05/06 Super Stiff Bro's - FKNA

[Core Shot]

Having only had a limited time on last years original Bros before they self destructed, I gotta say this ski FKNA rocks.
Super stiff is not too stiff, but it does not have the speed limit (tip flap) that I had on last years regular Stiff Fir cores (note: 05/06 aspen Stiff Bros are reportedly 10-15% stiffer than last years fir Stiff Bros).

Awesome edge hold, even on ice when that showed up late in the second day. Had some awesome runs going mach looney (for conditions) through mixed up cut up crud at Stowe. Was awesome in the bootop freshies I kept poaching on the closed trails. Still not enough natural cover out east for the woods.

Only issue was the camber (which seems extreme at 3.5cm when skis are placed base to base). On the first few runs, I could feel that camber when skis were neutral (flat) and hit some crud. Kind of an extra rebound that is far different from the usual tip deflections. When on edge, the camber was fine and actually probably gives better edge hold and tip pressure.
Either I adapted, or the skis were softening, since it was less noticeable later.

Put my buddy on them the next afternoon and he has never skied wider than 80mm waist (maybe never wider than 75mm).
After one run, he got used to the edging delay of a wide ski.
After that, he was auto-magically skiing big mountain style flowing power lines.
And, he was also grinning ear to ear.

He thought I was skiing too fast earlier, but once he was on the Bros he understood why and was flying at similar speeds over the same crappy snow.

Two tips up.
Wayyy up.

[BakerBoy]

Yuck, lots of camber? Flat skis are the future.

[Wolfman]

Word... Camber is no good.

[Hicks]

Where did you mount yours?
Splat recommends 40 and 7/8'' or 1038 mm straight from tip, I already went 7 mm back and felt I just should go back another 15 mm. Else I can pretty much subscribe to what you said, the sticks are stiff and felt dampp (what I like).

[squirrelmurphy]

i'm pretty sure that recommendation is from the tail, not the tip...

[Core Shot]

Where did you mount yours?
Splat recommends 40 and 7/8'' or 1038 mm straight from tip, I already went 7 mm back and felt I just should go back another 15 mm. Else I can pretty much subscribe to what you said, the sticks are stiff and felt dampp (what I like).

I'm at 1045mm back. Plenty back for me. I think for hardpack and for most pow I could be at the suggested 1038mm.
Last years Bros were at 1045mm for me (my boot was larger than the existing binding when I got them) so I knew that setting would work for me (particularly in the pow). (I was afraid to go forward and risk having to back seat the pow - that's just too tiring).
Also, the Splat advice this year is to mount at 1038 or 1045.

Me 6'4" 215lbs.

I was hoping my mention of the camber would cause some folks to give me a reason why camber is good on what should ideally be a big mountain pow ski.
I have thought of reasons for having it on hardpack and ice for tip hold and turn rebound energy, but how does it affect pow-wow?

[KANUTTEN]

...
I was hoping my mention of the camber would cause some folks to give me a reason why camber is good on what should ideally be a big mountain pow ski.
I have thought of reasons for having it on hardpack and ice for tip hold and turn rebound energy, but how does it affect pow-wow?

I think the current wisdom on the subject says camber=no good for pow. Dedicated powder skis such as db tabla rasa, dp lotus 120/138, spatula (?) and k2 pontoon (?) have negative camper. I think the idea is that you can have a stiffer stick with negative camber; when skis are put on "an edge" in pow, the negative camber makes it turn instantly, whereas the stiffness makess it stable.

I have heard quite a few people "destroying" the camber of a ski, say that it actually performs betterr in pow afterwords.

For what it is worth...