4FRNT Renegade ~ Hand built in SLC.

[ImSearchingforPowder]

Sidewall blew out on my 13/14 rens after about 20ish days. Anyone else have this problem?

[Brianskis]

Sidewall blew out on my 13/14 rens after about 20ish days. Anyone else have this problem?

What did you hit? 1 Day, 200 Days, it doesn't really matter how many days you've been skiing them if you hit the edge/sidewall the wrong way...

[Mustonen]

200+ days on OG renegades. No durability issues.

[Evil E]

OG rens in spring slush simply slay. That is all.

[Mustonen]

Really? Outside of boilerplate, that's my least favorite condition for them. I find my OG and 196 owls to ski kind of weird in slush unless there's something firm underneath. Not sure if it's the reverse camber or the shape? But they seem to either give in a weird way at the apex of the turn or get too loaded up right in front of my boot. I don't know how to describe it any better than that. Still skiable and even fun, but if I have something narrower with more shape I tend to grab it first on those days. Corn and wet heavy spring pow are totally different stories, however.

[JimLad]

Just go straight and double from one pocket of slush to the next. WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[gramboh]

Just go straight and double from one pocket of slush to the next. WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Doubling/tripling slushy whoops on Renegades = funnnn.

[Altaholic]

Some more thoughts on EHP vs Renegades:

D(C) had a comparison thread way back when the Rens first came out. I own the 2012 186 EHP and the 2nd gen 186 Ren. I agree with D(C) on pretty much everything.
- The Rens feel heavier (despite the fact the the EHPs weigh as much on the scale).
- The Rens actually aren't as quick at banging off turns in very tight trees. D(C) thought this was due to a bigger flat spot underfoot on the EHPs, allowing the skier to use a bigger contact point for pivoting with the bases flat. Not sure if this is the reason or not, but for me the EHPs are faster side to side in tight trees
- The Rens are faster in pow. This is the ride quality that I think makes them unique. They have this amazing frictionless feel in deep soft snow, and ski so much faster in pow that I find I have to change my technique a little and make more turns for speed control sometimes
- At 87 cm from tail, the Rens are mounted about -5cm to - 6cm from true center (they measure more like 185 cm straight pull than 186 cm). This is within 1 cm of the rec'd mount point for the EHPs (about -5cm from true center).
- To me, the Rens aren't as damp as the EHPs. By damp, I mean the ability of the ski to absorb vibrations of rough 3D snow. I don't know if the EHP has more rubber in the layup, or if its because they flex a bit softer, but the EHP does a better job of absorbing vibration and thus feel more forgiving in crappy snow.
- The Rens are less forgiving of your fore/aft balance point. This is probably the subtle continuous reverse camber at play. Like others have said, you have to ski it from the center, and you'll know it if you are trying to drive the tips too much or if you end up in the back seat

All that aside, the Rens in soft snow are something special. Like you iscariot, I wish there was a hybrid of the EHP/Ren. Damp like the EHP, rocker profile somewhere in between the two, around 115-118 mm underfoot, 35-40 m radius, 9-9.5 lbs for a 186cm. This was discussed in a Kusala thread too, and Splat may build a skinny Kusala this spring if there is enough interest.

Skiing 196 Rens in Jackson I have got to agree with you. They are the perfect ski for JHMR. A rally car of a ski in powder, even in fun spring skiing as well. Hell, I was rocking those skis in the massively deep 20+ turn 'Worker's Wiggle' (kind of like a bobsled track you ski through. Us Jackson guys will 'wiggle' when there is no snow) in Rendezvous Bowl.

They are super stable when dealing with choppy snow, they have gotten myself in trouble going too fast at times. They love to go 'Ricky Bobby' speed.

[Altaholic]

200+ days on OG renegades. No durability issues.

Just finished year two on my OG Raven 196 Rens with them still charging like the did on day one.

[Ggreenie]

Just finished year two on my OG Raven 196 Rens with them still charging like the did on day one.

Likewise. Though I definitely haven't even seen 100 days worthy of these beasts. I've probably only used them about 40 days.

[Evil E]

OLD vs NEW?

I have the OG 1st gen version. Crows on black/orangish yellowish topsheet in 186cm length. Are there significant changes in the new 2016 version? I love this ski, but sometimes wish it were about 10% softer when conditions firm up. The durability in the construction is amazing. I accidentally rail slided a huge rock mid pow turn yesterday at Abasin and expected to find a ruined ski upon inspection. I flipped over the ski and barely saw a burr on the edge.

[shafty85]

Softer when conditions are harder?

Haven't had the opportunity to ski mine as much as I would like, as of yet, but looking forward to next season to take advantage of them!

[iscariot]

Softer when conditions are harder?

I think he means more damp when on chattery hard packed ice.

That's a hudge difference I noticed between the EHP and the Renegade. The EHP feels like a more composed ski to me, its still my all time fav...Good thing I have several pairs hoarded.

Not to knock the Rens. Just two very different skis. More different than I had anticipated.

Thus the many previous posts requesting a ski that combines some of the EHP qualities with some Ren qualities.

The EHP is a quiver of one.

The Ren is a ski in a quiver.


IMHO, of course.

[Altaholic]

one of my favorites shots of myself slaying it on my Rens this winter.

[Ggreenie]

Sweet shot man!!

[RichieNZ]

Couple more Ren shots from this winter. This much fun shouldn't be legal.

[ImSearchingforPowder]

Hell yes

[Altaholic]

Rens on a powder makes you feel like kid a Disneyland.

[Brianskis]

I have a pair of 196 Owl Graphic w/ Duke EPF Small and pre-cut skins for $400 Shipped! They were never even skied, just mounted and waxed...

[shafty85]

Anyone know/recall when the version with the backcountry topsheet was made?

http://www.backcountry.com/4frnt-skis-bc-renegade-ski

[selle]

Anyone know/recall when the version with the backcountry topsheet was made?

http://www.backcountry.com/4frnt-skis-bc-renegade-ski

The Announcement video of this collaboration project is from October 2012, so I guess it's the 2012/13 version...

[undertow2]

The Announcement video of this collaboration project is from October 2012, so I guess it's the 2012/13 version...

It was a 201w/2013 ski... Still loving my 196s...!

[shafty85]

^^^ Sweet, thanks. Have there been any changes in flex/stiffness throughout the years of the ski? I see this year they brought in ABS sidewalls...

Stuck inside these days with smoke, likely from the coming apocalypse as predicted by our Lord and Savior, Donald Trump, blotting out the sun and making air quality suspect at best. Decided I may as well work on my skis to while away the hours. What is the best method of curing/staining the sidewalls to avoid/minimize any potential moisture damage? Looking at linseed oil, but would that have any effect on the epoxy, or any other detrimental effect on the ski? Any other suggestions?

[Ggreenie]

What is the best method of curing/staining the sidewalls to avoid/minimize any potential moisture damage? Looking at linseed oil, but would that have any effect on the epoxy, or any other detrimental effect on the ski? Any other suggestions?

The idea of the exposed wood core relies upon getting them dry each night, not keeping them dry during the day. They are not meant to be sealed.

Not sure of the reasons they've brought in the abs sidewalks though

[RockinB]

What is the best method of curing/staining the sidewalls to avoid/minimize any potential moisture damage? Looking at linseed oil, but would that have any effect on the epoxy, or any other detrimental effect on the ski? Any other suggestions?

Linseed oil will not have any detrimental effect. I have a few pairs with exposed wood sidewalls that look as good as the first day I skied them that I treated with boiled linseed oil. Put a fresh thick coat of wax on your skis to protect the base from the oil, be careful not to drip any wax down the sidewalls. Use a rag and put on a light coat of oil, it goes a long way. Let it dry for a day, then scrape the wax. I do this maybe twice a season on my skis and they have held up great. And as greenie said, take care to bring your skis in and dry them out at the end of each day.