Whats up with Lithic Skis?

[peshastin_proud]

These seem like obvious best practices. Surprised to hear this is not industry standard.

I agree but sadly it’s not industry standard. We’re constantly surprised at what we see, process-wise, around the industry. I won’t say names but it’s out there and it bums us out because those weaknesses in a ski unfortunately make all indie brands look bad.


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[peshastin_proud]

Hey all, the Lithic guys just gave me a heads up about this thread so I figured I'd better chime in. I've been skiing with them and hanging out in the shop a fair bit over the last two seasons, and I was fortunate enough to be involved in developing the Ramblin' Jack last winter. I'm putting myself out there to answer pm's and so forth from you guys about the lineup, and when I get a minute I'll put up some design philosophy about the Jacks. I'll have a pair of 181's with kingpins mounted for a 296 if you want take them for a spin at Stevens.
Cheers!


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Thanks riff for being a rad dude and supporter! Let’s shred soon.


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[peshastin_proud]

^my thoughts exactly. Must be good dudes; they like good music.

We were initially inspired by anti-establishment folk scene for our naming theme. Can you guess who the Hill is named after? Also, if you’ve got any music/name suggestions along those lines we’re all ears.


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[eskido]

Not gonna lie, I am really diggin the vibe I'm getting here, seems like there's an ongoing theme coming from these cats.... rhymes with "let's go skee"


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[Tye 1on]

We were initially inspired by anti-establishment folk scene for our naming theme. Can you guess who the Hill is named after? Also, if you’ve got any music/name suggestions along those lines we’re all ears.


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If it’s the old Wobblie Joe Hill you’ve really been doing your homework.

[WhetherMan]

Listening, for sure. The Rx is cool but...well, we'll bring something to BBI that will change your mind.

If you get flowing alpy off the RX... Well, I'm pretty sure you'll have everyone's attention

[peshastin_proud]

If it’s the old Wobblie Joe Hill you’ve really been doing your homework.

Dude, you got it!


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[doebedoe]

Not gonna lie, I am really diggin the vibe I'm getting here, seems like there's an ongoing theme coming from these cats.... rhymes with "let's go skee"


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My feelings exactly. Communication + rad skis == win.

The only thing I'm wondering about is how gear whoring mags will do w/ Praxis-esque prices without the crazy annual custom pre-sale discount.

[eskido]

My feelings exactly. Communication + rad skis == win.

The only thing I'm wondering about is how gear whoring mags will do w/ Praxis-esque prices without the crazy annual custom pre-sale discount.

Crossed my mind as well, love to support these cats and try out what seems to be quite the product but with all of the amazing options Keith is doling out for half off.... yeah, gonna be tuff. But jeez, these look and sound like some great sticks from what sounds like some really good peeps for sure, that and the Guthrie and Cohen are getting me all chubbed up.

[Banh Mi]

Dude these guys can rip on skis, don't get twisted up on weights. They aren't building some rando twig. A combination of weight, materials, shape, camber etc make the difference in a skis in snow feel.

(Oh and ps, the lithic guys and I both agree that more mass to skis is better than less. We've had multiple conversations about it. In fact for their bc skis they've made them a bit heavier than they theroretically could, to improve downhill performance.)

I dont doubt they can rip. I am just a big guy, and I like some weight to my skis, and dont wanna be left out! 1900g/ski is too light for me inbounds, for sure.. however, I will definitely grab a pair from these guys, and try them out, before I say anything else about weight. They seem legit AF, and worth a try for me.

If Leavenworth Skier says they are legit, than that means they are Legit!!

I feel like they are doing everything right, I just want that “beefiness” in a ski when I spend my $$. Communication is a key point, and it seems like they have that point down pact. I am just communicating my needs to them here, since I am a fatty..

We completely agree with you on most of these points. However, I tend to lean towards medium stiff and somewhat heavy for an inbounds charger. Everyone skis differently, though. If you plan on riding chairs then weight shouldn’t be a consideration at all, in my opinion. That’s coming from someone who only skis pivot 18s on every ski I ride.

The reason we don’t particularly like carbon in skis is precisely because that composite gives you that stiff/light dynamic that gets deflected by the slightest snow variation (and breaks easily!)...I think we are on the same page in that regard.

And, honestly, if you’re not going on mega tours, I tend to steer folks towards our inbounds core makeup for their touring rig. That’s what I tour on and get about 25 backcountry days in a year. However, if I’m on a volcano mission I’ll lighten things up, for sure.

Our beefiest and widest ski is our Guthrie 120 and the first iteration of that ski was super burly, fast and really badass...honestly, though, my legs couldn’t even ski them until February last winter. We’ve chilled that one out a bit by tweaking the core thickness and have found a really happy medium. However, if anyone is a bigger person, who skis strongly we can make adjustments to our flex, which correlated to our weight, to accommodate. It’s a simple email request and it’s done.

Hope some of these thoughts help.


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I agree, stiffer is always better for my fat ass. Heavy AND super stiff is Win/Win for me. I was skiing on my HEAD Monsters today and having a blast, just wish they were a bit “looser”. They are planks, and weigh a ton!

I absolutely love On3p’s Bamboo and Carbon cores though, they are my favorite by far. I guess different strokes for different folks. I never found On3ps “soft” though. They are uber damp for non-metal, and “soft” enough to mess around with. Best of both worlds. They arent soft like a K2 or Line ski though.

I dont doubt you guys can make a performance ski without bamboo/carbon though, and I look forward to trying some of your beefier sticks. If you can get a 110mm waist ski closer to 2200g/ski, I will definitely jump on board. Moment skis are super stable, and usually dont weigh as much as On3p.. closer to 2200g versus 2500g.. it’s just 1900g/ski is light!

I promise, I wont speak any more about weight until I actually get on your specific core layup and try it on for size. Just trying to communicate here.. weight is good for inbounds!



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[NW_SKIER]

You've already got your own "pro model" at ON3P. Chill out, aevergreene.

[Banh Mi]

Aeverflex 4 life

I am not trying to be a douchebag here.. I buy certain skis, and just like certain things at retail $$.

Do you Lithic...dont listen to my Jive.


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[reckless toboggan]

berry, berry, intradasting...

I'm really liking the detailed info and individual responses from the guys at Lithic.

Can't wait to see where this goes.

[Norseman]

You've already got your own "pro model" at ON3P. Chill out, aevergreene.

Lol, funny that their mocking him has actually been well received

[Banh Mi]

Lol, funny that their mocking him has actually been well received

They’re all laughing at me, not with me..


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[peshastin_proud]

Thanks for that Leavenworth Skier...you obviously know how we ski and how we think about ski-making but your tgr-forum-language-translation is ridiculously helpful!

[peshastin_proud]

My feelings exactly. Communication + rad skis == win.

The only thing I'm wondering about is how gear whoring mags will do w/ Praxis-esque prices without the crazy annual custom pre-sale discount.

Yeah man, we've seen firsthand how that super-rad pricing structure/business model shakes out in the end.

Trust me, I've been there (am there?); I've been in tough shape, financially, and can relate to wanting an incredible product for a really good price but the reality of it is simply not a sustainable model. We put the best materials into our skis so that they perform the best. We don't build inventory so that we can better honor the hardwoods we're cutting down to make play sticks that won't get sold in a fire-sale in March after a shitty weather winter. While we're certainly learning how to navigate all of these tricky dynamics, one thing we've been committed to since the beginning is making great skis without unnecessary waste and our current model is the best we've come up with.

What we do want to do is offer some sort of mag discount code but it won't be a crazy Praxis-style discount...mostly we just want to show our appreciation and thanks. You all should come up with the discount code name.

[peshastin_proud]

Aeverflex 4 life

I am not trying to be a douchebag here.. I buy certain skis, and just like certain things at retail $$.

Do you Lithic...dont listen to my Jive.


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Honestly, it's great to hear feedback that's not from my wife (she's the most difficult 80-day-a-year-skier to make skis for), and other friendly homies who may not give us the most sincere feedback. We're all ears, except about making that H20 ski again...that's a tough one. Paul and I have a certain style of skis we gravitate towards and it can be difficult to break out of those boxes sometimes. However, I'm headed to Japan in January for my much-delayed honeymoon and will me making a 'skunk works' stubby pow ski for that trip that I'll keep everyone in the loop on...it's gonna be rad!

[peshastin_proud]

berry, berry, intradasting...

I'm really liking the detailed info and individual responses from the guys at Lithic.

Can't wait to see where this goes.

Thanks, I'm not sure how long I can keep this pace going since tomorrow at Stevens is gonna be pow and we'll be working throughout the rainy week in the shop but I'll do my best to keep up. There will definitely be a negative correlation between snow totals and how frequently I respond to everyone. Although, genuinely, it's been incredibly gratifying to see how stoked folks are about us...thanks all!

[peshastin_proud]

Not gonna lie, I am really diggin the vibe I'm getting here, seems like there's an ongoing theme coming from these cats.... rhymes with "let's go skee"


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Yeah, you're skis will be late because it's gonna be a deep winter here in the Cascades...I'm just joking, sort of. And, let's go ski! After all, that's why we're doing this in the first place...making skis, not money

[peshastin_proud]

Not gonna lie, I am really diggin the vibe I'm getting here, seems like there's an ongoing theme coming from these cats.... rhymes with "let's go skee"


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let's go skiing!

[peshastin_proud]

Thanks for the sticker...leavenworth skier walked a full 30 feet to our shop for his shop to drop it off. We’ll display it proudly after we’ve attend this year’s BBI so we won’t feel like imitators.


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[NW_SKIER]

Thanks for the sticker...leavenworth skier walked a full 30 feet to our shop for his shop to drop it off. We’ll display it proudly after we’ve attend this year’s BBI so we won’t feel like imitators.


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You guys will be welcomed with open arms. It's a blast to ski with so many rippers.

[adrenalated]

OK, as a long time Praxis and ON3P fanboi, you have my attention...

A few specs I'd like to see on the skis (all skis, in general).
-mount point
-sidecut length/taper points
-rocker lengths

I know that's a lot of information to be putting out there publicly, but given that someone like me in CO has to buy sight unseen, that stuff is really helpful to help me determine if it's likely that I'll enjoy the shape or not.

In particular I'd be real interested on weights and recommended mount points of the 187cm Ramblin' Jack 108 and 190cm Hill 120 with the backcountry core, as well as actual pics of the rocker/camber profile if possible.

Thanks!

[doebedoe]

OK, as a long time Praxis and ON3P fanboi, you have my attention...

A few specs I'd like to see on the skis (all skis, in general).
-mount point
-sidecut length/taper points
-rocker lengths

I know that's a lot of information to be putting out there publicly, but given that someone like me in CO has to buy sight unseen, that stuff is really helpful to help me determine if it's likely that I'll enjoy the shape or not.

In particular I'd be real interested on weights and recommended mount points of the 187cm Ramblin' Jack 108 and 190cm Hill 120 with the backcountry core, as well as actual pics of the rocker/camber profile if possible.

Thanks!

+1. I can rarely hold a Praxis in my hand before ordering it. But their spec sheets are the best in the industry (taper, camber heights, mount points, running length, rocker lines) for helping an informed consumer understand how the ski is likely to behave.