Footloose Sports 2006 SKI REVIEWS now online

[SquawMan]

why can't the ski magazines write like this?

wait, I know, they don't want to upset their paid advertisers

anyway, these are great and there are tons more than just the samples below.....fantastic job guys

http://www.footloosesports.com/reviews





Volkl
Mantra
High Performance Powder/Big-Mountain All-Mountain
The Mantra is the all-new replacement for the ancient and much loved Explosiv fat ski. Like the old Explosiv, the Mantra is a stiff, burly fat ski made for expert skiers who want one fat ski that will work well in a variety of snow conditions, and take some serious abuse. The Mantra has the same bomber laminate construction as the old ski, with a wider (and slightly softer) tip for better carving, and rounder, smoother shapes to the tip and tail. This is one of the best skis out there for big, strong skiers, and it rules in crud and chopped-up snow, and grips better than most skis this size on hard snow. It’s a great choice for big Western ski areas that get a variety of conditions, but there are better true powder skis out there: it’s just too stiff to be a powder ski, but this is a worthy compromise for everyday versatility. We’d be willing to bet that the Mantra will carry on the Explosiv tradition of bulletproof durability.
Compare to the Rossignol B3, Head Monster iM88, K2 Apache Chief, Atomic Sugar Daddy.
Requires wide brakes.
Sizes 170, 177, 184, 191, Sidecut 130-94-113
$765

Sanouk
High Performance Powder
The best powder ski we sell. The Sanouk is the only true powder-specific ski on our rack, a board designed only for maximum performance in soft snow only. While most fat skis compromise some aspect of powder performance in order to salvage packed snow function- too much sidecut, a too-stiff flex- the Sanouk is built for surfing only.
The flex is ultra-soft and even. The shape is about as fat as it get (110mm underfoot) for float, with a nearly straight sidecut (for smearing and straightlining) and a notched swallow tail to help keep the tip floating. The tips are long, tall affairs that look ungainly, but make perfect sense in powder. Combined with the swallow tail and the ski’s soft flex and (relatively) light weight, the long tips shorten the effective length of the Sanouk- it skis shorter than the 193 size would suggest.
Our tester’s were blown away by this ski last season- we feel it is the best powder ski on the market for aggressive skiers.
Compare to the K2 Apache Chief or the Rossi B4.
Requires wide brakes.
193 only, Sidecut 130-110-120
$1,000


K2
Apache Chief
High Performance Powder/Big Mountain All-Mountain
The Chief is the all-new versatile performance fat ski from K2, replacing the popular AK Launcher with more width and the new rounder, wider tip shape that characterizes the Apache skis. The Chief looks tailor-made for aggressive skiing in steep terrain, but it’ll also work well as a powder-specific ski for more conservative skiers. The Chief is more evidence of K2’s commitment to responding to what skiers want. As modern fat skis (and ski technique) have evolved, we’ve learned that smooth, round tips and tails hang up less and allow for more predictable skidding and sliding in the steeps. Skiers are also finding that dramatic sidecuts can also be a liability in the steeps, restricting the ability to skid and slither. And after trying different widths, it also becomes clear that for soft snow, the wider the overall shape, the better. Hard snow performance doesn’t start to drop until the waist starts getting wider than a typical foot, in other words, about 100mm.
K2 has adapted the Chief to respond to skier’s feedback, and it shows in the perfect waist width for a big-mountain ski- 98mm, in the straightish, easy-skidding sidecut, and in the smooth, round-shaped tip and tail. Anyone whose skied the classic AK Launcher will be familiar with the light feel and soft, forgiving, yet energetic flex, but the Chief ski also gets K2’s Mod damping technology for a quieter ride. The torsion box construction is lighter than most, but surprisingly durable.
This is a perfect ski for expert skiers who hunt the whole mountain for soft snow, who want to maximize soft snow performance while maintaining function in hard snow and steeps. This would be an ideal backcountry ski with its light weight and versatility. The Chief really shines in the steeps- it’s light and bouncy, and skids predictably. The soft, deep flex helps the ski float in the soft stuff and gives it a forgiving nature that encourages pushing your limits. And despite the soft flex and lightweight, no-metal construction, the Chief is trustworthy and predictable at high-speeds, although it’s not a freight train like the Dynastar Legend Pro or the 195 Rossi B4.
The Chief will also work great as a dedicated powder ski for more conservative skiers, but they won’t like it as much on the packed groomers- although it’s plenty manageable. Skiing Magazine’s tester’s noted the Chief’s ”...surprising short-turn ability for such a huge ski.” This is almost the perfect board for a Mammoth skier who mostly skis the upper mountain, chair 22, Chair 9, and anywhere the snow is soft. Heavyweight skiers may find the Chief a little soft for aggressive skiing (although it can handle a fair amount of abuse).
This ski may quickly become hard to find…
Compare to the Dynastar Legend 8800, Rossignol B4, Fischer Watea/Atua, or Volkl Mantra/Gotama.
Requires wide brakes.
Sidecut 126-98-116. Sizes 167, 174, 181, 188cm.
$700


Maiden AK
Powder
This rocker-themed Maiden AK powder ski is one of the widest skis available, and more versatile than most other skis in the category. As much as K2 has tried to make it look tough with the black rocker graphics, this is a surprisingly friendly ski- in addition to the pontoon floatation, it has a relatively soft, even flex and plenty of shape to pull it through the turn. K2’s torsion box construction is light and has a friendly energy. Like all of K2’s fat skis, it is easy to turn, predictable, and less demanding than some of the heavier-weight, stiffer fat skis (yet they are remarkably durable). This is more of a true powder ski than something made to straightline through avalanche debris- it wants to turn more than haul ass. Like the Seth Vicious and Public Enemy, the AK is riveted tip and tail to prevent delams. Look at the price of the competition, and this ski starts to make a lot of sense.
Compare to the Volkl Gotama/Sanouk.
Requires wide brakes.
179 and 189 only, Sidecut 137/108/127
$750

Seth Vicious
High Performance Powder/Big-Mountain All-Mountain Twin
The new incarnation of the Seth Pistol has been tweaked with a more moderate side cut and a wider 98mm waist for better performance in powder and the steeps. This ski is the benchmark for a new breed of progressive big mountain/powder skis- it’s like a big park ski. The Vicious is at it’s best making round arcs in chopped-up snow: the supple flex and fat tips are really good in crud or skied-up powder. Where it loses a little is in skidding turns in tight spots or on hardpack- but that’s not really what this ski was made for. K2 scales down the flex with the sizes, so a 189 is stiffer and burlier as well as longer, and vice versa. While the smaller sizes are versatile all-mountain skis (even ok for the park), the 189 is a true big-mountain ski, same as Seth Morrison skis on.
Compare to the Fischer Atua/Kehua/Rangi, the Atomic Sugar Daddy, Salomon Pocket Rocket, the Head Mojo 90, or Rossignol B4.
Requires wide brakes.
Sizes 169, 179, 189, Sidecut 130/98/118
$750

Atomic Sugar Daddy
Powder/All-Mountain
Reissue of this ski without the original atomic-only binding plate. Lightweight, solid, floaty, skid-able. This is a great Mammoth soft snow ski, and a good choice for a backcountry board. The sugar Daddy has a relatively moderate sidecut, which works great it the steeps and in soft snow, but (combined with the skis’ 99mm waist) it also makes this ski a little balky on packed snow (which really isn’t what it’s made for). The Sugar Daddy really impressed us- it’s light, maneuverable and relatively forgiving in the powder and crud, but at the same time stable, solid, and predictable like a bigger ski. This ski shined for us on a Chair 22 powder day last season- they were great for skidding long, drifty fall-line turns in the thick wind-deposition Avvy Chutes. Compared to the other skis in the category the Sugar Daddy will feel lighter, but also a little stiffer and more demanding. If you like the Pocket Rocket but want something a little stiffer and straighter, this is a good bet. Compare to the K2 Apache Chief, the Rossignol B4, or the Salomon S-Lab Gun.
Sizes 163, 173, 183, Sidecut 126/99/117

Fischer Watea
High Performance Powder/Big Mountain All-Mountain
Fischer’s new entry into the big mountain ski category is just what the chargers are looking for: a 101mm waist, and a full laminate construction make it a worthy competitor for the Chair 23 line-up (or just for big guys who need a stout soft snow ski). Our testers are stoked on the new Fischer fat ski line- they have a nice balance of performance characteristics that make this a surprisingly versatile ski. It has enough shape to make nice medium radius turns, and the waist width is the maximum possible while retaining some solid hard-snow capability. Yet it still seems to skid and drift well in the pow. It’s a big beefy ski, but with no metal in the layup it’s still light enough to swing around in the steeps. Compare to the Rossi B4, the K2 Chief, or the Volkl Mantra/Gotama.
192cm only, Sidecut 130/101/118
$900

[ulty_guy]

sweet, these guys do a great job!

[skier0178]

it's an overall great shop, they do great boot fittings as well....

[tuffy109]

your knees are gonna hurt if you stay like that too long.

[Canuk]

your knees are gonna hurt if you stay like that too long.

LOL...

the reviews were still full of ass-kissing....but I did like the fact that they actually talked about how the ski skied.

[H-wood]

That was a suprise.
I put together all the ski reviews for Footloose (a ski shop in Mammoth), and it's really nice to get some stoke- thank you. We'll also have boot reviews up over the next couple of days. I'd love to get maggot feedback, but keep in mind the website is a work in progress.

I have to say that Footloose puts more energy and money into actually testing product that most shops- or ski magazines for that matter. We have a on-snow trade fair in Feb so people from ski shops can test the next season's product- most shops send two people, the managers in charge of ordering, and maybe a couple of saggy-britches rental monkeys who just want to pimp the reps.
Footloose sends at least 10 employees of various ages and abilities out with score/comment cards, testing everything we can get our hands on. The stack of cards I had to go through was huge- 100+ skis, almost all tested by multiple skiers.
One of the owners of the shop (and one of the most respected bootfitters in the ski world), Corty Lawrence, spends weeks working on the boot reviews when he could be riding his mountain bike.

As for ass-kissing, for what it's worth, I don't owe the ski industry a thing- I ski on used stuff that I buy for cheap- I'd rather buy the exact gear I want than ski on free stuff that might not work for me.
After testing hundreds of different skis over the years, I think that compared to ten years ago, most skis are pretty dang fun. The key is finding something that works for you.

Likewise, Footloose does not owe the ski industry a thing- in fact it's the other way around. Because it's the biggest, most successful shop in a big ski resort, every ski company wants us to sell their product- we pick and choose the skis we like, and say what we want about them, not what the marketing departments would like us to say.
This is one the reasons thousands of people have bought gear from us. We're not going to tell you that a Pocket Rocket is great for nuking through chop, or a piston plate is going to make your ski more versatile in pow.

All in all, I think our reviews, while most definitely imperfect, have more and better information about the product than the magazines (who are beholden to their advertisers) or the manufacturer's websites.
No, you won't see any negative reviews- the skis and boots that we sell were chosen because they work well for their intended purpose.
But I do try to differentiate skis within a category, and give a feel for what the ski is like in different conditions- I don't think Volkl appreciates me saying that the Mantra isn't a great powder ski, but that's what the consensus was.

Again, Squawman, Ulty, 0178, thanks for the props.

-Hans