Updated : Head GTO 200 Skis, 200 cm with an SG Snowboard Mention
Review: Head GTO 200 Skis, 200 cm with an SG Snowboard Mention
TR: 17.6 @ 200, Sidecut: 118/63/100 @ 200.
Me: 5’10”, 210.
Usually ski Dynastar Course 66 GS skis, 192 cm; Head Supermojos in both 193 and 183; and, CoreUPT Guerlain, 190 cm.
UPDATE: Detuned tips and tails about 3 inches from contact points and the it was a much better ski. No real chatter on ice and much quicker edge to edge. 200cm does keep your technique honest, for sure. I'd give this an 8 out of 10 now.
I missed last season between work, family and shitty weather in the East. Every day I planned to go, it rained or it rained the day before, then the temp dropped freeze the slopes into dried concrete.
I picked these up on a lark for $150 from AOS Gear (Corbett’s in Oakville, Ont.) I saw this video and thought they’d be fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuBCZU6fqYk .
They ski just like in the video. On flatter and moderate slopes with firm pack, softer pack or crud, the skis were nice and light. No real problem. Quite easy to break from longer turns into shorter ones and vice versa as long as you ski no faster than moderately fast and generate no more than 35 degree edge angles.
On steeper icy chopped slopes, where my Dynastar GS boards would go all the way over and hold an edge at speed regardless of how rough the ice was, these skis struggled. First, they don’t like to be bent into high edge angles. Second, if you do, they bounce a lot. Third, they slide sideways in such conditions. With shallow banana turns on an icy steep the tips start to flutter and the ski is unresponsive. As such, you can't really control carved turn shape with these on icy steeps. However, on the icy steep, if you keep your speed lower, slide old-fashioned turns with pushed tails, they are fine.
They really are a retro ski and not up to what you’d expect from a modern carver or a modern big/all mountain ski. I’d give them a 6 out of 10.
My friend—5’7”, 155—is someone I used to coach for SBX and PGS/PSL. She brought her new SG Full Race GS @ 180cm. It does need speed to function, but was a lot more versatile than she was expecting. Pretty impressive board for GS carves on steep ice or more moderate terrain. Also, pretty pliable for shorter turns on the same ice or banana turns down below on more moderate terrain. 9 out of 10.
