Ski Reviews 2005/2006

Karhu Jil Dimensions: 124/90/113. Lengths 157, 166. Weight: (166cm) 7.2 lbs (3266g) by Jenn Gleckman February, 2006-- For lack of a better description, the Jil is a really fun, versatile ski. Like the Betty, it’s got a wood core construction, but doesn’t feel at all heavy for its size. It appears that Karhu has designed this ski to have the snappy, smooth feel of wood, but at a relatively modest weight. The result is a steady riding ski that intermediate and above skiers can readily enjoy in a variety of conditions. The Jils were put through their paces on light fluff, wind-affected powder, wet powder, rain crust, wind buff, groomers, and bumps (i.e. a typical Sierra winter). They were stable on everything – surprisingly so in some of the more questionable conditions. While they really shone in powder (and they were super nimble in the trees), their versatility makes them a serious consideration for a quiver of one. With a very wide sweetspot, the Jils are forgiving in that you don’t need to be a super aggressive skier to enjoy them. The skis were tested with Cobra R8 bindings and Scarpa T1 boots, and did very well on that set up. They’d still be a lot of fun with T2-class boots, as I didn’t feel that they were all that overpowering of a ski. While the Jils didn’t get any time in the backcountry (yet), my sense of it is that they would be a blast. Light yet very stable. They do really well in inconsistent snow, as I noticed when I plowed through consolidated tracks/chunks in the powder with no problem, while other folks I was with had considerably more difficulty. The graphics on the new Jils are cool (almost as groovy as their sisters, the Bettys). They got quite a few compliments on the lifts, once people realized they weren’t Pocket Rockets. While top sheets are never reason alone to buy skis, it is nice to like how your skis look. Conclusion – While it may look like a powder ski, the Jil is very versatile and they shine in a variety of conditions. It’s also more forgiving than many other skis in its class, which should translate into a wide appeal. The wide waisted Jil would be a good "quiver of one" ski for a wide range of skier types who ski in the kind of snow most often found in the western U.S.

G3 Siren Dimensions: 121/88/109. Lengths 157, 166. Weight: (166cm) 7.2 lbs (3266g) by Jenn Gleckman January, 2006-- The Siren is G3’s woman-specific ski. With a wood core, and a 121/88/109 shape, it’s a solid mid-fat ski that gives a snappy ride that requires some commitment. Less aggressive skiers may not find it as fun, but a strong, advanced skier will enjoy the responsiveness. This pair of Sirens got an early season workout on a variety of Sierra snow conditions – wind buff, a few inches of fresh, stiff powder, crud and firm snow. For the most part they handled very well, though they didn’t feel as confident when forced to hang on their edges on icier conditions. Their strength is short turns, and they were a blast on steeps and bumps as a result. The skis felt snappy and not overwhelmingly stiff, but with enough flex in the tail to help through the end of the turn. I really liked that playfulness when taking them through the trees, bumps or other areas where fast reflexes are key. The Sirens were tested with Cobra R8 bindings and Scarpa T1 boots, and did very well on that set up, but it would seem to me that the Sirens could easily be skied with a slightly less beefy boot, such as the T2 or Venus. I get the impression that G3 definitely tried to create a ski that would work well with semi-beefy boots, such as the T2, but wouldn’t be overwhelmed by a beefier boot. While I haven't had the Sirens out on any backcountry tours yet, their weight and fat-but-not-too-phat dimensions seem ideal for all-mountain, touring for turns type backcountry skiing.And while these would no doubt be excellent powder skis for areas with predominantly lighter snow, the Sirens really didn’t seem wide enough underfoot for me to make them my go-to boards after most Sierra storms. Above: the author testing the Sirens in the Mt. Rose chutes. Photo: Mike Pierce Primary differences between this and the Betty (the other mid-fat tested here) were that the Betty didn’t demand as much out of me to ski well. They both are great in similar conditions (short turns, mixed snow), but the Siren felt like it was just a bit stiffer through the tail. Conclusion – The Siren is a good quiver choice as a mid-fat, but it’s definitley not for the timid or meek. Aggressive and good tele skiers will enjoy the Siren’s peppy personality. However, strong, upper intermediates looking to push themselves to the next level will likely find the Siren a good option as well. These are skis that will stick with such skiers, even as they advance into the upper realms of Tele Goddessness.

Karhu Jak BC Dimensions: 124/90/113,..Lengths 165, 172, 179,186 .Weight: 3266g, 7.2 lbs (179 pair) December, 2005-- The 2005/06 Jak BC is a laminated "Macrolite" wood core ski. In this style core, Karhu uses lighter weight poplar to reduce swing weight. For added torsional rigidity the BCs are built with Karhu's "V-Bands." Usually these are formed from Titanal metal sheets, but in the case of the Jak BC, designer Francois Sylvain came up with a special Carbon/Fiberglass laminate which is die cut it into the V-Band/Powerclaw shape. This apparoach gives the skis their neccessary reinforcement and desired stiffness, with very little weight gain. Liberal use of carbon fiber in other areas also adds stiffness and snap, without a significant weight penalty. This year's Jak BC is also a little more svelte than before, going from 127/97/117 down to 124/90/113. When we first heard about Karhu's plans to shrink their Jaks a bit we thought they had gone crazy. The old dimensions had proven to be popular, and we questioned the wisdom of such a move given the fact that tele skiers have been conditioned for years now to associate ever increasing waist width with "progression." Only time will tell if it was a smart move from a marketing standpoint, but from a performance point of view it seems to have been a great decision: the new Jak BC's have lost no noticeable amount of what has always been great float, but they have gained a tremendous amount of quickness edge to edge, as well as dramatically increased overall responsiveness. These new Jak BCs are also quite light for their dimensions, our 179 pair weighed in at just 7.2 lbs, giving them the highest all-mountain performance-to-weight ratio of any skis we have ever tested. This light weight undoubtedly contributes also to the Jak BC's lightening fast quickness. Of course it also makes them much more pleasurable on the uphill than others in their size range. But these fat boards are not too light either, they have enough heft that they don't get tossed around in variable snow, and they remain steady and predictable in a wide range of conditions and terrain. The shorter length original Jaks were known for being quite versatile in going from soft to hard snow... the higher tech construction in combination with the slightly narrower waist of the new Jak BCs takes this wonderful characteristic and improves upon it significantly. Big Tim and I have always scoffed at the notion of a one pair quiver... why would anyone want to have just one pair of skis anyway???... yet these Jak BCs come very close to that mythical ideal. Their lightness is a real advantage for backcountry use, yet they aren't so light that they have trouble in tracked out inbounds snow. Their versatility in hard and soft snow is an advantage everywhere, and yet the Jak BCs have the dimensions of a very solid performing all-mountain powder ski. Their quickness edge to edge and low swing weight makes them very capable performers for ski mountaineering... tele or AT style... despite their wide width (they were a blast on Mt, Shasta last summer where we went from narrow and firm at the top to wide open and mushy in a single run, as is so often the case on big-mountain summit days). Conclusion: In our opinion the Jak BCs are, pound for pound, the finest all around performing pair of skis we've ever tested for backcountry use, yet they are still quite capable of more than holding their own when crossing over into resort skiing. They have the kind of sweet round flex that works great for tele, and a stiff enough tail for aggressive skiing in any style. Another home run for Karhu, the 2005/06 Jak BC is a winner in every way.... Additional note: We don't often spend much time commenting on the appearance of skis we test and review, and we have read many posts on our Forum from members who say they don't pay much attention to a ski's looks either. But the reality is that appearance does matter, a fine ski is still a failure if nobody buys it, (just ask any retailer trying to move this years Atomics!) and we would be remiss if we concluded this review without pointing out what to us is the classic good looks of the Jak BC. The no-nonsense color scheme is complimented by a fine attention to detail, including the see-through "BC" logo which exposes to view the ski's fiberglass cloth and carbon reinforcement. It is an approach similar to that taken by some of the legendary surfboard builders in that sport's classic era. Very cool.

G3 Ticket Dimensions: 120/81/109,..Lengths 174, 182, . Weight: 3.7 kg, 8.2 lbs (182 pair) September, 2005-- The Tickets are wood core skis (poplar) with vertical sidewalls that taper into cap construction near the tips and tails, a design that aims to capture the best of both approaches-- the torsional rigidity of cap construction out at the ends where its needed, and what many veteran skiers feel is the sweet flex of vertical sidewalls. But this is not what makes the Tickets unique, that would be their asymmetrical sidecut. There is a certain logic to asymmetrical sidecut skis: in both tele and parallel turns the inside edge of the downhill ski has a little further distance to travel than the outside edge of the uphill ski. The asymmetrical dimensions of the Tickets are such that the inside edge has a turning radius of 20m, and a turn radius of 19m on the outside edge. G3 ski line developer Paul Parker has said that the effect is to help pull the skier into the turn sooner, adding edge hold and smoothing out transitions. The Tickets have the most sidecut of any ski in the G3 line, at 39mm it is more shapely than just about anything else we've been on lately, and they are also the stiffest model the Vancouver-based company offers in this, their sophomore year selling skis. While by no means a "stiff" ski by traditional alpine standards, the Ticket's extra longitudinal stiffness results in a ski that is not easily over-powered by aggressive turners. This is a ski that can be pushed very hard, in fact that is what the Tickets are very much about: short to medium radius hard charging turns often feel like the skis are on rails, kind of like the roller coaster rails in the topsheet graphics, as a matter of fact. Quick edge to edge and responsive, the Tickets are snappy and have a powerful feel on-piste and off. To get the most out of the skis you'll want to bring your A game, they are definitely not beginner boards. While the asymmetrical sidecut doesn't take long to get used to, and more advanced skiers will be grooving on them right away, novices will likely find the Tickets challenging, and those of us whose attention tends to wander at times will quickly be reminded that this ride needs to be ridden. If you get lazy, particularly in parallel mode, you might find the asymmetrical sidecut can cause the skis to feel, momentarily at least, as though they are going in two different directions. With the slightest unweighting of the inside ski, everything returns to normal, but rookies might have trouble here. We skied the Tickets extensively last season in a variety of conditions. They are strong in crud and mank, do well quite well on hardpack and are insane in corn, windpack and smooth soft groomers. With all that sidecut one might expect the Tickets to shine less in powder, but our experiences on them in the fluff were pretty positive and fun, but of course powder days tend to be that way anyway. On the deepest of days we found ourselves reaching instead for the Reverends or another fattie, but have no doubt others might find this a versatile enough ski to be a quiver of one. Conclusion: The Tickets are a blast to ski. Strong and powerful, they also have an extremely playful personality, go here, go there, get 'em on edge and rail now, okay that was fun, lets go pop off that little pile of snow over there, now point 'em down, when it's time to turn again they'll dig in and hook up confidently. Ski aggressively and often at the area and think only a pair of alpine boards will keep up with you? Think again and give the Tickets a try, we bet you'll be surprised at their ability to hang. These are terrific resort skis and could easily become a strong skiers Ticket to ride. www.genuineguidegear.com

A women's specific tele and backcountry ride...

Karhu's Betty Dimensions: 117/80/105,..Lengths 156, 166, 176cm, .Weight: (166) 6 lbs 8 oz (2.93kg) by Jenn Gleckman Disclaimer – I’ve never been big fan of women specific skis, since many that I’ve tried have felt like floppy, gutless noodles, lacking snap and personality. However, when Mitch noted that he had some ‘chick skis’ that needed reviewing, I decided it was time to put my prejudices aside and see if I would be proven wrong. While I’m not sure I’m a total convert yet, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that a few manufacturers realize that women, like men, are not one-size-fits-all, and have created some options for those of us who prefer more performance oriented skis. August 2005 - Mitch here: the Bettys are the chick version of one of Big Tim's all-time favorite skis, Karhu's Kodiak. For detailed information on the basics of their construction from the designer himself, see our Kodiak review near the bottom of this page. Now here's Jenn: While I’ve "only" spent about 6 days on the Betty’s, they’ve been put through their paces in a variety of snow conditions. Spring corn, hard pack, fresh snow, crud and deep powder – these skis impressed me (a devoted phat ski phanatic) in their adaptability. The Betty is a mid-fat, with relatively curvy dimensions – 117/80/105 for the 166 cm version. It’s a surprisingly responsive ski for being so light, even in deeper snow conditions. And despite their weight (or lack thereof) I felt comfortable letting them run at high speeds. They have great flex, and a variable turning radius – I could easily switch between short turns and long arcing GS curves without feeling like I was forcing either. As a good ski should, the Betty’s felt like an extension of my legs by the third day out. They have power, but are still easily maneuverable, which should appeal to skiers of various levels. Bumps were fun, as the Betty’s were a lot more nimble than I’m accustomed to, and I didn’t feel at all nervous on some of the ice patches encountered at a nameless New Zealand ski resort. Plus, they have a really groovy top sheet – need I say more? Their relative light weight appealed to me for backcountry skiing, since I felt that the weight-to-performance ratio would be quite high. Conclusion – The Betty is a great all-round ski that can do well on most snow conditions both in-resort and in the backcountry. They appear forgiving enough to be able to please both intermediate and advanced skiers, which would make them an ideal ski for someone to grow into.

Volkl T-Rock Dimensions: 119/87/111,..Lengths 164, 172, 180 . Weight: 3.3kg, 7lbs 3oz (172) September, 2005-- The T-Rock is a wood core ski using Volkl's "Sensorwood" technology, consisting of vertically laminated sections of poplar, milled to shape. If there is one thing Volkl is well known for above all else, it is for making great wood cores that are consistently strong and durable. The T-Rock, Volkl's first-ever telemark specific model for the U.S. market, will likely turn out to be a ski that gives most of its owners a useful life measured in years. We have been fans of Volkl skis for years, going back to the mid-90s, the days of the Presto, Snow Ranger and Explosiv, progressive and great skis all. Heck, the Explosiv was literally half a decade or more ahead of its time. It had been a long time since either of us had been out on a pair of Volkls, so we began testing the T-Rocks with no small amount of enthusiastic anticipation and high expectations. Like most Volkls, the T-Rocks hold an edge like a claw and are dependably tenacious on even very hard snow. That would be this skis most notable single trait, in every other category it felt like the T-Rocks were good, but not great. Volkl obviously wanted these skis to fit the proverbial "quiver of one" mold, but those who mostly ski softer snow might find the T-Rocks lacking in excitement. With fixed sidecut dimensions, the turn radius of the T-Rock varies with the length of the ski. Volkl gives the following turn radii info on their website, 18.1m/164, 20.1m/172, 24.5m/180. We tested the180cm model T-Rocks and with their nearly 25-meter turn radius, it was not a surprise that they favored longer turns. These skis also felt very damp, perhaps too damp, to the point where it made the T-Rock less lively than we would prefer, particularly in a ski with such moderate sidecut. This was a surprise; Volkl has historically produced skis that walk the line between lively and damp very, very well. In powder, they were okay. The 87mm waist giving adequate float and the moderate sidecut can be an advantage in the fluff. In crud busting they were a little better than average, providing a stable platform in its preferred long turns, which of course is a good way to attack crud. Corn and smooth groomer performance was solid, but again somewhat lacking in the "ooh, that felt good" factor. Conclusion: The T-Rocks are unexceptional ski in anything but hard snow, yet they deliver a decent, workman-like performance in all other areas. Our rating: One tip up and one tip down, reflecting our consensus view of good, but not great. They didn't really let us down, but they sure didn't rock our world either. Hint: If you really have to have a pair of Volkls, and you want skis that will rock your world, find yourself a pair of Explosivs. www.volkl.com

More Reviews...

2004/2005 ski reviews	2000/2001 ski reviews
2003/2004 ski reviews	2001/2002 ski reviews
2002/2003 ski reviews	1999/2000 ski reviews

 

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