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Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
Pass Pulled
Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Posts
4,123
So you probably know me and I ll keep this fairly short.

Skier

Age 32
190lb
5'10
PSIA Ed Staff
like it all but lives for tree skiing.

Ski

186cm 2015 4frnt Renegade


Dimensions (mm): 135-122-129

Turn Radius: 35 meters

Actual Tip to Tail Length (straight tape pull): 185cm

mounted at 86cm from the tail with 4frnt touring binding.

the 4frnt renegade is some deep but wind crusted snow


the 4frnt renegade in some really hard wind slab.


The 4frnt Renegade is the best weird 3d snow to ever be created. Its stiff flex(like stiffer than any ski you currently own), reflect tech side cut, full reverse camber, and almost full reverse side cut will simply destroy any mank, wind crust, rain crust, sun crust, wind slab, upside down snow, or heavy wet snow that you can find. Any size turn at any speed in the worst possible 3d snow you can think of. huge sweet spot, responds to any correct input you give it, punishes back seat driving and full body turners.

It is how ever without its minuses. Hard groomers? there are reports on TGR that its like a fat SG ski. Yeah right. This ski is awful on groomers you can do some smeared open parallel turns but they are awkward as all hell and require way to much attention. If it bumps up and or on choppy groomer you lower leg feels like its going to shatter as you hit stuff and the renegade just doesnt conform and laughs at your silly human bones.

Its also quite awful in REALLY light powder of any depth. This ski needs at least Medium density snow to have something to platform against, in really light snow the tip just spears and its basically impossible to turn. I have 2 skis that ski light snow way better my Patrons and TSTs.

its also surprising good at really flat tree skiing(in 3d snow). You can keep huge speed and just tip you skis and go where you want, super intuitive.

If you live in place that get weird snow like I described and you want to basically go mach looney in the weird stuff I highly recommend this ski. If this is your only powder ski though you might find it lack versatility. If you want the same weird snow skiability in slighltly more manageable on hardpack snow and lighter powder the 4 frnt Hoji is the go to and the Devastator is a great ski for crud busting.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Josh Matta

Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
Pass Pulled
Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Posts
4,123
Nice review. No punches pulled. I get so tired of every ski being "able to do it all"!

Thanks!

when you find me a do it all ski let me know Ill be the first in line to buy it!

My reason for buying this ski was because early last year we got a 20-30 inch dumping of really wet snow, that ended up with a sun crust on it and I lasted 2 runs on my patrons, my legs felt like they were going to be torn off. I wasnt the only one basically no one skied that day. I went down the hill and grabbed a DPS 138 from the rep around here and went back up. Problem solved it still wasnt easy but it was doable and kind of fun.

Reverse/ Reverse skis like the 138, Protest/powder boards, ARG/Bubba and other full RR or nearly RR will all handle weird stuff like this better. The Renegade is the stiffest ski on the market though seriously its flex is basically laminated 2 x4 and for a strong enough pilot is the best in the worse snow.


I would love to find a slightly softer and lighter ski like the renegade to mount with tech to have dedicated touring set up for basically all days in northern Vermont. When I find that skis and it actually snow again I be sure to post about it.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Josh Matta

Josh Matta

Skiing the powder
Pass Pulled
Joined
Dec 21, 2015
Posts
4,123
So the past couple weeks has given me some more time to ski this classic skis.

WE had a huge dump of snow on sunday which was super light and dry when it feel so I skied my El Capos and had a blast, the Renegades wouldnt have been the ski that day...Monday though the winds blew VERY hard and formed some of the weirdest funkiest wind drifts and slab I ever seen in the woods in and around stowe. There was also no hard snow to be found anywhere except the groomers.

One run though Tres Amigos on my EL capos which was impossible told me all I needed to know, grabbed the Renegades and they worked like magic in that stuff, spent the better part of tuesday and wednesday this week suffering on trails to ski un tracked slab woods that were quite frankly incredible on the Renegades. I am still very dissapointed with how hard this ski, is on anything that is packed and even light dry powder though, but it make short work of otherwise unskiable snow.

I found a pair of use and abused 4frnt Hojis and I am hoping those things rocks nearly as hard in weird off trail conditions, while being slightly more managable on trail, bumps and somewhat skied out woods.
 

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