The sidecut profile and flex of the Deathwish are damn near as spot on as I could imagine for this ski’s target market (again, the aggressive all-mountain-but-playful skier). As Jonathan mentioned in his review, at my weight (160 lbs.) and skiing style, I would rarely want anything stiffer, or damper (i.e., less energetic) than this ski. I had no issues at any point with dense springtime glop, and I could motor through crud with ease. With the fairly centered mount, the ski is still nose and tail press-able for playing off smaller drops, drifts, or nicely shaped rollovers, though they aren’t quite as fun as the Line Sir Francis Bacon or Mr. Pollard’s Opus in this regard.
I do differ slightly in opinion with Jonathan in calling the Deathwish “quick.” After skiing on the Opus, SFB, and Wailer 99 this season, those are skis that I would call quick. The Deathwish is easy to navigate through tight spots, and is indeed quite nimble (thanks in large part to the pretty centered mount), it’s just not as quick as those other skis. I do feel though that the Deathwish offers a great balance of agility at lower speeds and stability at higher speeds.
Carving the ski anywhere on the hill yielded a very stable, smooth, and predictable ride, even with the slight skid mentioned earlier. Whether I was flying down one of Alta’s fresh groomers or the bumped up backside, I never felt nervous at speed. I love a ski that gives back the energy you put in, and even with the Deathwish’s Dirty Mustache rocker profile, it delivered a nice push of acceleration from turn to turn.
I didn’t get to poke the Deathwish into any super deep springtime storms, but I did get them out on a couple of occasions in some new snow and thought they performed very well. As MOMENT claims, they do provide that floaty, surfy feel that traditional tip and tail rocker typically provides when conditions are soft.
Sending the Deathwish into the air was also a pleasure, especially when a kicker had an in-run that could use some buffing out. Anyone skiing Alta late this spring would have noticed the nice sized booter just lookers’ left of the Collins lift. The jump was a beauty, and fun, but the approach left a bit to be desired: it was an S-turn full of ruts leading to the hit. While the Bacon kept me on my toes until I was in the air, the Deathwish delivered a much calmer approach and made it easier to focus on the jump ahead.
In the air, the Deathwish felt heavier than the Bacon (which feels super light), but felt pretty much exactly how you would expect a ski with a little more power to feel. I’d say it’s very comparable to the Sickle, being perhaps even a little easier to swing around. If I were adding to my list of things to change to make this ski the ultimate, it would be to take a little material out of the tips and tails to make these things absolutely twirl in the air.
In the end, the MOMENT Deathwish is actually far from an actual death wish—which is nice. I don’t feel like the ski is all it could be yet, but at the same time, it’s still a very good ski. Would I take it over some of my current favorites? Not yet, but give it a few improvements, and this could be my new favorite one-ski-quiver.
First I would like to say that I really enjoy your site. I think you guys do a great job reviewing gear.
I’m looking for to assemble a touring setup this year. I also happen to be a very loyal Moment rider. At first I was thinking of going with the Jag Shark because of the more traditional shape. Mostly for BC utility reasons and I dont think I will be doing much switch riding in on a tour. But then I started thinking about the Deathwish because of the narrower waist and less weight. I know that typically you want more surface area with your skins for the most efficiency when touring. what do you all think would be the best choice?
Deathwish or Jaguar Shark?
Thanks, Taylor. Jason hasn’t skied the Jag Shark, so I’ll field this one. Personally, I would opt for the Jag Shark for one simple reason: better flotation in pow. The Deathwish is more center-mounted, and is definitely more of a jib ski. The Jag Shark isn’t at all; it’s a directional ski with a more traditional mount point. I noted in my Deathwish review that it’s a super fun ski that rails on groomers, but in wet pow, I was getting tip dive. And when I’m skinning, I’m usually skinning for pow. If you tend to ski in more variable conditions or in a low snow area, then you still might prefer the Deathwish for the reasons you note. As always, it comes down to where you ski, how you ski, and where you want the skis to shine. Hope that helps a little.
Hi guys. Great review.
Need your advice. I’m a jib guy. And want a ski for pow days. Thinking about Moment Bibby Pro and Deathwish. Actually can’t make a choose between them. I’m 132 lbs and 5’11”. This would be my first that kind of ski. So should it be a Deathwish or Bibby Pro? Area of skiing – Europe mostly.
Hey guys, thanks for the review. Like Taylor above, I have also become a Moment aficionado of sorts. My quiver has 190 Bibbys and 182 2nd gen Garbones, both of which I find great. But both are pretty stiff skis and kick my butt a bit when it hasn’t snowed in a while.
My question is, how does the Deathwish compare to the Salomon Rocker2 108? I recently had a chance to demo 190 108s and thought they were brilliant. The flex was playful enough that I could fly through crusty trees and know that the tails were going to allow me to throw on the handbrake (a sense of confidence I haven’t felt since my OG S7s), yet they railed nice turns on groomers and in open terrain. What are the main similarities and differences between the 108 and the Deathwish?
Then there’s the length question. I felt the 190 108s were perfect. Is 190 my length in the Deathwish?
Hey, Dan – Will Brown (who loves the 190 108) is currently putting time on the 190 Deathwish, so he’ll be in a good position to answer your question. I’ve yet to ski the 190 Deathwish, but as I noted in my review, I would be inclined to go longer. Will spent some time on the 184, but he has no interest in going shorter than 190 on the Deathwish. The only issue I had with the Deathwish was tip dive in pow, which is basically the only complaint I’ve heard about the fairly centered 108. So hang tight for Will’s review, but my hunch is that a 190 Deathwish mounted -1 might be the ticket for you. Looking forward to my turn on them.
Hi Dan,
As Jonathan mentioned, I’ve been putting some days in on the Deathwish, and should have a review out in the next week. It’s definitely similar to the 190cm 108, which I’m also psyched on. First, if the 190 108 felt like a good length for you, then yes the 190cm Deathwish is the way to go. I put a day on the 184 in hardpack conditions and though the ski felt too short – specifically, the two contact points in the shovel feel overly hooky, as if I was too far forward on the ski. I didn’t feel that at all with the 190. Also, speaking to Jonathan’s note about tip-dive with the 184, I’ve had the 190 in ~6″ of fresh, and was really happy with how well the ski floated and tracked – no tip dive to speak of.
Now, vs the 108…
– In general, like the 108, while the Deathwish is still a very playful ski that likes a more centered, lighter stance, it feels as if you have a little more effective edge under you, and feels a touch more locked down than the 108 in super firm conditions.
– The Deathwish also has a longer 27m sidecut radius – vs the 108s 19.7 – so it feels slower to pull across the hill in a carve.
-On a similar note, if there’s anything about the Dirty Mustache rocker profile on the Deathwish that really feels unique, I’ve found that while the edge hold is pretty damn solid on groomers, the ski feels a little “rough”, or slow, on edge – like the two extra camber points don’t let the edge track as cleanly in the snow. This isn’t a huge deal by any means, it’s not bothersome to me, but it is something I’ve noticed here and there. The 108, on the other hand, while again it feels like you have a little less edge under your feet, make a tighter, cleaner carve.
-What I really liked about the 108 was the reduced swingweight in the tip and tail, which make it so fun and easy to spin and flip, but at the same the ski still feels nice and stable underfoot (it doesn’t feel too light or squirrelly as a whole). The Deathwish doesn’t feel heavy by any means (it’s just as snappy as the 108), but it’s not quite as light and precise in the air. I felt like I could throw butters and spins off pretty much anything around the mountain on the 108. haven’t always felt that way about the Deathsiwh. As Jason says in this Deathwish review: “If I were adding to my list of things to change to make this ski the ultimate, it would be to take a little material out of the tips and tails to make these things absolutely twirl in the air.”
– In pow I’d say the two skis are comparable in terms of float. Sometimes running into patches of fresh pow at speed, I’ve been kicked forward a bit over the shovels, but hey…neither are dedicated pow skis. Considering how fun the skis are elsewhere, I’d say their performance in fresh is totally satisfactory.
I can make some more detailed comparisons in my review, but hopefully that’s enough to give you a general sense for now.
Cheers,
Will
Jonathan and Will – thanks for the great information. This is very helpful. I actually just traded my Tahoes for some Night Trains (probably not the ideal quiver addition but the trade was easy), so now I have Bibbys, Garbones and Night Trains in the quiver. I think I have some decisions to make on whether to keep all these or swap one for something else like the Deathwish.
Hey guys,
Great site! I just picked up the 190 Deathwish and was wondering where you guys recommend mounting them. I am about 6’2 210 and plan on using the Deathwish as my only ski for trips out west. Is mounting them at -1 the way to go?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
stoked to read the 190 review
Really enjoy and appreciate your ski reviews, very, very helpful. Would especially appreciate a head to head comparison of the Deathwish to the Praxis Concept, which would seem to be the one ski that is closest in design. Can you help me out? Thanks,
John
Thanks, John! And since you asked so nicely … we’ll post that exact review in a couple of days. (Just got the review in from Noah Bodman.)
Great review!
I currently have 178 ON3P Filthy Riches mounted dead center with fks 18s. I ski these at my local mountain (grouse mountain) in vancouver, but we never really get any powder. This year however, i’ve been to whistler a lot of times, and i could really feel these skis struggling in powder. I’m an advanced-expert skiier that is 5’11” and 165. i’m looking for something to compliment my skiing style, fast carvy descents with the occasional backcountry booter or cliff. I’m also gonna be doing some catskiing this year. Trying to decide whether to get fatties like Deathwish’s, JJ’s or S7’s, or stick to something smaller like a PB&j or Jeronimo… Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Guys,
I love your website! Ever since finding it, I’ve been really appreciative of what you do and how well you do it – really stellar work! I was wondering if you might be able to help me out:
I am an east coast skier (6′, 185#) and currently ski 177 atomic blogs and like them, but have come to the realization that i want something a bit more charge-y and longer (180-185 range). I spent a season in Taos as an instructor in 2001/02, but have since lived in the east and ski mostly in Maine and New Hampshire. I do get out West – either Utah (typically ski Snowbasin and Big Cottonwood – more Brighton, but when at Solitude, Honeycomb and Headwall Forest) or Vail/Crested Butte – though the majority of my skiing is on the east.
I was recently in Vail and demoed some Dynastar Cham 97s (184) and Line SFB’s. I liked the way the Chams held an edge and ripped everything apart, but I was not too psyched about their weight (probably partially due to demo bindings). The SFB’s were fun, but they skied way short (I was on the 178s), and they didn’t seem as playful as I thought they were going to be.
Ideally, I’m looking for something on the stiff side like the Cham, but with the playfulness and weight (or close to – +or- a few oz is ok) of the Blog. How do the Moment Deathwishes compare/fit, and can you give any other suggestions?
Thanks!
-Rob
Soul 7 vs Deathwish for an “everyday” ski at Lake Louise and Revelstoke….? which one would recommend?
Hey, Tyler – Jason hasn’t skied the Soul 7 yet, and I’ve reviewed it and the Deathwish. Honestly, between the two, I don’t have any better advice on this one than to have you draw your own conclusions from the reviews, unless you had a more specific question?
How would you say this compares to the Blizzard Gunsmoke?
Hey guys,
I was wondering if any of you have ridden the ON3P kartel 106? I’m currently stuck between the kartel and the deathwish. I ski mostly Tahoe and am looking for something that I can open up and push hard on the steeps but that’ll butter, spin, and slay the park when the snow isn’t falling.
Hey guys,
Love all the reviews! I was wondering if you were gonna look at the Deathwish for the 18/19 season? I am considering buying a pair but I am a bit nervous regarding the moustache profile. I used to ski race so need a ski that gives me something back!
Thanks