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Fool: probably bigger than it needs to be. K2 Disruption 78Ti, Enforcer 94, Commander 102, Deathwish 104, Deathwish 112, Blade Optic 114, Renegade, HL120FR.
The HL AM110 is going to replace the Blade Optic.
I have really found 110mm, plus or minus, work great in our Tahoe snow. I do live for the days that I can pull out a 120mm ski.
I did not know there was a swallowtail thread. Here's what I put in the Lotii thread yesterday:
I don't think there's a specific thread for the 120 swallowtails? I have the Rs.
Today was the day that I finally skied them in the right conditions *and* they clicked with me I think. Skiing them on nothing but groomers and chop I've been wondering if I would've been happier mounting them 1-1.5cm back from MO's rec but haven't changed them.
Today at Crystal was weird. Yesterday snowed like 16" but it was also nuking 100+ mph wind so everything was closed. The few days before that were an atmospheric river that poured rain. Then today went warm and bluebird in the morning with greybird and ridge winds by close. So all the snow types were on offer (except blower pow). They did their usual thing in the chop in the morning which was fun with the occasional really good turn in a patch of mostly intact snow.
Once they opened Southback in the afternoon I finally got what everyone's talking about. The snow was a mix of bed surfaces from the *everywhere* avalanches with 2-3' crowns and then the edges that, on N aspects were heavy cascade pow and on all the other aspects were heavy cascade pow with varying amounts of suncrust and rain effect on top. The R120s crushed it all. Finding myself on a giant slope of untouched suncrusted pow I grimaced with the first turn expecting misery but they just… kept going. Anyway, today ruled and these skis made it happen I think.
On groomers they have a really fine margin between railing a turn on edge, slarving, and full on skidding which takes a bit of a learning curve but is pretty fun and adaptable once figured out.
There are some R120ST in that picture somewhere.
Unreal day at Alta, skis were perfect in the deep untracked stuff, never thought about them at all, just skied. No better compliment than that.
In the afternoon when it got tracked, I must admit I had a bit of a harder time. When transitioning between skied out sections and deep pockets I found my balance a bit off. My balance had to be forward for the harder snow and then instantly more centered/back to keep the tip up when transitioning into the deep (50cm) pockets. Kinda wish they had a bit more tip rocker.
Still loving them, just still working it out. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1f511c727b.jpg
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/\/\:/\ Sick!
I just arrived in SLC with my R120STs!
Skied ALTA last year for the first time (much of the time on my R120STs, which I love).
:D
Where did you mount them? Mine transition seamlessly between various conditions, but I am back a bit at -8.25.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Stokes
Yeah, I'm back as well. -8.75. I am a very forward skier I think, and also it was deep. Really deep chop. In shallower stuff it just plows through. It's probably more of a technique and fatigue thing!
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You most likely just hit the nail on the head: fatigue. That will do it!
I finally got a really good day on my FR120. When conditions line up their mass disappears and they just go. Almost interchangeable with the Renegades. They are a bit better in chop, but not quite as good on soft groomers. Very similar in tight spots, similar float. I feel like the Rens want to go a bit faster. I am still enamored by the build quality of the HL and the damp, smooth ride. Probably redundant to have both of these skis, but..... Life is short. The only hard part is deciding which to ski and when. I think having the AM110 next year will make that decision even tougher.
Yeah I really want to experience this layup in a narrower ski like the AM110.Quote:
Originally Posted by SnowMachine
The r120st are so stable and damp in snow that is way harder than they should be skiing.
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193 FR120 + 45 cm at Fernie = pure black metal nonsense.
Float goes to 11.
Chop = destroyed.
Slash/slide/pivot/straightline.
Reminds me of a more poppy lively Cease & Desist.
187 R120STs destroyed Alta yesterday.
I love that place.
And this ski!
PS they've had ~30" in the last few days.
:D
Alta delivered yesterday..
Pics *loosears.
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...befd2c802c.jpg
Pretty much I’ll I’ve got lol
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Sick! Mmmm, soft chop!
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Anyone have time on R110 and FR120 (both 187cm lengths). Curious how the balance point is on the 186 FR120ST in comparison (and maybe R120ST too). Would think I would go -8.5cm mount point or so on those? I really dig the R110 at -7cm, lets me drive the ski (little more centered than than some of my more directional skis), but is very nimble and easy to get sideways. Weirdly stable too in that sense. With the FR110 I struggled with the balance point in deep/funky snow at my weight (230lbs geared up), but I think that may be due to the -6cm mount point. I am guessing, but cannot confirm, I would have gelled a lot more with the FR110 at -7.5cm mount, as I really really liked the ski in shallower 3D snow and pow, it felt similar to the R110 in those conditions, but more nimble/surfy/playful/fun. ----- More or less looking to replace my 191 2017 ON3P Cease and Desists, which have asym, tour layup, and the really long front rocker profile. They are godlike first few laps off KT for deep storms, but the length gets to be a chore for me in the afternoon, especially when things get more bumped out. Hoping the HL 120 could be a slightly more playful, shorter ski that does better in the dense tahoe snow we have and in the afternoons when its chopped up. Could even see them replacing my 191 Lhasa Pow Fats too, the flat tail can also get pretty tiring in the afternoon too in heavier snow, although I will probably never actually sell that ski haha.
Anybody skiing the BC 120s in coastal snowpacks (California, PNW, BC, etc.)? Would love a review from the non-Utah/SWCO-blower parts of the world.
I own both the Rdimes and FRbucktwentiesST in the one eight six/seven length. Bottom line, I think they work together quite well. Both are on MO’s req mount point, I’m six foot, two twenty packed up.
They ski very similar from a driver input ski output standpoint. Zero issues jumping back and forth between them. Like many said, they both feel so intuitive from the first turn.
Dimes for everything soft 0-8” with a perfect mix of engaged/slashy
Buck Twenty for anything over 6” with a strange ability to arc pow, slash, squiggle and giggle
I dig the Rdimes so much I have the BCdimes coming this fall.
Have you listened to the Blister podcast with Paul Forward talking about skiing his BC one twenty’s
Second season for me with the 187 BC120s, although I mainly ski the UT122 now.
They ski awesome in heavier snow, lots of float and generally easy to manage. I find they don't have the highest speed limit for me at 180lbs + 25lb pack, so I dont enjoy skiing them with good viz on open terrain in the alpine, however in the trees, on lower angle stuff or with light boots they are awesome. I skied a schmooy HN24 100cm day on them last year and they did amazing. Another big plus for them is they are easy to ski on shitty ski outs to the car etc.
If you tour with decently strong boots however I do think the UT122 is really sweet as it has lots of maneuverability for skiing in the trees while still having the ability to lay down the hammer and ski fast in open terrain.
Thanks MO, ASmiley, and Senor Pretzel. Appreciate all the reviews. And yeah hoarhey, I heard those Paul Forward comments in the Blister podcast, which were pretty helpful too. But since I already have a C132, I decided to go for something totally different (i.e., not the UT122s), and ordered the 187 BC 120s for next fall. Can't wait!(I also grabbed a pair of the R110s for inbounds duty... Hell yeah!)
I've gotten my beta BC120s out a few more times since that last review... this ski is the real deal for midwinter pow touring. So easy to pivot and slarve in lower angle terrain, but they pick up speed and plane up quick when you point them down the fall line. With the terrible setup our San Juan snowpack has had this year, I have yet to get them on bigger terrain outside of one Silverton mountain day. I didn't think they held me back at all from going fast, but generally I ski slower these days. I listened to Paul's on the pod and agreed with almost all of his points except when he said he did not think the swallowtail impacted how they skied. At least in my continental snowpack, the tail on this ski is the easier to pivot than every other ski I have owned, besides the FR132. In higher density snow I could see that not being as noticeable, but the tails disappear behind me and help the shovels float more than any normal pin tail in my experience.
I'm bummed the 193 bc120s disappeared, that was top of list for a Japan mixed duty ski for me.
Today affirmed it for me. Lots of skis are fun in untracked boot top 35* pow. But none are more fun (for me), than the bc120.
Do the new BC120s (for which I just got a shipping notification) have a recommended line marked? Where is it at?
yo! Yes indeed, the marked line is at -6.8cm from center on the 187s.