Today was the Bentgate Mountaineering Demo day at Loveland and it was awesome. My main goal today was to test backcountry skis in the 100mm range and different types of AT bindings. (I am 6-2 185 lb, I used my Hawx Ultra XTD 120 boots (27.5 , 312mm bsl) with the stock liners, Conditions were soft groomers, some fresh powder on top, chopped up powder and soft bumps, cold, about 15ºF)
1. FACTION 2.0 Prime 184cm (98mm wide) w/ DYNAFIT Radical 2.0 Demo bindings
This was the first ski I took out and right away the ski felt pretty loose but not chattery, once on edge it had pretty good stability. It's loose and turny/pivoty when you want it / need it but can still hold a decent edge and carve well when you / need want that. Its a very versatile ski. Did not feel long at all. I am pretty familiar with the Dynafits since I own a pair of Radical 2.0 FTs which are almost identical to these. They feel solid but are a bit tricky to step into for those not used to them.
2. BLIZZARD Zero G95 185cm (95mm wide) w/ MARKER Kingpin 10 Demo Bindings.
This ski felt really good right away, wow. Awesome edgehold and pretty smooth feel on snow. Definitely does not feel like a light ski. It is quite stable but still fun although it is definitely on the "serious" side of the ski spectrum. Handled speed very well. skied true to length. The bindings felt good, secure and had decent dampness. Stepping in the toe is super easy, the rear requires a tad more effort. It is a work of art though. I personally prefer the ease and simplicity of the dynafit style rotating rear piece. I have to mention that these were the demo version of the Kingpins, so they were much heavier than the regular Kingpin binding.
3. G3 ROAMr 100 182cm (100mm wide) w/ G3 ION 12 bindings:
This was my favorite ski setup of the day for dual duty or even mostly backcountry use. It felt awesome right away. Smooth and damp. I could ski them at the resort all day no problem. They held a good edge and offered good performance in all the snow conditions I encountered. Easy to ski. I loved the ION bindings. They were super easy to step into the toe and the rear felt solid. They did not feel harsh at all, super smooth although the skis probably had a lot to do with that. The setup felt dialed. I would definitely buy it. I really liked their line of products.
4. DYNAFIT Beast 98 184cm (98mm wide) w/ Dynafit ST Rotation bindings.
These skis did not feel right. I think they were in need of a tune and wax (they felt slower and sticky on the snow). Trying to see through that the skis are akin to the Blizzard Zero G95's. They are definitely directional skis with a hard snow bias in the realm of powder skis. Solid edge hold. Pretty stiff which was nice. The ST Rotation bindings felt and are very similar to my Radicals but the detent stop in the rotating toe pice helps somewhat when stepping into the binding.
5. Salomon QST 92 185cm w/ Salomon Warden 13 Demo bindings (Alpine!).
Ok, this is not an AT setup but I had some time so I took these out for a lap. Woah, these felt nice of course after demoing a bunch of pretty light AT setups and then getting into these which with the demo bindings are just much heavier than all the previous skis I demoed. That said, when compared to other damp skis I know and love these felt really good. Much more stable, damp and secure than the previous generation of Salomon QSTs. I had the same feeling last season when I demoed the new 2019 QST 106. skied true to length no doubt.
SURPRISE of the event for me, well there were two, but gear wise:
FISCHER Ranger Free 130 Boot. I would buy this boot. The walking mode mechanism is just awesome. Super simple and easy to use. The top two buckles are also unique in that they also lock in the forward position which is something I have never seen. The boots feel about as light as my Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 120's and they had an awesome tongue liner that should serve you well while touring but still offer support in the resort. Laces can be added and a rear spoiler as well. Fit is quite similar to my Atomics, maybe 1-2mm more room given equal sizes. The boot looks great as well!
Ok, the second surprise... the WESTON Trailer, I know I know, they make snowboards but man this thing was cool inside and out!
1. FACTION 2.0 Prime 184cm (98mm wide) w/ DYNAFIT Radical 2.0 Demo bindings
This was the first ski I took out and right away the ski felt pretty loose but not chattery, once on edge it had pretty good stability. It's loose and turny/pivoty when you want it / need it but can still hold a decent edge and carve well when you / need want that. Its a very versatile ski. Did not feel long at all. I am pretty familiar with the Dynafits since I own a pair of Radical 2.0 FTs which are almost identical to these. They feel solid but are a bit tricky to step into for those not used to them.
2. BLIZZARD Zero G95 185cm (95mm wide) w/ MARKER Kingpin 10 Demo Bindings.
This ski felt really good right away, wow. Awesome edgehold and pretty smooth feel on snow. Definitely does not feel like a light ski. It is quite stable but still fun although it is definitely on the "serious" side of the ski spectrum. Handled speed very well. skied true to length. The bindings felt good, secure and had decent dampness. Stepping in the toe is super easy, the rear requires a tad more effort. It is a work of art though. I personally prefer the ease and simplicity of the dynafit style rotating rear piece. I have to mention that these were the demo version of the Kingpins, so they were much heavier than the regular Kingpin binding.
3. G3 ROAMr 100 182cm (100mm wide) w/ G3 ION 12 bindings:
This was my favorite ski setup of the day for dual duty or even mostly backcountry use. It felt awesome right away. Smooth and damp. I could ski them at the resort all day no problem. They held a good edge and offered good performance in all the snow conditions I encountered. Easy to ski. I loved the ION bindings. They were super easy to step into the toe and the rear felt solid. They did not feel harsh at all, super smooth although the skis probably had a lot to do with that. The setup felt dialed. I would definitely buy it. I really liked their line of products.
4. DYNAFIT Beast 98 184cm (98mm wide) w/ Dynafit ST Rotation bindings.
These skis did not feel right. I think they were in need of a tune and wax (they felt slower and sticky on the snow). Trying to see through that the skis are akin to the Blizzard Zero G95's. They are definitely directional skis with a hard snow bias in the realm of powder skis. Solid edge hold. Pretty stiff which was nice. The ST Rotation bindings felt and are very similar to my Radicals but the detent stop in the rotating toe pice helps somewhat when stepping into the binding.
5. Salomon QST 92 185cm w/ Salomon Warden 13 Demo bindings (Alpine!).
Ok, this is not an AT setup but I had some time so I took these out for a lap. Woah, these felt nice of course after demoing a bunch of pretty light AT setups and then getting into these which with the demo bindings are just much heavier than all the previous skis I demoed. That said, when compared to other damp skis I know and love these felt really good. Much more stable, damp and secure than the previous generation of Salomon QSTs. I had the same feeling last season when I demoed the new 2019 QST 106. skied true to length no doubt.
SURPRISE of the event for me, well there were two, but gear wise:
FISCHER Ranger Free 130 Boot. I would buy this boot. The walking mode mechanism is just awesome. Super simple and easy to use. The top two buckles are also unique in that they also lock in the forward position which is something I have never seen. The boots feel about as light as my Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 120's and they had an awesome tongue liner that should serve you well while touring but still offer support in the resort. Laces can be added and a rear spoiler as well. Fit is quite similar to my Atomics, maybe 1-2mm more room given equal sizes. The boot looks great as well!
Ok, the second surprise... the WESTON Trailer, I know I know, they make snowboards but man this thing was cool inside and out!
