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Thread: Heritage Lab Swallowtails (R, FR, & BC)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    236

    Heritage Lab Swallowtails (R, FR, & BC)

    So these skis have been in the making for over a year. I’m a huge fan of the volkl sanouk. It is a polarizing ski, you either love it or you hate it. The sanouk is a 193cm flat camber ski with a swallowtail, that is relatively soft flexing. In untracked powder, it is arguably unmatched. The soft flex decambers and the ski becomes reverse camber. The mount point is a crazy -14 or something like that, so combined with the long tip, you can drive the ski at ridiculous speed, without ever having to worry about tip dive. However, this only works in soft snow, whenever it gets cut up the sanouk suffers and tosses the occupant around.
    enter the HL swallowtail
    Marshal was convinced that beefing the width and flex, while making a smaller cutout in the tail would make a more versatile platform but still retain the pow slayer qualities of the sanouk(or the tabla rasa)
    im a big believer of the low, long rocker for this ski in particular.
    I ski SW CO mostly, light dry pow
    I do see the benefits of having the FR profile for skiing PNWet.
    it is extremely stable in a 187cm( I am 6’ 1” 200lbs) it is 2500g a ski!
    I ski fast, have been a snowcat operator for 20 years
    these skis are so damp, so composed it is like a cheat code for the mountain. I can’t find the speed limit on them.
    the construction is top notch, the swallowtail tail bar is next level sturdy, These skis will last a long time.
    this thread is for owners of the swallowtails to chime in with their thoughts.
    Last edited by Upinsmoke; 03-26-2024 at 10:25 AM.

  2. #2
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    Oct 2018
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    SW CO
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    Click image for larger version. 

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    1,695
    Thank you so much for the thought partnership in pulling this together man! And thank to you and Mc_Roon for helping with skis for me to do some science on. Really stoked at how they turned out, and can’t wait for folks to share their experiences.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Yonder
    Posts
    22,385
    As a longtime fanboi of DPS 120 200cm I’m intrigued by this ski.
    Cool thread. Thx OP.

    Curious what Marshall has to say about how the full reverse changes this iconic shape.

    Not so concerned about the swallow. It may have some effect in pow. But blindfolded could you feel it? Meh.
    My question is more about rocker profiles.
    Kill all the telemarkers
    But they’ll put us in jail if we kill all the telemarkers
    Telemarketers! Kill the telemarketers!
    Oh we can do that. We don’t even need a reason

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else
    Posts
    5,776
    I never skied the sanouk but I'm pretty sure I want this modern version.

    In my head I'd like the FR rocker for a powder ski, whereas I ordered the R profile in the 110.

    But I will pay attention to this thread to get other perspectives before I commit.

    Sent from my SM-A536W using Tapatalk
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    919
    Quote Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
    So these skis have been in the making for over a year. I’m a huge fan of the volkl sanouk. It is a polarizing ski, you either love it or you hate it. The sanouk is a 193cm flat camber ski with a swallowtail, that is relatively soft flexing. In untracked powder, it is arguably unmatched. The soft flex decambers and the ski becomes reverse camber. The mount point is a crazy -14 or something like that, so combined with the long tip, you can drive the ski at ridiculous speed, without ever having to worry about tip dive. However, this only works in soft snow, whenever it gets cut up the sanouk suffers and tosses the occupant around.
    enter the HL swallowtail
    Marshal was convinced that beefing the width and flex, while making a smaller cutout in the tail would make a more versatile platform but still retain the pow slayer qualities of the sanouk(or the tabla rasa)
    im a big believer of the low, long rocker for this ski in particular.
    it is extremely stable in a 187cm( I am 6’ 1” 200lbs)
    I ski fast, have been a snowcat operator for 20 years
    these skis are so damp, so composed it is like a cheat code for the mountain. I can’t find the speed limit on them.
    the construction is top notch, the swallowtail tail bar is next level sturdy, These skis will last a long time.
    this thread is for owners of the swallowtails to chime in with their thoughts. (This is my first attempt at a tgr thread, pls be kind, I’m dyslexic and just getting out of my shell to post this was big league for me lol)
    Good shit man! I agree with all you said about the R120. It really does feel like cheating.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    idaho panhandle!
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    Most excellent, upinsmoke!!


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  8. #8
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    Dec 2007
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    monument
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    7,395
    Quote Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
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    Sweet!
    Senders look sick with that topsheet.
    A binder choice that I hadn't considered.

    Looks like you have the R rocket profile?
    Me too.

    Your words please me.
    I've out in time on the R87, R110, & FL105 and they are all stunningly good.

    Will mount mine and report when I get back home from the first leg of my Powder Pilgrimage.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
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    919
    Quote Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Regretting not putting senders on mine. Those look awesome.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    577
    Upinsmoke, we’re different versions of the Sanouk made with varying camber? I only ask because I think mine have quite a bit…


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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    2,459
    Quote Originally Posted by K1mJ0ngTr1ll View Post
    Regretting not putting senders on mine. Those look awesome.
    then just replace the painted parts of the toes and the dildo from what you have on now to the senders - you do not need to dismount the bindings to do that

    Man - HL is just killing it with the new designs. That the graphics are getting to be awesome as well is an added bonus

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    236
    Quote Originally Posted by pfluffenmeister View Post
    Sweet!
    Senders look sick with that topsheet.
    A binder choice that I hadn't considered.

    Looks like you have the R rocket profile?
    Me too.

    Your words please me.
    I've out in time on the R87, R110, & FL105 and they are all stunningly good.

    Will mount mine and report when I get back home from the first leg of my Powder Pilgrimage.

    Pluff, yes this is the R profile
    Click image for larger version. 

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    fr110 on right and R120 on left

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    236
    To my knowledge the Sanouk was made for 4 years.Dimensions: 130-110-120
    the first year was the blue Buddha(of which maybe 200 were made, of that maybe 50 came to N America. 2003/2004
    the black samurai came next, 2004/2005
    Then there was 2 years of the woodgrain(fake wood top sheet)
    all of these were made the same flex/profile. They did come from the factory with a mm or 2 of camber, but as they were skied it quickly disappeared over time. I have a pair of the woodgrain still in use(have probably 100 ski days on them) and they are completely flat camber now. Hopefully this helps!
    Last edited by Upinsmoke; 02-10-2024 at 07:33 AM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
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    919
    FR and R 120.

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  15. #15
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    Oct 2018
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    SW CO
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    Thanks for posting those, For some reason my pics keep posting sideways. Ugh

  16. #16
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    Dec 2019
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    Quote Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
    Thanks for posting those, For some reason my pics keep posting sideways. Ugh
    I think if you narrow the image it will flip. I just use the app and hit optimized.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    412
    Quote Originally Posted by Upinsmoke View Post
    the first year was the blue Buddha(of which maybe 200 were made
    I still own a pair in fine working condition. Fantastic skis.
    Didn't know the bit aboot 200pairs. Explains why I never saw anyone else with the blue ones.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    close enough
    Posts
    1,418
    Picked up the FR ST120 186 and mounted with CAST. I’m in love with this ski, after 4 days skiing everything but pow, I can say they are everything I want in a ski in this slot. They are damp, rail cord when tipped, like to pivot, slash and smash and don’t really have any compromising qualities for a 120 ski. I liked them so much after one day I ordered a pair of FR132’s and have plans for more HL’s. One important thing to point out how smile inducing they are plus they are super accessible. It is hard to explain but they have multiple personalities and can transfer from a charger to playful in a flip of a switch.
    Can’t wait for some real snow.
    Home run MO.
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    Harvest the ride.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    yurp
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    2,374
    1st gen, bit knocked about but still going well. FWIW I mounted them a fair bit forward (maybe +2cm, it was a very long time ago and I’m not going to go and look now) and find they are pretty great at stomping through cut up snow, without really impacting pow performance.

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  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    343
    Wow.....that ST120R looks the business... Anyway to get on a pair this season for a couple of runs? Will be skiing in LCC and BCC the 19th-25th...

  21. #21
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    Dec 2009
    Location
    Sun Valley, ID
    Posts
    2,610
    So question.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    236
    I still have a pair of the original blue Buddha that have many, many days of them. They are now wall art. One more piece of sanouk trivia is the duck stance emblem on the ski underfoot. Original owners got a paper template to match the circle underfoot, to aid in mounting. Yes, the ski was originally designed to be mounted duck stance. The circle went from 0-12*. I mounted a pair at 3* to see what it was all about. They ski pure powder so fast and intuitively, and you can land large cliffs/airs really well(think about how humans naturally walk toes out; duck stance. They are not very fun to ski on hardpack duck.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    SW CO
    Posts
    236
    The R120 swallowtail is a weapon! Stand on them and ride the lightning down the mountain. Extremely stable yet easy to make turns. I believe there are only 5 pair of each build(R, FR & BC) until next fall. Marshal can chime in

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    919
    Quote Originally Posted by ASP View Post
    Wow.....that ST120R looks the business... Anyway to get on a pair this season for a couple of runs? Will be skiing in LCC and BCC the 19th-25th...
    What’s your bsl?

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    343
    Quote Originally Posted by K1mJ0ngTr1ll View Post
    What’s your bsl?
    315

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