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  1. #26
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    Dec 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    Put some lighter bindings on them and enjoy. Best spring couloir ski out there (ignoring the issue steep sidehilling and kick turns)
    Roger that.
    Wonder if this will be akin to OG Bodes and Cochise vs later production. There’s an argument for either depending on the category you fall in.

  2. #27
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    I actually prefer the new Cochise. It's quicker and less dead, but retains all the stability. Yeah the old one might have been slightly better at skidding over shit snow, but the new one is a noticeable improvement to me.

    But I fear you're spot on with the Bodacious comparison, if the 104 is indeed much lighter/softer. Hopeful the change in character is more akin to what happened with the Cochise.

  3. #28
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    Nov 2013
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    Finally got to ride a ZG95 (in a skimo race, for the first time on the ski, that were a demo pair...broke my skis the day before) and holy shit were they confidence inspiring. Really hope they aren't going to make them softer.
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaliBrit View Post
    Alpinist with brakes right?
    Right . As pictured. Brakes execution is meh

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    That shape looks quite refined and looking nice. More rocker on both sides?
    Looks like it compared to ZeroG 105. Here's the 108 rocker. Pretty moderate

  6. #31
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    I prefer to tour on my F1's. 185 Zero G 108's were too much ski. 178's are a great match.

    There is some significant variation in rocker profile on the original Zero G's from pair to pair. And my 85's actually change with the ambient temperature. Wonder if this "feature" will continue.

    Softer, friendlier Zero G's is bad news. I'm no bad ass BC charger and I love them all the way they were. If they wanted to offer something with more float they should have added a model.
    Agreed. 185s Zerog 108s twisted my F1s. Paired to the Tecnica ZGTP though..... bliss

  7. #32
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    Nov 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    What is that zipper pull dohicky on the back for? That to unlock the brakes?
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  8. #33
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by NorCalNomad View Post
    What is that zipper pull dohicky on the back for? That to unlock the brakes?
    Yes. Prone to icing. Finicky

  9. #34
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by auvgeek View Post
    Interesting. Too bad about the softened flex and reduced radius, but will have to try them and see. I don't think the world really needs another light, rockered, soft, turny touring ski. I did think the OG 0G 108 was begging for that rocker profile, which was kind of my only gripe with it.

    The increased radius and hopefully a little more rocker in the 95 has my interest piqued.

    Question: Any word on the mount point? Still stupid far back, -11.X or whatever?
    Forgot to put up measurements - added to OP

    A straight pull measurement of the ski is 178.8cm
    Tip splay is 34cms from tip
    Tail splay is 22 cms from tail
    Mount is -7cms from ski centre

  10. #35
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    Sep 2010
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    SW CO
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    Oooh! With a -7 mount, I'll prolly end up on a pair. Ugh.

    Except now I'm between sizes. Should probably size up to the 188 but that seems long. #firstworldproblems

    Any more info on the 95 re mount point, rocker, flex, etc?
    "Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers

    photos

  11. #36
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    Jan 2017
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    I'm curious how the ZG105 compares to the Backland 107. I haven't skied either. It seems the new market is for a ~105mm, ~1600g do-it-all backcountry ski. I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted). I feel like <1600g would get thrown around too much at a resort.

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted).
    Black Crows Corvus Freebird? Current 185 ZG 108? Wildcat 108 built a little heavier? It'll be a little spendy, but Moment will do it.
    "Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers

    photos

  13. #38
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by auvgeek View Post
    Oooh! With a -7 mount, I'll prolly end up on a pair. Ugh.

    Except now I'm between sizes. Should probably size up to the 188 but that seems long. #firstworldproblems

    Any more info on the 95 re mount point, rocker, flex, etc?
    I'll grab a pair and check on that; take pics etc.

    I did like my old ZG95s but they were stiff af. I mean I used them for pow and everything but they were a demanding ski and IMO more for the light traverse, stiffness for sawing back and forth in couloirs kind of ski. I thought the 108s in 185 were actually almost easier to ski than the 95s in 178. Or maybe that's crack pipe

    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    I'm curious how the ZG105 compares to the Backland 107. I haven't skied either. It seems the new market is for a ~105mm, ~1600g do-it-all backcountry ski. I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted). I feel like <1600g would get thrown around too much at a resort.
    oooo... I have both. ZG105 in 180 and did ski the Backland 107 in 181 (test pair I had to give back) and now own it in Backland 107 189. Unfortunately with only 3 days on the ZG105 it's preliminary but suffice it to say that I've had it out in hardpack, chopped up groomers, wet heavy snow and now light blower and steeps with extremely tight trees to exit. But I haven't had it out in variable mank where the ski gets tossed around. Very preliminary the ZG105 and Backland 107 are comparable which is to say very capable with massive range of useability.

    But in "variable mank where the ski gets tossed around" the Backland 107 suffered. I haven't had the ZG105 out in that yet. But they're both pretty light skis and I wouldn't expect either to shine in that stuff.

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    I'll grab a pair and check on that; take pics etc.

    I did like my old ZG95s but they were stiff af. I mean I used them for pow and everything but they were a demanding ski and IMO more for the light traverse, stiffness for sawing back and forth in couloirs kind of ski. I thought the 108s in 185 were actually almost easier to ski than the 95s in 178. Or maybe that's crack pipe
    Thanks! Yeah, my wife has the 164 95 for spring touring and I definitely get that impression. A touch less stiffness might be appreciated at their crazy light weight.

    Really looking forward to comparisons of the new 180x105 to the old 185x108 after you have more time on them. Float, charging, sizing, etc.
    "Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers

    photos

  15. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by auvgeek View Post
    Thanks! Yeah, my wife has the 164 95 for spring touring and I definitely get that impression. A touch less stiffness might be appreciated at their crazy light weight.

    Really looking forward to comparisons of the new 180x105 to the old 185x108 after you have more time on them. Float, charging, sizing, etc.
    What i really liked about the ZG108 is when i ski like an absolute idiot and run out from a big fast pow line into avalanche debris. That's when i got really comfortably with the ZGTP, Vipec, 108 combo from last year when i would behave like a moron and get into trouble and the ski/boot/binding combo would get me out of trouble. I mean who doesn't do that every now and then? That's what I really liked about the Backland/Shifts I was testing last year. Same outcome.

    anyhow I imagine that I'll similarly get over my head at some point in this season with the ZG105. I'll try to grab some ZG95s next week and see what they look like

  16. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by auvgeek View Post
    Black Crows Corvus Freebird? Current 185 ZG 108? Wildcat 108 built a little heavier? It'll be a little spendy, but Moment will do it.
    Yeah I've seriously thought about some of these options. I'm trying to keep a 2-3 ski quiver. One spring skimo stick, a 50/50 ski, and a resort ski. I'm just on the fence about whether it makes more sense to have the 50/50 ski be a 115 pow stick or vice versa. And if vice versa should it be a 1600g ski or an 1800g ski. But I digress on this thread...

  17. #42
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    Nov 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    Finicky
    From Marker? noooooo
    TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.

  18. #43
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    Feb 2005
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    A few more pics skiing the ZeroG 105. Haven't had it out in variable snow yet to really see how it does

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  19. #44
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    That tip rocker profile is looking like just the right tradeoff. I hated dealing with them on the old ZG108 and the only reason I sold them, though I understood the design choice. How are you feeling about supposed the shape refinement?

  20. #45
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    The Backland 107 tip definitely appears to be more soft-snow focused compared to the new ZG105.

  21. #46
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    Nov 2017
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    70
    Quote Originally Posted by Bean View Post
    Absolutely disagree. A few years ago if someone told me I'd comfortably do a 45mph straightline over weird funky breakably-crusty snow on a 171cm 85mm 1100g ski I'd have laughed them off, but that's exactly what I've done with them. They're demanding skis but not at all "unbalanced" or "too stiff."
    Torsionally stiff... I think you will find the new skis slightly more “balanced” than the old ones. The tail was the primary focus. To make it release easier and less prone to catching especially when conditions are gnarly and you’re carrying a large pack.

    Honestly the tweaks are subtle. They’re not meant to be totally different skis but were redesigned based on feedback from people that spend a ton of time on them in all sorts of conditions. They will always be on the stiffer end of anything in this weight class that is for sure. Again this refers more to the 85 and 95.

    I skied the 178 95 for three or four hours in bounds at Alta on the first day of our sales meeting in early December. Alpinists and Cochise 130s. I’m all of 220 without gear and had a blast on them and skied them pretty hard all over the place. Granted it was about 15” of snow but it got rather skied out and was pretty variable underneath. I was expecting them to kind of suck in those conditions as I hadn’t enjoyed the previous 95s skiing anything in bounds at all. They were much more stable and didn’t deflect nearly as much as the previous versions.

  22. #47
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    656
    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    I'm curious how the ZG105 compares to the Backland 107. I haven't skied either. It seems the new market is for a ~105mm, ~1600g do-it-all backcountry ski. I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted). I feel like <1600g would get thrown around too much at a resort.

    Backland 107 is softer. It’s a soft snow only ski. It’s a ton of fun in perfect fluffy snow and skittish and unpredictable in anything else. I haven’t skied the 105 yet but hand flex is more substantial, shape is more all mountain.

    The 50/50 ski you want for that is the Black Crows Corvus Freebird.

  23. #48
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    Feb 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    But I haven't had it out in variable mank where the ski gets tossed around. Very preliminary the ZG105 and Backland 107 are comparable which is to say very capable with massive range of useability.

    But in "variable mank where the ski gets tossed around" the Backland 107 suffered. I haven't had the ZG105 out in that yet. But they're both pretty light skis and I wouldn't expect either to shine in that stuff.
    This was to auvgeek - I still don't think either the Backland or ZG105 are good "variable mank" skis because they're both approx 1500g and get tossed around. But the ZG105 gets tossed around less. This on a couple of exit runs into end-of-day resort cut up pow into fast variable inbound runs. By then I'm tired and the legs aren't absorbing as well as one would like. The skis don't really lend a whole lot of help; which I feel is the nature of a light ski

    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    That tip rocker profile is looking like just the right tradeoff. I hated dealing with them on the old ZG108 and the only reason I sold them, though I understood the design choice. How are you feeling about supposed the shape refinement?
    ZG108 in deep snow required a fair amount of body English; ie old-school dolphin or up/down bouncing. Same was true of ZG95 also by the way. The ZG105 releases quicker and I can ski quieter through deep snow

    Quote Originally Posted by thejongiest View Post
    I'm curious how the ZG105 compares to the Backland 107. I haven't skied either. It seems the new market is for a ~105mm, ~1600g do-it-all backcountry ski. I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted). I feel like <1600g would get thrown around too much at a resort.
    Quote Originally Posted by nomad_games View Post
    Backland 107 is softer. It’s a soft snow only ski. It’s a ton of fun in perfect fluffy snow and skittish and unpredictable in anything else. I haven’t skied the 105 yet but hand flex is more substantial, shape is more all mountain.
    Thejongiest. I've just skied the Backland 107 and then the Blizzard 105 back to back on powder days touring and would have to agree. I had the Backland out for the day of a 25cms dump when things were still soft and it was an absolute blast. At the end of the day coming back to the resort when things were a bit chopped up the Backland does get bucked around.

    Took the Blizzard out in the next two subsequent days. Also powder days but now the wind has put a bit of windskin and even windslab at alpine ridgelines so there's more variability. That's where the ZG 105 is coming into its own as it's comfort range is so alarmingly large. One example - dropping into a SE 40 deg face where there's a bit of a crust at the top requiring jump turns to unweight and displace crust to link the turns. Midway in the face I can ski without the Scott Schmidt by driving the tips and powering through the thin windskin. Then lower in the face the snow turns blower and I see a small windfeature off to the side in untouched fields of unicorn tears fairy dust pow. Aim at it and stuff the tips first then break the tails loose getting sideways and trying my best (but of course failing) to be as steezy as big-mountain snowboarders. But the ZG105 felt stable yet playful and totally under control.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  24. #49
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    Dec 2009
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    So wait I may be an idiot or a bit lost. Is this chat about the 19/20 skis? Like if I buy a zero g 95 now is it the same as last years and I need to wait for the improvements? Thread is just labeled new for 2019 but is that end of 2019?

  25. #50
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    Nov 2017
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    70
    There will be limited quantities of the new 19/20 skis available through certain retailers starting in February.

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