2017 Praxis Skis Info and Resource Thread

[grinch]

Gpo likes to be driven, more because of the tail though. That’ll bite you in the ass if you get lazy. Big taper on the shovel just gives you the loose.
I haven’t tried an mvp(someday) but my piste jib , which is basically a skinny mvp, was anything but hooky. Loose af. That’s why I got them. At -1 I could cruise groomers or just go play around in less than ideal conditions or moguls. Pj’s were 3 flex compared to the 4 of my gpo. Gpo feels like a racy pow ski most times but with the shovel and modest tail rocker it pivots well when needed. Lots of pop out of the tail of the gpo not so much with the pj

[Nevada29er]

Debating between standard and skinny Rx. Any feedback on the skinny Rx? 110 underfoot seems perfect to me, but the custom options being +/- 10mm would put it at 106mm. Probably splitting hairs, but still.

Also, thinking heavy core. Any drawbacks to heavy core vs enduro? I don't consider the weight itself to be a drawback for resort use. I suppose a #4 flex heavy core should flex the same as a #4 enduro, but there is probably a slight difference between the two as well.

[Banh Mi]

Debating between standard and skinny Rx. Any feedback on the skinny Rx? 110 underfoot seems perfect to me, but the custom options being +/- 10mm would put it at 106mm. Probably splitting hairs, but still.

Also, thinking heavy core. Any drawbacks to heavy core vs enduro? I don't consider the weight itself to be a drawback for resort use. I suppose a #4 flex heavy core should flex the same as a #4 enduro, but there is probably a slight difference between the two as well.

When hand flexing MAP core #4, and heavy core #4, I didn't find much of a difference in stiffness. The Praxis scale seems very consistent to me.

[SchralphMacchio]

Heavily tapered skis should be detuned. Taper is there to add float and prevent hooking. My problem with GPOs before detuning was opposite of hooking - they wouldn’t come around in crappy grabby rimed snow, they wanted to hold their line. After detuning they follow wherever I point.

[Self Jupiter]

I find tapered skis more hooky, and less drivable in difficult snow.

Every ski is different. Every tune is different. I wouldn’t consider MVPs, Völkl Ones, 4frnt Hojis, the -10q, Renegades, etc hooky and they’re all tapered to the bejesus.

I bet if I actually ever (de)tuned my old 192 Atomic Atlas I wouldn’t have found it as hooky, particularly in the tip (stuffed face a few times on those). But that was a ski with camber and a flat tail. To me, that’s more of a recipe to be hooky than any of these other skis.

My full camber stiff as Shit Cardinal 100 Parlor is hooky as shit off piste. Zero taper and I haven’t detuned them as they’re my groomer zoomers

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Zero hook on the gpo. I haven’t tried an rx but a gpo is an excellent touring ski. I like a lot of what blister gear says generally but they shit the bed with that gpo review. Which is strange because their protest review nailed it

Yup. And there are some Blister reviews that attempt to generalize about tip taper in a way that is flawed.

[Self Jupiter]

^thas what I’m trying to say

Long gone are the days you can size up a ski’s performance without trying them on snow, IMO. Paradoxically, check out the Blister Volkl one review - they say exactly that.

[nickel]

^thas what I’m trying to say

Long gone are the days you can size up a ski’s performance without trying them on snow, IMO. Paradoxically, check out the Blister Volkl one review - they say exactly that.

I disagree. If enough specs are available, I think one can make quite a fair estimate of a skis characteristics without even skiing it. Its when certain attributes are looked at in isolation that many false assumptions can be made. A ski is simply the sum of its parts.

[Shu Shu]

Keep in mind though that only Praxis has certified ShakaCore Vibe Dampening Technology, this is difficult to quantify in a spec sheet.

[Self Jupiter]

^ Different strokes, I guess. There are skis out there that have me fooled. For example, I looked at a Volkl One (now bash 116) and thought jibby pow ski. Thing has a TON of rocker, taper. Turns out having skied my buddies pair that they’re maybe the best one ski quiver For WC I’ve tried (with emphasis on softer snow). They shred a variety of conditions, I still don’t understand how.

Same buddy has a pair of 4frnt Gaucho. Hand flex soft, shirter turn radius, again I figured they’d be a noodle and I was wrong. Didn’t realize they were torsionally very stiff and therefore ski pretty stout.

But then again they don’t call me self dumbass for nothin

Edit I’m definitely ShakaCore Curious

[Banh Mi]

^ Different strokes, I guess. There are skis out there that have me fooled. For example, I looked at a Volkl One (now bash 116) and thought jibby pow ski. Thing has a TON of rocker, taper. Turns out having skied my buddies pair that they’re maybe the best one ski quiver For WC I’ve tried (with emphasis on softer snow). They shred a variety of conditions, I still don’t understand how.

Same buddy has a pair of 4frnt Gaucho. Hand flex soft, shirter turn radius, again I figured they’d be a noodle and I was wrong. Didn’t realize they were torsionally very stiff and therefore ski pretty stout.

But then again they don’t call me self dumbass for nothin

Edit I’m definitely ShakaCore Curious

I keep hearing that about the Volkl One. Lots of people seem to really like them.


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[sruffian]

Geuse - gpo might be the ideal ski for a shift 50/50 setup. I ski a 192 inbounds and will be getting a 187 for soft snow touring. I ski them low tide inbounds as well. Bought mine used and the tune was dialed - super loose but predictable. You can break, spin them, slarve them at will. Change your weighting though, and those tails want to charge. Great ski for mixed conditions - ability to charge pretty damn hard but looser and more soul-skiing feeling than something like a 190 bibby in soft snow

If you haven't been on one, get on one before ordering another rx

[Banh Mi]

Geuse - gpo might be the ideal ski for a shift 50/50 setup. I ski a 192 inbounds and will be getting a 187 for soft snow touring. I ski them low tide inbounds as well. Bought mine used and the tune was dialed - super loose but predictable. You can break, spin them, slarve them at will. Change your weighting though, and those tails want to charge. Great ski for mixed conditions - ability to charge pretty damn hard but looser and more soul-skiing feeling than something like a 190 bibby in soft snow

If you haven't been on one, get on one before ordering another rx

I am definitely starting to think about the GPO more and more lately. Looking at the sidecut, the taper “points” dont look super dramatic, but more gradual and smooth. I have had some issues with skis that have dramatic taper points.

The way you guys talk about GPO performance on firm, makes me think they are close to as good (edge hold) as the Rx. I consider the Rx to be the best fat ski I have ever tried on firm. It’d be nice to have a smaller turn radius than Rx for backcountry trees though, and just surfing around a bit more. It also seems like the GPO might float a little better than Rx. To be honest, I quite like the floatation of the Rx, but more/better never hurts.


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[Banh Mi]

I could happily ski on Praxis Rx everyday. For sure.

Most of my days this season are on Rx. I am heading out the door right now with them.

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[nickel]

It’d be nice to have a smaller turn radius than Rx for backcountry trees though, and just surfing around a bit more.

Can someone explain to me why there is a perception that a smaller turn radius has any noticeably positive effect on maneuverability in 3d snow? Turn radius is a term describing only the radius a ski will follow when carved on hard snow. Maneuverability in 3d snow is derived from other factors.

[Banh Mi]

I find skis with shorter turn radii, to also be quicker and more nimble in 3D snow..

Other design features definitely have a lot to do with it too. But is it just a coincidence that I feel the shorter turn radius to be “turnier”?

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[Self Jupiter]

I think you both can be correct.

Marcus Caston, Jeremie Heitz freerider-type have more traditional technique. I feel like MC and JH are so effing good they can just ski in powder ski whatever way they want to. They ended up like this. Fairly certain they began their careers as racers. For that ‘type’ of skier, I’d assume smaller radius equals quicker.

Then you’ve got the guys who pioneered the more experimental ski shapes with more ‘new school’ technique like Tabke and Hoji who have seemingly decided they like skiing 3D in a more relaxed, centered stance. Again these guys are inhuman and could probably ski any way they want, but they ended up like this. I think they were racers too. They design longer radius skis but ski like ninjas.

File me in the ‘radius does not equal quick’ category, I don’t usually ski traditionally in powder camp. My quickest ski in deep 3D, 4frnt 186 EHP has something like a 50M radius.

[Shu Shu]

One of the reasons I love longer radius skis and the Q in particular is that you can ride them bases flat and then get up on edge without feeling like the ski immediately wants to pull you into an arc. I think that's the main difference for me between the Q and GPO on hardpack. The GPO radius (24m) by no means short, tends to want to engage more and gives you the feeling of riding a set arc. The Q doesn't really feel like it has a radius to me. You just steer.

[sruffian]

Can someone explain to me why there is a perception that a smaller turn radius has any noticeably positive effect on maneuverability in 3d snow? Turn radius is a term describing only the radius a ski will follow when carved on hard snow. Maneuverability in 3d snow is derived from other factors.

IME radius impacts the ski's desired/natural turn shape in soft or variable snow, as well. People who ski traditionally are gonna feel this more than people who ski neutrally. There's a whole different suite of design aspects outside of radius and length that'll effect how they act if you're skiing them neutrally. Shit like taper and pintail. I like skis that respond to both styles, personally.

[Self Jupiter]

One of the reasons I love longer radius skis and the Q in particular is that you can ride them bases flat and then get up on edge without feeling like the ski immediately wants to pull you into an arc. I think that's the main difference for me between the Q and GPO on hardpack. The GPO radius (24m) by no means short, tends to want to engage more and gives you the feeling of riding a set arc. The Q doesn't really feel like it has a radius to me. You just steer.

I just, i just like, I just feel so free, man

You can also bounce off a feature if you want to change direction quickly, something I have a much easier time with on new school long radius vs side cut designs

[Cars Suck]

If you are in Tahoe / Squaw you can take my 182 / Enduro / Vinyl out. I'll be on demos skis or my Q's this weekend.

Can't remember the exact BSL but they are mounted for a 25.5 Salomon.

GPO rail spring resort slush + mixed. Mine are mounted +2 (long story) which I was super skeptical about but the mount ended up being really fun for f-off days

[Cars Suck]

Betelgeuse that was for you and my GPOs

[skibrd]

I think without getting the boss’ permission, it’s to late.

End of April with out the bosses permission

[skibrd]

hmmm you say there’s still time then?
i went to the website and began to drool

I’m trying to get some extra work in, and sell some stuff before the closing date so I can order a pair of Protests, which I’m 99.9999% sure I don’t need with my Super Freerides, 202 Fischer’s, and 203cm Shiros, but I’m a ski whore...


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[N1CK.]

still time for custom orders ... pull the trigger, people!!