Have a 4 flex (enduro, carbon, veneer) in Tahoe. At AM this weekend. Mounted for 316Quote:
Originally Posted by meter-man
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Have a 4 flex (enduro, carbon, veneer) in Tahoe. At AM this weekend. Mounted for 316Quote:
Originally Posted by meter-man
Thanks for the offers fellas!
I have a 327 BSL (alpine) and 322 (AT), but this weekend, I'll be in SoCal...in Encinitas, which brings me to:Quote:
Originally Posted by theetruscan
Nice spot! Lucky dude. Thanks for the offer - holler when you're up. You can try out some Bibbys and GPOs of mine (mounted alpine), or my Protests with Kingpins.Quote:
Originally Posted by nickbokhoven
Look at all that tip dive.[emoji6]Quote:
Originally Posted by jmars
[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]Quote:
Originally Posted by 2FUNKY
Tip dive sure wasn’t my issue!
Finally had a day with the 192 cm, #4 Flex, UL hybid core (Beefier for my weight 220 lbs).
Incredible. Surfy. Slashy. No hookiness on tails or tips. Very wonderful ski flex with enough beef to get me airborne jumping and turning on the cut up pow stashes.
Untracked was mega sno-boner. The Protests float me like i’ve never floated even on reverse camber skis.
The snow was some of the best I’ve ever ridden. Kirkwood was delectable today and the Protests dominated the shit outta Cornice chair.
Very Cool
192, veneer, 4 flex, enduro, mounted -1
dead easy to ski, great float, very stable at speed, easy to turn, holds edge well in packed soft snow
Ran into some wind affected pow cake top layer today. Planed, got speed, then just popped up and down throwing bows and hollering with joy. Never ski’d wind effect pow like that either.
No flaws detected yet. Agree with previous post: Great to and from pow on soft groomers. I don’t feel the 128 underfoot on the groom.
Just incredible.
I have now had 5/6 days on the Protest I built this past summer. 4 Flex, 192 with some carbon and wood veneer. Beyond the fact they are sexy AF (and seriously are one of the best looking skis ever), I was hesitant on moving to a pretty tapered look ski after my beloved Megawatt for deep snow skiing. On top of this, the mount was put on the line, instead of -1 as I had asked for which only multiplied the difference from my previous pow specific skis.
Did a day of resort skiing (which actually had the deepest run of all on a rope drop), and four days Cat Skiing. In the lowest density super deep rope drop, nothing has ever skied better than my Mega's, and these were still not up to the task in the same way as a nearly 160mm tipped ski.
But other than that, Holy mother was I impressed. These things ski big radius open face incredibly well, though with a little adapting to ski a bit more underfoot than driving the tongues still. Honestly, this learning curve did not take long....at all, understanding this might be just for this user, but within a run, felt this ski was not going to take much getting used to.
Where I was most impressed, was in the tighter trees and pillowy fun lines with a 192cm monster of a ski. I was initially rattled at the messed up mount (by a guy that I have trusted for decades) but it may have been a blessing in disguise. They looked a little far forward for my style, and historical skis, but never felt it while skiing and I never had any tip dive issues, and was able to push them without too much alteration in my style. They felt lively, poppy, and like a fucking ninja letting them ride flat, arch big boys, and slash and slip in tight spaces. The biggest thing to get used to was on some well supported pow, the odd time, they wanted to go past my turn initiation and glide a bit past where intended (which on the solid tail of the MW would have a natural end). This didn't take a long time to get used to figure out where they sweet spot was, honestly one run, and then I loved it so much how intuitive they were and able to rail long radius or pop into and out of tight little guys. I thought the longer tail would feel weird and ogger in a bit, but they just rallied down lines so well and never felt the Pinner was impeding. Found landing drops really supported and predictable. Nothing crazy (15 feet tops maybe) and felt exactly as they should. The 4 flex was a little more meat to not wheelie out like some guys have mentioned.
In super low angle pow, I could see how a further back mount might benefit some people, but I don't want to ski low angle pow, so why would I build a ski for that. Low angle pow needs big shovels to succeed in my opinion, while this shape loves some speed. They love going fast, and come to life when you get them up in the revs a bit. I am honestly not sure I would change a thing. There is something to be said for a ski not changing for 7ish years, and the ability to customize them to your preference now is just insane. Keith is a magician, and I think found perfection or as close to it as I have found in a pow stick. I am not sure how to say this, but I skied different types of powder better than I ever have, and any time a ski makes me ski better, I think that is a great thing. I know that sounds fan boy, and I think I am ok with that as I age.
Definitely the most fun ski I’ve ever been on. At 5’8”/140# i tour on 177s, and find myself skiing them more and more each year.
The 177 is definitely too short to get after it inbounds, and even now and then touring, but makes kickturns and general touring fuckery easy.
I’m always surprised how well they do in non pow as well. Totally reasonable.
Picked up some 187's on here, awaiting their arrival. Couldn't pass them up. 2200 grams per ski, the conundrum is do I mount them alpine and make them my inbounds soft ski or go Shifts/Vipec/Tecton for Japan next winter. I had every intention of picking up 184 Benchetlers (1700g) for Japan inbounds/touring. Now I've just confused myself. Irregardless, I look forward to them.
Insert them for both?
I vote touring binders! They're fun and capable inbounds, but they are just unreal outside the ropes... You could go Shift and split the diff of course.
Tectons.
Extra weight worth it I suppose?!
It's been almost a decade since I skied Japan, most of our skins were pretty short so I'm guess it won't be a huge deal.
Ski’d the Star in some sierra cement today, and the protests delivered again. My absolute favorite ski.
Well, you might expend 10% more energy on the uphill, but you'll reap the benefits of 50% easier downhill shredz. Those are exact numbers proven by science, and guaranteed to result in faceshots, woot'in, and STOKE>Quote:
Originally Posted by snapt
I'm moderately in shape, and have managed skinning 4-7k vert 7 days in a row with 2100g Protests and Kingpins (those fronted by two full days at Kicking Horse). Go Tecton, and you're lighter than that, and with binders that wont explode if you look at em funny.
What lodge did you go to?Quote:
Originally Posted by meter-man
GAH - Sunrise one year and Vista the next. HIGHLY recommended!Quote:
Originally Posted by hercule33
These skis rock. You guys werent kidding about them wanting to go fast. Finally got them in the right conditions this weekend and they rip. Super intuitive and I felt like I could ski them as centered as I want. So awesome.
Attachment 272460
I took my 196s to Japan and didn’t regret it once. I had shifts on mine and it was fine. We did one tour longer then 30 min and I wished I had a lighter setup, but on the way down I was really happy I dragged my Protests up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by snapt
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ditto. So impressed with the ski. Im definitely ordering the carbon enduro over the summer. Heres a shot of protests slaying Japow 2019.Attachment 272616Quote:
Originally Posted by skibrd
Why not just go UL+veneer?
Hey Bird, btw you were right about the snow in Japan. Snow was so light and deep could of had a noodle or plank, 95 or 135 underfoot, doubt it would have made too much of a difference. Brought my OG Spurs, was great most of the time. Might have been a bit overkill but was nice to have something that rips long arcs on groomers too, plenty of that to be found. If and when I go back, probably will bring something a little mellower in the flex department and around 115 or so though. Lighter too, Spurs wore out my legs pretty good after 7 straight days.Quote:
Originally Posted by skibrd
Yep, you can go with Blizzard Bonafides or DPS Spoons, doesn’t matter because the skiing is easy. I think next time if I go with a 1 ski quiver, it will be around 115mm, give or take a bit. If I go back with two skis, the Protests with CAST 2.0 will definitely come and then something between 100 and 110mm with a tech binding. Two skis would be a luxury, because I’m pretty sure I could go with just Bonafides and be just fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by lrn2swim
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Interdasting — very interdastingQuote:
Originally Posted by skibrd
Were you there doing the dry spell? Seems like my 189 billygoat might be perfect.
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We had 3 days, out of 14, with out any new snow, the Protests were fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiLyft
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiLyft
Was at several different areas around Nagano for 8 days last month, knee deep minimum every day, often much much more. Had one day that was chin deep (5 or 6ft of snow overnight). OG Spurs, Protests, Spoons, Bonafides, Enforcers, Soul 7's, anything would have been great. For fun I even tried out my GF's 169 La Nina's and a pair of '19 Bent Chets 176 for half a day and it was awesome too. Snow was so soft and light, no way you could float on top. Seriously, I'd worry more about groomer and tight tree performance than powder.Quote:
Originally Posted by skibrd
Well should have never doubted that soul7s crushed. After all they are known to be the pinnacle of ski design.Quote:
Originally Posted by lrn2swim
Jokes aside - great beta
Thanks
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I know, EVEN SOUL 7's probably would have been really great (never skied a pair but I'm guessing)Quote:
Originally Posted by SkiLyft
I took 192 GPO’s w carbon. Seemed to be damn near perfect choice.
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Check it out:
Attachment 295186Attachment 295185
192 Protest Flex 3 with Bubinga Baby! veneer topsheet.
Infused with the ghost of Beetleguese!
Better pic with friends:
Attachment 295187
Mmmm, bookmatched-woodgrain-topsheet-rorschach-eyegasm!
:D
Siiiick!!!
Welcome to the club.
You get my PM? My pm machine hasn’t been working properly.
That is pretty fuckn dope.
I did, thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2FUNKY
I knew if I reached out for quiver-enlargement-justification, you would be there for me.
No need, but much want.
I really wanted to buy these when they hit block last season (?) but didn't have the scratch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
That’s why we’re all here. To help each other in life altering decision making.Quote:
Originally Posted by pfluffenmeister
Nice topsheet porn, mang. I like it.Quote:
Originally Posted by pfluffenmeister
I almost bought those Bubinga Protests, too.
Leopard wood would be the cats meow!
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First post, and I'm new to Praxis. Do Protests ski long or short? I don't hear anyone here talk about 177 Protests. Are they too short for most people? Me: 5'7" 170lbs and my "everyday skis" are 177mm Nordica Enforcers, and they are competent in most conditions. But the folks in this forum have me interested in getting a pair of the Protests as a complement. Would I be better off with the 187s? That seems to be the minimum length discussed in these threads.