Why Are Surface Skis So Cheap?

[skibum93]

Is Surface going under?

Every ski in their line is $320 or below. Seems kinda suspicious for a generally well thought of brand. They still have a 1 year warranty.

http://www.surfaceskis.com/hardgoods/index.html


Surface is more of a NS kind of brand, but there's lots of people in on the know surfing these forums.

[cmcrawfo]

I would guess that they are blowing out their stock because it's the end of the retail season.

Pretty sure they did the same thing last year.

[mtcollins50]

I feel like I always see their skis for cheap AF...

[cmcrawfo]

I feel like I always see their skis for cheap AF...

Cheap Skis are their MO.

...why bother competing with the companies battling it out for quality and durability. Low prices come with low expectations.

[mtcollins50]

Hahaha I skied my buddy's old ass pair of one life's just to mess around once and they are so fucking dumb. They are the ones that are flat underfoot and then the tips and tails are like 45 degree angles

[Groomer Gambler]

I've had a pair of the original symmetrical 122mm New Lives for like 6 years. For awhile they were the only pair of skis I owned (and I live on the East Coast). Why people rip on these are beyond me? They shred pow (obviously), turn well in tight woods, can handle their own on jumps, plenty of pop, rip in the spring (seriously they charge through slop like a woodsaw), and can rip groomers (when not sheer ice). I think I got them at the time for like $200 as used demo skis.

This season I picked up a pair of original Live Lifes (similar rocker profile but more directional) on ebay. Used from Salt Lake for $125. Immaculate condition, ie whoever owned these originally never took them down sketchy terrain. Mint bases, mint edges. Still wicked fun, although I'd have to say not quite as fun as the New Lives.

I thought I read somewhere that Surface is going under though? ALl the skis on their site are from 2 years ago. Surface I though always made wicked fun skis at a reasonable price point. Not all of us can drop $500+ on a new pair of skis. They always gave my college ski club a good discount, make fun products, and I've used and abused the fuck out of my New Lives and they are still in surprisingly decent condition. Independent, local ski company too - isn't that what (free)skiing is all about?

[Groomer Gambler]

Back in my freestyle daze this was my favorite ski flick! (and still might be to this day!!!)



<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/4902966" width="640" height="363" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/4902966">Joystick&#039;s Hot Lunch</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/armada">ARMADA SKIS INC.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[reckless toboggan]

I'm surprised there are suckers that will pay $320 for broken skis.

[Zennan]

Ya pretty ridiculous, basically paying $300 to ski something that is equivalent to skiing a 2x4

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Hahaha I skied my buddy's old ass pair of one life's just to mess around once and they are so fucking dumb. They are the ones that are flat underfoot and then the tips and tails are like 45 degree angles

In 08/09 I had a pair of Live Life 2s (which I think eventually became the One Life) and they are still my all time favorite powder ski. I ended up trading them and getting another pair of skis when I was kinda broke and regret it to this day. The extreme rocker was so fucking fun. Skied them several days in east vail, and UT. Honestly, they were even fun in the park and on spring corn slush days.

[mtcollins50]

I had fun when the snow was deep and untouched but as soon as it was chopped they were weird and going back to the lift was basically like using snow blades hahahah

[Cosmic Suncloud]

Ya pretty ridiculous, basically paying $300 to ski something that is equivalent to skiing a 2x4

yeah, or an RMU. except an RMU is twice the price.

at least Surface tries to hook up the tribe.

[SirHeady]

Back in my freestyle daze this was my favorite ski flick! (and still might be to this day!!!)



<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/4902966" width="640" height="363" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/4902966">Joystick's Hot Lunch</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/armada">ARMADA SKIS INC.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

looking back this movie was super ahead of its time. I believe it came out my sr year of college ~2011ish

This is basically like a preview of where the sport is today and the type of skiing we are seeing today with The Bunch and creative park/all mtn riders who are looking for small jibs and take a more skate inspired approach to ripping the mtn.

[axebiker]

If you like to ski REALLY slow, buy some. They have the shittiest extruded bases I've ever had the displeasure of being on. Outside that, solid boards, but don't expect anything mind-blowing or cutting edge as far as technology.

[JSang]

Surface offers cheap skis and are pretty quick to sponsor the kids, similar to Line. They aren't fantastic skis but they are (or at least were) "cool".

I have some Save Life's from 2012, they are the same as the Watch Life but with a ski patrol specific graphic that they offered for $250 to anyone who works as a ski patroller, a nice gesture. They are they old twin-tip ones and really didn't make two much sense as a patrol ski in my opinion, the redesigned flat-tail option they came out with for 2014 looked much better.

I was talked into buying them by some old vets who claimed they were the "best skis ever made" and that they retail for $1500 for non-patrollers (Surface's website actually claimed that at one point). I quickly realized after receiving mine that those old guys were probably coming off of their X-Screams and therefore thought these were the "best skis ever" for the skiing here in the rockies. The save life's simply don't make skiing enjoyable for me, they can handle just about any condition and were a true all mountain ski, but didn't excel in any condition. I described them to most people as "like skiing on a 2x6". The bases don't hold wax either as the previous commentor said. I remounted these things 3 times to try and find the sweet spot, eventually mounting them at about -9 and I will shamefully admit i made some homemade tip rocker using a heat gun, blocks of wood, and a c-clamp. Nothing I did to these skis made them fun or worth continuing to ski on, so I bought new skis as life is too short for boring skis.

On the plus side they seem to be above average durability wise, they are now my devote rock skis and I have a hard time getting a core shot in them. I think they are pretty light weight at about 1800g for a 182 (133-100-122) and sure, they were certainly affordable for me. Would I recommend them to anyone, No.

I know a kid locally who snapped a tip off his Surface park skis when they brake didn't pop down and they torpedoed into a tree.

Surface was also the company to come out with that "Kink" rocker. WTF was that. Never got a chance to ski on a pair but they certainly didn't catch on throughout the industry! I would avoid those for any price.

[axebiker]

I had the "Save Lifes" too. Dismal performance, but they did look cool. As you said - probably the "greatest ski ever" for the guys still riding their circa late-90's Volkl P40 and Rossi Viper X's...but planky, heavy, and slow otherwise.