I've been skiing on the Renoun Z-90 in 165 for a year now. During that time, many women have asked about the shorter 157 length, so @Cyrus Schenck sent me a pair to put through the paces.
First impressions: Out of the box, I noticed that it seemed a little stiffer than the 165, but that doesn't mean much until you get on snow. My first chance to ski them was a cold day at Mt Rose (14º) two days after a nice 10-in. snowfall, with some fresh tracks to be found in the trees and packed powder groomers. While I felt that this ski was a smidge stiffer than the 165 feels, it didn't block me from doing anything I wanted to do; from steep trees and moguls to soft groomers, it was clear that this ski wanted to make short- to medium- and sometimes even shmedium-radius turns, which pleases me.
Here is a short video that @Andy Mink took of me skiing away from him with a variety of turn shapes.
Day 2: On our way to SIA, we stopped for a short day of skiing at Arapahoe Basin. Having had some nice snow within the past few days, the groomers were the perfect test for this ski. Yup, shmedium turns with the confidence to attack the clunky snow under the fresh blanket.
The HDT technology* does its job all the way down to this shorter size.
First impressions: Out of the box, I noticed that it seemed a little stiffer than the 165, but that doesn't mean much until you get on snow. My first chance to ski them was a cold day at Mt Rose (14º) two days after a nice 10-in. snowfall, with some fresh tracks to be found in the trees and packed powder groomers. While I felt that this ski was a smidge stiffer than the 165 feels, it didn't block me from doing anything I wanted to do; from steep trees and moguls to soft groomers, it was clear that this ski wanted to make short- to medium- and sometimes even shmedium-radius turns, which pleases me.
Here is a short video that @Andy Mink took of me skiing away from him with a variety of turn shapes.
Day 2: On our way to SIA, we stopped for a short day of skiing at Arapahoe Basin. Having had some nice snow within the past few days, the groomers were the perfect test for this ski. Yup, shmedium turns with the confidence to attack the clunky snow under the fresh blanket.
The HDT technology* does its job all the way down to this shorter size.
- Who is it for? A small but strong skier looking for a powerful, smooth ski.
- Who is it not for? Someone looking for a GS feel.
- Insider tip: Don't be afraid to drive the tip.
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