Why Do I Like These Cheap, Old Megawatts So Much?

[mattig]

Sorry, long post, but skip to the meat at the bottom if you've been on 2010-2013 Megawatts and late models BGs...

Calling on the collective wisdom to help me learn a bit more about my preferences. I realize they're "my" preferences, but many maggots have spent much more time on many more skis than me. I finally have enough A/B time on a few popular skis to provide relevant variables.

me:

• 39yo, 6'00, 220lb, big upper body, short legs
• can ski anywhere inbounds, but not a big sender.
• Like driving tips more than neutral stance.
• Ski 95% Mt. Hood, OR
• Haven't been on many skis since getting back in the groove 5 or 6 years ago and can't usually demo what I want when I want due to schedule restrictions

Skis I hated:

Bibby Pro 190 (the older, more popular layup)

• Couldn't figure this ski out. Bases were true and they were aggressively and progressively detuned as I tried to figure them out. Had lots of luck on soft groomers in a neutral stance, but on wind-scour or dust on crust, they were squirrely again. Biggest issues were tip dive in pow and difficulty controlling/predicting turn shapes in pow. Seemed very sensitive to stance and lean angle in a squirrely and unsettling way.
• If you guys were to tell me that these only really come alive with speed or that the mount is too progressive for a top-heavy dude that doesn't ski switch, I could see that.
• Boots could be a third variable. I'm in Rossi Allspeed 120s (sister boot to Lange RX 120s I think?). I've been wanting to try a stiffer boot.

ON3P Wren 98 (in its defense, I was on a size too small and was +1cm due to previous mount)


Skis I like:

Peacemaker 186

• love it as a slow speed, low tide tree ski or noodling around with the fam. Really easy and intuitive for everything. Jack of all trades, master of none

Gunsmoke 193

• love it if I'm not turning much, but otherwise it's a bit too much to throw around in cascade concrete.
• It didn't seem to love PNW leftovers. Best day I had on them was deep, dry, and arcing bigger turns away from the trees (go figure....)

Skis I love:

MX98

• my favorite 95-105mm ski in a 184, never skied the 194
• Serious, no sense of humor, no early rise, 2 sheets of metal, out-bonafides the bonafide and Monster 98, both skis I like a lot, but that weren't as serious as the Kastle. Also skied (and liked) Brahmas and Mantras in search of this ski.
• Crazy thing is that the tails will release and slarve on command, but absolutely rail and finish turns when on edge.
• Despite being serious, I don't understand why people say they'll punish sloppy form. I don't view my form as the greatest, and they've never given me a scare.
• Once the fresh snow gets over boot deep, my love begins to wane

Dynastar Speedzone 12ti

• for strict groomer duty as needed, but not so focused that I die if I chase my kid through the trees or bumps.

BGs (2017/18 - 189)

• Been waiting a long time to get on these on a pow day. It wasn't quite the instant euphoria TGR led me to expect, but it was sooooo much better than the bibby and 10 times more intuitive.

The Meat:

Most of the reason for writing this was the weekend I just had on the Megawatts, which included a few runs on BGs in the same snow. The MWs blew my mind all weekend. So pivoty. Floppy tips popped the stiffer forebody up and out of snow whether it was blower or tracked out, regardless of my attention to body position. Tapered shovels didn't get deflected by 2pm resort chop. Turn shapes were intuitive and predictable. Moderate camber wasn't noticeable in pow, but pleasantly noticeable on groomers.

When I A/B'd with BGs, I actually preferred the Megawatts by a very small margin, although if I had to pick one of them to be the wide ski in a 2 ski quiver, the BG would be the easy choice (much more daily driver potential 'round here).

Questions:

1. Why aren't megawatts more popular? The reviews I dug up here all had similar feedback (i.e. people really loved this ski). Is this a black diamond (no real marketing? too backcountry focused to catch on at the resort? No consistently well-received line-up over the years?)
2. What does my love for this ski tell you about my preferences? Serious question, because I figure several of you will know me better than I know myself. For instance, I wouldn't be surprised to hear something like: "You like a traditional mount and have put too much stock in what the internet tells you regarding ski size/flex and body weight. You're not a good enough skier to make use of a 190cm+ ski that's relatively stiff throughout. You like this ski because it's the first pow ski you've tried with serious tip rocker and super soft, tapered shovels, but one that retains enough rigidity the rest of the way down the ski to support your fat, sexy ass the way you thought only a 190+ ski could."
3. The big one: what other skis do I need to try, either pow-specific or more versatile 115+ skis?

Thanks in advance for any lightbulbs. Also, WTB your old Megawatts...

[NWFlow]

Sounds like you got it pretty well under control.

[swissiphic]

Not much to add but just a few data points: Livin' in NWBC that is host to a +/- maritime snowpack, the O.G. blue topsheet megawatt was a very popular ski back in the day and a few buddies still bust them out from time to time with smiles.

Talked to a few guys who got sold on the Bibby Pro through the media hype and, like you, didn't find the love. One bigger guy with both the 190 and the 180 found them planky and tip divey and ditched them both. Don't recall 'squirrelly' being mentioned in anyone's reports though but maybe 'cause they didn't ski much dust on crust or hardpan with them.

[toast2266]

I know plenty of people that love(d) the Megawatts. Seems like a great ski.

But they're 125 underfoot. Which means they're kinda pow-day specific, and it sounds like you skied them on a pow day. So not really surprising that you liked them. Making a super fat ski that's fun on a pow day isn't exactly rocket science.

To answer your questions:
1) They're not more popular because most people won't buy a ski that wide since it'll only get used maybe a few days a season.
2) Your love for this ski tells me that you like skiing pow skis on pow days. Lots of skis are fun in good conditions. It's variable and shit conditions where the challenge lies.
3) It seems like you should be looking for comparisons to the Billygoat, not the Megawatt. Sure, the MW was better on a pow day. But the BG is way more versatile, and I suspect that your slight inclination towards the MW would disappear when conditions deteriorate.

4) yes, buy MW's. They should be fairly cheap. It's a quiver ski, so treat it as such. The question isn't MW or BG. The question is MW and [which other ski: BG or some other comparable option).

[swissiphic]

I know plenty of people that love(d) the Megawatts. Seems like a great ski.

But they're 125 underfoot. Which means they're kinda pow-day specific, and it sounds like you skied them on a pow day. So not really surprising that you liked them. Making a super fat ski that's fun on a pow day isn't exactly rocket science.

To answer your questions:
1) They're not more popular because most people won't buy a ski that wide since it'll only get used maybe a few days a season.
2) Your love for this ski tells me that you like skiing pow skis on pow days. Lots of skis are fun in good conditions. It's variable and shit conditions where the challenge lies.
3) It seems like you should be looking for comparisons to the Billygoat, not the Megawatt. Sure, the MW was better on a pow day. But the BG is way more versatile, and I suspect that your slight inclination towards the MW would disappear when conditions deteriorate.

4) yes, buy MW's. They should be fairly cheap. It's a quiver ski, so treat it as such. The question isn't MW or BG. The question is MW and [which other ski: BG or some other comparable option).

Most regulars around here use their 115-148mm planks as daily drivers at Shames Mountain ski resort and for touring. Groomers, chopped up crud, pow...everything goes. There's the odd anomaly weather window where it rains, freezes and the mountain turns into a block of frozen inverted railroad tracks. You see skinnier planks on feet for those odd times and in the spring when it's true freeze/thaw, but 80 percent of the time or more, the big guns are on the feet. My daily drivers are 174cm custom modded k2 darksides with 128mm waists.

[XXX-er]

enough snow to drag (literaly) out the Gigawatts last saturday, 163-135-141mm they only come out if there is > 25 cms new once or twice a season and I can ride the lift cuz they weigh a ton so I don't wana have to walk or even side step anywhere, probably why they were only 300$ new cuz there is not really much call for a quiver ski this fat, I find 120 under foot to be the max I will normally use

In the pow the Gigawatt is just like riding an elevator, as the snow gets skied out the technique is to butter the backs of whatever you are skiing over

I never skied the MW's but if you like them ... ski them

[mattig]

I know plenty of people that love(d) the Megawatts. Seems like a great ski.

But they're 125 underfoot. Which means they're kinda pow-day specific, and it sounds like you skied them on a pow day. So not really surprising that you liked them. Making a super fat ski that's fun on a pow day isn't exactly rocket science.

To answer your questions:
1) They're not more popular because most people won't buy a ski that wide since it'll only get used maybe a few days a season.
2) Your love for this ski tells me that you like skiing pow skis on pow days. Lots of skis are fun in good conditions. It's variable and shit conditions where the challenge lies.
3) It seems like you should be looking for comparisons to the Billygoat, not the Megawatt. Sure, the MW was better on a pow day. But the BG is way more versatile, and I suspect that your slight inclination towards the MW would disappear when conditions deteriorate.

4) yes, buy MW's. They should be fairly cheap. It's a quiver ski, so treat it as such. The question isn't MW or BG. The question is MW and [which other ski: BG or some other comparable option).

RE "3)" above, I swear I said almost exactly the same thing. Sorry if it wasn't clearer.

RE 2) Pow is fun, yes. But it wasn't nearly as fun on Gunsmokes and it was downright depressing on Bibbys. I realize those aren't true pow skis, but I wouldn't expect them to be LESS fun in pow, and that was arguably the case for the Gunsmokes and absolutely the case for the Bibbys. MWs were also far better (to me) in variable, to whatever extent Mt. Hood on a Sunday afternoon is variable, but maybe I'm confusing variable with "tracked out, bumpy, etc." I wouldn't want to ski anything bulletproof on them, obviously, but they felt more versatile than conventional wisdom would suggest. I've heard the same thing about Protests.

[toast2266]

Most regulars around here use their 115-148mm planks as daily drivers at Shames Mountain ski resort and for touring. Groomers, chopped up crud, pow...everything goes. There's the odd anomaly weather window where it rains, freezes and the mountain turns into a block of frozen inverted railroad tracks. You see skinnier planks on feet for those odd times and in the spring when it's true freeze/thaw, but 80 percent of the time or more, the big guns are on the feet. My daily drivers are 174cm custom modded k2 darksides with 128mm waists.

Sure - there are ski areas where a super fat ski works as a daily driver. But those places are the exception. I could be mistaken, but I don't believe Mt. Hood is one of those exceptions.

More to the point, when I've owned super fats, I'll usually ski them ~5 days / year, and they're a blast. But much more often, I opt for something that's ~115mm underfoot that's more versatile and more fun in the second half of the day when things are pretty chopped up.

[mattig]

I think the squirrely thing is a result of me not being able to figure out a happy stance on them and making constant mid-turn adjustments. Even so, there were times, mid-turn, where I'd increase pressure on the downhill ski or lean into the liner a bit deeper and they'd sort of wiggle back and forth like they were starting to listen to the increased pressure, but suddenly had second thoughts (sounds like a tune issue, but they were definitely at 1/1. Maybe I detuned the contact points too much, idk). Concur on planky and tip divey. Good to hear about the love. The O.G. blue ones are what I got.

[TeleBeaver]

I recently had a similar Megawatt epiphany. Found a pair of blue 188s with inserts for 22D telemark at the consignment shop for 85 bucks. Figured it was worth a shot. First day was an 11 inch day of heavier snow at snowbird and I was blown away. I was turning faster in the trees than I ever had before. My previous fattest ski was a salomon q115, and they have been great and fun in powder (realizing the front end is a little too soft and the tail rocker is too small for my style now), but they don't turn nearly as quickly as the MW, especially in that heavier snow. The tips were definitely soft for riding the high speed runouts at the bottom of the cirque, especially once that heavy snow got bumped up, but in anything untracked I felt like superman. I got them out again on a 12+ inch day of blower snow at Alta (this was the presidents day weekend storm cycle). In the dry snow they were still super surfy and fun but it was a less noticable difference than in the denser, wet snow. Those megawatts will be remaining in the quiver for sure. Even if its only once or twice a year, they will be nice to have.

[mattig]

" more fun in the second half of the day when things are pretty chopped up."

Yep, this was the most fun I've had in those conditions all year, which is surprising.

And maybe this is unrealistic, but I expect a 115+ ski to be pretty damn great in pow.

[toast2266]

RE "3)" above, I swear I said almost exactly the same thing. Sorry if it wasn't clearer.

RE 2) Pow is fun, yes. But it wasn't nearly as fun on Gunsmokes and it was downright depressing on Bibbys. I realize those aren't true pow skis, but I wouldn't expect them to be LESS fun in pow, and that was arguably the case for the Gunsmokes and absolutely the case for the Bibbys. MWs were also far better (to me) in variable, to whatever extent Mt. Hood on a Sunday afternoon is variable, but maybe I'm confusing variable with "tracked out, bumpy, etc." I wouldn't want to ski anything bulletproof on them, obviously, but they felt more versatile than conventional wisdom would suggest. I've heard the same thing about Protests.

For ~115 waisted ski, there's tons of good options. Personally, I think the Bibby might be my favorite ski of all time and everything you've said is pretty much the exact opposite of my take on them, so ymmv. But regardless, both the BG and the Megawatt seem to fall on the chargier end of the spectrum, so it seems like you should be trying to demo some other fat-ish options with longer sidecuts and somewhat stiffer flex patterns. Maybe a Dynastar Proto? Head Kore 117? Or just get BG's since you already know you like them.

[mattig]

I recently had a similar Megawatt epiphany. Found a pair of blue 188s with inserts for 22D telemark at the consignment shop for 85 bucks. Figured it was worth a shot. First day was an 11 inch day of heavier snow at snowbird and I was blown away. I was turning faster in the trees than I ever had before. My previous fattest ski was a salomon q115, and they have been great and fun in powder (realizing the front end is a little too soft and the tail rocker is too small for my style now), but they don't turn nearly as quickly as the MW, especially in that heavier snow. The tips were definitely soft for riding the high speed runouts at the bottom of the cirque, especially once that heavy snow got bumped up, but in anything untracked I felt like superman. I got them out again on a 12+ inch day of blower snow at Alta (this was the presidents day weekend storm cycle). In the dry snow they were still super surfy and fun but it was a less noticable difference than in the denser, wet snow. Those megawatts will be remaining in the quiver for sure. Even if its only once or twice a year, they will be nice to have.

This is the land of dense, wet snow, and even though it was uncharacteristically dry this past weekend, it was probably only a B- on a Utah grading scale. All that to say, if you noticed an advantage in wetter snow, that would jive with me liking them so much.

[mattig]

For ~115 waisted ski, there's tons of good options. Personally, I think the Bibby might be my favorite ski of all time and everything you've said is pretty much the exact opposite of my take on them, so ymmv. But regardless, both the BG and the Megawatt seem to fall on the chargier end of the spectrum, so it seems like you should be trying to demo some other fat-ish options with longer sidecuts and somewhat stiffer flex patterns. Maybe a Dynastar Proto? Head Kore 117? Or just get BG's since you already know you like them.

Yeah, I really want to try to Protos too. Missed the window at BBI.

And yeah, the fact that some people love the Bibbys so much makes me second-guess my assessment and wonder if there is some other variable I'm not appreciating. I'll try to get on a confirmed beloved pair some day and re-assess.

[XXX-er]

I recently had a similar Megawatt epiphany. Found a pair of blue 188s with inserts for 22D telemark at the consignment shop for 85 bucks. Figured it was worth a shot.

even if its only once or twice a year they will be nice to have.

this ^^

I bought my super fats new but cheap and immediately ran into a couple years with no big dumps, didnt even ski them for 2 years, I thot about selling them cuz i'm tying up a binding but figured Superfats probably aren't worth SFA so i'm just gona hang on to them for the few days a year that weather permits dragging them out, I'm using them a bit more BUT one takaway from this thread might be buy yer supa-a fats cheap/used cuz they usually don't have too many scratches



my old tennant loves his Bibby pro's, I havent tried them but they looks like a charging ski

[TeleBeaver]

This is the land of dense, wet snow, and even though it was uncharacteristically dry this past weekend, it was probably only a B- on a Utah grading scale. All that to say, if you noticed an advantage in wetter snow, that would jive with me liking them so much.

Yeah it was probably the best inbounds powder I have ever skied on Saturday of presidents day weekend at Alta. One of the best ski days of my life, caught a few rope drops and had more faceshots those few runs then I have had all season back here in CB. But I think I would have easily had equally as much fun on my salomons, even though they are 10mm narrower and have camber. I didn't even really think about the skis I was on until I hit a groomer and remembered I was on fatass drift-mobiles.

That Thursday at the bird however, was absolutley mindblowing, and it was DEFINITELY the skis. Slarvy and chargy. Such a stable platform to romp around on, but also incredibly forgiving if you get a little loose. Its like I could make any turn shape at any speed.

[whyturn]

I had the old blue 188 MW and found it to be a lot of fun. Really it’s was do I need pontoon and these. But if I found some I think I could justify em now
They are stupid easy but mid 40’s radius and small brand (tour special) make them not as well known. Tele folks love them. Yah they are a great big day ski and just let em run.

[adrenalated]

The O.G. blue ones are what I got.

Just a small point, the OG Megawatt was white and they made them for like 1 or 2 years. Then came the blue ones, which were the same shape but stiffened up a non-trivial amount in the tip. It made them quite a bit better in chop than the white ones, but still a very soft snow specific shape. They were (and are) good skis in the right kind of snow.

I ski wide skis (Protests) all the time in the backcountry, but never in the resort. Like others have said something like the Billy Goat is far more versatile for resort pow days unless you live somewhere that you can actually ski untracked all day.

[auvgeek]

I think your quote from point 2 was pretty spot on. I don’t need to tell you something you already know. I haven’t skied the MW, but I bet you like skis that are: tapered (widest point substantially inset from the tip/tail), straight (long turn radius), traditional mount, pintailed (tail is narrow relative to the tip/waist), deep-ish shovel rocker with minimal-moderate tail rocker, and relatively soft in the tip without any big hinge points in the flex. This type of pow ski was very common in the early 2010s. Pow skis used to be basically (in order of pow specific): reverse/reverse, pintailed, or 5-point. Now, most iterations of all of these designs have been flushed out and lots of lines blurred. The BG, for example, is part pintail, part R/R (boot forward), and part 5-point. The bottom line is it’s pretty easy to ski pow on a wide ski with rocker and so designers have shifted their focus from pure pow to how much versatility can we get without sacrificing much pow performance. Again, see your BG.

Other skis from the early 2010s in the “pintail” vein that you might try are Lhasa Pow, 191 Lhasa Fat, 192 Atomic Atlas (I think), and Lotus 120 (arguable the quintessential pintail). Maybe Pon2oon, if it’s not too soft.

Not that this necessarily applies to you, but one issue I read here a lot is people are trying to make a pure pow ski more versatile without losing pow performance by making in narrower. The problem is, it just doesn’t really work that way. A 105 waisted megawat won’t ski pow like a MW or hard snow like a MX98. But still, so many theads asking, “what’s a narrower XYZ ski.” So I guess what I’m saying is, keep your groomer zoomer + MX98 for hard snow, maybe a BG or something else like 110 underfoot for packed pow, and then find whatever ultimate pow ski Megawatt or otherwise.

[mattig]

Just a small point, the OG Megawatt was white and they made them for like 1 or 2 years. Then came the blue ones, which were the same shape but stiffened up a non-trivial amount in the tip.

Gah, that's right, I remember reading about that stiffness upgrade.

{all of it}

So much great info/feedback. Thank you!

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[jackattack]

Great skis!

I love and still have a pair of old blues in the garage. They are pretty beat at this point, being my primary pow boards for 6 or so seasons and they have 4.5 mounts (2 tele). I traded in a pair of Karhu (Line) Team 130's for these and goddamn was that an improvement. Super reliable, damp, plenty of pop, a supportive but not over-demanding tail, basically a GS ski with that big floppy tip that is IMPOSSIBLE to sink. I found the tails to get a little grabby in maritime pow and anything that had a crust on it, so I moved on to the magic of RES. The sheet(s) of metal in them helps them manage icy entrances just fine but they're still a blast in 40" of pow! I still bring them with me to UT from time to time. Kind of an old design but they're super fun skis in the champagne of pows and giant fields of crud -- brings back memories of many pow days and powder hoards in mineral basin and road to provo.

I also have a pair of 178's to eventually be used for yard skiing.

[swissiphic]

Just a small point, the OG Megawatt was white and they made them for like 1 or 2 years. Then came the blue ones, which were the same shape but stiffened up a non-trivial amount in the tip. It made them quite a bit better in chop than the white ones, but still a very soft snow specific shape. They were (and are) good skis in the right kind of snow.

Noted...for the archives and posterity.

[klauss]

Nice job Mattig. Megawatt futures are up big in the aftermarket. I also had a good time on your megawatts. nice ski. stiff enough underfoot but not a lot of work and that soft shovel which planes nicely, is like watching a flapping donkey dong through the chop which is always fun.

[iriponsnow]

My wife got me a pair of the original 20 in 2007. I rock em every year. I need to upgrade em to GripWalk.

[mattig]

Nice job Mattig. Megawatt futures are up big in the aftermarket. I also had a good time on your megawatts. nice ski. stiff enough underfoot but not a lot of work and that soft shovel which planes nicely, is like watching a flapping donkey dong through the chop which is always fun.

Yes and it's much more sanitary than the genuine donkey dong I'd been attaching to my other skis.

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