Renoun Ski Company....?

[wolfelot]

USA Today has picked up that story too:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...tion/25731887/

[racesla]

Will be at Big Sky Thursday and Friday, possibly longer if anyone wants to try them out.

[From_the_NEK]

Back in the (local) news again this week.

http://www.wcax.com/story/30145953/u...nks-ski-design



This is a very cool concept.

[ExoticSkis]

We have a test pair of 184s for review...had the first couple runs on them in packed powder-firm underlayer conditions in Vermont....pretty impressed, but reserving final judgements until we can get more time on them in more kinds of conditions...Met Cyrus and he is passionate about upping the performance of skis through innovative engineering and materials. Construction quality is top-notch...and they carry a 2 year warranty, which is pretty confident.... stay tuned for more results as we get better conditions...

[SJG]

The technology is similar to the G-form pads.

https://youtu.be/d68dwFeKMSY?t=1m

[yiu-han]

Any info on next years models?

[Flexon Phil]

Any info on next years models?

Myself and some others of our testers have been on the 2017 Endurance 98 V2, read what we had to say. Pugski.com

[ExoticSkis]

2015-2016 Renoun Endurance 98 (v1)
121-98-115 r=22 @ 184cm






Manufacturer Info:

Renoun Skis
266 Main St.
Burlington, Vermont, United States
(802) 778-9163
http://www.Renoun.com

Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$1095 usd

Usage Class:

Rockered, All-Mountain

Rating (with comments):
(1="get me off these things"->10="I have to own a pair")

9+...(maybe a 10)... All-mountain, all conditions, wide array of skiers
8 for boilerplate conditions and deep powder

Background:

Cyrus is a Clarkson University engineering graduate who started his company in 2012, bringing his curiosity about material performance into his passion for skiing to start Renoun as a way to make a living doing what he loves. Using a business incubator facility in Burlington, Vermont (USA) after working from various garages and dormitory rooms, Cyrus embodied the entrepreneur philosophy and methodology used by many digital startups in launching Renoun.

The next step was finding a production partner to manufacture the designs he prototyped. Naturally, Cyrus looked to Utopie in Quebec, Canada since they are the premier contract ski factory in Northeast America with state of the art facilities and skilled craftsmen creating successful skis for several small ski designers. After working out the details and sourcing materials he needed, the first production runs of the Endurance model were offered to the public in 2015, with constant tweaking of the design as feedback from the skiers returned to Cyrus.

While Renoun won the 2015 ISPO innovation Gold award for its use of new technology, and we salute Cyrus for being one of the few tiny ski companies to win such an award internationally, we don't think tradeshow designations and awards should factor into a buying decision all that much. There is too much hype and marketing pressure in the industry which is self-congratulatory to put much stock behind it. That being said, congrats to Cyrus from our tiny state of Vermont! (yes we are based in Vermont and love it when local guys do well!...full disclosure). Energetic, enthusiastic and very intelligent, Cyrus embodies the new generation of ski companies sprouting up around the World.

Manufacturer's Description:

"Marveled for its innovative and award-winning design, the ENDURANCE 98 is our flagship ski with nothing left to chance.

Perfected after years of R&D, the ENDURANCE 98 was the test bed for a technology that would deliver what some call the first “adaptable” ski in the world.

When the ENDURANCE 98 launched, it was an instant, international award-winner, sweeping the ISPO Gold only months after its release.

This patent-pending technology, dubbed HDT™, is known for its ability to adjust in real time to the skier and the snow conditions. Any skier, any snow. It’s the most functional and versatile ski in the world.

On the slopes, the ENDURANCE 98 is light and playful in softer conditions, yet rock solid and sturdy when things get rough. Thanks to HDT™, the ENDURANCE 98 offers a flex pattern on demand. It’s the best of both worlds and a totally new skiing experience.

The ENDURANCE 98 is the first ski made with HDT™, and that puts it in a category by itself. In this case, we think that’s the best place to be."


Technical Ski Data:

Laminated aspen wood core
"HDT" non-Newtonian dampening material (8 inlays)
Full carbon layer
Triaxial fiberglass
UHMW sidewalls
1.8mm edges (not full wrap)

Bindings and Boots Used:

Marker Jester demo bindings
Salomon S-Max 120 boots.

Pre-Skiing Impression:

Our test pair of the Endurance (version v1...the 2016-2017 model may have slightly lowered tip and tail rocker...testing underway as this test is being written in March 2016) showed excellent workmanship and finishing, supporting Utopie's reputation as a serious ski factory producing top-quality products. The semi-matte topsheet has peek-a-boo see-through sections showing off the raw core with its HDT dampening material routed into pencil-width segments positioned at various locations along its length and width.

The graphics were subtle and universally regarded as handsome and cool by everyone who saw the skis. Bases and edges were finished nicely right out of the box and were skiable with no additional work other than waxing. There was a fairly significant tip rocker, moderate camber underfoot and moderate early-rise tail indicating this ski will feel a bit shorter than its 184cm length on-snow. Hand flex showed a fairly soft tip and moderate to soft midbody and tail flex with nice progression and a damp feel without being heavy. The rebound snap and response was moderate, but as we later found out, belied the high performance in the chassis.

Test Conditions:

Eastern corduroy, packed powder and hardpack groomers & boilerplate.

Summary:

The Renoun Endurance is perhaps one of the most versatile and rewarding all-mountain designs we have tested at ExoticSkis in 11 years, and we have skied a pretty extensive pile of skis over the years, so we don't say this casually. While the general nature of the ski is compliant, fun, easy and energetic without requiring athletic input from the skier, it's ability to deliver super-rewarding high performance traits when pressured at high speed and intensity makes it one of the unique skis on the market in 2016.

At slow speeds, it can noodle about in bumpy terrain or trees with different snow conditions just as easy and happy as you please with very responsive edge-to-edge feel, making it suitable for intermediates learning new skills and energy levels, yet can lay down GS-like trenches into the groomers when laid on-edge and pressured, delivering a secure and exceptionally quiet ride at high speeds by experts craving the adrenaline rush. While many skis this compliant and fun at slow speeds become unglued and a bit insecure at high speeds or high-pressure situations, the Endurance actually becomes quieter the faster you go....which is unusual and addicting.

This unusually wide envelope of high-performance behavior at slow and high speeds is what sets the Renoun Endurance apart from so many other skis in this category. While it costs approximately $1,100 usd, it outperforms nearly any ski in its category, and has an appeal to a wider audience of skiers whether they are advancing intermediates, experts or “retired-to-the-good-life” ski enthusiasts.

The Endurance has a definite bias toward more off-piste and 3D snow than hardpack, but it excels at surfing through cut-up snow with directional integrity, yet grips nicely and predictably when needed. This was the one ski we loaded into the car no matter what the conditions unless we needed a dedicated race-carver for bulletproof surfaces or fat powder ski for the fresh dumps of snow...in other words, pretty much every normal day. Big thumbs-up for Cyrus. He just raised the bar for all-mountain ski design in 2016 while being a super-motivated, super nice guy in the process.

Full review HERE

[SnowHot]

Myself and some others of our testers have been on the 2017 Endurance 98 V2, read what we had to say. Pugski.com

I got on the 2017 Endurance 98 in a 168 - pre production.
Full review in the works - really strong ski

[GrantN]

RENOUN selling demos @ 50%off on their site.

[iriponsnow]

Legit ski.

[thefortrees]

So how do they ski? I'm intrigued by the science behind it.

[ExoticSkis]

[QUOTE=thefortrees;5144968]So how do they ski? I'm intrigued by the science behind it.[/QUOTE

We've put them through the ringer since they came out....a few reviews here:
http://www.exoticskis.com/forum/defa...?g=topics&f=69


Not really hard-chargers, but more smoothie-oriented. The non-Newtonian polymer (Renoun just got a patent for its use in ski construction) is not hype. It does control the frequencies of movement/vibration more strongly the harder the impact or higher the vibrations on the ski. A bit pricier than most skis, but Cyrus Schenck is positioning them as a premium product line. Two year warranty, 100 day love-em-or-get-a-refund policy...so he believes in them and backs up his product with a good customer policy....

[iriponsnow]

So how do they ski? I'm intrigued by the science behind it.

They are mellow at slower speeds & unflappable at speed. I like em as an eastern ski bc they suck up all the chatter & make crap conditions feel like "hero snow". They have the unique ability to work across a wide range of speeds. I prefer the E series for super G, Nobis style turns.

[cstefanic]

Figured I'd throw my hat in here as well. I picked up a pair over the summer (184 Endurance 98) and had them out at Crystal this last weekend on a chopped-up pow day. They're just like everyone else has stated: very light for their size, and reward a strong central stance. I wasn't able to really drive the tips, but if I relaxed a little and stayed centered, they were extremely responsive and smooth. The HDT stuff is also no-joke: the faster I went on chopped, chunky groomers the more they became spookily stable, almost like a race ski but with 75% less weight.

I like them as-is, but am very interested if they released a 100+cm more directional ski with a further-back mount point. Something like a Katana would be $$$$.

If you have a chance to demo some, I recommend it.

[Alpinord]

Well, I can't wait to mount these guys up and take 'em for a ride to verify the 'HDT stuff'. With the temps in the sixties and little snow, it'll be a while...

[iriponsnow]

Btw, I’m on the 98 & 104 this season- so legit.