fbpx

Field Tested: Next Year’s Gear Used and Abused

Field Tested: Next Year’s Gear Used and Abused

This story originally ran in the October 2008 issue of Freeskier (V11.1).

Photo: Jay Michelfelder

BLACK DIAMOND MEGAWATT
With rocker and reverse-camber skis proliferating the marketplace, I decided to jump on the bandwagon this year to see what the buzz was all about. One of the things I really liked about the Megawatt is the versatility of the skis. All rockered and reverse-camber skis work great in powder, where they give you an amazing surfy ride, with the Megawatt being no exception. But what set these skis apart was their hard-snow performance. They actually carved pretty damn well. And given the fact that at some point during the year, you’ll be skiing
something other than powder, that’s a good thing. -TW

HEAD GE PRO
I used the GE Pro primarily on trips to Breckenridge this year. With jumps, pipes and jibs galore at the mountain, these purple beauties were never restless. Not only that, but the groomer you have to take after getting off the chair and before reaching the park allowed me to rail the skinny-like-race-ski boards up on their edges. While the nar- row waists were great for pretending I was Picabo Street, they lacked a bit when landing jumps and sliding rails as I prefer a bit wider platform. But in the pipe, I had absolutely no complaints. -NB

LINE SIR FRANCIS BACON
I got these skis the day before I had to leave for AK, and had never even tried them before. I was nervous, but thankfully, they ruled my world. The shape and flex of the SFBs are absolutely perfect for deep pow. They are slightly rockered, fat, and have a fairly soft tip. They made me look way better than I actually am while skiing 50-degree slopes in knee-deep powder, and quickly became my tool of choice for powder days. -MH

ROXY BROOMSTIX
The Roxy Broomstix are infinitely better this year than last. With Roxy stepping up and creating an original design with input from Sarah Burke, this park ski hangs tough amongst the crowd. They are very responsive and have a great swing weight in the air. When hitting the middle jump line in Keystone, they can roll out the landing gear and provide a great base for sticking it. Not only were these skis at home in A51, but they were a great all-mountain ski at the Canyons in January where there wasn’t much of a park at the time save something the locals refer to as a “natural halfpipe.” -NB

SALOMON CZAR
I first tested the Czars for a week up in Whistler in mid-April. Apart from consuming a river of Caesars (I love that pickled string bean they drop in at Earl’s) and generally losing the battle for sobriety in the midst of the World Skiing Invitational, I did a lot of skiing. The conditions were variable to say the least. I skied two inches of dust on top of crust-frozen moguls, had some legit powder turns, and slogged through heavy spring-like conditions. The Czars handled all of these conditions like a champ. Strong at speed, fl oaty when needed, quick edge to edge… these skis are truly an example of the best parts of all this new ski design “progression.” -CJ

SALOMON SUSPECT
I first got on the Suspects at our park test in Keystone, CO, and after one lap, I was begging Salomon for a pair. They have a traditional shape and flex all around, and I felt comfortable on them instantly. I would be lying if I said they took my park skills up to a new level, but they did provide a really solid platform for hitting big jumps, and were lightweight, making jibbing around a breeze.
-MH

Upgrade Your Inbox

Don't waste time seeking out the best skiing content; we'll send it all right to you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *