• Favorite Person We Talked to at SIA •
Jed Yeiser, Line Skis
One unfortunate thing about the ski and snowboard industry: you don’t have to look too hard to find someone who just doesn’t really care about skiing or riding anymore. They’re jaded, and this is all just a job.
And then there are the guys and girls who are still passionate about this stuff and are in this business because, at bottom, they love the sport. Spending time with these people is energizing. Start talking skis with Atomic’s Jake Strassburger or Fischer’s Matt Berkowitz, and you’ll see what I mean. I seem to learn something new every time I talk to Blizzard’s Connor Brown. Getting into the details about Arc’Teryx products with Chris Denny will make you want to immediately go touring with him. And my conversation with Theresa Blake about Point6 socks increased my knowledge of the numerous ways to weave socks by about 8,000%.
But some of our favorite conversations have been with Line and K2 Skis’ engineer Jed Yeiser. (Jed and fellow Line/K2 ski designer, Andy Hytjan, were co-winners of this award last year.) Last year, Jed was excited that we actually wanted to press him on the details of the 11/12 Line Influence 115 vs. the 12/13 Line Influence 115. He is extremely proud of Line’s new Sick Day series. He wanted to know what else we were seeing at the show that looked interesting. He talked about the complexities of designing skis as part of a team vs. developing a vision on your own. He talked about the dynamic of factoring athlete input into the equation. He’s candid, he’s thoughtful, he loves this stuff, and he’s someone you’d want to hang out with.
Go read our reviews of Line Skis, and you’ll know that so far, we’ve been pretty impressed. It’s good to know that there’s a good guy playing an instrumental role in their development.
• The “Thank You For Not Screwing Up A Good Thing” Award •
SIA is all about showing off the shiny new stuff. And there is significant pressure on manufacturers to keep tweaking their products so that they don’t get crowded out of the spotlight by all the Latest & (allegedly) Greatest. We’d like to do our part to alleviate this pressure by highlighting a few products that companies haven’t changed a bit, or that only received a new paint job or a tiny tweak. So enjoy all of this tradeshow attention right now, shiny new stuff, because these are a few products that have been around for a while that might just kick your ass on the mountain:
• Blizzard Cochise – New paint job, no other changes. This is one of our reference skis, and every new all-mountain charger on the market gets compared to it. Blizzard is offering the Scout this year, a Cochise without metal, and we look forward to reviewing it. (We’ve definitely heard from a lot of readers who worry that the Cochise might be more ski than they’re looking for.) But kudos to Blizzard for leaving the Cochise as is.
• Volkl Katana & Mantra – Still great at what they do, and still among the top in their respective classes. (Our Mantra review will be dropping soon, and we definitely need to get time on the 184cm Katana, largely to compare it to the ski listed above it.)
• Rossignol Experience 98 – Slightly different topsheet, nothing else. This is a real deal ski, and we’re glad that Rossignol hasn’t touched it.
• Salomon Rocker2 108 & Salomon Rocker2 115 – A new paint job for the 108 and 115, but the only other change is that the Rocker2 115 is now called the “Quest 115” and has been moved to Salomon’s Quest line. No reason to mess with these two.
• Line Mr. Pollard’s Opus – Merely a new paint job for an already great ski.
•The “You’d Best Be Better Than Good” Award •
Goggles
(Will Brown explains)
In the world of goggles, the competition is stiff. The Smith I/O is an awesome goggle, and it has been for years. The optics are great, and the lens change is quick and easy enough to do in line or on the lift. However, there are several more choices out there nowadays when it comes to gogs with swappable lenses, and we’re not just talking about Oakley’s Airbrake anymore.
Last spring we posted a review of a pre-production version of the the Anon M1 goggle. A sampling of Anon’s low- and bright-light lens options showed us that (in case you weren’t sure) the company’s optics are top-notch. Oh, and, the M1 delivered the simplest, quickest, easiest lens change system to date, hands down.
It turns out that Anon is bringing the M1 back this year with a few improvements to make the lens swap procedure even smoother. We’ll be taking a look at the new 13/14 M1, confirming that it’s the slick goggle that the pre-produciton 2012 model we tested promised to be, and hopefully sample more of Anon’s lens options.
And if the M1 isn’t cool enough for you, well, Anon’s now making the M2. It has a slightly larger frame/fit than the M1 with more of a rimless look, and makes changing lenses … even easier.
Snapping a lens into the M1 requires a stupidly simple method, but a method nonetheless. There’s really nothing you have to learn with the M2, just practice putting your hands over your face. Actually, you’ll probably be able to literally throw a lens on your face (we will test this). The M2 looks to be the quickest, easiest lens change system out there, the optics ought to be sweet, and it’s a good-looking frame.
Scott is also putting out a goggle with an interchangeable lens system called the LCG (“lens change goggle”).
No, Scott isn’t using magnets to achieve the no-latch, super fast change of the M1/M2, but their system looks good in its own right, and a few other features are noteable. The LCG comes with a slick molded case for carrying your spare lens (good idea)
and small cams on the lower frame that allow for some adjustment to the fit of the frame around the nose and cheekbones.
From the OG I/O to the M1, M2, and LCG, all these seem plenty easy enough to use when it comes to swapping lenses. So we’ll also give our two cents on what optics seem the best in bright and low light, how the fit of the frames differ, the cost of additional lenses, and which goggle seems like the best system for your money.
How about some Softgoods awards?
Cf. part II.
Did you guys check it out the slightly stiffer Blizzard Gunsmoke and the lighter Scout? What are your thoughts on both of them? Would the stiffer gunsmoke a contender agains the 115?
Hey Marcel,
While I didn’t get the chance to take a close look at the new Gunsmoke or Scout, I will say that I don’t really see either of them as being in the same category as the 115. The Gunsmoke favors a more upright, light and centered stance (where the 115 can be skied from a more forward , aggressive position) and has more tail rocker than the 115. The new stiffer flex may make the Gunsmoke’s tails a bit more reliable, but in any case the 115 is going to feel more directional and less playful. Quest 115 = big mountain powder ski. Gunsmoke = surfy, very playful, backcountry jib ski. The Cochise (the Scout with metal laminate construction) is more big mountain oriented, but is less of a powder ski than the 115 at 108 underfoot. It has a longer turn radius, does great in light crud and chop, but wont float as well as the 115. That’s how I see the three differing. We look forward to getting on both the Scout and new Gunsmoke soon. Hope this helps!
Will
When I came across the Soul 7 footage that is already available on youtube since a couple of weeks, my immediate thought was that someone in their R&D department must have spent a significant amount of time on blister. Seriously, it just cannot be that all of Jonathan’s complaints and concerns on how much the tails of the S7/super7 sucked was not heard by someone at Rossi and this all happened by accident.
Well, there is another possibility; some superior force said: “Well, ok Jonathan, I am going to fix your s7 super 7 problem. Yet, I’ll start messing around with the Bibby instead”.
Can’t wait to read your first impressions on the new Rossi lineup and please when publishing pictures, choose one where Jonathan is grinning from ear to ear while skiing the new super 7…
I was told that Rossi had at least a few people interested in an update, including Dan Treadway. So who knows, and let’s just say, Good going, Dan!
As for your notion that a Superior Force is messing with me, well, that does seem like the most plausible explanation.
If anyone at Blister doesn’t feel like hiking up 50000 m of vert to test the new Dynafit Beast 16 AT Binding, well then I’m your man! Looks like a compelling choice for the new breed of backcountry huckers. Perfect for those who want to ride at Revelstoke Mountain Resort when the Avi is high, and then head of to Rogers Pass when things calm down a bit. It would be nice to be able to hit the big drops in the BC without worrying about premature release. Hopefully it will have some serious pre-sales testing to ensure it does release properly.
Then again, maybe being the first to test a new kind of binding isn’t such a great idea?
All good thoughts. We’re going to start putting time on the Beast in the very immediate future, so we’ll let you know.
I demoed a Soul 7 today. It was the first time I’ve ever skied any of the Rossi S-series skis. Unfortunately, conditions weren’t great (a few inches of dust on crust) and it was 180 cm length (I’m 6’1″/185# and would’ve preferred the 188). Those caveats aside, it felt pretty stable despite the light weight and short length. It was snappy and super easy to throw around. I’d be interested in the larger version.
Cool. And it definitely seems like you ought to be on the 188.
Any more detailed information on the El Capo? Turn Radius? Is it a short 185 or true 185 in length? That ski has me very interested as well.
I’ve skied the El Capo for a day in piste. It’s a big, stiff and strong ski. Felt like a big Mantra that wanted to be skied fast and aggressively. Despite this, it turned easily due to the tip rocker and could be smeared in the icy piste.
It just jumped on top of boilet plate but that might be expexted. All in all, not my kind of ski.
It dove for another skier during a powder day and required quite a lot of weight on the tail not to dive in the pow.
Hmmm, felt like a big mantra? You’re not dissuading me, Magnus, especially since I wouldn’t regard this as a pow ski (as I don’t regard the Cochise as a pow ski), but more of a variable / chop ski. Thanks for the feedback!
Of course not, I just thought it felt like a big, stiff ski. From the day in the pistes of Chamonix I had with it, I thought it felt a bit like a tank, mowing through chop and becoming a handful on more icy patches. Definitely wanted a firm driver and wanted to go crazy fast when railing groomers.
Personally, I thought it was a little too much ski for me but there’s two layers of metal and 107 under foot to you… :)
Also, I think it was the 193 cm version I skied.
Definitely would seem (at least for me) like a lot of ski at 193cm. But those 185s….
Per usual a great article, but I was wondering, wouldn’t the experience 98 be better with some carbon fiber in it for its stiffness instead of the heavy titanal??? I actual was kinda waiting for an update like that…
I could see that, Kevin, but I personally wouldn’t want to see the titanal removed for carbon stringers. I think it would feel like a pretty different ski—lighter, yes, but almost certainly less damp. Might improve the E98’s all-mountain game, but it’s just so much fun to rip these on edge at speed over smooth or rough groomers, I wouldn’t want to tinker with the formula. Mostly, I just need to get back on this ski soon.
Thanks, Im studying engineering so I’m really interested in the dynamics of the skis, so that was a really helpful reply!! :)
I just finished a fantastic week of skiing in the French alps (Paradiski, La Plagne), with about 2 foot of fresh powder, on my new Rossignol Squad 7’s, which I bought thanks to the fantastic reviews on this fantastic site ;)
These ski’s are absolutely amazing!!! They’re perfect for the French alps, they ski well in chopped up snow in the beginning of a route, then they absolutely charge the open fresh powder, and when you arrive at the tree line they still are super!
They also handle really good on the slopes, especially short turns. One thing though, I suddenly have the sides of my legs bruised up because of the effort it takes to put them on the edges on the slopes :) , good thing I work out up to 4 times a week!
After skiing powder on Rossi 9s for a long time and then full camber twin tip Blizzard Titan Chronus for about the last 8 years, I notices I had to change my technique completely! No more backseat skiing! I wiped out the back about 3 times this week :) mostly on harder snow, but I like it because on the slopes I’m used to pressure the front a while lot.
There is only one thing I really didn’t like about these skis, when on very icy slopes, when turning/slipping they would start flapping very violently!! Maybe it has to do with the edges I’ve set, at 0.75 base (which im going to change to 0.5, I think) and 2 side angle????
but overall, I’m in love :)
Do you guys sometimes ski in Europe??? I’d love to join if possible :)
Oh yeah and one more thing, those squad 7’s turn on a dime in powder, which absolutely awesome for the technical routes!! :p
I am shocked the bibby pro has changed. Dear moment: no paulownia ever again. The weight savings gains you what? Nothing! We can all loose two pounds off our fat asses or stop being such massive VJJs and we will be able to rock the OG bibby pro for more vert than whatever that paulownia noodle saves us.
Now c’mon, Tommy – you sound almost as bad as me. I think for everyone out there who felt like the 190 Bibbys were too much ski, this could be a good thing. And for the rest of us … well, we ought to ski them first. Hopefully we will be able to let you know ASAP.
Unfortunately for me, while the new bibby might be better than the original, the 190 length is perfect. I don’t want it to be wider…but could deal with that. Longer or shorter? No thanks. I think we’ve seen enough of paulownia in skis over the past few years to know one thing: it just isn’t as damp as other core materials. Frankly I’m selfish with my infatuation with the original bibby so I just don’t care if Josh Bibby himself wanted another ski. The obvious solution is giving him a second ski AND keeping the original in the line up.
So…I’ve gone ahead and purchased another pair of the 12/13 bibbys, knowing they’ll have to last me until they are brought back (an inevitable conclusion to this story).
What about the Black Diamond Megawatt? Is this years model the golden goose or should we be frothing to jump on next years model?
Good question. But my understanding is that the changes to the Megawatt are subtle, the ski has been lightened up a little bit. But we’ll look to get on the 13/14s to see exactly how similar or different these are.
Looking forward to trying the new bibby. loved the 190, hopefully it hasn’t changed TOO much
any news on the k2 boots? Blister’s thoughts on them?
damn the night trains and ghost chants are gone too. now we get the ghost train. i’m not so sure moment should have tweaked three of there best skis or gotten rid of them.
Didn’t get a chance on the new Bibby, but the Exit World feels just as stiff if not slightly stiffer. The ride is definitely damper than the current Bibby and perhaps some changes will be made before production. Honestly, I felt the Exit World could use more carbon fiber to add more pop. Doesn’t feel quite as lively as the Bibby.
As far as the Ghost Train, that ski is the tits! Didn’t get it in fresh snow, but felt plenty stable on it at high speeds everywhere else.
Appreciate the comments, Tommy, thanks.
I took note of the big changes w/the Moment line up, including the ghost chant/night train mating, the more powder oriented Bibby, the reworked Belafonte and Tahoe, the newly redone Governor which was itself just redone and now the Exit World.. Many seem to have some portion of the Death Wish’s multiple sections of minicamber. As someone commented above. paulonia is great in ultralight bc skis ( I have a 5 1/2 lb ski though it is only 83cm wide and has a definite, i.e. low, speed limit and range, qualities not normally associated with Moment). What was the thinking driving these changes and when will you get your hands on these models? Thanks
Pretty simply, Moment liked the dirty mustache rocker enough on the Deathwish to add it to the Belafonte and Tahoe. The Paulownia was a result of the fact that they were touring a lot on the Bibby Pros, and decided to lighten it up – 1/2 a lb. per ski. As for when we will review the new lineup, hopefully as soon as possible.
Any more details on the Redster Pro 120?
After trying a variety of boots this year I have come to realize that I am one of those people who likes a bit more forward lean than current boots offer (other than when standing in line!) Given that the Redster seems to be one of the only boots that offers this feature, it is on my short list.
Does the Pro 120 have a different boot board or other features that make it more of a ‘freeride” boot? I know Atomic offered three stiffness options in the 110/130 boot board anyway so I am curious what, if any, differences there are between the red 110/130 “race” boot and next years 120?
As always, thanks for the great reviews of next year’s gear!!