcountry, which is slightly smaller underfoot, and not quite as stiff. Ultimately, the gap between lengths led me more toward the Freeride. Based on my experiences with the Freeride, I'm sure that the Backcountry would also have been an excellent choice, but I am more than happy with the Freerides, I have a feeling they are going to kill it for me this year. I've also been very impressed with Keith, and Praxis as a company. Overall, highly recommended.
    Last edited by telelebowski; 12-06-2011 at 10:31 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    5,588
    Paragraphs please!?!

    I'm sorry. I tried to read it, I really did.
    "Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers

    photos

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    JH
    Posts
    468
    Although I don't have many days on these, I wanted to put something up since it was so difficult to find any info on this ski when I was trying to decide whether to buy it during the Praxis pre-season sale.

    Although I started off tele, my trick right knee has forced me more the alpine route, which now is 80-90% of my skiing. The skis in question are the 11/12 Praxis Freerides, mounted with Plum Guides on the suggested line with Skookum boots. The rationale for their purchase was to replace my first generation Coombas mounted with Dynafits that were finally getting beat to hell, for use as a mostly mountaineering ski.

    Early conditions on which I have skiied them have mostly been the suck, dominated by hardpack and variable crud, with a smattering of boot high powder runs. Straight out of the box, the build and finish were excellent, Keith is making some beautiful skis. On their first WROD day the skis liked to make quick short turns, but felt hooky and planky. I went to town detuning the tips and the tails (which have very minimal splay) to their contact points, and: voila! The next day these things charged. Excellent edge hold, although they still prefer quick, short turns--as expected with their tight turn radius and positive camber--but I could now lay them over without fear of any hookiness and get GS turns out of them.

    Lo, as the days unfolded, I started opening them up more and more as snow coverage increased and more interesting terrain became available. In the process, I became more and more impressed with the skis. The stiffness of the skis, along with the tapered rocker, allows you to hammer it through crud and variable conditions. Although these skis are quick edge-to-edge, they also have a smooth, damp flex. These things really thrive in soft snow, although I haven't been afforded the opportunity to get them into anything too deep.

    As I took the skis, themselves, and placed them against a wall with the 184 Freerides matched up alongside my old K2s, the 184s are almost exactly the same length as the un-rockered K2 181s. The Freerides also have maybe a mm or 2 more camber, and they have the same sidecut radius.

    When I had the Praxis mounted by the fine gentlemen of Bent Gate Mountaineering, who did not fuck up the mount, and who have not fucked up any of my mounts, thus never necessitating that I purchase a drill that I would use to mount skis maybe once a year, I had them mounted on Keith's suggested line (i.e.-the dimple on the sidewall). While Keith has gathered mounting input from the customers of previous years, and, as a result of said feedback, has moved the lines back this year on all his models of skis, I still feel like the recommended line is a fairly forward mount for me. Since it falls in line with what I want from the ski, I probably won't be moving the bindings back any, but at this mount position there is a lot of tail. Although this has been nice on hardpack and small airs, it feels like the tapered rocker might be given a little more opportunity to cut through crust with a more rearward (maybe -1?) mount. I would not hesitate to add, since I am prattling at length in this review, that it is also highly doubtful that you would be giving much up in terms of quickness by moving the mounting point further back since these are already so quick edge-to-edge.

    All in all, as the ex used to say, these skis have been an outstanding replacement, and proven to be just what I was looking for in terms of more stiffness along with the tapered rocker. During the pre-season sale, I was also looking extensively at the Praxis Backcountry, which has slightly smaller width underfoot, and is not quite as stiff. Ultimately, the gap between lengths offerred in the Backcountry, along with the desire for a slightly stiffer ski, and the squared-off tail with minimal splay, led me to choose the Freeride.

    Based on my experiences with the Freeride, I am quite sure that the Backcountry would also have been an excellent choice, but I am more than happy with the Freerides.

    In short, I have a feeling that they are going to kill it for me this year.

    I have also been very impressed with Keith, and with Praxis as a company.

    Overall, if you have the means, I highly recommend them.
    Last edited by telelebowski; 12-06-2011 at 10:41 PM. Reason: Double spaced into large paragraphs, filled with extraneous transitions and additional filler.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Sandy
    Posts
    5,154
    Excellent, I have a pair in the UPS as I type.
    When life gives you haters, make haterade.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    High and dry
    Posts
    53
    Bowski, do you know how far back the mounting point was moved from last years ?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Sandy
    Posts
    5,154
    Here's what Keith said when I emailed him about mounting:

    There should be a line on the ski, or a indent in the sidewall that marks our boot center recommendation. The spec sheet has it at -12 cm from skis center. But I feel like I moved it forward a bit when we put the mark on. Umm. Just measured to the dot on a pair and got 103.5cm from the tip. Its one of our further back mounting recommendations and I would probably go 101-102 if it were me.
    When life gives you haters, make haterade.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    High and dry
    Posts
    53
    ^^^Thanks.

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