I had the chance to try out both the MR 179's and the District 187's this week at Park City and Deer Valley. First off, I would like to thank both the Bluehouse guys and the Straight Line Ski Shop for the excellent customer service and quick responses to several questions. They are highly recommended if you get to SLC.

A little background ... grew up in UT and taught at Alta for a season. Did not ski between 98 and 06 so I missed the revolution in ski shapes and technology (but I made up for it with golf clubs). Back in the day, my favorite skis were Evolution Black Pearls and K2 Extremes (first retail pair in UT). I will plead the fifth on my current equipment ...

The MR's are the first "wide" skis I've ever tried. While 93mm underfoot may not be wide to this site, for me it was an eye opener. I was really impressed with these skis. I thought they were very versatile and had a nice lively feel. The snow conditions on Wednesday were decent, with a bunch of chopped up late day snow and softer groomers towards the bottom of the hill. What impressed me most was the edge grip (I was worried they would not carve too well) and the ease with which they handled a pretty wide variety of terrain. The only snow they did not like was the hardpack at Deer Valley yesterday. Another nice thing I enjoyed was the size of the "sweet spot." I did not need to be right on top of the ski for it to work unless I was trying to carve on the groomed runs.

The District was a little different experience ... I might have been better served to try the 176. In a 187 it was probably too much ski for me. It was very stable and had a nice "damped" feeling, and really surprised me on the groomed slopes. It had a much higher top end than the MR's. For me, I think I need to try the District in deeper, fresher snow to really give it a full review, but of the two I enjoyed the MR's a little better. A stronger skier would probably prefer the District's.

Both skis performed well in the steeper terrain off McKonkey's and in the Daly Bowls/Chutes, but the MR's were a bit better in the softer bumps off Empire.

I am looking forward to future Bluehouse releases. I think they have a good thing going, and as you can tell by my previous favorites, I like that there is another local ski company in SLC. I would highly recommend giving them a try if you have the chance.

drn92