Capital Big Mountain Charger Review

[jrosendahl]

Capital Big Mountain Charger Review

I figured I would write this review since I am not sure how many more days I will get on these boards this season.

The person
30, 150ish lbs, 5'10
Fairly decent skier - Have been skiing for the vast majority of my life.
My other pair of skis are 190 V-Pros, with freerides mounted on them.

The Ski
Capital Big Mountain Charger
132-107-117 / 196cm / full twin / Stiff Flex
Freeride+ bindings
Scarpa Denali XT boots

The resort
A-Basin spring

Getting the skis -
I was supposed to get these skis in Febuary, they arrived in April. It was a long frustrating experience, as nice of a guy as Greg was, it was really hard not to be pissed about it. In an attempt at catharsis - I had requested the Greg re-name my particular pair of skis the Godot – but he did not.

I you order the skis, be ready for extra charges, I wired Greg what he said was the full amount when I ordered the skis, then a few months later he wanted sales tax and shipping. Then when I picked up the skis there was a $27 brokerage fee COD. I am not really sure what a brokerage fee is, naturally I blame it on Canada.

Having the skis -
The skis are really burly and rather pretty. There was a plastic coating on the skis which was not exactly even, and has several air pockets – marring what would otherwise be the perfect looking ski.

The cut of the ski surprised me, it looked a lot more big up top and small on the bottom then the Hourglass I am used to.

Mounting the Skis -
Marshalolson did the mount – and did a fantastic job. He deserves mad props.

Skiing the Skis -
So I only have about 4 runs on these skis, But what runs they were.

The first run I was saying damn these things are huge lets take a warm up. The skis railed, I flew down the hill – no chatter, no slip, no matter what snow was under me. By the time I got to the lift I could not help but to smile.

After a uneventful but pleasant run down the East Wall, we hiked up to the Noth Pole. The north pole is a stepish run, we took the third entrance which is probably the easiest one – the first entrance was closed and the second was crowded. I dropped in and got that same in control feeling, I skied the top half lazily, mainly because I did not want to hit a rock. A little ways down, I made a jump turn and it was just all wrong. I think the the mounting point is too far back, because it really felt like I was swinging what felt like rather heavy tips around like sludge hammers. Alternatively – I could just be weak and a bad skier who should learn to jump turn less and or gain some leg mussels. I figure I will give the skis another half a season before I move the mounting point up.

The last run was down some reasonably steep, fairly icy, but well spaced trees (the Alleys). They gave me a really stable platform to work from but I didn't really have confidence that I could make really snappy turns. In hindsight, I think that you just become a lot more committed to your turns.

Overall -
Amazing ski – but not for smaller skiers, especially those that force their turns.

The Good:
I smiled after skiing a groomer – this is very rare.
Great consistent edge hold
Rips through anything
Can not be over powered
Surprisingly light for a big ski
Probably great in powder (see the ugly)
Really Really Fast

The Bad
Strange feel on jump turns (The mounting point may be too far back)
Imperfect top sheet


The Ugly
Um yea there going to be a few months late - oh and can I have another $100

[skier666]

You have any pics?

[Lok]

Thanks for posting. The 'Big Mountain Charger' and the 'Punishment' models have been the most intriguing, and it's great to finally see a review. How would you compare the stiff flex to something like a Big Daddy, Explosive etc.? Are they short for a 196 cm? The 'El Jefe' skis that are in the quiver pic thread are a little short w.r.t. the stated total length.

I had a pair of skis this season that were similar in shape (133/105/113 mm in a 198 cm) and those skis also had the recommended mounting point far back. Yes, the weight distribution felt weird, but they were amazing at high speed and after spending a few more days of them I got used to the fact that they had a lower speed limit.

And, yes, pictures would be nice.

[jrosendahl]

They are really stiff. I have not flexed alot of skis, they are way stiffer than my v-pros, which are way stiffer than this years karmas.

Length wise I think this pic will help.


here are two more close-ups of the tip and tail
The Tip


The Tail

[Vicious]

So the BMC is listed as a small twin tip standard on their site. That tail still appears to be a fairly significant upturn, but it may just be the angle...can you confirm?

So, are those 190 V-pros? Could you measure the BMC's tip to tail (straight) and give us the true length?

Imperfect topsheet? It almost looks as if the stringer is offset on the tip shown above?

That's a big ass ski to mount AT.

Lastly, to save you some typing time, you could just tell me when you'll be at the Basin next and I'll come meet up and have a first hand look at them...

[Z]

So the BMC is listed as a small twin tip standard on their site. That tail still appears to be a fairly significant upturn, but it may just be the angle...can you confirm?

So, are those 190 V-pros? Could you measure the BMC's tip to tail (straight) and give us the true length?

Imperfect topsheet? It almost looks as if the stringer is offset on the tip shown above?

That's a big ass ski to mount AT.

Lastly, to save you some typing time, you could just tell me when you'll be at the Basin next and I'll come meet up and have a first hand look at them...

Yeah homie, you DEFINITELY need more skis.


I checked these out and they're pimp. FULL twin. But also seemed to be all 196cm. I think shral measured running length to ski like a 185. Still a big ski. Top sheet is fuckin rad when your more than a foot or 2 away. The plastic covering is a bit iffy and kills a bit of the beatifulness closer up. Still REALLY nice, but the topsheet doesn't hold a candle to iggies.

Sweet skis jro. I give you half a season before you wake up and mount those puppies alpine.

That said, I want some punishments. BAD.

[marshalolson]

these BMC's are full twins as far as i can tell. they are STIFF. 260ish iggy flex. tails are as stiff as an explosiv and the shovel is stiffer. they would ski like a 185cm flat tail. they are also SUPER heavy. significantly heavier than similarly flexed igneous, and almost as heavy as my 190 pow+. very heavy.

have fun skiing those with denalis. hopefully you have some alpine boots too.

oh, and j, did i manage to miss you at the mini? too bad. well make turns next season

[iggyskier]

yeah...my 184 El Jefe, that were supposed to be gotama stiff...where much much much stiffer.

I thought about 250 on the iggy scale, maybe a bit more in the tails.

and as marshal said, super heavy.

my 184 el jefe are beasts. weight close to what my 190 FFF 240s weight it seems.

also - my skis were late too.

and I did get a UPS bill a few days ago for them. like $30. fuck them though. I am not paying it.

they like to go fast though.

if you want sick skis you should check out on3p. early next season. the octogon is going to fuck shit up

[upallnight]

yeah...my 184 El Jefe, that were supposed to be gotama stiff...where much much much stiffer.

I thought about 250 on the iggy scale, maybe a bit more in the tails.

and as marshal said, super heavy.

my 184 el jefe are beasts. weight close to what my 190 FFF 240s weight it seems.

also - my skis were late too.

and I did get a UPS bill a few days ago for them. like $30. fuck them though. I am not paying it.

they like to go fast though.

if you want sick skis you should check out on3p. early next season. the octogon is going to fuck shit up

errrm....given the capital experience(s)....shouldn't we wait until the boards are actually under foot before declaring what they do or don't rule??

[iggyskier]

errrm....given the capital experience(s)....shouldn't we wait until the boards are actually under foot before declaring what they do or don't rule??

I am confused....I got my capitals in March, skied them enough times to decide I didn't want to keep them (pretty big decision considering it is about an $800 ski purchase), and have since sold them.

wouldn't that count as having the boards underfoot?

[addict]

J, can you give a rundown of previous skis you've skiied and where they were mounted/how that mounting was for you for comparison?

[pechelman]

if you want sick skis you should check out on3p. early next season. the octogon is going to fuck shit up

whats the shape gonna be?
cant find too much information about this, besides whats on newschoolers

[upallnight]

I am confused....I got my capitals in March, skied them enough times to decide I didn't want to keep them (pretty big decision considering it is about an $800 ski purchase), and have since sold them.

wouldn't that count as having the boards underfoot?

Oh...yeah...that is definitely true. Going against the grain (which you did with Capital) and speaking out honestly when things weren't right is awesome...but I'm not sure what to make of the "on3p" comment.

I'm saying that hyping skis without skiing them is probably not the best idea (regarding your quote:

if you want sick skis you should check out on3p. early next season. the octogon is going to fuck shit up

)

Some folks seem to get pretty hyped on custom (or anything they haven't skied) boards...but then they might not always be what they seem. I know you skied the Caps & didn't like them (and made a real assessment & no doubt a hard decision to sell), but it sounds like Capital basically couldn't deliver the product they promised/committed to. Yeah, it looked pretty and had a good shape, but the flex was not what they claimed, which is a pretty freaking big deal for a ski.

So.....all I'm saying is that sometimes companies deliver what they promise and it's amazing...and other times they don't. Unfortunately, we can't tell whether the company will deliver until they've proven themselves to get "sick skis" (in my opinion, produce a good, consistent product) in customers' hands, but we can be careful with some comments.

There is a difference between, say, seeing a proto of next year's Volkl Whatever and being excited because we know Volkl has a history of good product (though it is still sketchy to comment on it if we haven't skied it) vs. a company producing its first ski in the garage.

This is not directed at you or any individual/company in particular...just an observation I've had over the past 6 months or so: There often is alot of buzz about certain gear...particularly custom or low-volume skis, where the stakes are higher. People get pretty amped (esp after paying big $)...and sometimes convince themselves that they are "great skis" when they're not. The hype then influences others to jump on, buy the gear, and convince themselves they really like it. It's similar to a 'sunk cost' mentality.

You certainly didn't have that mindset with your Caps...but I just think we, as a group, need to be careful when evaluating gear.

I think it's awesome that people speak up about problems because its good information and gives companies that care a chance to improve...but if we don't speak up about them, people read the "pre-hype" and assume it to be true.

Yeah, it is up to the buyer to protect himself, but we don't have to make it harder.

(If you have skied production models of those skis, then I would take back all the comments except the above general observation.)

[iggyskier]

Oh...yeah...that is definitely true. Going against the grain (which you did with Capital) and speaking out honestly when things weren't right is awesome...but I'm not sure what to make of the "on3p" comment.

I'm saying that hyping skis without skiing them is probably not the best idea (regarding your quote:

)

Some folks seem to get pretty hyped on custom (or anything they haven't skied) boards...but then they might not always be what they seem. I know you skied the Caps & didn't like them (and made a real assessment & no doubt a hard decision to sell), but it sounds like Capital basically couldn't deliver the product they promised/committed to. Yeah, it looked pretty and had a good shape, but the flex was not what they claimed, which is a pretty freaking big deal for a ski.

So.....all I'm saying is that sometimes companies deliver what they promise and it's amazing...and other times they don't. Unfortunately, we can't tell whether the company will deliver until they've proven themselves to get "sick skis" (in my opinion, produce a good, consistent product) in customers' hands, but we can be careful with some comments.

There is a difference between, say, seeing a proto of next year's Volkl Whatever and being excited because we know Volkl has a history of good product (though it is still sketchy to comment on it if we haven't skied it) vs. a company producing its first ski in the garage.

This is not directed at you or any individual/company in particular...just an observation I've had over the past 6 months or so: There often is alot of buzz about certain gear...particularly custom or low-volume skis, where the stakes are higher. People get pretty amped (esp after paying big $)...and sometimes convince themselves that they are "great skis" when they're not. The hype then influences others to jump on, buy the gear, and convince themselves they really like it. It's similar to a 'sunk cost' mentality.

You certainly didn't have that mindset with your Caps...but I just think we, as a group, need to be careful when evaluating gear.

I think it's awesome that people speak up about problems because its good information and gives companies that care a chance to improve...but if we don't speak up about them, people read the "pre-hype" and assume it to be true.

Yeah, it is up to the buyer to protect himself, but we don't have to make it harder.

(If you have skied production models of those skis, then I would take back all the comments except the above general observation.)

upallnight........

on3p, if you couldn't tell, was kind of a joke.

I am building my own ski press this summer and hoping to press some skis next year.

it is called on3p (said 1 3 p)

yeah - it is going to be produced in my garage, so I am stoked for it no matter what.

BUT - I do realize the kind of mentality you talk about. Sometimes customs just aren't what you expect.

Deciding that the Capitals, a ski I put a lot of money into and spend a lot of time waiting for wasn't what I wanted really sucked. $800 is a lot to drop on something that didnt turn out how you expected.

But - thats life. I lost $200 on those skis, and I feel they weren't made to how I asked (which....I still need to email Greg about). But...they weren't what I wanted.

regarding stoke on custom skis.....every single pair of iggies I've owned (2 FFFs, FGS, MFC) has been amazing. IMO, they are the best skis made.

and the Kwoods midfats Ive been skiing on, which I actually got before the Capitals, I've loved a lot. I orignially planned to replace the Capitals with a Kwood Midfat extra flex, as Ive skied that ski now in a regular flex for at and love the shape and way it skis.

I've owned way way way too many skis (like 25 skis in maybe 5 years) and of all of them, the iggies and Kwoods are still on top.

capitals weren't. but that is my opinion.

[upallnight]

upallnight........

on3p, if you couldn't tell, was kind of a joke.

I am building my own ski press this summer and hoping to press some skis next year.

it is called on3p (said 1 3 p)

yeah - it is going to be produced in my garage, so I am stoked for it no matter what.

BUT - I do realize the kind of mentality you talk about. Sometimes customs just aren't what you expect.

Deciding that the Capitals, a ski I put a lot of money into and spend a lot of time waiting for wasn't what I wanted really sucked. $800 is a lot to drop on something that didnt turn out how you expected.

But - thats life. I lost $200 on those skis, and I feel they weren't made to how I asked (which....I still need to email Greg about). But...they weren't what I wanted.

regarding stoke on custom skis.....every single pair of iggies I've owned (2 FFFs, FGS, MFC) has been amazing. IMO, they are the best skis made.

and the Kwoods midfats Ive been skiing on, which I actually got before the Capitals, I've loved a lot. I orignially planned to replace the Capitals with a Kwood Midfat extra flex, as Ive skied that ski now in a regular flex for at and love the shape and way it skis.

I've owned way way way too many skis (like 25 skis in maybe 5 years) and of all of them, the iggies and Kwoods are still on top.

capitals weren't. but that is my opinion.

Cool. No, I definitely didn't get the "on3p" joke (maybe because I'm dumb or maybe because it was a little too similar to the way others talk about skis they've never ridden...), but I think it's cool that you are going to make your own boards. At least you know what you're getting.

Got my first pair of Iggy's in 1999, so i'm intimately familiar with the waiting, longing, hoping....and their bomber construction. Loved 'em at the time for a bunch of years and they went everywhere with me & came out the other end looking strong...but then realized I wanted to move on given how my skiing & where I was going evolved (lots of time on the uptrack/on my back).

I do really respect your decision to sell the Caps...and I'm glad it only cost you a bit -- you didn't have to eat the full cost. As I said, it was surely a tough decision to me.

I am DEFINITELY not hating on custom skis and small companies (I give tons of props to companies with their heart in the right place), but people need to hear the flipside as sometimes this "mob mentality" forms where folks clamor to have a unique ski....only to realize it's not really the right tool for them.

I'd be super curious to hear what the guy from Capital says about your skis (and the fact that they were off spec). In my opinion, a small company really NEEDS this feedback...and the right company would CARE to make it right.

[iggyskier]

Cool. No, I definitely didn't get the "on3p" joke (maybe because I'm dumb or maybe because it was a little too similar to the way others talk about skis they've never ridden...), but I think it's cool that you are going to make your own boards. At least you know what you're getting.

Got my first pair of Iggy's in 1999, so i'm intimately familiar with the waiting, longing, hoping....and their bomber construction. Loved 'em at the time for a bunch of years and they went everywhere with me & came out the other end looking strong...but then realized I wanted to move on given how my skiing & where I was going evolved (lots of time on the uptrack/on my back).

I do really respect your decision to sell the Caps...and I'm glad it only cost you a bit -- you didn't have to eat the full cost. As I said, it was surely a tough decision to me.

I am DEFINITELY not hating on custom skis and small companies (I give tons of props to companies with their heart in the right place), but people need to hear the flipside as sometimes this "mob mentality" forms where folks clamor to have a unique ski....only to realize it's not really the right tool for them.

I'd be super curious to hear what the guy from Capital says about your skis (and the fact that they were off spec). In my opinion, a small company really NEEDS this feedback...and the right company would CARE to make it right.

I realize that the on3p thing probably didn't sound like a joke. It was basically made for the few people who currently know that it is going on. People do tend to speak like that. So, your arent dumb, it was just a joke that only a few people would appreciate.

I can understand how iggies wouldn't be the best touring option. The newer skis are surprisingly light, though. my 190 FFF 240 arent heavy at all.

the wait process does kind of suck. it is usally worth it though.

selling customs is a hard thing to do. Not just with the caps. ive sold my 185 FGS 250, which were my babies, this summer. I spent the whole day with them before I sold them (they came to work with me). it was sad.

the capitals could be sad....except I just haven't clicked. I think who is going to get them, though, is going to enjoy and thrive on them

regarding the mob mentality, it always seems to be somewhat present with customs. it does suck people DO need to be honest about what skis they truly need.

Basically, I've gone thru so many skis now I feel I know what I want.

the issue with the capitals was:
I ordered a 184cm gotama stiff ski.
I got a 182cm explosive+ stiff ski.
They are the same size as my 179 SP, and 1cm shorter than my 183 gotamas. And stiff. Very stiff.

I will probably post something about what greg says. Others have been very happy with the skis, so maybe my skis just didnt come out correct.

I don't know if I expect or want greg to make it right. I've already sold the skis, so no plans to possibly send them back. At them moment I really don't want another pair either as most of my available funds are going to making my own boards. We'll see. Greg was pretty cool throughout the whole process, even when the skis were a months late.

[upallnight]

I can understand how iggies wouldn't be the best touring option. The newer skis are surprisingly light, though. my 190 FFF 240 arent heavy at all.

True that... I've not lifted a pair of Iggies lately -- they may be light for the burly alpine skis they are, but they sure aren't light. That said, I really did take them all over. Back at that time ('99), the 88mm waist in a 195 cm ski (260/RA flex) was considered huge (it was their "Super Mid Fat" -- now it is the FaGS, I think)....

selling customs is a hard thing to do. Not just with the caps. ive sold my 185 FGS 250, which were my babies, this summer. I spent the whole day with them before I sold them (they came to work with me). it was sad.

Yeah...I remember finally parting with my Iggys...it took me a LONG time to let go...they had helped me take my skiing so far (and were so pricey for me at the time!).

regarding the mob mentality, it always seems to be somewhat present with customs. it does suck people DO need to be honest about what skis they truly need.

Well, I think of it as a service to others, too. It's sometimes hard to "go against the grain" here as people will sometimes jump on you for it...but sharing our collective info and experiences (good AND bad) is really valuable. I think the stakes are higher when there is the amount of money that custom skis go for on the line.

Basically, I've gone thru so many skis now I feel I know what I want.

Yeah -- and I think that you have tried so many and spent time figuring out what was right and wrong about each of them makes your comments more worthwhile. It's far more difficult for someone who has a limited basis for comparison to give meaningful critiques.

the issue with the capitals was:
I ordered a 184cm gotama stiff ski.
I got a 182cm explosive+ stiff ski.
They are the same size as my 179 SP, and 1cm shorter than my 183 gotamas. And stiff. Very stiff.

Ugh. That's just wrong. I understand you already sold the skis (and that buyer actually knows what they are getting as a result of your honesty...and it could be the right ski for him/her), but it still would be interesting to see how Capital handles it. I know that the high price doesn't mean they are making alot of $$ (in fact, margins seem to be super-slim in that biz)...so it is hardfor a company to eat the cost of a ski...but if they told you one thing and sold you another, that's something they should rectify (in my book).

[iggyskier]

True that... I've not lifted a pair of Iggies lately -- they may be light for the burly alpine skis they are, but they sure aren't light. That said, I really did take them all over. Back at that time ('99), the 88mm waist in a 195 cm ski (260/RA flex) was considered huge (it was their "Super Mid Fat" -- now it is the FaGS, I think)....

I remember getting my 185 FGS. They were SO fat....huge at 88 in the waist. I ended up selling them cause they were just too skinny. They were probably my most beloved skis ever. Great everyday ski for CO. I sold them cause I am now in WA and fatties are pretty important. THose skis weren't too bad. The capitals are pretty heavy, very thick tool.

Yeah...I remember finally parting with my Iggys...it took me a LONG time to let go...they had helped me take my skiing so far (and were so pricey for me at the time!).

i think the iggies I bought were only $600, but I had to wait a few months to get them. Pretty different. The FFFs are over a grand now....don't see letting those go ever.

Well, I think of it as a service to others, too. It's sometimes hard to "go against the grain" here as people will sometimes jump on you for it...but sharing our collective info and experiences (good AND bad) is really valuable. I think the stakes are higher when there is the amount of money that custom skis go for on the line.

I think collectively TGR is, considering many are gear whore (myself included), pretty balanced. Most of the people who speak of iggies are people who have owned and love them. I was super pumped for the capitals, because the few things I had heard from those who had them were awesome. It sucks that the financial aspect is so high with customs. I spent a long time waiting for the skis think I ordered them in Late January/Early Feb. Didn't get them until mid march. I spend a lot of time without an everyday ski (although....I got to use my FFFs a lot so it worked out). The commitment, and then disappointment, sucks for sure.

I guess to those getting customs, make sure you are very very clear. I felt I was, but maybe not enough.

Yeah -- and I think that you have tried so many and spent time figuring out what was right and wrong about each of them makes your comments more worthwhile. It's far more difficult for someone who has a limited basis for comparison to give meaningful critiques.

I have now skied a lot of different skis, and am pretty sure I know what I want. I feel like usually my advice, while somewhat biased to customs as they are the ones I enjoy most, are pretty well founded in expirence. I'm hoping now I will get to use that and hopefully make some skis that are enjoyable to ski.

Ugh. That's just wrong. I understand you already sold the skis (and that buyer actually knows what they are getting as a result of your honesty...and it could be the right ski for him/her), but it still would be interesting to see how Capital handles it. I know that the high price doesn't mean they are making alot of $$ (in fact, margins seem to be super-slim in that biz)...so it is hardfor a company to eat the cost of a ski...but if they told you one thing and sold you another, that's something they should rectify (in my book).

The person I sold the skis to is Adam. I think he is going to love them. He's been on a 176 gotama all year. This is going to be a bigger, beefier, stiffer ski. I think he is going to love it. He was planning on getting some customs eventually, and this was save him so cash and time too. He just has to his name is scott when people ask about it on his ski

I plan to email greg once finals are over. I going to tell him what I liked about them, and what I didn't. I do feel that they were not made to what I asked. Regarding the margins, from what I am expecting now it is going to cost my between $200 to $400 to build a pair of skis, depending on the quality of the materials I am buying and how much I am buying in bulk. That is pretty expensive.

If greg asked whether or not I want another ski, I guess I don't know what I would say. I do want to see capital do well, and I guess I wouldn't feel completely right taking the money from a company like that. It will be up to him. A few weeks ago, I probably would have been down. But right now I am pretty excited to get my own skis going, and I have enough skis at the moment anyway, so I really don't need any pair of skis.

[3pin]

To add another perspective to this, I ordered Thrashers earlier this year, and probably have 25 days on them in Tahoe. My order was in October, and I think I had them in early December or thereabouts. Not that long, considering it's a hand-built custom ski. At least, that was my opinion after not getting DBs the year before, cancelling after a 9-month wait. If you want them for the full season, you need to put the order in early. It always sucks waiting for skis that you want, but that's also the price that you pay for a custom stick.

The biggest drawback to buying a custom ski is getting it without being able to try it. I've been on enough skis myself to know what I'm looking for in terms of flex, sidecut, length, etc, but there are so many design subtleties, you can never really be certain that the custom ski you're hoping for will perform exactly as you thought. Having demo'ed a DB Tabla Rasa (almost identical shape to the Thrasher) last year, I thought that was exactly what I wanted, and it was pretty close. Luckily for me, the differences in performance from weight and construction all turned out to be positive, rather than negative, and the ski turned out to be 1 or 2 notches better than I hoped, rather than 1 or 2 below, as Iggyskier felt. And to be honest, it was the flex part where I was guessing more than anything else, but the medium flex that I ordered is pretty spot-on with what I was hoping for.

My Thrashers had similar issues with the topsheet, but the rest of the construction is immaculate, and that's what I care about. After all, these skis aren't going up on my wall (although they're beautiful enough that they almost could), and after 25 days of skiing them, they're not perfect anyway --they've got the regular nicks and marks from skiing. But what matters most to me is that they're bomber and they ski better than the ski I was hoping for.

I think some props are due to Capital for offering Iggyskier the skis that you were originally looking for, and at the same time, to Iggyskier for thinking about whether he needs or wants them instead of automatically saying yes, because that's an investment on Greg's part. But still, in spite of the wait, it's the custom companies (PMGear, Capital, DP, etc) that seem to be willing to make good when it's not what you were looking for.

[iggyskier]

whats the shape gonna be?
cant find too much information about this, besides whats on newschoolers

lol. shape is going to be whateverthefuck I want it to be

but - that ski is looking like it will be around 135/108/119

The biggest drawback to buying a custom ski is getting it without being able to try it. I've been on enough skis myself to know what I'm looking for in terms of flex, sidecut, length, etc, but there are so many design subtleties, you can never really be certain that the custom ski you're hoping for will perform exactly as you thought. Having demo'ed a DB Tabla Rasa (almost identical shape to the Thrasher) last year, I thought that was exactly what I wanted, and it was pretty close. Luckily for me, the differences in performance from weight and construction all turned out to be positive, rather than negative, and the ski turned out to be 1 or 2 notches better than I hoped, rather than 1 or 2 below, as Iggyskier felt. And to be honest, it was the flex part where I was guessing more than anything else, but the medium flex that I ordered is pretty spot-on with what I was hoping for.

That is what make me pretty disappointed. everyone else who has gotten them seems to have gotten the flex they desired, while I fell it was pretty far from it. Construction of these skis is awesome, topsheet isn't an iggy, but the skis will last. Just flex and length.

I think some props are due to Capital for offering Iggyskier the skis that you were originally looking for, and at the same time,

can you explain this more? do you mean the skis ordered in the first place?

as of yet, I have NOT emailed greg to tell him my issues with the skis. When I do I will most likely post about it. But, as of yet I do not know what greg will do about it. Nothing has been offered or discussed.

Iggyskier for thinking about whether he needs or wants them instead of automatically saying yes, because that's an investment on Greg's part. But still, in spite of the wait, it's the custom companies (PMGear, Capital, DP, etc) that seem to be willing to make good when it's not what you were looking for.

again - what i end up doing will depend on what greg says. The skis have found another home where they will be enjoyed. I lost a bit of money, which sucks, but that was not gregs doing. If I was not pursuring building my own skis then maybe I would talk to greg about a replacment or something more.

I think the most valuable thing I can give back to him is my expirence. I KNOW he doesnt want to be building skis that people dont like, so I hope he uses it well.

[upallnight]

I think the most valuable thing I can give back to him is my expirence. I KNOW he doesnt want to be building skis that people dont like, so I hope he uses it well.

Totally! No one would get into that business if they felt they were going to be disappointing people.

I think the mark of the company is what they choose to do with such feedback -- but they have to get it.

I honestly wonder if it's sort of like when Eddie Murphy recorded that song a while back ("My girl wants to party all the time...")...it was horrendous, but I'm sure the people in his crew told him it was great.

What I mean is that Greg (in this case) may just never hear from people who are disappointed (some probably convince themselves they are happy due to the amount they paid....they HAVE to like it), so he is essentially left in a position of creating for himself. If all he is hearing is positive stuff, it seems like he should continue in that direction...even if it's not true.

Does that make any sense?

[jrosendahl]

Addict -
Every ski I have ever skied has been mounted wherever the MFG said to mount. Recently I have skied my 190 V-pros which are great every where, hell I even like them in the bumps. I did not think that they had a speed limit untill now, but now I know they do.

Occasionaly I will ski on the GF's Karmas, which are fun but not very useful.

Everone else
I would like to point out that I really really like the skis. They are exactly what I wanted. Sure there is some risk in geting a ski that you have never tried. But even the big guys skis aren't all exactly the same.

Being down on people being stoked about their custom ski orders is kind of silly. It's like saying that you don't understand people being excited about going skiing in Chile this summer because you know they might not like it and it is expensive and stuff. Better to just stay here wait for the winter and ski groomers at Vail.

This does not necessary mean that discussing the good and the bad is a bad thing, that discussion will help people make good decisions.

As for the timing aspects I am more bummed because he said it would be done by the end of January, they were not. He set the time frame and failed to follow through.

[upallnight]

Being down on people being stoked about their custom ski orders is kind of silly. It's like saying that you don't understand people being excited about going skiing in Chile this summer because you know they might not like it and it is expensive and stuff. Better to just stay here wait for the winter and ski groomers at Vail.

I'm not at all down on people loving custom skis (and as I've said above, I've supported such companies and been stoked myself)... The only thing I'm against is people saying how amazing skis are before skiing them. This does not just apply to custom skis, but due to the investment (and excitement during the wait) involved, it seems that custom skis are more *prone* (=not always, not everybody, but some) to being evaluated based on what people hoped they were, rather than what they really are.

I think the better analogy is not someone being psyched about going to ski in Chile this summer, but, rather, someone saying "Chile is freaking amazing" BEFORE the trip.

Anyway, I think we're all just after good info, and especially appreciative when people have the courage to present "the bad" as part of an honest review...even if it hurts a bit.

[Jumper Bones]

up, even if others don't get it, I'm there with you 100%