..SKI REVIEWS!

Ski Reviews 2002/2003

Karhu Jak A Landmark In Tele Ski Design Makes Its Debut Dimensions: 127/97/117 ..Length: 182 (prototypes).. Weight: 8 lb 13 oz Construction: A wood core cap ski, two layers of Titanal, multi-directional braided fiberglass, edges that wrap around the front of the ski, stone ground sintered base. As we begin our fourth year live on the web we could not be more stoked to bring this review of Karhu's new "Jak" telemark skis to you. Why? Not just because these skis are the most versatile boards for telemark we have ever had the pleasure of steering down a mountain, not because they float through the powder and carve through the mank. Not because they rail hard though the widest range of conditions of any fat ski in our quiver, and not just because they rocked our world last season. We are stoked for all of those reasons but even more because the Jaks represent a landmark in the history of tele ski design and performance. You see, to put it simply, with the introduction of the Jak this fall, tele skis have finally caught up, even surpassed, their alpine bretheran. Karhu designer François Sylvain is leading the way into the future of ski design with this beefed up, stiffer, tele version of his already popular Line Mothership. But wait a minute you might say...if the Mothership was already out how can the Jak be "leading the way?" Fact is, while the Line fattie had many fans last year, a lot of skiers thought it could use a little more stiffness. So when Sylvain began working on the Jak he experimented, incorporating layers of titanal both above and below a new wood core. The result was a tasty mix--a cross between a sweet round flexing fat board and a stiffer, high performance, modern all-mountain ski. Leading the way? You betcha: next season's Mothership will share the construction pioneered last winter by Sylvain's Jak prototypes. OK, You might now say, "the Jaks are pretty advanced for a tele ski, so what? How do they compare to the latest and greatest big mountain alpine skis?" Let's put it this way: K2 recently announced a December 1st launch date for their much anticipated Seth Morrison signature model ski the "Seth Pistol." Rumor has it that Morrison skied the Mothership last year and was wild about it, but like others, felt it would rock harder if it was a little stiffer. So let's see, K2's Pistol will measure out at 128/95/118 and utilize layers of aluminum for a stiffer ride. Karhu's Jak will be 127/97/117 and get its added stiffness from the aforementioned light, but rigid, titanal. And you won't have to wait until after Turkey Day to get the telemark ski. It'll be out this fall in three lengths, 172, 182 and 192. For those of us who lived through the dark '90s (and before), those days of crappy, soft and skinny tele skis, this is a great development. A cause for celebration. Frankly, if it's not the same for you...you just don't know. We suffered with toothpicks for tele skis, we tele'd alpine skis winter after winter. We waited two years from the time cap skis showed up on alpine skis to their first appearance in the tele world. Waited another two years before the more shapely alpine profiles made it to the tele market...still we skied alpine skis. Then we saw some real progress in tele baords the past couple of years. Now Karhu, yes KARHU (of all people), has hit the ball out of the park, giving us a tele specific ski that is as progressive as the most advanced big-mountain alpine skis out there this year. We have been skiing our Jak prototypes for many months. They have been tested head to head against several other similar skis. We have put them on the feet of dozens skiers whose opinions we respect, from traditional tele skiers to progressive freeheel skiers who spend the morning skiing the powder and the afternoon in the park. We had a real rock star (not the skiing kind) but a relatively new tele skier practically beg us to let him keep one of our pairs and we had many veteran skiers asking how soon they could get their own Jaks. Everybody loved 'em. In head to head tests the Jaks came out on top every time. Stiffer and much more versatile than the Pocket Rockets, the Karhus give up nothing in soft snow performance to the PRs but gain a lot on firmer snow, crud and mank. Unlike the Salomons, the Jaks don't strike an attitude when you push them out of the built-in turn they want to make. All around performance of the Jak is closer to the older Volkl Explosive, but with a less hingy, more round, easy-going flex. Take the best qualities of the Pocket Rocket and the latest Volkl Explosiv, combine them, and you will have the Karhu Jak. Conclusion: Our 182cm Jak prototypes have been epic big-mountain performers for us since the first day we took them out into the Mt. Tallac backcountry on an unreal powder day early last season. Since then we have skied them everywhere we have been, from California to Jackson Hole, from Mt. Hood to Mad River Glen and Stowe. Even all the way over to Verbier, Switzerland. We've skied them in Mammoth powder and mush, windpack and corn. The Jaks were our first choice to mow down the late spring/early summer sun cups and runnels of the Tioga Pass backcountry. They are extremely versatile boards that tore up the steep and narrow at Independence Peak last May in the Southern Sierra, the twin tip design proved to be a real advantage when negotiating tight spots. And of course the powder...the powder... Reservations? We don't have any except that BT and I are both dying to get on a longer pair...the 192cm versions should be unreal! We'll have a production model review of the big Jaks this fall. One other important note: the Jaks are built with special inserts in the turned up part of the tip and tail. These inserts are made of rubber to withstand the repeated shock of hard park and big air landings. If you try to flex a pair of Jaks in a shop using the traditional stand-up method you will get a false sense of their stiffness. Instead flex the Jaks by placing the tail running surface on the floor, the ski will be almost parallel to the floor, then pressure the middle of the ski. You will find that these are not really akk that soft. OK, so if all of the above doesn't have you convinced that you should give the Karhu Jaks a good hard look, maybe this will: the Jaks will carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price of just $450. Expect the street price to go as low as $399. In a world of five, six and even $700+ performance skis, the Jaks will be an awesome buy. One last tip: they will be available in limited numbers this first season. If you want a pair you probably best get 'em early. Know Jak, you'll be glad you did. Want to see how the Jaks are made? Check out this Feature Story and Video

Black Diamond Crossbow Lengths: 170,180,190,200.. Dimensions: 115/82/105 ..Weight: 178 (protos) 7 lbs Black Diamond's new for 2003 flagship ski, the Crossbow, is the first in what will likely become a series of skis built around BD's "Crossbow Technology." It's no secret that for years BD has had a close working relationship with Atomic, in whose Austrian factory Black Diamond's skis have been made. It's also no secret that Atomic has had great success with its Beta skis, a technology that they have has steadfastly refused to license, even to a long-standing partner like BD. So the industrious owner-employees at Black Diamond decided to take more control over their own ski designs, investing, for the first time, in their own molds and exerting more creative control over their final products. Last year's popular and successful Mira was the result. And now comes their answer to Atomic's Beta Technology: the Crossbow. This is a Densolite (acrylic) core ski with an extended binding retention plate. The Crossbow Technology gets it name from the raised platform with beams that extend out toward the tip and tail in the obvious shape of an archer's bow (see photos above and below). The idea is to increase torsional rigidity while minimizing its effect on the overall flex of the ski. Dave Mellon, BD's Ski Line Product Manager explains it like this, "the beams run from the most stable part of the ski, the outside edge, to the most unstable part of the ski, the inside edge. As you crank turns, the inside edge wants to deflect out of the snow, with the Torsion Bow the skis torsional rigidity is increased and it becomes more stable," says Mellon. "More edge grip means you can ski harder and faster." Another seemingly key feature of the Crossbows we have here is that they sport an obviously asymmetrical sidecut. Curiously there is no mention of this in either the BD backcountry catalog or on their website. Last week while preparing to write this review we realized that we had zero information about BD's intentions and reasons for incorporating this asymmetry into the Crossbow. We put in a phone call to see what we could find out. When we hear back we will update this review, but in the meantime let's just say this, the Crossbows we tested have an asymmetrical sidecut. We'll have to leave it at that for now. Performance: The Crossbow, like the Mira but even more so, is a departure from all that has come before from BD. If the Mira was a cannon shot across the ship's bow of the high performance telemark ski market, the Crossbow can be viewed as a direct hit. This is not a ski designed for the traditional granola munching, wine, crackers and brie in the backpack crowd. This much was obvious from the first run we had on the Crossbows. Gone is the round flex found in more traditional tele skis, the Crossbow has a much more hingy flex that long time alpine ski-for-telemark skiers will find familiar. This hinged flex pattern gives the Crossbows a snappier feel and a precise kind of stability, giving the impression that there is is more to be had, even when the pedal is seemingly to the metal. These Crossbows are big skis, with a 115 tip, an 82mm waist and a fat 105 tail, there is a lot of platform under your boots but their lightweight makes the Crossbows exceptionally quick edge to edge. Despite this, they are not skis made for dinking around, it will be especially so in longer lengths. You'll want to bring your A game and be ready to charge to get the most out of the Crossbows. As such they will be well suited to skiers looking to move up into a more performance oriented rig, with stiffer boots and beefier bindings, while still keeping at least one eye on the scale. BD lists the production version 180s at 7 lbs 3 ozs (3.25 kg) which is pretty darn light for a 115/82/105 pair of boards. Conclusion: The Crossbows are a very solid entry into the high performance telemark ski realm for BD. They didn't dip their toe in here, this is the full on deal which will compete with established skis like the 10ex. Just as importantly for BD, the Crossbow Technology gives them what appears to be an excellent platform from which to build even fatter and more aggressive skis down the line. With the Crossbow they have established that they have a proprietary design of their own that works, one that offers a real improvement over their previously more traditional models, without a adding a lot of weight. If you have been staying away from tele skis, preferring a more alpine like ride, put the Crossbows at the top of your list to demo this year. Or if you are moving up and looking for a pair of skis that will keep up when charging hard, but want boards that still have a bit of telemark and backcountry 'tude in their soul, the Crossbows may just be your ticket to ride.

 

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