Down Skis - 2014-15 / 2015-16 - mini review

[dschane]

Up for quick reviews are 3 Down skis. I put together a group buy this past summer and these guys were great and generous, make impressively crafted carbon skis, and contribute here, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on what I have ridden. They also sent me a pair of CD 107s gratis as “mag” skis, so after putting a few days on them with some friends here, they are now on their way to Leavenworth Skier and are likely to show up at the 16BBI with some demo bindings on them (assuming USPS sniffers don't chow through the bacon flavored duct tape).

Me: 5’9.5” (except when I round up to 5’10”), 190 lb, and my gnarliest of lines wouldn’t qualify me for TGR waterboy. My heels flop up and down -- most days I’m on Switchback X2 and T Race boots. For the 102L’s, it would be TTS and Tx boots. Other skis I’d rave about: Praxis Rx and Freeride, Voile Charger.

1. Down YW8 102 (I have last year’s version, Countdown 102L).
179 cm.
120-102-107, 41m radius,
Listed at 2800 g (and came in slightly under that).
Long gradual rocker at the tips, 2 mm of camber, nearly flat tail.
Mounted at recommended point -11.
Days skied: 15-20 covering hero powder, spring corn, icy hardpack, and crud.

In my view, for skis hovering around 6 lb for the pair, this is the best of its class, which can be challenging in heavy snow and crud conditions. But the YW8’s large turn radius and relative stiffness allow you to hold course pretty damn well. The lightness and rocker make them a walk in the park on the way up, very easy to turn, and sufficient floatation in powder. They provide decent edge hold but are definitely not resort skis.

2. Countdown 107.
183 cm.
127-107-121, 25m radius
Listed at 3700 g (and also came in slightly under that)
Long gradual rocker at the tips, 2 mm of camber, nearly flat tail.
Mounted at -11 (or -1 behind recommended mount)
Days skied: 2 covering hardpack and crud.

This is a solid and predictable all around ski. I was pleasantly surprised by its solid edge hold on icy hardpack – coming down some steepish icy trails, they hopped edge-to-edge as good as I can make any ski go. Good flotation and crud busting ability. Not going to be the biggest crusher in light of its size and weight, but its tip rocker and stiffness make it more than adequate for the task. Not much else to say other than reiterate the 107 is a dependable all-winter touring ski and/or all-mountain ski, i.e., it can do a little bit of everything pretty well but doesn’t aim to excel in one particular condition.

3. Showdown 115. (2015 version, non-metal).
190 cm
135-115-122, 41m turn radius
Listed at 2100 g (and came is lightly under that)
Long gradual rocker at the tips, zero camber, nearly flat tail.
Mounted at -10 (or -1 behind recommended mount)
Days skied: 1 when there was shitty visibility, and heavy mashed potatoes. Stuck to the trees to have some line of sight and brought them on some groomer runs for good measure.

Time to lobby the fellows at Down – this is my dream ski for winter touring/skiing, but I admit at 190 cm, I’m not man enough to take them out every day. 185 cm would be perfect! These skis handle the tough ski conditions as good as any ski at their weight. Pretty stiff, nice flat tails, and long gradual rocker – they float very well, provide a stable platform to ride on, and they consistently plowed over/through the wet snow and crud last weekend. And I was quite impressed at their responsiveness and ability to make quick turns. Now how about that 185?!

[PNWbrit]

I'm liking my 114s. Took a while to get used to non dynafit ramp angle of ions on them and they are perhaps a little longer for me at 189 than I'm used to, too. My local ski store also commented they were better made, prepped than CD6S I bought a few years back.... thanks again for arranging the group buy.

[TAFKALVS]

I'm planning on picking up a pair of marker jester demo bindings for the skis, anybody got a pair they'd donate cheap to the cause? I will bring the skis to BBI16 for sure.

[John_B]

Thanks for the review. The YW8s/102Ls are really starting to call my name. Wish I could make it to 16 BBI.

[brown9]

Up for quick reviews are 3 Down skis. I put together a group buy this past summer and these guys were great and generous, make impressively crafted carbon skis, and contribute here, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on what I have ridden. They also sent me a pair of CD 107s gratis as “mag” skis, so after putting a few days on them with some friends here, they are now on their way to Leavenworth Skier and are likely to show up at the 16BBI with some demo bindings on them (assuming USPS sniffers don't chow through the bacon flavored duct tape).

Me: 5’9.5” (except when I round up to 5’10”), 190 lb, and my gnarliest of lines wouldn’t qualify me for TGR waterboy. My heels flop up and down -- most days I’m on Switchback X2 and T Race boots. For the 102L’s, it would be TTS and Tx boots. Other skis I’d rave about: Praxis Rx and Freeride, Voile Charger.

1. Down YW8 102 (I have last year’s version, Countdown 102L).
179 cm.
120-102-107, 41m radius,
Listed at 2800 g (and came in slightly under that).
Long gradual rocker at the tips, 2 mm of camber, nearly flat tail.
Mounted at recommended point -11.
Days skied: 15-20 covering hero powder, spring corn, icy hardpack, and crud.

In my view, for skis hovering around 6 lb for the pair, this is the best of its class, which can be challenging in heavy snow and crud conditions. But the YW8’s large turn radius and relative stiffness allow you to hold course pretty damn well. The lightness and rocker make them a walk in the park on the way up, very easy to turn, and sufficient floatation in powder. They provide decent edge hold but are definitely not resort skis.

Any way you could post additional photos of the rocker profile of the YW8's?

[dschane]

Any way you could post additional photos of the rocker profile of the YW8's?

Sure, I'll get that done tonight.

[North]

For anybody interested in getting on a pair of CD102 (the standard layup from 2014/15), I'll likely post my 1x mounted 5x skied pair in Gear Swap soon...

[dschane]

As requested, some profile/rocker pics of the CD 102L (YW8 102 at 179 cm) (and note that the two pictures of the tip rocker with the ski on the table are simply the product of a slightly different angle) (and, yes, I've got my kids's crappy artwork proudly posted everywhere):

[hoarhey]

I'm planning on picking up a pair of marker jester demo bindings for the skis, anybody got a pair they'd donate cheap to the cause? I will bring the skis to BBI16 for sure.

pm transmission pending

[TAFKALVS]

I just got the 107s. Where should I mount the demo bindings? Obviously demo bindings allow some movement fore and aft, but what's the sweet spot to start at? Topsheet has 0 to -10 marked.

[dschane]

Tough question. Since they're in your hands, you should be a tad selfish here and go with your boot. The other approach: using Google, I see the average foot size for a man is a U.S. 9. I'd give that the Pinnocchio TGR bump and size up to a 10, or roughly a BSL of 315. And put that on the -10 mark (which is the recommended line for the 107).

[TAFKALVS]

Okay cool. My BSL is actually 316 so I'm the perfect candidate for mounting them. My main question was the mount point. If -10 is recommended, that's where I'll go. (My gut was -10 but I like traditionally mounted skis best so I wanted to make sure my personal bias wasn't clouding my judgement.)

They look like sweet skis! Bindings should arrived today so hopefully I'll be able to ski them a couple days this weekend.

[GrantN]

Since this is the down thread, check out their website. They have some sweet softgoods available now for pretty good prices... even if you're Canadian.

[GrantN]

Can someone upload a picture of the throwdown 110 sideprofile? I want to see what it looks like in a photo & not their website...can't find any real reviews or info anywhere. Thanks in advance

[SiSt]

Can someone upload a picture of the throwdown 110 sideprofile? I want to see what it looks like in a photo & not their website...can't find any real reviews or info anywhere. Thanks in advance

Don't have a pair available for a shot, but I'll ask some on the team to snap a few pics.

[SiSt]

Here's the shot of the TD 110.

[GrantN]

Here's the shot of the TD 110.

Thanks, you guys are awesome!

[SiSt]

Thanks, you guys are awesome!

Thanks! Working on further improving our customer involvement for 16/17. Hope we can shed some light on that very soon!

[dschane]

this is my dream ski for winter touring/skiing, but I admit at 190 cm, I’m not man enough to take them out every day.

I now have a couple more days on the non-metal Showdown 115s and should revise this statement. They are quite snappy and handle smoothly, so for someone who prefers skis in the 183-185 cm range, the 115s ski shorter than 190 cm. And IMHO, the 115's rocker, large turn radius, and modest size shovel create a stable, fun ride, but the skis can also be turned quickly in tight situations. At 9.25 lb, they are at the upper end of what I'd tour with (generally preferring 8-8.5 lb for winter and sub 7 lb for spring/summer). And I'd leave them at home for hardpack days.

[TAFKALVS]

So far been lukewarm on the 107s. I need to detune the edges.

[2FUNKY]

So far been lukewarm on the 107s. I need to detune the edges.

Oh yeah, wtf happened to the demo pair at BBI16? I was hoping to get on em. You talked to me about the 127cham, but not these. Bummed.

[TAFKALVS]

Oh yeah, wtf happened to the demo pair at BBI16? I was hoping to get on em. You talked to me about the 127cham, but not these. Bummed.

No one asked, and never seemed like the right time. They just banged around in my roof box all weekend.

Trust me when I say that the conditions on the lower mountain would not be a fair test for the skis... the carbon in them makes them really... uhhh... twitchy? not damp..

To be completely honest, I've been not very stoked on the skis... but by saying that I'm sure I'm now going to have the down skis lynch mob come after me, uh oh.

[2FUNKY]

Whale shit, I would have spun a couple on 2 on them, ahh well.

[TAFKALVS]

Whale shit, I would have spun a couple on 2 on them, ahh well.

You didn't ever ask either...

[2FUNKY]

You didn't ever ask either...

My mind wasn't in the game, nahmean!