Black Diamond Kilowatt
Dimensions:
127/95/116 mm.(185 cm ).....
Lengths: 155, 165, 175, 185 cm.......Weight: 8.4 lbs / 3.8 kg (185c
m )
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September, 2007-- There will always be a place in
any serious telemark and backcountry ski quiver for a great mid-fat,
and BD's wood core Kilowatt pretty much represents the state
of the art, circa 2007. While some grizzled veterans may scoff
at the notion of 95 mm waist skis being classified as mid-fat,
this truly is where we are today, and for some of us at least,
it's been a natural progression. Fifteen years ago our everyday
mid-fat Völkl Snow Rangers had an 80 mm waist, and our fat
boards were 95 mm waist Explosivs. Today, our mid-fats are typically
95 and our fats are 110... We've gained a not so shocking one
centimeter a year. What hasn't changed at all though is this:
mid-fats continue to be the everyday ski of choice for a lot
of us.
The Kilowatts have a buttery
smooth, round, moderate flex (neither particularly soft or stiff)
which felt to us as though it got a little stiffer through the
tail, giving the Kilowatt a satisfying bit of snap at the end
of the turn, but without altering the smooth and very forgiving
ride that was obviously an important design priority. The wood
core gives the Kilowatt a damper feel than BD used to get out
of its older foam core models, smoothing out the ride further
still. An easy turning pair of skis, the Kilowatt comes in four
lengths, all with 95 mm waists, but with the generous sidecut
optimized at the tips and tails for the specific
length.
We skied the Kilowatts,
on and off, through most of last season. They were, of course,
a whole lot of fun in powder. Not the surfy kind of fun of the
way fat boards, instead the fun here is in that sweet sensation
of porpoising up and down while rhythmically turning through
the fluff. It is this kind of powder skiing that mid-fats have
always been all about, and it is here that the Kilowatts truly
shine. They are stable and predictable in powder, with plenty
of energy through the transitions, making them exceptionally
easy turning.
In bounds, the Kilowatts
are very solid performers on groomed runs. Sit back and enjoy
the ride or drive them hard, these boards are surprisingly strong
carvers for skis in this class, making them a ton of fun for
both charging and cruising. They also handle off-piste, cut up
chop quite well too, thanks to their mass and damp flex. The
Kilowatt's hardpack performance is okay by today's mid-fat standards,
though if we skied a lot of hard snow, this probably wouldn't
be our first choice for an everyday ski. Like most 90+ waist
skis, you can make them work on hard snow by feathering the edges
during parts of the turn, but this is more of a technique workaround
than anything else, and hard snow skiers will probably want edges
with more bite than the Kilowatts deliver.
We also spent some time
on the Kilowatts in spring corn. Not surprisingly, they were
excellent. Quick edge to edge with a very powerful and positive
feel on the steeps, the Kilowatts should get a lot of love from
the ski mountaineering crowd, as well as the corn harvesters.
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Conclusion: Versatile, playful and a delight
to ski, the Kilowatts bring to BD's line a very solid performing
mid-fat that would serve equally well as a fine complement to
pair of truly fat boards, or as an everyday ski for many. Up
and comers will love the Kilowatts for being so easy turning
and forgiving, and hard chargers will appreciate them for their
damp ride and ability to absorb shock.
Black Diamond has put a
lot of energy into a ski line that includes ten all new wood
core models for 2007/08. Based on years of experience with their
skis, we feel that in the Kilowatt, all that effort has resulted
in the finest all-mountain skis BD has ever produced. Two tips
way up! |
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www.bdel.com |