Yetiman's Fatypus Review Thread

[ill-advised strategy]

There's another review that I know of here:

Jonski's Fatypus Review Thread

Me: 6'3" 240lbs/ OK skier.

The skis: brand-new 180s with 997 drivers (I think this may be significant as I've found that very wide skis can cause a spheric salomon toepiece to wash side-to side as the pressure a wide ski puts on the spheric mechanism is so much more than what they were designed to take without starting their release/elastic travel function. The 997's eliminated this on my spats, so I'm going with 'em for these.) mounted 1 cm back.

I have a healthy skepticism of factory tunes, so I hand flattened these, gave them a 1.5 degree base bevel and a .5 degree side edge.

Location: Alta

Conditions, 3rd day after a decent storm, some wind over the previous days. Theme of the day: "variable crud/crust". I skied bits of all kinds of snow conditions today from areas of exposed refrozen ice from the rain event 10 or so days and some man made hard-hardpack on some groomers to some legit pow. I was mostly skiing an area of wind-affected softish breakable crust.



I don't want to be a broken record, I think Jonski covered the "retardedly fat" angle in his review pretty well. I concur, they're a beefy sumbitch. They attract a lot of attention. If you have these, you'll have to talk about them.

My first impression was that these are so wide that having them on edge at all, like even to skate to the chair or traverse or anything feels pretty weird. There was an abnormal amount of pressure on the inside of my boot tops as I edged the skis. This eventually started to feel normal, but was awkward at first.

I struggled with them for a bit on the traverse to baldy shoulder, finding the width didn't work too well with my noodler stance and it was tough to fit both skis in some ruts. As soon as I found some softer snow along the traverse, actually some 10" or so of soft snow with a breakable windcrust I moved into it cautiously, aware that Jonski noted some tip dive. I got none at all. In fact, once I felt how forcefully these float, I pushed forward and tested the float a bit. I couldn't get the tips to dive, not even close.

I dropped into soft chop, filled in by some wind, again with a breakable crust. This kind of snow usually gives me some trouble with my other (95-105ish waisted) skis. No trouble with the Alottas. As I impacted some of the terrain variations at GS speed I was pleasantly surprised at how these skis simply refused to sink at all. I steered off into some more sheltered areas and actual pow and continued to subtly try to sink them by getting further forward than I should have been. They just trucked through, on the surface, smooth as silk. They have enough stiffness to power through chop, and they felt super-solid at speed.

Back on groomers heading to the lift I was pretty uncomfortable on the first few runs, just getting the feel
of it. They carve, really well, and are stable on edge with really good edge hold and no chatter. I just needed to trust them, and as soon as I started throwing them way out and letting the speed come up, I found that these are a really fun ski to carve.

I had some chance to ski these in bumps. They do OK, but the width really affects what you can do with your stance. Once I'd become comfortable with these skis, I had no problem working them through bumps, in a kind of 2 footed round turn way. It wasn't as bad as I make it sound. It just took an adjustment, much less of an adjustment (for me) than trying to deal with spatulas in the bumps.

I did case a few rocks, not big big hits but they took it well, like a good pow ski should. At my size I've come to expect carnage any time I touch a rock, this time it was just a couple of scratches. It's impossible to say if this is the ski being durable or if I just hit rocks that weren't too sharp.

So, I don't want to like, start an interweb rumble with Jonski or anything, but I give these skis 2 major thumbs up so far. I'm really stoked that I got 'em. I really hope we get some more base soon so I can start skiing these more. I'm putting them up for now-waiting on more snow, but I'll put more into this thread as I ski them more.

Cheers.

[El Chupacabra]

Thanks for the review. What other fat skis do you have/ what other fat skis have you liked, what have you disliked? (Useful info for comparison' sake.)

[ill-advised strategy]

whoops, I meant to include that, thanks:

Last few years I've generally liked softer skis (with some exceptions) with enough sidecut to roll on edge and carve without having to drive the tip real hard.

skis I like(d)
--185 PR's
--190 Big Stix 106
--192 Big Bros (not soft: very stiff)
--189 Seth
--191 Scott P4
notable skis I've liked over the years 195 Lawnchairs, 195 Xscreams, 200 and 190 Hart Outbacks, 200 Atomic 9.20, 188 K2 Axis X,

did not like
--186 Liberty C-Notes (floppy, very unstable, did not carve)
--191 Armada ANTs (felt like I had to skid every turn, bucked me around a lot, way too much camber)
--186 spatula (I had times when I really liked my spats and times when I hated them. For the record, I used to sink my spats and go OTB with them on a regular basis. These Alottas gave a lot, a whole lot more float -they're 5cm wider in the tip - than my spats did and still let me carve. Overall I was thumbs down on the spats.)

[skifishbum]

Dude you are like the best damn OK skier I know.


I think I am a good skier and
"bumps" kick my ass.
Got treckers skins and stiff bros for u anytime you want to go for a hike. or mooch some splitboarders skins and take those fatties. Shit we could probably even find some wasangles bc bumps.
Nice review

[Core Shot]

I generally like soft skis. I have (and really like

185 PR's

Wow. 6'4" and 240lbs and you like PR's?

Since Jonski was going over the bars and you aren't, it may be either 1) he was mounted too far forward? (but sounds like he was on the "line") or 2) your weight was enough to flex the ski to give you more curve and lift (I think Jonski was more like 145lbs)?

are you on the center line?
Interesting reviews, nonetheless.

edit: just noticed you are mounted "1cm back"

[ill-advised strategy]

Wow. 6'4" and 240lbs and you like PR's?

true love. From the very 1st run I took on 'em. I know it's wierd...I think they soothe my inner noodler.

[hose-man]

Funny. I'm 5'10" 200# and a closet PR lover as well. Have both the 175 and 185. They both got retired this year, after 3 years of abuse the 75s are totally flat & scary on the groomed & one of the tails of the 85 is bent.

Replaced them with some 83 Goats & 191 scott P4.

Great review on the Fattypus. It would be fun to have a pair of absurdly wide skis, but skiing near boise doesn't warrent it. Haveing trouble even justifying the P4s at 108 underfoot.

[frorider]

true love. From the very 1st run I took on 'em. I know it's wierd...I think they soothe my inner noodler.

true love can defeat the laws of physics.

at a svelte 195 lbs, i frikken hated the PRs at speed. felt like the tips and tails were flapping in the breeze.

some people really like those skis though.

[jfost]

true love can defeat the laws of physics.

at a svelte 195 lbs, i frikken hated the PRs at speed. felt like the tips and tails were flapping in the breeze.

some people really like those skis though.

you have to be good to properly rock the PR's...

Yeti shattered 1/2 of my hypothesis that they are good only for lightweights... (I love 'em at 5'11" 165#)

BOT, that is an interesting comment on the spheric slop with wide skis. Both times I've blown out of the toe were in a high-angle turn with a lot of tip pressure... and both were on s912s w/ PR's... I NEVER had that issue on my 67mm waist XScreams!!! Could be the softer tip loading up the spheric, or could be the added torque due to ski width as mentioned above...

[Jiehkevarri]

I hate to get all epic here.

But it seems to me that PR's and all the softer skis are fine (torsional rigidity) if you like to be on the egde all the time.

From the Yeti-mans picture I'd say he's more of the "carver"-types compared to some others here that are more straightline/upright stance type (and prefer maybe a bit more "old school" turns in the pow)

Those who prefer stiffer, straighter skis and usually more "traditional" tehnique often also drive the tips very hard (as you have to do w/ long skinny sticks from the past) thus easily overpowering the likes of PR. and then, on the other hand, even heavy weights could be ok on softer skis with more sidecut if using more modern style of just "rolling from egde to edge" and keeping weight in the middle of the ski throughout the turn.

IMVHO this is just a good example how it's all about the personal preferences and/or tehnique&adaption...

[TheDon]

It is good to hear other mag's thoughts on the ride.
I hear BC.com is supposedly gonna have some for sale soon so if anybody has the "bro code" you could save some ca$h.



PS Yeti, see you at Alta today I'll watch for the guy skiing on the retardedly fat boards!

[Spats]

BOT, that is an interesting comment on the spheric slop with wide skis. Both times I've blown out of the toe were in a high-angle turn with a lot of tip pressure... and both were on s912s w/ PR's... I NEVER had that issue on my 67mm waist XScreams!!! Could be the softer tip loading up the spheric, or could be the added torque due to ski width as mentioned above...

It's both. You and BOT are correct.

I've said it before many times: Spheric is a bad design. Basically it makes the binding release more easily when you push down on either or both sides of the AFD. It does this by allowing more vertical slop, which lets the boot twist more easily relative to the ski.

The problem is: setting a hard edge in a turn, especially while pressuring the tip of the ski, pushes down very hard on one side of the AFD. This is exactly when you don't want your binding to release!

What's worse, the fatter the ski, the more pressure edging exerts, and the sloppier the binding will get even if you don't blow out.

Skiing Looks on fat skis is like night and day for me. All my prerelease issues went away after switching to Looks, and I have much more edge control. I can't imagine trying to ski anything like a Spatula on a 912 or 914.

[dookeyXXX]

damn!

i just mounted S912's on some Spats!



to each their own, to each their own.

i keep seeing the Faty at Porter's in Tahoe City and every time it bugs me out how wide those babies are.

[Krash]

I can't imagine trying to ski anything like a Spatula on a 912 or 914.

Just have a Salomon Dealer order you a new set of the AFD's for the '06/'07 914's and it will fit onto most Driver toes that have spheric.

They should only cost you about $15pr and you can "save" any old Soly

Thats what I'm doing with my last pair of spheric 914's

PS: I have some on order if anyone want's/needs drop me a line

[ill-advised strategy]

Skiing Looks on fat skis is like night and day for me.

my Spats were 100% different after I replaced the spheric toe with a 997. Huge difference.

and Jiehkevarri...I can't drive the tips of a stiff ski anymore with my relatively soft boots. IMHO, skiing soft gear is all about balance. I can get with a stiffer ski just standing in the middle of it with my fat (m)ass but it's not a heel-toe thing like I used to do with race skis on hardpack. Sometimes I get bummed missing some of the power of really laying into the tongues of a technica and a stiff ski but then I think of surfers (my heroes) who drive a huge board with their bare feet not even attached. That's been a helpful image for me to get my head straight with softer gear.

That notwithstanding, these Alottas are a relatively soft ski in the big picture but they had enough to carry big speed through variable chop without issue. Stiff enough is what I'd say.

I can't even wait to ski these with some more base and a big wet storm.

[ill-advised strategy]

conditions: 10" or so of lightish on top of 10" or so of heavier density and chop from day before...

OK, so this was the first real legit pow day on these skis. OMG! The feeling on these today was reminiscent of the first time I got off 210's and skied "fat skis" 10 years ago. They felt really short in terms of swing weight, without giving up any stability, really floaty, and I couldn't believe how easy they were to work with. I was able to get up to some pretty high speeds with these and they felt super solid in the pow, and pretty good in the chop. as things got cruddy and we headed for the trees it was actually really nice to be on something so short and wide. They're an absolute fucking gas at high speed on untracked...IMHO that alone makes them worth having.

You may as well have a bright neon one-peice on though, people really notice 'em.

[BushwackerinPA]

Dude your were ripping today. I really want to try those. They for sure have the Aww factor and actual manners to back up the fat looks.

[MTT]

conditions: 10" or so of lightish on top of 10" or so of heavier density and chop from day before...

OK, so this was the first real legit pow day on these skis. OMG! The feeling on these today was reminiscent of the first time I got off 210's and skied "fat skis" 10 years ago. They felt really short in terms of swing weight, without giving up any stability, really floaty, and I couldn't believe how easy they were to work with. I was able to get up to some pretty high speeds with these and they felt super solid in the pow, and pretty good in the chop. as things got cruddy and we headed for the trees it was actually really nice to be on something so short and wide. They're an absolute fucking gas at high speed on untracked...IMHO that alone makes them worth having.

You may as well have a bright neon one-peice on though, people really notice 'em.

What ski were you on today?

Ssomthing other than the Bro's??

[ill-advised strategy]

yeah I skied the big bros yesterday and the fatypus today.

different skis, each stellar in their own way. The fatypus is short-fat-playful where the big bro is just a massive ass hauling truck. I think the big bro is a ski I could ski any day where the fatypus is, for me, a legit-powday ski only. I don't see taking the fatypus out unless there's a foot of new...the big bro... I really wouldn't worry about taking it out ever.

edit: shepherd wong blew doors on me (and everybody) with the big bros today. that was awesome, sw is a man who can actually ski that big bro to it's potential.

[slippy]

Huh, I was hiking with you today up Baldy. I don't remember what you looked like, I was staring at the skis.

For the record, today was hero snow. My BDs have never, ever felt so good....thanks to the snow. Any skis would prolly felt good today.

[yooper]

whoops, I meant to include that, thanks:

I generally like soft skis. I have (and really like

185 PR's

You like those better than skis?

[ggski]

FYI
Another Fatypus Review...
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=75317

[ill-advised strategy]

one more $$$$$ day in on these thangs.

conditions: wonderful stiff creamy wind affected pow

I was accessing tight trees this morning that wouldn't have even been fun on my other skis. With the huge float and the short length I'm having fun with tighter trees and brushy areas and getting more fresh turns playing around with little gullies and "snowboarder lines". Really fun.

These really like a nice round turn shape and I could really feel 'em load up, carve and release.

It may have been hero snow again today, but this ski kills it.

[ridinhigh]

I've had my pair of 180 fat-ypus's for 3 weeks now, been out on them 5 days. first time out was an incredible cat ski day with 24"+ of great pow, one of the better ski days of my life. it is an outstanding feeling to have the biggest skis on the cat rack, even the guides were jealous, and they ski powder unlike anything i've been on (not saying much but..) the rest has been resort and resort-outer area hikes, impressed all the way around, like you said this ski kills it. my other skis are ak-rockets, pre notch. it took a few minutes to get used to the edges being in a different area code, but once you figure out where they are they rally. I dig the monster truck on the topsheet.

It was a great experience buying these, i shopped around and read all the interviews and posts, i almost went with the prophet 130's and i am so glad i didn't. It was humbling to email back and forth and even talk on the phone to the ski company co-owner, they arrived with a hand written note talking about binding mounting and tuning suggestions...I didn't want a ski everyone else had, i wanted a good ski that did a lot of things well, and these are turning out to be great. I'll admit I am all on these ski's nuts, I hope fat-ypus grows and prospers and keeps bringing great planks.

[ill-advised strategy]

as I've skied these more I've come to appreciate how well they do their job. Just a great ski. I also think if they made a 190 with no twin it would probably be the single illest fucking thing ever produced.