The Official Great Pacific Octopus Thread

[SchralphMacchio]

Settled on 182 GPO Flex 3, Enduro-Veneer (Ambrosia Maple #1), Screaming Bear graphic

Here's an initial report on my experiences, after only two half-days on the skis.

1. Tune: Holy crap you guys weren't kidding about detuning these things ... they are almost unskiable until doing a massive detune from tip/tail to at least 3cm past the widest point of the tips and tails. What has worked for me is using a file to completely round edges from tip to widest point, light filing just past widest point, some hard coarse stone rounding over the filing, and gummy stone to ease transition from slight detune to sharp areas on the inside of the camber. For my post-snowboard style, I found I had to pay more attention to the detune transition in the tails, to help with releasing the rear, than I did in the nose.
   
2. Flex / Layup Choice: After some deep hand flexing and a couple days skiing, Flex 3 seemed to work well for me at 135 lbs as a resort do-it-all ski. There definitely seems to be some truth in needing to "break in" the flex of the ski, at least for the wood veneer topsheet layup. Tip and tail have surprisingly soft flex, very progressive though and much stiffer underfoot. The ski, with wood veneer is very damp in chop, haven't been on shit snow yet but I could instantly tell on the firm lift ramps how damp the wood veneer makes the ski.
   However, the maple wood veneer has so much dampness that I feel I am missing rebound energy when jumping off one turn to dive into the next ... if I had to do it again I think I would go like N1CK and combine carbon + wood to get the combination of poppy rebound and damp anti-chatter qualities. I can now see why people are saying Heavy + Carbon + Wood Veneer is the way to go for the best feeling ski!
   
3. Mount Point: I ended up at -1.1 cm, more out of fear than any other logical reason ... it just didn't "look right" lined up next to my other skis when placing my boot on the line (due to how much tail was left behind the boot), and I didn't want to deal with tip dive in deep snow after some of the minor complaints I see here. After skiing them, I can see the more "upright stance" they demand even at -1 vs my other skis. I feel I can get the ski to turn fine in the trees at -1 but I'm still not dialed in as far quick pivoting/smearing and dumping speed. I'm still having challenges making slow fall-line-speed, jumpy windshield wiper turns down the fall line in packed chop, as of course these things generally want to truck. The rocker/camber profile is much different than other hybrid (camber underfoot + long early rise tip) skis I've been on ... I still need more time on them but I feel like I can see how dumping speed and edge transitions could be easier mounted on the line. It seems like for my style maybe -0.5 would have done just right ... maybe mounting with schizo's after all would have been the ticket, but I'm feeling mostly okay at -1 so far.

Anyways, now I'm actually looking forward to more time getting these skis dialed in ... I was horrified after my first run on these, which really sucked because I had only done a slight detune with gummi stone and couldn't turn to save my life.

[steveski]

GPO is still my favorite ski of all time. I've only had standard MAP and map + carbon layups. A heavy + carbon + wood veneer combo sounds like a resort ski that would kill it.

[steveski]

Does anyone have any feedback from people skiing the shorter length GPO's? Wives, GF's, etc.?

I'm tempted to buy a 155 GPO for my wife but interested to hear if there are any other ladies out there who have skied the smaller sizes.

[eskido]

My sister has a 165 (or a 155, can't remember for sure?), she absolutely adores those sticks. Any time it's even remotely soft she prefers those over her PnR's even just for groomer zoomin. If she could only have one ski, that'd be it.


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[steveski]

My sister has a 165 (or a 155, can't remember for sure?), she absolutely adores those sticks. Any time it's even remotely soft she prefers those over her PnR's even just for groomer zoomin. If she could only have one ski, that'd be it.


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Awesome, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

[NakedShorts]

Schralph they need positive input because they are big and fatt, they have to be guided a little, not enough and you can get caught a little behind, you need to have a couple turns ahead in your sites and ski like you mean it. Real fast or real slow they are easiest. In between speeds, like hesitating, we'll you better make up your mind are you really trying to go fast or.... For you though just build some confidence at a slower rate and lower angle. Keep that up when you pick up the speed and steepness. Should be able to turn those babies sideways at any rate of speed anywhere anytime to scrub, just have to get light. They really ski best when you can create that "light feeling" between every turn even if you keep them railed.

[Jim S]

Does anyone have any feedback from people skiing the shorter length GPO's? Wives, GF's, etc.?

I'm tempted to buy a 155 GPO for my wife but interested to hear if there are any other ladies out there who have skied the smaller sizes.

My g/f 5'7" ~ 125 lbs loves her 165 GPOs.
And her 177 Protests.

[steveski]

Have a friend looking for a pair of 175 GPOs. Anyone's GF/wife/significant other holding?

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Didn't ski my 187 veneers as much as I'd have liked last season because it was a shitty winter. Found myself wondering if I liked them as much as my 182 UL's I use for touring (which have slightly more pronounce rocker, and are better pure powder skis). Maybe, I wondered, I'd be better off with something more POW specific, then use my Cochises for skiing chop. After today I'm convinced the GPO's are the ski I want.

6-12" inches depending on aspect an elevation at Steamboat today. Skied some untracked in and out of trees. Skied chopped up pow and plain old chop. Skied pow bumps and plain old bumps. Skied a bit on chopped up groomers getting from A to B. Skis were phenomenal. The sweet spot is huge. The combination of stability and maneuverability are even better than I remembered. Even got hooted at by a some folks on a chairlift for being rad. Thanks GPO's! Skiing is fucking fun.

[grinch]

Nice!! Sold a lot of my skis. The gpo’s were the oldest of the quiver but are one of two I’ve kept. Still ski like new

[Breomonkey]

I think mine are from the pre- numerical flex #’s. Any one know what the stock flex was Calle pre numbering system?

[Breomonkey]

Have a friend looking for a pair of 175 GPOs. Anyone's GF/wife/significant other holding?

Yeah, but you won’t be able to pry them out of my wife’s hands!

[steveski]

I think mine are from the pre- numerical flex #’s. Any one know what the stock flex was Calle pre numbering system?

It might depend on length. I think 182 and above the stock flex was medium-stiff which is 4 on the current scale. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

[Breomonkey]

It might depend on length. I think 182 and above the stock flex was medium-stiff which is 4 on the current scale. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

That’s my recollection as well, but it would be great if someone could confirm.

[Muggydude]

It was 4 flex (med-stiff)

[Duffman]

I think mine are from the pre- numerical flex #’s. Any one know what the stock flex was Calle pre numbering system?

Yeah. Medium Stiff was basically equal to 4 flex which was the original GPO stock flex.

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[Kopi_Red]

Hopped on my old GPOs today. They are so good. They can slarve, charge, carve, and slash with abandon. I don't have to think about anything when they're on my feet. The skis just do whatever I ask of them.

[grinch]

I have to get back on mine. They really are good

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[undertow2]

One of the best bumps and by far the best Swiss Army knife ski I own...


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[galibier_numero_un]

Amen to that! After dedicating my MAP/Carbon/Nylon/#4s to touring duty, I picked up some Enduro/Veneers/#4 for mixed use with Vipecs (both in 182).

... Thom

[hoarhey]

My only inbounds ski at the moment, and I’m not complaining!


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[frorider]

Took my OG topsheet carbon 192s to Utah during / after recent storm cycle. So versatile it’s kinda crazy.

[skis_the_trees]

I've been touring on my used/clapped out OG 192 GPOs all winter and they have been great, but I don't ski hard when I'm touring. Then I threw a set of frame bindings on the Dynaduke plates yesterday for some after lunch resort laps and holy cow were they sweet! I was on 188 Megawatts in the morning which were great in the 6-12" fresh heavy snow, but they GPOs felt like slalom skis in comparison with how maneuverable they were. Tight trees were dreamy, I kept laughing about how a 116 waist 192cm ski could pivot, carve, slarve, shoot, do anything on command and then charge out the bumped up runouts. The snow was good but not an "all time" day when any ski feels good. The GPOs impressed. Can't wait to move pin bindings back on for some hidden stashes later this week.

[galibier_numero_un]

... Can't wait to move pin bindings back on for some hidden stashes later this week.

Moving more and more toward biasing my weight savings at the bindings. The change on my 182s from Vipecs @ 1240g/pair to BD Helio 200s (ATK Haute Route) at 400g/pair was a revelation that has my all-knowing buddies smile ('coz they've done this years ago).

Darn near a pound per foot with no soft snow performance tradeoff.

... Thom

[steveski]

With the custom sale fast approaching, bumping this thread to ask if anyone has a heavy core GPO with feedback they will share? I'm leaning heavily towards a heavy core + veneer octopus...