2017-2018 ON3P Kartel 108

Crud

We spent much of our time skiing soft, tracked-up, off-piste snow in Bachelor’s Northwest zone, and Jonathan and I both felt that this is where the Kartel 108 really came alive. While it is not a charger, it still stayed composed even as I was going faster than I was really comfortable with, and it never felt too squirrely.

Cy Whitling reviews the ON3P Kartel 108 for Blister Gear Review.
Cy Whitling on the ON3P Kartel 108, Mt. Bachelor, OR.

I like to seek out natural rollers and features, and I appreciated the Kartel 108’s stability on fast, chopped-up in-runs and blind landings. There were a number of times when I came over a blind roller way too fast, flailed into a choppy landing, and the Kartel remained solid, even on some unexpected compressions.

When I did pop into some tracked snow in the trees, I found that the Kartel was very easy to slash and pivot. In tight spaces, it felt even more maneuverable and easy to skid around than the Jeffrey 114.

Park

Mt Bachelor has some excellent parks, and they also still had set up the incredibly fun Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge course, which is one of the most playful, flowy, surfy, transition-filled parks I’ve ever been in.

While it’s too wide to be a true park ski, the Kartel 108’s flex pattern and low swing weight made it a blast in the park. It’s easy to nollie and butter, yet it still feels stable on bigger jumps.

I didn’t hit any rails on the Kartel 108 (rails aren’t my thing) but based on my impressions of them across the rest of the mountain, I’d anticipate that the Kartel 108 should be just fine for the casual park skier.

Firm Snow

Thanks to the spring freeze-thaw cycle and some early mornings on the hill, I got to take some very icy laps on the Kartel 108. None of my typical go-to skis excel on ice, but the Kartel held it’s own. It’s no stiff carving ski, but it remained predictable and composed as I slipped and slithered my way down the mountain.

Powder

Deep slush can feel pretty / quite similar to pow, and we skied plenty of deep slush on this trip. Given that, we’re confident that the Kartel 108 will work fine on most powder days—this ski is definitely more soft-snow / deep-snow oriented than firm-snow oriented—but I’d reach for something wider for the truly big days.

Bottom Line

ON3P sets a high bar for the Kartel 108, billing it as the best west-coast playful quiver of one. And judging purely off of the spec sheet, we expected the Kartel 108 to be a contender in our “Best Bets” for freestyle-oriented skiers.

It certainly is. Once again, ON3P manages to hit a pretty sweet spot of stability and playfulness, allowing directional skiers to have a great time on the mountain (if they’re maintaining a neutral stance), and providing freestyle-oriented skiers more stability than they might be used to — which is nice if you are, actually skiing the whole mountain.

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8 comments on “2017-2018 ON3P Kartel 108”

  1. Hi all,

    Great initial review into what looks like a fun ski over much of the mountain, how do feel this ski would compare to the Line supernatural 108 or the Mordecai?

    Thanks,
    Nick

  2. sounds like a very fun ski, and we all know the quality is top notch. Will you guys be getting on the new Armada ARV106, It sounds very similar to the Kartel 108

  3. Would this work as a complement to my K2 Shreditor 92’s as a Vermont skier? Or is this too much overkill for east coast skiing?

  4. How do you think the Kartel 108 compares with a Shreditor 112? Is the Kartel stiffer and chargier? What about playfulness? Thanks for the awesome reviews!

  5. I’m looking for a second ski for my quiver for days after the storms. I have the Liberty Origin 116 for deeper days. I would like something more fun about stability, but with better performance on variable snow and some firmer tracks compared to my current ski. I do not ski at high speeds, but rather moderate. My weight is 84 kilos and my height is 188 cm. 50 years My skiing style is more playful than directional. Small jumps and I go for any small thing in the mountain that allows me to play.
    My ski alternatives are:
    ON3P Kartel 108 186 cm. or 191 cm.
    SFB line 184 cm or 190 cm.
    Moment Deatwish 184 cm, or 190.
    Moment Wildcat or Blister pro 184 cm.
    I appreciate your excellent reviews and your recommendations will be of great help for a good choice of the best ski for me
    Regards

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