http://www.telemarktips.com/NewRev.html
Dimensions: 145/118/125,..Lengths 180, 185, 190, .Weight: 4.32 kg, 9 lbs 8.4 ozs (180)
March, 2005-- The Igneous FFF is the big one in a line that features nothing but fat skis (their skinniest boards have a 116 tip and an 88mm waist) . The FFFs we've been testing have a white maple core, a maple veneer top sheet and beautifully crafted, horizontal grain, white maple sidewalls. Incorporated into each tail is a bar of T-6061 aluminum for durability, and the wood core is protected from core-shots though the sintered graphite base by a layer of Kevlar-like aramid fiber cloth. The fiberglass cloth wrapping is the triaxial-braided type. Edges are R-33 steel and Igneous says they have an "over-size profile." The side edges look to be about as thick as most other skis, but the base edges appear to be nearly as thick as the oversized edges on Karhu's Agent park skis.
In recent weeks we have had the Iggys out in near waist deep untracked powder, on cut up resort snow, very firm groomers, and even some soft bumps. We've had a lot of fun testing these skis and everywhere we've been they have turned heads, both for their impressive girth and striking good looks.
But hey, the real test is here is how they ski, right?
If there were an illustrated dictionary of skiing related words and phrases, a photo of the Igneous FFFs would undoubtedly appear next to the term "ultimate quiver ski," for that is precisely what they are.
Many diehard powderhounds will tell you that they prefer skis with less sidecut for deep powder. The FFFs bring to the table a very fat shape and with very little sidecut, especially from the waist to the tail ( just 7mms, by comparison the G3 Reverends have 17 ). The FFFs deliver a shape made in heaven for these powder connoisseurs. We found the Iggys to be a superb ride in the fluff. No, they were better than that, but mere words cannot describe the pleasure to be found on these skis in deep powder. Floating up and down and arcing smooth turns in that natural, flowing, effortless sort of way. And all that mass makes for outstanding stability.
In the longer lengths tele-ers looking to launch big airs would loves these boards, both for stomping landings and for their great soft snow performance.
Firm snow is another matter altogether. As skis keep growing in width, we've been wondering when the upper limit might be reached for an all-around fat ski. With their 97mm waist, Karhu's Jak proved that a really fat tele ski could serve nicely as an all-mountain, all conditions (nearly) one pair quiver. So how much more fat could we go before giving up a fair measure of versatility? Well, with these FFFs we would seem to have found the answer: a 118 waist might be too much. Getting an edge in on firm snow was just this side of impossible. With the severely limited sidecut, when we did manage to get them to bite they didn't want to turn, not at all. And remember the bad old days when tele skis would just let go on decent medium-firm snow for no apparent reason? These skis tooks us back there a few times. We'd all but forgotten that special hip-slamming feeling!
The FFFs were much better in soft bumps. Their extreme stability in a short length (for us) were a real pleasure. Surprisingly quick edge to edge and easy to throw around, they made short work of every soft bump field we took them down. With so much of the turn being made while unweighted the lack of sidecut went unnoticed. They were truly a blast in soft to medium bumps, and that was easily the biggest surprise of this test. We never did get a chance to ski them in a really firm bump field though.
Conclusion: For the first time ever we are giving a pair of skis a sort of split decision, two tips way up for powder and soft snow, and two tips way down for firm snow. If you like having multiple pairs of skis for various conditions, and you have an appreciation for fine workmanship...oh, and you anticipate having a spare $1,180 (the list price) to throw down sometime, you'll probably want to put the Igneous FFFs on your wish list. They are pretty special. $1,180 special?
Well, we aren't so sure about that, but maybe. It kind of depends on you, where you ski, the type of person you are and, of course, the size of your wallet.
If you ski a lot of powder, particularly powder you aren't climbing to get to (after all, in the shortest length these boards are pushing ten pounds without bindings!), and you can work past the hefty price tag for a pair of boards you aren't going to use all the time, then go for it. You will not be disappointed.
The Igneous FFFs are truly the ultimate addition to any complete ski quiver.
