Crud Performance
Crud Performance
Displaying 21 - 30 of 73
September 23, 2010
What’s with the oval cutaway in the tip of every Kastle? That’s Hollowtech, and it’s a Kastle hallmark harking all the way back to the ’76 Innsbruck Olympics. A lighter tip vibrates less, so the edge remains engaged, and reduced swing-weight gives it a more nimble feel. At 82 mm, the LX82 lacks some quickness edge-to-edge. That might be a problem in bumps, but it’s a blessing on powder days. And overall this flagship of the new LX line of lighter, softer Kastles offered a smooth and velvety ride that was enjoyable in crud as well as on the groomed. “Nice balance of power and finesse,” said Scholey.
September 23, 2010
Salomon blazed a trail with subtly rockered frontside skis, and the new, refined Enduro is a shining example of the benefits. One of the favorites in the category, it blends hard-snow excellence (vertical sidewalls, metal laminates, grippy construction) with an 84-mm waist and a touch of tip rocker. The result is a supremely smooth and versatile ski that trenches on the groomed but loves soft snow, too. Testers praised its confidence in crud and gave it the No. 1 ranking for Flotation, too. “Versatile in seemingly all conditions,” said Garrett.
September 22, 2010
Some skis are like Meryl Streep, expressive and sensitive to your every thought. This one is like Rambo—out for first blood. Our stronger and/or heavier testers were huge fans, feverish about its wood-core, sandwich/sidewall construction and scoring it highly in Overall Impression—perhaps the most important criterion in the test. Our lighter girls, though, found it a bit bullheaded and ranked it last among winners in Forgiveness. But everyone agreed that when crud comes your way, the Eden will flex all its muscles, if only you have the strength to hang on. “A powerhouse!” said Shultz.
September 22, 2010
One of our testers had “so much $%^&%^* fun” on this ski, her comments were anything but ladylike. A winner in last year’s test, too, the Lady is a floaty, fun, playful and forgiving ride that surfs through powder and sucks up bumps. (Salomon’s early-rise tip is the key in both instances.) With a softer, easier flex that rewards finesse over power, it’s not a hard-snow specialist, but it is beautifully balanced for soft and variable snow. The sweet spot is huge—you can get back on your tails and it gently corrects you—but it’s not a pushover: As Beale, its strongest proponent, put it, “It may be a Lady, but it’s got grit.”
September 22, 2010
Atomic has two winners in this category. The wider-waisted Elysian shined in soft snow; the narrower Seventh Heaven (see No. 10) in hard. A twin-tip with traditional camber—one of the few in the category with no rocker—the Elysian lays its whole edge on the snow, making it supremely stable at speed. Try to rein it in, though, and it will groan and drag, feeling sluggish underfoot. Nothing flashy here; just a simple, solid ski that performs. For Westerners skiing mostly off-piste, it’s a great ski. “Very solid base without feeling heavy or damp,” said Wilde. (Easterners: Look to the right. The Seventh Heaven is a better bet.)
September 22, 2010
We’re still scratching our heads: A tank that plows through crud like this one does shouldn’t be able to effortlessly dice up tight trees, too. The Koa 84 is a standout for striking the perfect balance: a solid powerhouse that’s ridiculously easy to ski. Its hallmark is a glued-to-the-snow feel (it’s No. 1 in Hard-Snow Grip), which lends the driver the assurance to send it into the trees without checking speed. It’s predictable, stable, and has a ripping, racy feel. Its heavier weight is comforting, but it sinks more than most in powder. “A stable ski that rips in all conditions,” said Beale. “I was a charging animal on this ski!”
September 22, 2010
Chris Davenport is a cool dude, being one of the world’s greatest big mountain skiers and all that. So it follows that the ski he inspired, as one tester put it, “RULES!” The FX94—the newest in Kastle’s freeski/mountaineering line—eats up the fall line regardless of what lies beneath: powder, trees, crud, cord, bumps. It’s ravenous for speed and can never get enough. Two sheets of metal sandwich a wood core—the sturdiest in the category. (It’s also the only unisex model; Kastle’s women’s line is in the works.) “Crushed the chop, great float, and could still carve way out from under me,” said Schultz.
September 22, 2010
As the fattest ski in the category, the Spire was at a disadvantage in terms of quickness and hard-snow grip, but it held its own nevertheless. It’s fluid, supple, strong and surprisingly agreeable in bumps. And with that 98-mm waist, no one doubts its powder-day capabilities—especially with its touch of tip rocker. Flotation won’t be a problem. Aside from the rocker and width, it’s the same as the Apex (see No. 13), which testers liked for all-mountain, all-conditions applications. But if you ski lots of powder, the Spire will satisfy. “Easygoing, balanced, round and smooth in longer turns,” said Casey.
September 22, 2010
Line this year introduced the Flite (see No. 10) as a dialed-back, lighter, more forgiving version of the venerable 90. Interestingly, while the 90 is still marketed by Line as the “higher-performing” model, testers found the Flite more to their liking, scoring it slightly higher across the board. Still, hard chargers will love the 90’s hefty, powerful, damp vibe, and the metal-reinforced construction feels especially rugged and durable. Like the Flite, it’s also one of the better values in the test. “Built for the all-mountain ripper: stable, solid and well balanced, though you have to be ready to work a little,” said Scholey.
September 22, 2010
Here’s an interesting design that elicited strong reactions, mostly positive. Salomon bills the Twenty Twelve as a park/freeride hybrid—but if you’re not a park rat, don’t dismiss it yet. Yes, it’s aggressively rockered, tip and tail. Its sidecut carves as well backward as forward. And our test model felt forward-mounted. Yet it surprised us with easy-going, fluid freeriding skills and supreme forgiveness. All that rocker smooths the ride in bumps and harbor chop. It’s nimble and buoyant. And on the groomed, well, you get used to it. All in all, a refreshing eye-opener. “Easy skiing; requires very little effort,” said Gleason.
