Paging Kidwoo - Woo 2.0

[STLHD]

Just wanted to add my praise for the Woo 2.0. I've been on the 187s for the past three or four weeks. It took a day to get the feel of them; they're obviously a much different ski than my previous BC ski, the W112, but after a few runs I couldn't believe how much fun these skis were. Super confidence inspiring in all kinds of conditions. They're really nice to tour with although I've been bringing them to the resort any time its snowed with in the last day or two just because I enjoy them so much.

Quick mini-review:

Powder: Wicked good, guy. First run down some pretty low-angle terrain was a little weird because I had never skied a similar ski before AND I hadn't detuned the tips. I was a little tentative and I think the ability to make whatever turn shape I wanted kind of got in my head. After a couple of runs and a detuning I realized you could just haul ass and trust that the ski would be there for you. Honestly every time I go out in fresh snow they get better and better.

Crud: This has already been discussed re:the similarities to the spats, but they are a blast once you figure out you can just ski on top of the skied out bumps. I really like how quick they are due to their light weight, as well.

Groomers: Not as weird as I expected and the more you ski them the easier it gets. Haven't had them on any icy days, but anytime the snow is soft they seem to do just fine.

I'm kind of tempted to give the 196s a try. Has anyone ski both? I'm 6' 185 and a decent skier and I think they'd be nice for some of the more open terrain out here. I haven't had any tip-dive issues, but am just curious I guess.

[harpo-the-skier]

Mounted the binding back 13mm and my woos r doing much better.

I just got done skiing my woo/dyna setup on a week long hut trip in the Canadian Rockies and had same problems. We had fresh pow but it was pretty heavy, more like Tahoe snow, along with some wind effect. On the woos with the tapered tips I buried my tips a bunch of times. Whenever I pressured the tips I felt them dive. On my w112s I felt as though the fat tips would lift me right over that stuff. Or my skiing might suck, but everyone said it was survival skiing. I was beat too as it was at the end of a 7000 foot day in a 25000 foot week. The woos mounted at recommended for a 300 bsl and I was skiing a 297 boot. The woos did great when I skied them in good light deep pow and r less hooky than the w112s in crust. 186 woo 2, 185 lbs, 5'11".

[D(C)]

I'm taking a serious look at these but wanted to ask a bit more about the (lack of) sidecut. Short contact length with long turn radius can go a few ways - it can produce a ski that engages and turns like a ski with a much shorter radius (e.g., Hoji, Renegade), or it can be a ski that's closer to the feel of a reverse sidecut ski, which is quite loose and doesn't want to hook up (e.g., EHP). Where does the Wootest fall? The true test of these characteristics is groomer performance. Is the Wootest going to carve or wash? Is the sidecut useable or is this a ski that is turned more by steering?

[D(C)]

I'm taking a serious look at these but wanted to ask a bit more about the (lack of) sidecut. Short contact length with long turn radius can go a few ways - it can produce a ski that engages and turns like a ski with a much shorter radius (e.g., Hoji, Renegade), or it can be a ski that's closer to the feel of a reverse sidecut ski, which is quite loose and doesn't want to hook up (e.g., EHP). Where does the Wootest fall? The true test of these characteristics is groomer performance. Is the Wootest going to carve or wash? Is the sidecut useable or is this a ski that is turned more by steering?

Kidwoo's timely review on Blister pretty much answered my questions. Carry on.

[CaliBrit]

Great review! No longer length for 2014? Oh and Woo, what flex are yours? Medium-stiff, or medium?

[Jim S]

Great review! No longer length for 2014? Oh and Woo, what flex are yours? Medium-stiff, or medium?

I thought I saw 196cm Woo 2.0 on the Praxis website. But that was at 2 am so take it with a grain of salt.

[ego7man]

I thought I saw 196cm Woo 2.0 on the Praxis website. But that was at 2 am so take it with a grain of salt.

Just 187 this year says the website. Who's touring on a 196 anyways?

[kidwoo]

Kidwoo's timely review on Blister pretty much answered my questions. Carry on.

You can definitely carve them. They pretty much have no speed limit on groomers and smooth surfaces (corn etc.)

The only thing worth nothing is the medium slower speed tighter stuff.......yeah you need to slide them. But in most of those cases you're sliding any ski. And don't deny it because yes you are.



CB: medium stiff w'/ carbon

[neck beard]

Does the carbon layup really need to be broken in to feel better? Of is it just you adjusting?

Wish there was a 180.

[kidwoo]

Does the carbon layup really need to be broken in to feel better? Of is it just you adjusting?

Wish there was a 180.

No. Not at all.
I just think it flexes a little better now than the first three runs I ever took on them in 3' of 2% snow. I don't know if it's the wood or the carbon but every ski on the planet settles into a flex that's not necessarily identical to the way it feels in the first 5 minutes of life. Half the reason I even mentioned it is because those first few hike-to runs were in really light snow. They don't NEED to be broken in to work or anything. I just think that they felt like they were flexing a little better later on. If you're not skiing total blower right from the get go, it's probably not even something you'd notice.


I'm 5'8". Buy the 187s.

[neck beard]

I just don't want that much length in a ski I'm going to hike in a lot (it would probably see 80 day of skinning a season). Shorter = more of an ascent tool I can work terrain with, easier to manage, less weight. Kind of like narrower v.s. the Protest. That is the ascent concern.

Down: Hypothetical q, what would ski shorter, a 187 W112 or the Woo2?

I have 177 Protests in the mail. Until I get them wired, I'm not jumping at a 187 Woo2.

[same size as you, but probably far tougher and meaner]

[kidwoo]

[same size as you, but probably far tougher and meaner]

Not buying little 177 and 180 twiddle sticks and bitching about hiking you're not.

It'll take you about 5 seconds to get those protests wired. You'll like them. Almost everyone does.

Don't know about the wailers, I haven't skied them. They do seem to have a more aggressive rocker and definitely a shorter turn radius. So if I had to guess I'd say they'd probably ski shorter. You know K2 has a pretty sweet line of kids and women's skis right?

[neck beard]

Not buying little 177 and 180 twiddle sticks and bitching about hiking you're not

.....

You know K2 has a pretty sweet line of kids and women's skis right?

FU!

At least I skied pow all season (except for March, it kinda sucked).

[kidwoo]

FU!

At least I skied pow all season (except for March, it kinda sucked).

Well I skied what pow becomes all season.........when it's blown to one side.......then blown to the other.......then sun baked.......then rained on........then feathered up.........then blown to the other side again.


No different really. All the same stuff. In that it was literally the same stuff all season.

[Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer]

Well, as I posted in the 2013 ski thread, I am picking up a pair of the 2014 Woo 2.0 to replace Stokes (which I am not too Stoked on). Touring quiver will then be (i) 178 Dynafit Mustagh for multi-day spring tours, (ii) 182 Yetis for all around day trips not involving powder and (iii) 187 Woo 2.0 for pow days.

I will never ski these at the resort (have Protests for that) and only in pow. As a result, do I still need to de-tune the hell out of the tips and tails? I assume as much, but just wanted to check. Sounds like mounting rec is on the line.

Man - something light (I come from Dynafit skis for touring) that skis like the Protest slarvy sounds SO AWESOME for Tahoe snow.

Assuming I have to detune a ton, what is the best way? I won't get these until likely next fall, at which point I can just ask someone in Tahoe to help me or something (as I am an idiot when it comes to ski tunning). KW - hell, maybe I can toss you a 6-pack to help me out!

[kidwoo]

Don't even fuck with tuning, just go ski them when you get them.

If we'd had a normal winter I wouldn't have even thought about it.

[LightRanger]

UCL, I have a gumi stone (and a file) you can use to detune them a bit when you get them. I used to detune new skis and boards all the time when I worked in a shop. Glad you decided to spring for them.

[hoarhey]

Kidwoo's timely review on Blister pretty much answered my questions. Carry on.

I couldn't locate the review last week when I saw your post.
Met the man, or the kid-woo, I should say, during my visit to tahoe this past weekend...
Thought I would post up a link to the review now that I've found it:

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-re...is-wootest-2-0

[kidwoo]

I couldn't locate the review last week when I saw your post.
Met the man, or the kid-woo, I should say, during my visit to tahoe this past weekend...
Thought I would post up a link to the review now that I've found it:

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-re...is-wootest-2-0

I can't apologize enough for making you run into AKbruin shirtless. Had I known I would have certainly saved you from that horror.

[hoarhey]

You never know what you might encounter in the bc...

[grinch]

i keep going back to these. i think it'd be a great daily driver midwinter tourer (not to be confused with the am category). any chance Keith would be making shorter version (re; beer belly/old/stumpleg on switchbacks/bla bla). doubt it would happen before my code would expire but on the off chance before i pass it along...........177-180 carbon would be $$$. thanks in advance regardless

[AKbruin]

I can't apologize enough for making you run into AKbruin shirtless. Had I known I would have certainly saved you from that horror.

Actually, I believe I was pantsless at the time. Did hoarhey blush and sort of stare at the ground when he told you? If so, that was him reflecting on his immeasurable sense of inadequacy. That, or a fear of looking directly into his interlocutor's untamed fu manchu.

[neck beard]

any chance Keith would be making shorter version

Kidwoo won't allow it to happen.

[hoarhey]

Kidwoo won't allow it to happen.

I spoke with Keith about a month ago, maybe more...

I asked him about a narrower protest (177 or 182 version of the narrower 163 cm protest, which has a 118 mm waist), or a shorter wootest...

He said the shorter wootest was more likely.

Not sure where that leaves us.
(I hope that dropping the 196 wootest might make way for a shorter model)...

[hoarhey]

Actually, I believe I was pantsless at the time. Did hoarhey blush and sort of stare at the ground when he told you? If so, that was him reflecting on his immeasurable sense of inadequacy. That, or a fear of looking directly into his interlocutor's untamed fu manchu.

I just remember seeing the praxis bc's from the other side of the car when we parked, and thinking that's AKBruin. I should have called him while I was in town.

Post-conversation, I sent a quick text to woo, toured with LBSKi and got the heck out of dodge.

Didn't even stop by the praxis factory...