Long-Term Test: Kicker Filibuster

[Tricia]

As Phil noted in his review of the Kicker P.O.T.U.S., these skis are built by a new producer in Washington, D.C.
They arrived ready to tune, with a build that was easy to get ready for snow.

The shape of the Filibuster reminds me of some of my favorite frontside skis but with less bulk and a slightly softer flex. Because it's flat, it was ready for the binding of my choice. As predicted, the turn shape was quite nice, rounding out with a solid finish that is most often enjoyed on a ski with a narrow waist such as this. I'm looking forward to getting into some varied terrain to experience more of what the Filibuster has to offer.

WHO IS IT FOR? Someone looking for a ski to play on the groomers.

WHO IS IT NOT FOR? Someone looking for a one-ski quiver or a hard-charging brute.

INSIDER TIP: Mount slightly forward to get a bit more tip engagement.

 

[Philpug]

The Filibuster is the second Kicker ski that I tested, the P.O.T.U.S. being the first. The Filibuster is available in four sizes ranging from 156 to 177 cm; I was able to get on the 169. The 169 is a little short for what I would usually ski, but I could immediately get a feel for what this ski is all about, being a short-turning fun carver.

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Kicker offers what very few companies do, a mid-70mm carving ski sold flat. Most companies sell skis this size with a binding, but Kicker lets you use whatever binding you want, from a recreational plate to even a full race plate. We put on a Tyrolia Attack 13 for its adjustability; this is a great choice for most skis, but I think a system binding with a bit of lift for leverage would be a better option and allow us to get a bit more out of the ski. I will be taking off the Attack and swinging the pendulum completely the other way by installing a Look race plate with a Pivot 15. Visually, the Filibuster looks sharp; the light blue is a very good color and will work for both men and women.

On the snow, I felt the Filibuster to be playful and capable of making a real nice round turn when laid over on edge. The tip felt a little soft but that could be because I was on the 169 versus the 177 that I would normally choose. Turn initiation was smooth and easy and just what I want for a ski like this. The middle of the turn was round and the ski held railroad tracks throughout the full arc, or if you wanted to release the tail and slarve the turn, the rounded tail let you do that, too.

• Who is it for? Someone looking for a flat mid-70mm ski, instructors looking for a good technical ski.
• Who is it not for? Bigger skiers could overpower the Filibuster.
• Insider tip: Add a lifter plate to enhance performance and leverage. I would like to see this ski become the foundation of a series: the Filibuster 75 and the Filibuster 84, which would have almost the same shape but be 10% wider at the waist and 8 or 9% wider at both the tip and tail for a slightly longer turn radius. This would be a fun ski and a good addition to the line but still complement the P.O.T.U.S., which is more off-piste biased.

 

[Living Proof]

I got to demo the Fillibuster yesterday at Blue Mountaing, Pa. yesteday, with the Kicker crew, including Kicker Frank who posts here. It was great to meet them and they are very passionate about their skis. My best wishes to them in staring up a new ski company.
Below is a link to their website giving the technical info on the Fillibuster
http://www.kickersnowsports.com/skis/filibuster

My avatar shows me holding the 177 Fillibuster, some very nice graphics and a great shade of blue. The Kicker website indicates the Fillibuster is a mid stiff design for advanced skiers, but, not for those seeking ultimate carving performance. During my 3 runs on the ski, all on blue level groomers, as the expert trails are not open, confirmed what Kicker design wanted to get from this ski. For a 177, 77 waist ski, it changes edges very quickly and nicely. Lay it over on it's edges and it carves well. It's a ski that is comfortable, no nastiness. The surprising aspect of the ski is how stable the middle part of the ski feels underfoot., it grips very well. I think it could be a nice eastern bump ski for those who like less than 80 waist skis. I'd love to get on it again in more difficult conditions, and, when my ski legs are better tuned...second day on skis for this season.....damn eastern weather

The one aspect of the ski I'm vague about is the firmness of the tip. I'm 195 lbs and my usual daily drives have stiffer tips. I could not get the sensation that the tip was carving. I did talk about this with KickerFrank and he stated that's how they built it. I would agree with Trishia's assessment above.

 

[Philpug]

Now it's a party....

I swapped out the Tyrolia Attack demo binding for a better binding with some more lift. While ideally, I would have liked to use a Marker Piston Plate with say a X-Cell 16, I had the Rossi plate and I had the Pivot 15..which coincidently was blue to match. Yes, a 12 would have been fine but again. it matched. Tricia and I will be reporting back to see how this set up changes the feel and performance of the ski. Stay tuned.

 

[Philpug]

I started with a Pivot 15 but one of the testers felt it was too heavy and a bit of overkill. So, back to the drawing board on binding choice. Since I didn't have any Pivot 12's around I went into the archives and brought out some Look Z7's. Personally, I am a big fan on single pivot toes. so by no means is this 13DIN binding a compromise, just a lighter version of the Pivot 15 that I first chose. I did have to make a slight modification to the plate to have it accommodate this 25 year old, unindemnified binding.

Just as I expected, adding a lifter plate did enhance the performance of the Filibuster significantly. This is not because I thought the ski was laking, I think the majority of skis of this shape and dimensions respond better to having a lifter to create more leverage. The lifter did ad noticeable hard snow performance on the eastern like refrozen groomer I was on without the loss of playfulness when the snow softened up later in the day.

Kicker did a really good job with this ski and it is a great alternative for someone looking for a frontside ski that does not want a mainstream brand or model.