Sun Peaks Resort welcomed us back for our 20th annual ski test with a record number of skis in six categories.
In this issue: Part 1
Freeride (or the considerably less-sexy name of mid-fat) skis are the progeny of specialty powder skis (fatties) and all-mountain Free Carve skis. The shovel of these skis is wide--widest of the non-specialty ski category--but the waist is noticeably narrower than a true powder sled. What separates them from powder skis is their on-piste groomed-run performance. Some of these skis are surprisingly good all-round carvers. Meant to be skied short, freeride skis take some getting used to in moguls due to their wide platform underfoot. Weekend powderhounds need look no further--this is your category.
Keen observers will note that the Freeride category is so new that several skis are, in fact, repeat performers from last year's test. If you're the kind of skier who is hesitant about skiing powder and junk, getting into a Freeride ski might be the best money you've ever spent.
The run
Ideally, we would have liked to conduct the Freeride test on Sun Peaks' fearsome Headwall. Indeed, it might have worked if the weather had co-operated, since Headwall offers plenty of challenge and the wide-open spaces in which Freeride skis are at home. But after a morning "survival run" that was akin to skiing through a road construction site, the decision was made to move our test to the Cahilty Glades where conditions were soft and spring-like for most of the day. Cahilty can best be described as an "intermediate glade" that is mellow to moderate in pitch, with plenty of terrain features (covered stumps and rocks) for taking air and banking turns. This was also the most mogulled run of the test. At the bottom, testers cruised the flat Five-Mile outrun, ending with a short, ungroomed pitch on Broadway.
The conditions
The temperature was +3*C with light winds from the west. Unfortunately, we were not able to test these skis in abundant powder as we did last year. But overcast skies actually kept the hot spring Sun Peaks sun at bay and snow conditions morphed from firm in mid-morning to soft by early afternoon.
Test criteria
The following descriptives should help you read between the lines of testers' report cards.
Consider what's important in your own skiing.
Acceleration: once the turn is initiated, how
quickly it is completed.
Bumps: forgiveness in moguls, how well the ski either absorbs or steers through the troughs.
(Race skis excluded.)
Carving: similar to edge hold, how well the ski holds on an arced turn without chattering or letting go.
Course: how the ski performed in the gates.
(Race skis only: quickness in slalom; carving and edge hold for GS.)
Initiation: how easily the ski enters a turn when
tip pressure is applied.
Long radius: how the ski holds its arc or line at speed in long, sweeping carved turns.
Quickness: how well the ski reacts to
directional changes.
Short radius: when pressure and steering are applied, how well and how quickly the ski
completes a turn.
Stability: as speed builds in a turn, how the ski feels (as in shaky or loose vs. quiet or firm)
underfoot as well as the tip.
Versatility: how well the ski does in both
short- and long-radius turns at different speeds
and different snow conditions.
Rules of engagement
1. Each test ski is rated by 10 different criteria on a scale of one to 10. The testers then recommend who the ski is best suited for, the terrain it skis best on and what kind of snow conditions it excels in.
2. Skis are masked during testing. Though it doesn't provide absolute anonymity, it does discourage bias based on colour, cosmetics or "reputation." Ski Canada is the only publication in North America to mask its skis during testing.
3. Testers are given strict instructions before each day of testing on how to evaluate each ski. On the test run, assistant test co-ordinator Ian Logan goes through the test run and shows terrain features that will help testers assess the ski properly.
4. As a test reader, you should judge the scores in each of the criteria by what's important to you. Some skiers appreciate versatility, while others are very single-minded about how they view a ski's function. Know thyself, and thy ski habits!
5. Demo bindings are used by each of the ski companies. Generally, there are very few comments about binding performance in these tests, and the GS Speed Carve category is the only category where (lack of) a binding plate is relevant.
6. This year, Ski Canada allowed manufacturers to supply two different lengths for each ski, and let the testers decide for themselves which length they wished to test.
7. Testers mark their scores and comments on the test card immediately following their run. Once they're finished marking, testers are not allowed to alter their cards, such as during the debriefing session.
v8. After the test is over, skiers adjourn for a "round table" debriefing. The purpose of the debriefing is to help achieve a majority consensus on each of the skis.
Other test trivia
This is the 20th season that Ski Canada has tested skis, the world's longest running magazine ski test.
A record number of skis were tested at Sun Peaks Resort over the five days of the test.
Improvements to this year's test include grading skis in each of the criteria on a scale of one to 10, as opposed to one to five.
Only one major company, Volkl, chooses regularly not to accept our invitation to be tested. Ski
manufacturer participation is necessary at ski tests since we are testing next season's equipment and it's therefore not possible to simply collect gear from a retail shop. (That said, Volkl did, in fact, once allow Ski Canada to test its skis--so hope springs eternal for a repeat at a future test.)
Categories
Readers of previous Ski Canada Tests will notice that we've added a new category--race slalom--that will be reported upon in the next issue. The other
categories have stayed the same.
Freeride: These skis are designed to be used
off-piste in powder, crud, windblown, corn--wherever your adventurous spirit leads. However, manufacturers recognize that most of the skiing done at major resorts takes place in a highly
manipulated environment (groomed slopes, artificial snow surfaces), hence, Freeride skis are far more versatile than fat boards designed for heli-skiing.
GS Speed Carve: Seems that manufacturers take two different approaches to building this kind of ski. Some companies build take-no-prisoners racing machines designed to be run up to--and over--the redline. Others try to build more versatility and comfort into the ski, which may not win World Cup races but, then again, when was the last time you saw a recreational skier on the World Cup?
Slalom: Fans of the lightning-quick turn, rejoice!
Ski Canada is again testing race slalom skis, and this year's crop are state-of-the-art hot-rods very similar to those under the boots of top World Cup racers. They're short, they're razor-sharp and they change direction at the slightest command. That said, New School slalom skis are significantly less versatile than recreational slalom skis of old. Break out the body armour for these babies!
Free Carve: If Freeride skis are the sport-utility
vehicles of high-performance skis, then these are the sports sedans. Similar in sidecut and construction to GS Speed Carve skis, Free Carvers provide excellent performance across a wide range of conditions and terrain. If Freeride is considered a western category, Free Carve is often chosen first by eastern skiers.
Sport Carve: Okay, so you don't have a thousand bucks to spend on skis this year. This category is for value-conscious skiers willing to sacrifice a bit of top-end performance in return for saving a few dollars. It's also the category that always amazes the testers, most of whom can't get over how much recreational skis have improved in the past five years.
Super Carve/Pipe Tools: This is a catch-all
category for a whole variety of hyper-carvers, halfpipe and terrain park tools, skiboards, twin-tips--you name it. Because this is such an "apples and oranges" category, skis are subjectively evaluated by testers' comments only. A local wrecking crew of Sun Peaks New Schoolers showed up to show you the way in this category.
