by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Völkl 100 Eight didn’t change between last season and whenever you’re reading this sentence, but it did the year before, and therein lies the tale. Prior to its transformation, the 100 Eight already was sculpted into Völkl’s signature 3D.Ridge shape that seems to pare away every extra atom of ski. 3D.Ridge first appeared on the V-Werks Katana, where it was – and continues to be – pressed from layer upon layer of carbon. As applied to the 100 Eight, 3D.Ridge is formed from fiberglass, with carbon relegated to the role of stringers through the wood core. The original 100 Eight mimicked the Katana’s structure, but didn’t match its gripping power. Last year Völkl added 3D.Glass to 3D.Ridge and a perfect union was formed. The transformation couldn’t be more dramatic, like the nerd in high school who overnight evolves into a rock star.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Gottaluvit 105 Ti is the embodiment of K2’s core competence in three arenas that fall in the brand’s wheelhouse: fat skis, double doses of rocker and skis tailored for women, each directed to the same goal: make all-condition skiing easier. K2 was the first major brand to shift its focus to recreational off-trail skiing and earliest adopter of rocker to improve ease in every snow condition. The extra stability provided by the ribbon of Titanal around its perimeter gives the Gottaluvit the juice to plunder chunder and the edge grip needed to keep a wide ski calm on hardpack.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
Women and men aren’t so different, at least when it comes to what they need in a powder ski. The Sheeva 10 and wider Sheeva 11 (112mm underfoot @ 172cm, $840) deliver what both genders are after: a stable foundation that won’t wilt in a crisis and a forgiveness that masks small errors so they don’t become big ones. The imperturbable center of the Sheevas is a top laminate of Titanal that runs nearly edge-to-edge underfoot but tapers to a blunt tongue that doesn’t quite reach either tip or tail. The extremities are deliberately left loose so they can roll with the punches that crud skiing delivers.
by Jackson Hogen | Aug 31, 2018
The Big Mountain design playbook calls for tips and tails that are both rockered and tapered so they won’t interfere with the smearing action that takes the travail out of off-trail travel, and the Rustler 10 is typical in this regard. Where it deviates from the norm is through its midsection, which is capped by a Titanal plate that’s edge-to-edge underfoot and narrows to a nub that stops halfway up the forebody and tail. The Titanal delivers discernibly more power and deflection resistance than the carbon-reinforced extremities. Testers appreciated the lighter weight that helped the Rustler 10 feel quicker than most Big Mountain models.
