I have the 188 AM99s mounted with GW pivots at 320. Happy to let you try em out. I'm in ballardQuote:
Originally Posted by carlh
A
I have the 188 AM99s mounted with GW pivots at 320. Happy to let you try em out. I'm in ballardQuote:
Originally Posted by carlh
A
That'd work better for Carl, my clamps have alpine 5355 AFDsQuote:
Originally Posted by ASP
Thanks guys I will coordinate with ASP in a pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
True, but I’ve skied them in 11” of dense cream cheese and they railed through with predictable ease. Same later in the day after it was skied out chunder. I haven’t experienced the grabby tips but I did round the non contact edges with a file and polish with a stoneQuote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
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Stoked as well to get the comp builds on snow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
I heavily detuned the tips of the AM build and it helped but they are still really soft for my taste. It’s a great ski and will suit a lot of people well who aren’t looking for a true charger.
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I’m still loving my R99 50/50’s. I’ve gotten them out in a wide range of conditions and have been stoked on what could be a single ski quiver. I’m more of a horses for courses kinda guy, so of course I’m thinking about the comp build. I don’t think I would be comfortable on the 188’s any where tight, but I’m curious to hear how stiff they ski. I’m thinking the 180 could be a ski I would enjoy.
Conditions yesterday were groomed + 2-3" fresh snow on top. Photo from the summit, slightly wind blown here but deeper right over the edge. I had first tracks (and second, and third, and more) on this run.
I am a relatively new skier and while I have probably not skied in these exact same conditions in any of my other skis, I had an amazing time on the R87's. Even through the end of the day (except on some really rough powder fields that froze / not recently groomed) they were very smooth and I think quite a bit less tiring than my Ripsticks, especially in the late day bumps.
I think for these conditions the R87 were adequate in width. I do think R99 would maybe be a more useful daily driver where I ski, but it overlaps with my Ripstick 96 so I thought I would start with these. Wondering what the R99 gives up and if I should have gone with them, but I wanted a fast and smooth groomer / light snow ski.
No speed limit that I found on the first run, and even still after lunch after it was thoroughly ridden.
The topsheet material still stands out to me. Nice texture and I'm glad Marshal went for the best. I still don't love the color.
I do notice when trying to stop hard on harder snow there is a lot of chatter in the front half. Not icy, but just harder groomed material (I am in the PNW). It could very well be my technique or be normal. Maybe this is normal but I had hoped these would alleviate that.
I like the larger radius. Trying to lean when barely moving and I feel like I will fall over (compared to my other skis)... but with a little speed they lean easily but also break loose and slide easily.
I don't have years of experience to give a more thorough review. But my impression is positive with 2 days so far, and I enjoy skiing them.
One of my top 5 days ever:
Attachment 443073
Sounds like the R87 was the right choice then. You'll really appreciate a ski like that when a high pressure system settles in for two weeks.Quote:
Originally Posted by m5d5cb
Trying to figure out if that pic is from Brundage?
Ok, glad to hear! You were close - Tamarack.Quote:
Originally Posted by chicken feathers
I have one short day on my AM 99 180s. Really nice ski! I’ll admit I was a little concerned the ski would be more ski than I wanted for resort skiing. Not at al the case. The ski has a really nice flex tip to tail . I had the ski mostly on skied off groomers and cut up off trail stuff. Definitely not hero conditions and they performed well.
I’m used to skiing fairly stout Igneous skis at the resort for powder days and over dry spells. I appreciated being able to initiate turns and release without a ton of effort yet the sticks were stable even crossing shitty patches of ice.
The 99s were also way easier to ski at slower speeds than I would have expected. Yet, no chatter or unstable feeling when opened up.
Just my .02 but I’m glad I have a set. The AM version does, for me, exactly what MO advertised it as….an all mountain ski. The dimensions seem dialed and flex was right for me. Im not going to reach for these over a Teton storm cycle but for most other days I’ll be happy to slide on em.
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Has anyone here with an R120 had the misfortune of skiing in crusty/lumpy conditions yet (rain/wind/refrozen debris)? How did they handle?
Howdy neighbor, I'd be interested in giving these a go!Quote:
Originally Posted by ASP
yeah man, pm me!Quote:
Originally Posted by eSock
My AM R99s have lost most of their camber after 10 days of skiing. I’m really happy, weighted there’s less than a mm of camber. So slashy and loose but rail on edge.
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Ran into GBB at Alpine Meadows and got a chance to see and hand flex (thanks dood) his 188 AMs.
Super nice build and very nice stiff mid and very progressive flex up to tip. Quick rap revealed damp not dead feel I’m looking for. Brief fondle but made me even more stoked to see my 180 comps…
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I got out on ASPs r99s today in a nice mix of firm groomed, 1-2” on packed snow and few day old sold but setup crud today that was colder and dryer but pretty representative of the conditions I want these for.
I started out in some soft over firm with a mix of bumps and chalk underneath. The skis performed well here, the shape offered a nice mix of holding a turn and slid ability that might be slightly improved with a bit of tip detune.
When I hit some groomed sections they had great grip and rebound with good flexibility in turn shapes.
I then explored some of the more open cut up snow in some bowls. In the smoother sections the skis felt good but as I tried to make bigger turns with more crud like snow I found the skis bouncing around quite a bit. The combination of softer tips and lots of rebound meant I could not charge through this the way I am looking for. At slower speeds and picking lines they felt good but I couldn’t open up the speed the way I want to. I expect this would be even more noticeable in heavier snow.
In more bumped up terrain the shape felt good and I was able to make all the turn shapes I wanted with a good mix of holding a turn and sliding the tail but I felt like there was a bit more rebound than desired as I tried to increase speeds.
I swapped out to my goliaths mid day and by comparision they were more damp and less energetic especially through the crud but had noticeably less edge hold (might be tune related) and much stronger harder to pivot tails. They hand flex maybe 10% stiffer everywhere but the tails where it is probably closer to 15-20% stiffer. The shape of the r99s is much more versatile allowing easier smaller turns both carved and slid while still being stable in longer turns in smooth snow.
At the end of the day, I think I am looking for a bit more powerful and damper ski that more closely complements my style. I think a little bit stiffer but a lot more damping would be my ideal even though this would sacrifice groomed performance.
My on3ps (supergoats) do the plow through the crud thing really well without feeling like a crazy demanding ski and I am looking for something a bit closer to that but the narrow one I tried did not have enough edge hold.
I think these skis are likely money for someone light and or more of a finesse skier than me (6’3” 200+ more power than anything else and a preference for crushing chop) and I would say the website description is accurate. The hard snow performance was top notch and i could see a set of r87 am as an awesome pure low tide ski that can be fun across a wide speed range.
The comp build has my attention but worried it will be more ski than I want 90% of the time since I love going fast in open areas but also ski a bunch of tighter ones.
Would 305s fit? I got a midweek pass for Alpy so I've been doing nights there recently.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
Maybe just. This week looks... kinda gross, so I might skip. Let's try to connect when the weather is better.
Compare to the AK Bros when you can?Quote:
Originally Posted by otto parts
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Sounds good. I can shoot you a PM when I'm freeQuote:
Originally Posted by Norseman
Absolutely killer day on my 99s Sunday.
Will the sizes remain 180 & 188, Marshal?
Hey man, glad you are digging them! I plan to keep the R99 unchanged next season, though I might rename them 187 and 179 to better match the straight tape (instead of material) length of the skis, which is how the rest of the line is measured.Quote:
Originally Posted by N1CK.
Took the 188 R99 for another rip just the other daaayyy…
Conditions:
Soft fast edgy groomers. Soft chalk on the mountain with areas of mid shin medium density pow in the north aspects with trees. Full bluebird so pretty much sender conditions.
Detune:
Took a gummy aggressively to the tips about 2” past the contact points. Detuned the tails from about 3” from the tails to the end.
Mucho betterino!!
I was on a heater from the word go all day. Pointing and tucking groomers until I felt I was up to 45mph or 50 then started to set 50M RR tracks. The skis never faltered. Energy from the ski was amazing, leaving the snow during the transition of the turn for about 8-10’ before setting into the next turn at warp. That day the tip flap wasn’t noticeable on groomers. Maybe because I detuned them, maybe the snow was smoother, not sure. Ramped them up to well over 50mph without issue.
Off piste:
Much better behavior with the detune. No longer wanting to pull me into a shorter radius turn. Stand on them and charge as long as it was smoother. If bumpy or firm cut up snow they wanted it throttled down some and a more playful attitude from me, which I was happy to oblige. Tips behaved themselves again. The ski released easily when I wanted it to allowing me to slarve through some slots and troughs at speed then roll them on edge to engage the carve for more destroy.
Mid shin pow in steep trees:
They were great and got loose on the soft chalk sections slipping between tight trees where I was able to get to the more open terrain, it’s still pretty tight tho. Once in the mid shin pow the soft tips showed up again. They wanted a more slow and playful turn, dolphin style sort of. That tip was really wanting the ski to make much shorter turn shapes here which was ok but not I wanted so I adjusted. Now when the trees got real tight and those shorter turns were needed they were fun and precise.
Wide open soft’ish chop:
They were most comfortable at moderate fast speeds. Once I started to really ramp the speed the soft tip started to speak up. The speeds were really normal ish speeds so it was fine. The rest of the ski screamed “faster” tho. Got bucked a couple times due to the soft tips. User error.
Air time:
Nothing huge, 10’ plus some roller sends at speed, really composed in the air and set me airborne nicely. They kept me right on the sweet spot for the landings.
They really are a great no new snow ski, like really great. This ski should be high on peoples radar for a 100 underfoot ski.
With all that said, I absolutely cannot wait for the comp build, it’s killin me.
Well done Marshal!!! So many of your skis are getting rave reviews and it was absolutely expected!
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^^^^ 100% agree. I'll be on the 188 next round.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2FUNKY
Heck yeah 2Funky, thanks for the extra thoughts!
I have a 188 if you'd be interested? Was going to give them back to marshal but if you're looking to get on them this season I can probably hook you up.Quote:
Originally Posted by N1CK.
A
The most impressive thing about the AM R99 isn’t its ability to charge it’s how smooth and well mannered it is in almost any type of snow.
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Trigger pulled on some 87’s for the March delivery. Stoked to try them.
Any more reviews of the R120?
Disclaimer: This is coming out of NZ summer/surfing, so no recent skiing, but Pro Riders and 98 Monsters happen to be my favourite skis ever (apart from Protests for soft stuff).Quote:
Originally Posted by DumbIdeasOnly
Monsters are definitely a little stiffer than LPs, but I have never found them demanding - indeed, they "disappear on your feet" as you put it. They are awful submarines in more than 4" of 3D snow, but intuitive and smooth in everything else, and super precise laying trenches at high speeds.
LPs are weapons in the trickier snow that the Monsters don't like, as the subtle rocker and softer shovels let them plane up. Always wanted a Monster with LP tip rocker, and it sounds like the R99 is it. I would dearly love an R99 188 AM as a travel ski.
Got some more runs on the R87 AM 182.
Mounted at -11 and they feel just perfect there. I really like to drive a ski and this just feels like the right place on it.
Ski is powerful yet I can drive it well with ZGTP and ATK’s. Damps out tech harshness on night skin groomers. Carves a bit tighter than the 23m would have you believe.
Messed around in chunky stuff with my 5 year old too. I’d actually move the mount point from -12.5 to -11 and take a cm off the tail length.
I’m interested in this too.Quote:
Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn
From what Marshal has said I think the AM R99 and R120 are the standard Blossom freeride construction skis with a little extra tip and tail rocker added.
The R87 brings the standard Blossom freeride construction to what is normally a much lighter construction ski and adds a little tip and tail rocker.
Am I right Marshal?
Any expansion on this?Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliBrit
Hey man, sorry for missing this.
yes indeed. The R120 AM and R99 AM are built with the standard Blossom “Pure” construction. The R87 uses the Explore 87 mold, but instead of a light touring ski, it’s with the same “Pure” construction.
cheers!
So you can use the same regular blossom mold a tweak it a little to get a touch more tip and tail rocker in each of these skis?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal Olson
Correct, each ski's camber is relaxed tip and tail to give subtle rocker when the ski are held bases together. The Blossom skis are fully cambered thru the effective edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliBrit
Finally mounted the am r87
Dirty office shot next to the comp99. These should go well into June.
Attachment 456581
Received 180 R99 AM demos on Tues (thanks Marshal!), and was able to break away from work to ski Tues afternoon, and again yesterday afternoon.
Me: 5'8' and 160ish lbs. Not a bump skier, but a skiing buddy likes skiing bumps all day every day, so I've been looking to add a more friendly bump ski to my quiver.
Mountain: Mammoth in warm, sunny, spring conditions--soft, heavy snow nearly everywhere off piste, although the snow was more variable on Tues and included suncupped mashed potatoes, various states of refreezing snow, to full on refrozen coral reef, to boilerplate that was scoured clean of softer carvable snow.
Ski preferences: I like damp skis with good suspension, typically with metal--2013 1st gen Cochise (177) and 2013 Line Influence 115 (186) have been my daily drivers, although I have non-metal skis for touring (184 Bibby Tours and 181 Ripstick 106s).
Caveats: Take my impressions with a grain of salt, because I lapped runs only for about 5 hours overall and the snow was soft for the most part (ie, any good ski should ski relatively well in those mostly soft conditions).
Some thoughts about R99 AM
- I wasn't sure what to expect but like others posted, these are dead-easy to ski, which was a little bit of a surprise
- Super smooth flex pattern that ramps up nicely the more they're pushed--the flex pattern feels really good
- Very stable overall in soft snow (no surprise), but the shovels also cut through firmer chop and mashed potatoes without any serious effort or significant deflection (albeit at moderate speeds) which also surprised me; the tails released easily too. Given the 180 R99 AM's relative light weight (~1850 g), I was expecting to get tossed around whenever I got into the heavier snow, similar to how the Ripstick 96 and 106 can get get handled by heavy snow. I tried to find their speed limit, and the shovels lost some composure but only when skiing pretty fast through heavy chop.
- Did not feel hooky at all anywhere, even in the heavy mashed potatoes, and feel very predictable in general
- Not punishing at all in the bumps, although that might be due to how soft the bumps were in general--they kinda make me want to ski bumps all day long
- They can be loaded pretty easily to get a nice pop and rebound when exiting turns
- They did not bite into the boilerplate, which could reflect their current tune and/or use as demo skis
Some comparisons (again w/ a grain of salt, given limited time on these skis)
- R99 AM felt more substantial, with better suspension and more precise tip and tail engagement than 2023 Dynastar 185 M Free 99 that I demo'd for an afternoon
- R99 AM swingweight felt lighter, flex pattern felt smoother and slightly softer but with arguably better suspension than 2023 K2 178 Mindbender 99Ti that I demo'd, also for an afternoon--although the difference in suspension could be from the softer snow conditions I skied with the R99 AM
- I scored a pair of 2023 Volkl 177 Mantra M102 end-of-season demo skis a few weeks ago, and the M102s feel much heavier, stiffer, and more substantial than the 180 R99 AMs (which aligns with what Marshal emailed me). I also feel like I need to ski the M102s more deliberately to keep them in check. I relaxed a bit off piste on the M102s and crossed tips, and also got in the back seat and got taken for a ride my first day on them--I recovered both times, but the M102s require more attention compared to the R99 AMs. I've never skied any of the Monsters, Katanas, or Mantras from the 2000-2010s so I can't make those comparisons, but the M102s are probably the smoothest and stablest skis I've skied, and I was lucky to get them on the GS race course on Sunday right after they opened the course to the public. They felt phenomenally good there--smooth, stable, precise, fast, unfazed. Makes me curious to try the R99 Comps to compare them with the M102s, although I have little doubt the Comps are more ski than I want. Having said all that, I'd probably pick the R99 AM over the M102 9 out of 10 times if I was gonna lap bump runs or ski steep & narrow chutes (eg, for lapping Chair 22). But I'd pick the M102 over the R99 AM for nuking wide open runs (both groomed & ungroomed) or for busting firm heavy crud.
TL/DR
In many ways, the 180 R99 AMs seem like Goldilocks low-tide skis for my size & weight. But if I was bigger, heavier, and/or more aggressive, then maybe I'd prefer the 188 AM or the 180 Comp build. Overall, their flex pattern feels smooth and forgiving but they're no noodles, they can easily make a wide range of turn sizes and can carve everything shy of boilerplate really well (and lack of boilerplate bite could simply be a tune issue) but feel neither hooky nor locked-in, they have a relatively low swing weight for front-side skis but feel way more damp and stable than I'd expect for their weight in general (just like Marshal said they would--maybe from their full sheet of VDS rubber???), and I'm more than happy to give up some top end stability in exchange for their ease in the bumps.
Thanks again Marshal!!!
Hi All,
There are just a couple pair of Metal AM skis remaining. $250+ship on each pair until they are gone!!! Need to free up a little cash for some new stuff coming! Please ping me here/email/via HL ski with any q's.
Thank you.
Outlet area link: https://heritagelabskis.com/products/hl-outlet-skis
Snagged the R87s, thanks Marshall! At a price where I could pick up some STH2s for them as well. They’ll hopefully become my go-to daily driver for the East. Didn’t even take the storage wax off my 70 waisted Kastles this year, choosing my 179 Bros/shifts instead most days - finding myself wanting some width underfoot and longer effective edge length. But what they lacked in very firm snow performance, these should fill that slot nicely.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal Olson
Saving up for 132s next year. Owned spats and Lotus and would love these for those special days where they would shine.