The Official Great Pacific Octopus Thread

[Dry]

Your -7cm number refers to chord center, correct?

yes...
Haven't yet but will do as you've suggested with both the RPC and GPO.

[98brg2d]

Hi Dane,

The numbers in the spreadsheet I sent you (that was you correct?) used the published numbers from Praxis that are the numbers for splay length albeit for the 187 not the 182 or 192. I used different names in the sheet that I think are more indicative of how they are meaningful - length to tip contact (or something like that, I don't have the sheet in front of me), simply switch this number with the measurement that Marshall is suggesting, then take all the same measurements for the DPS and enter them as well. Let me know if you need any help on where to enter the measurements.

[Dry]

Measureded and marked as suggested.



Suggested midsole location marked with a thin blue tape line. Widest part of tip and tail on the side cut is marked by the inside of the wide tape line. Hauscaran and GPO have very similar wide points on the ski. And similar suggested midsole location points. Hauscaran is a 196. GPO a 192.

Hauscaran has a lot less rocker tip and tail rocker than the GPO and even less rocker front and back compared to the RPC. The Hauscaran is not what I consider a playful ski in a 196. Almost no tail rocker and 1/2 the tip rocker or less than a GPO. The RPC is a playful ski by that comparison.

GPO and Huascaran have very similar wide points and very similar suggested midsole points. GPO is 1cm forward on the Dynafit mid point if the wide points are lined up. Similar amounts of camber under foot but a lot more rocker front and back on the GPO compared to the Dynafit.

This hurts my brain.

[Dromond]

Thanks for taking the photos. I'm going from 184cm RP to the 187 GPO and really don't know where to mount. Probably -2 or -3. It's so different from the RP - just hard to wrap my brain around.

[marshalolson]

telling ya, man. go off the sidecut, not the chord center.

+1 from midsole on an RP is in essence -2 from midsole on the GPO, relative to sidecut.

[Dromond]

telling ya, man. go off the sidecut, not the chord center.

+1 from midsole on an RP is in essence -2 from midsole on the GPO, relative to sidecut.

Cool. So If I went +0 on my RPs (which I did) and -3 on GPOs I'll be at the same spot relative to sidecut, with a bit less tip and much more tail. Sounds pretty good.

Thanks

[Bird Blaster]

Going to have some beta on -2 shortly. I ended up only bring GPO to Chile with me.

[Bird Blaster]

More to come but so far 2 days on the GPO and I am hooked. This might be the best ski I have ever been on thus far. I may only ski them this winter.
Edit: -2 mount

[DownAmr]

BB
Is this at -2? Wondering if -2 is the spot for big mountain charging?

[racesla]

More to come but so far 2 days on the GPO and I am hooked. This might be the best ski I have ever been on thus far. I may only ski them this winter.

Stoked to hear that. I have the 187s with the Hybrid layup.

[whyturn]

Wow bird blaster says GPO is Better than renegade. Wow They are impressive and I am -2 as well. Crush vertical at long resorts

[Bird Blaster]

Wow bird blaster says GPO is Better than renegade. Wow They are impressive and I am -2 as well. Crush vertical at long resorts

I have to put together more info when I get back but it is so much more versatile than the Ren. The Ren is a sweet powder tool but GPO is awesome on everything.

[Dry]

This might be the best ski I have ever been on thus far.

OK now, stop talking nasty and teasing us. Time to fess up to the goods in detail

Pictures will help your credibility some now!

[Bird Blaster]

Ok, finally getting a chance to sit down in front of the computer.

The GPO was awesome.

/end review

[Bird Blaster]

Days Skied: 9
Location: Portillo and Las Lenas
Me: 6'2"; 185lbs w/out gear.

Conditions: VERY VERY mixed. Days with complete boiler plate, spring corn, mashed potatoes, slush, dust on crust, <2-4" fresh pow (more PNW pow than blower), sastrug etc....

Skis: 192 carbon/glass hybrid med-stiff GPO with Atomic Tracker 16 (guardians)

Mount: this has been debated and much talked about on numerous pages of this thread. I spent a long time thinking about where I should mount these skis. I compared to RP112's, Rens and Bonafides. I always liked the shape of the RP112, which I think the GPO is most like from those 3 skis. I mounted my Rens around 2cm from the recommended and I always appreciated not being so "forward" on the ski and felt like I had LOTS of tail left. I took that strategy with me to the GPO. The suggested mount point seemed very forward to me. I like having some ski in front of my as I am a very directional skier. I debated on -1, -2 and -3 and I ended up choosing -2cm. I really liked this ski here, it gave me lots of ski up front and still a lot of tail (which is great because this is what I hated MOST about the RP112). I think I would be equally happy with -3cm and am actually considering mounting another pair at -3cm. Maybe I will go -2.5cm

Thoughts on the shape and prep-work: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the shape of this ski. It is the ski I think I have always wanted. The rocker profile is sick, the tip splay is pleasant and elongated. It is not too abrupt like the RP112, and it is a little more aggressive then the Ren. There is a small amount of camber underfoot, but it seemed like it was less than the advertised 3mm (maybe it is 3mm base-to-base?). The tail is very nice, a subtle rocker, flat and relatively stiff - a solid rear. To prepare the ski I only gummied the tips and tails from the contact point. I didn't have any problems with tip catch.

My overall impression of this ski is WOW! This ski is going to develop a cult like following. I found them comfortable in almost every condition that I encountered. On boiler plate I felt like there was plenty of edge hold and that I could even lay down a bit of a carve, as the snow softened then the GPO could really put some trenches down. I really tried to drive it from the tongue and I felt the ski responded very well to input. For a ski at 116mm underfoot I was VERY VERY happy. The tip flap was pretty minimal compared to something like the RP112 and probably on-par with the Renegade.

Testing the GPO in more spring-type snow including fresh corn the GPO really shined. It easily floated over a fresh-corn blanket, they carve and shmear with EASE. I could really start to get a feel for driving this ski and I was just DREAMING of untouched pow boot, ankle or hip deep. I am pretty confident the GPO would blast these conditions without a second thought.

When things got a little more turned up and turned to crud I didn't even stop to think about it. I had so much confidence in the GPO that I just went through and over everything. I didn't find that this ski was deflected by anything, I really really trusted it. I would NEVER have felt this way on the RP112. The renegade gave me similar confidence. The GPO gets the nod in these conditions because they just felt more stable in general. Nothing against the Ren, but it is really geared more towards pow.

PNW Pow / Wet Pow: We had 2 days of more dense pow, which was ~2-4". The GPO floated very nice in these conditions, effortless really, and went through everything. To be honest I didn't even think about the ski in these conditions, they just felt right.

Airs: I didn't get a chance to take anything huge; maybe 5' max. Nothing crazy, but they are a sweet platform. Very stable landing and the tails are always ready to support you if needed. You don't have to worry about washing-out.

In general, the GPO just felt comfortable under my feet. I think its the perfect all-mountain charger and a skier can handle virtually every condition with confidence on them. I initially bought the GPO because it sounded kinda cool, Tabke was railing on it and WHYTURN had them on pre-order. I have always tended to agree with his assessment of skis when he describes them on TGR (haven't met in person). Now that I have been on the GPO it has me re-thinking and re-tooling my quiver. The GPO is going to play a major role. Blizzard Brahmas will be the go-to hardpack ski and Rens will remain for deep days and generalized powder charging. The GPO will do absolutely everything else.

Anything that I would change? Probably not, I did think awhile about wishing I had a "stiff" not a "medium/stiff". I ended up ordering a second pair, and I went with med/stiff again - no regrets.

I hope everyone enjoys their GPO's and are as stoked about them as I am!!!

[wwwllw]

I've been waiting for this. Thanks! I'm anxiously awaiting snow to try mine. I like most am also up in the air on mounting. 192s med/stiff carbon/hybrid. I'm 5' 10" and 160lbs. -2, -1, 0??? I guess I'll just keep putting it off and rereading reviews until there is snow on the ground and I need them mounted. Great review. Super stoked to be on these this season!

What is your plan for the 2nd pair?

Reading back in this thread, it looks like you owned the bibby too? How do the two compare?

[Bird Blaster]

I've been waiting for this. Thanks! I'm anxiously awaiting snow to try mine. I like most am also up in the air on mounting. 192s med/stiff carbon/hybrid. I'm 5' 10" and 160lbs. -2, -1, 0??? I guess I'll just keep putting it off and rereading reviews until there is snow on the ground and I need them mounted. Great review. Super stoked to be on these this season!

What is your plan for the 2nd pair?

Reading back in this thread, it looks like you owned the bibby too? How do the two compare?

2nd pair are probably going to get SI&I plates. WHen they arrive this pair will probably go on the market.

I didn't have enough time on the Bibby to give it a good comparison.

[Dry]

Nice review, thank you.

Just so I am clear. You mounted mid-sole mark of your boot @ -2cm back from the dimple?

[Bird Blaster]

Nice review, thank you.

Just so I am clear. You mounted mid-sole mark of your boot @ -2cm back from the dimple?

correct - mid-sole of boot is at -2cm of the dimple

[JJChit]

you talked about maybe going -3... it seems like you were learnings torwards -3 at the end of your review. also are your renegades 87 or 88 from tail?

[shafty85]

you talked about maybe going -3... it seems like you were learnings torwards -3 at the end of your review. also are your renegades 87 or 88 from tail?

Always measure from the tip, not the tail. Just an FYI.

[JJChit]

Always measure from the tip, not the tail. Just an FYI.

definitely. but I thought the renegades were measured from tail?

[racesla]

Great review thanks. I'm throwing some schizos on mine so I'll keep everyone updated on how I feel they preform for me at the different mid sole positions.

[shafty85]

definitely. but I thought the renegades were measured from tail?

Don't know about the rens specifically, sorry. Would be odd if one ski went against the norm, but what do I know?

[XavierD]

I'm interested in why the RPC seems to be the ski of choice to compare these to?