Gear rumors 19/20

[Judo Chop!]

ooooh... I sorta glazed over that last time I saw it. but makes sense now. Thanks

[NorCalNomad]

Goal was to keep the same stiffness but get rid of the tongue / fiddle factor. The new Backland boots for next year have a much more stable lower shell, taller cuff, taller liner, and a more supportive liner. When we put old Backland Carbon and new Backland Carbon into our flex testing machine, we see the same overall stiffness but the new boot has a more progressive flex pattern. New boot weighs about 50g less than the old boot with tongue.

niiiiice.

I'm assuming they walk the same without the tongue. That's something I love about the current ones is that you can't really get a better walking boot (sans tongue) until you get into skimo race boots.

Also speaking of XTD refresh. Blister just put up something on the 19/20 boot https://blisterreview.com/gear-revie...-ultra-xtd-130

[Bandit Man]

Tried out a few 2020 skis for a few runs yesterday. I’m 6’2”/175.

Own the new Enforcer Free 104 186cm and they were showing it there as well. Have 3 days on mine and love them. Moved my mount up 2cm and they are a very solid feeling ski that motors through crud and is very playful in the bumps. Carves very well for that width. A more “free ride/free style” Enforcer 100 or quicker on its feet Enforcer 110.

Any more info on these? After skiing the Enforcer 100 as my "Dad Daily Driver" with my kids who are still skiing blues, I always though a little more rocker in the tail would make it an even better ski for the PNW. Kicking around adding a 186...

[dgillis73]

I believe this is out of the shop manual

Attachment 271513

You are correct, that is the same chart that is in Salomon/Atomic's tech manual for this year.

[noslow]

Any more info on these? After skiing the Enforcer 100 as my "Dad Daily Driver" with my kids who are still skiing blues, I always though a little more rocker in the tail would make it an even better ski for the PNW. Kicking around adding a 186...

Have about 250k vertical on them and love them. Just what you want-a more fun and playful Enforcer 100 with a slightly more forgiving flex. Tail even easier to pivot/smear in tight places and unreal how fun it is in the bumps for a 104 underfoot. Might be even better in the crud than the 100 as it’s a bit heavier yet with their new tip construction, the swing weight is lower so it doesn’t feel it.

Like the 186cm for ripping but I bet even the 179cm would be fun if someone wasn’t too big and wanted an even more playful ski.

SkiEssentials has a video comparing it to the 110 and 100 too.

https://youtu.be/DcnWRKU8hUM

[thomas11]

Have about 250k vertical on them and love them. Just what you want-a more fun and playful Enforcer 100 with a slightly more forgiving flex. Tail even easier to pivot/smear in tight places and unreal how fun it is in the bumps for a 104 underfoot. Might be even better in the crud than the 100 as it’s a bit heavier yet with their new tip construction, the swing weight is lower so it doesn’t feel it.

Like the 186cm for ripping but I bet even the 179cm would be fun if someone wasn’t too big and wanted an even more playful ski.

SkiEssentials has a video comparing it to the 110 and 100 too.

https://youtu.be/DcnWRKU8hUM

Get a rustler 10. Its a looser more playful enforcer 100

[noslow]

Rustler 10 is a fun, playful ski but not great in crud, super stable or very damp. Would be great if it was a bit stiffer and a heavier to cure that and that’s exactly what the Enforcer 104 Free is. If you compare the 179cm Enforcer Free 104 to the 180 Rustler 10 it would be just as playful but with much damper and stable. Same with the 186cm Enforcer Free 104 vs 188cm Rustler 10.

Have the Rustler 9 180cm which is stiffer and heavier than the Rustler 10 and with another 100-150grams, the Rustler 9 would be perfect.

[Bandit Man]

Get a rustler 10. Its a looser more playful enforcer 100

Oh, heck no! I own an Enforcer 100 (like it) and skied the 188 Rustler 10 in Whistler last weekend in 8-12” of light pow and nice soft groomers. Only place I sort of liked it was on groomers. Weird ski for me in the soft stuff. Maybe I needed more than a few runs to get it figured out, but it was a “twitchy” ski. I own a 188 Rustler 11 that I can ski just fine, but the 10 and 11 perform very different for me.

[gregL]

Would be great if it was a bit stiffer and a heavier to cure that . . .

Next year's is just that.

[noslow]

Next year's is just that.

That’s been the rumour but I had SkiEssentials weigh and 2019 and 2020 Rustler 10(in 172cm) and they were within a few grams. I tried the 2020 at a demo booth in Ontario Canada and the reps knew nothing about any changes to them and I skied them after skiing last years the week before and they seemed the same.

Maybe they are making the change for the Fall ski production? 🤷♂️

[ASP]

Does anyone have any skinny on the Revolt 121?

[kid-kapow]

GregL mentioned Revolt 121 in a post a while back if my memory serves me right, in the context of it possible being so good as to dethrone the Nocta as the best playful powder ski on the market.

I have yet to see extensive reviews coming out, and the info I've seen is somewhat contradictiory - aka some saying it is light, the official info saying that it is not (the Völkl catalogue http://www.zuzupopo.com/xe/catalog/232253 states the weight of 184s at 2440gr, while a press release states it at 2 196gr), so they might be talking about swing weight. I dunno. The dimensions seem sorted at:

Sizes: 177, 184, 191 cm
Dimensions: 143 / 121 / 135 mm (all)

Radius: 17.4 /19.2 / 21.7 in the three lenghts, all multi radius concept ski

Profile: Tip/Tail Rocker - slight camber underfoot

The pricing seems to be fairly good, though I know not what they will cost in USD (7500nok).


I have only seen one in real life - never fiddled with it or hand flexed it, so can't really comment. Seems nice enough, and being Völkl they should be relatively well built.

Markus Eder seems to get along with his pair, though he could probably shred planks and still make it look awesome

[gregL]

Does anyone have any skinny on the Revolt 121?

Skied it, really liked it, would like to ski it more. Conditions were not perfect - 12-15" of VERY thick and hooky wind deposit and the ski ripped, but did not ski the Nocta those 2 days as a comparison. Very powerful and precise, goes where you point it in a turn (nice but hard to find in a 120mm+ design), and blasts through tracked up snow with ease. Skied the 184 and it didn't feel like 2440 grams, but I didn't stop to weigh it.

[Bandit Man]

So, I recently skied the QST 106 and have been considering it as an easier going 50/50 ski. I heard that they made some updates for 2020. Anyone have on snow impressions to share?

[TahoeJ]

Skied it, really liked it, would like to ski it more. Conditions were not perfect - 12-15" of VERY thick and hooky wind deposit and the ski ripped, but did not ski the Nocta those 2 days as a comparison. Very powerful and precise, goes where you point it in a turn (nice but hard to find in a 120mm+ design), and blasts through tracked up snow with ease. Skied the 184 and it didn't feel like 2440 grams, but I didn't stop to weigh it.

What are your initial thoughts in comparison to the Nocta, given that limited exposure? Similar balance point? More centered or can be forward driven more? I'm a huge Nocta fanboy so just curious more than anything else.

[gregL]

What are your initial thoughts in comparison to the Nocta, given that limited exposure? Similar balance point? More centered or can be forward driven more? I'm a huge Nocta fanboy so just curious more than anything else.

Very similar feel but slightly "grippier" - best results come from skiing it centered.

[gregL]

So, I recently skied the QST 106 and have been considering it as an easier going 50/50 ski. I heard that they made some updates for 2020. Anyone have on snow impressions to share?

2020 version is not as "easy going" as the previous one. Stiffer, thicker, and more powerful, but not everyone will like it better.

[robnow]

2020 version is not as "easy going" as the previous one. Stiffer, thicker, and more powerful, but not everyone will like it better.

??? But didn't 18/19 see the bigger changes? Basalt added and fibre orientation changed to add torsional stiffness and beef, 100g gained per ski. AFAIK, 19/20 only sees a change from Koroyd tip/tail to Cork (which I assume adds dampness and maybe some mass)?

[gregL]

??? But didn't 18/19 see the bigger changes? Basalt added and fibre orientation changed to add torsional stiffness and beef, 100g gained per ski. AFAIK, 19/20 only sees a change from Koroyd tip/tail to Cork (which I assume adds dampness and maybe some mass)?

Yes, 2020 version changes from Koroyd tips and tails to cork; hard to make a judgement on dampness because there was no hard snow at all during the tests. The new one takes more energy to turn and is visibly thicker behind the bindings, whereas I didn't feel the basalt changed the feel much at all.

[Jongle]

I spoke with the Salomon rep at a recent demo day up at Whistler and he said that the 2020 QST 106 had a whole bunch of updates: construction (cork tips/tails, distribution of carbon/flax stringers); rocker profile (deeper tail rocker lines and increased splay); sidecut profile (turning radius increased from 20m @181cm to 22m @181cm). He said that the new ski was improved in every way, without any compromises/tradeoffs. I pressed him on this and he admitted the 2020 version might be another 100g heavier than the 2019 version.

Didn't get on the new skis, but I like the 2019 QST 106 and am intrigued by the 2020 edition as a slightly burlier and more freeride-oriented version.

[gramboh]

Any pics of the 2020 Hawx Ultra XTD?

[NorCalNomad]

Any pics of the 2020 Hawx Ultra XTD?

From the Evo preview (linked a few pages back or google Evo 2020 ski gear)

[Bandit Man]

2020 version is not as "easy going" as the previous one. Stiffer, thicker, and more powerful, but not everyone will like it better.

Thanks! Picked up a pair of 2019 106’s recently after spending sometime on them at Whistler. Loved how capable they were yet so easy and accessible. Seemed liked a nice change of pace from my normal metal layup skis, but without being wimpy. Would like to try the new ones next year.

Also, is that mint color/light blue-green as hideous in person as it looks in photos?

[gregL]

Also, is that mint color/light blue-green as hideous in person as it looks in photos?

They look pretty much like that in person, doesn't really bother me. Think it was a Volkswagen colorway from 1949.

[Lord Thomas]

Thanks! Picked up a pair of 2019 106’s recently after spending sometime on them at Whistler. Loved how capable they were yet so easy and accessible. Seemed liked a nice change of pace from my normal metal layup skis, but without being wimpy. Would like to try the new ones next year.

Also, is that mint color/light blue-green as hideous in person as it looks in photos?

Yeah, it's from the post-war, soviet, industrial winter color collection. Same color chart Atomic used for their new boots.