Deep Chop
So far, I’ve found that the 1184’s softer shovels plane up in deep chop rather than blast through it. I personally wouldn’t mind a bit more stiffness out of the front of the ski, but that could compromise this ski’s ability to plane so well in deep untracked snow—and deeper untracked snow seems like the priority for this ski.
Crud
The metal 191 cm Volkl Katana and the 186 cm Liberty Variant 113 are two favorites of mine in the ~112mm width. The SGN 1184 doesn’t have metal, it has softer shovels, and it isn’t as heavy as either the 191 (metal) Katana or the Liberty Variant 113. So it doesn’t have the same crud-destroying capabilities.
Then again, the metal Katana no longer exists because too many skiers found it to be overkill. So given that, it’s probably safe to assume that the 1184 will feel less like overkill and more like ‘quite capable’ and ‘fairly versatile’ to a good number of skiers.
In the Air
I’ve yet to feel like I am able to get much ‘pop’ out of the 1184 on take offs, but the ski is flat underfoot, so no real surprise there.
As for landings, I quickly learned that you don’t want to land backseat on these tails—they definitely are supportive, but they aren’t that forgiving. Don’t expect this ski to gently put you back into position if you’re flailing and end up in the backseat on your landing.
The good news is that I have yet to feel the 1184’s softer shovels feel like they were folding up on me – or like I was going to go over the handlebars. The ski’s stiffness underfoot continues far enough in front of the bindings (before the flex pattern goes quite soft) so that you’d have to land quite forward to blow through the tips.
Who’s It For?
While I’ve had fun getting the 1184 into some steep, tight spots in Taos’ West Basin, this ski feels like it is safest / easiest to recommend to those who like pretty substantial skis and want a big mountain ski in (1) a versatile width, and (2) a versatile flex pattern—i.e., so long as you have some pitch and some room to run, this ski will plane in deep snow. And when you encounter firm conditions, this relatively narrow pow ski will handle less-than-ideal conditions better than many wider pow skis.
Bottom Line
Our introduction to SGN Skis has gotten off to a good start with the 1184. It is a capable ski that is ready to be skied hard, but isn’t a beast to pivot around, either. If you’re looking for a big mountain ski that holds up in punchy or variable conditions—but that also performs well if and when you encounter deep snow, the 1184 fits the bill.
NEXT: ROCKER PROFILE PICS
I may be wrong here, but isn’t the 1184 discontinued for 15/16?
Current lineup seems to be: http://www.sgnskis.com/skis/
Hi, Paal, the explanation is in the very beginning of the review.
Great review as always. Those sidecut and rocker profile pics make the ski look very similar to the old 4FRNT EHP. Any chance you have had time on both and could compare the two?
Also, I think Blister needs to start a new “blast from the past” section on the website. I’d love to see you guys do reviews of older and/discontinued skis because:
1) older skis are cheap, allowing skiers to potentially get more ski for their dollar
2) newer is not inherently better. It’d be cool to see classics like the LP105, the original Gotama, or the EHP compared against the current crop of skis