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Last edited by on3pbg; 02-18-2021 at 06:13 PM.
Abbreviated Billy Goat 108 Tour review
Length: 184cm
Weight w/ out binding: Left ski = 1754.9 grams, Right ski = 1762.4 grams
Bindings: Fritschi Tecton
Boots: La Sportiva Synchro
Number of tours: 4 (roughly 5-mi round trip each)
Since I have not had a safe opportunity to take these into the BC around Mt. Hood, I have kept myself confined to safe/tame trails like the Glade, Alpine Trail and Westleg Road or inbounds at Timberline ski area after skinning up 1 of the aforementioned trails.
Uphill they are great. Granted, this is my first season touring and don’t have any experience w/ lighter setups, so to me, they’re awesome. I find them to be easy to break trail when leading and have no issues staying in the skin track when following.
Downhill, they’re great too. They ski like a Billy Goat should ski. All the expected characteristics are there. Since the EE is the same as it’s wider brother, it skis hard snow the same way. Not great, but manageable. Skied down from the top of the Mile chair on boilerplate and didn’t die. Just have to dial the speed back and engage the edge more deliberately.
The flex is considerably softer than a stock all bamboo Billy Goat but is right in line with the round flex I have on my Cease & Desist’s, Caylor’s and Jeffrey 108’s (which I had done softer to get that round flex, I love how it feels and how it compliments my skiing style). I have found that these plane up in soft low-angle snow better than my old (2015/2016) stock 184cm Billy Goats did; I have not had any of the “plowing” sensation I got with those skis.
Will post more detailed feedback once I’ve had a chance to get deeper in the BC, after the Avy danger around Mt. Hood subsides (scary out there right now).
I just picked up a new to me pair of 189 Wren98. I’m a long time Wren skier with an OG 191 pair and the 113 with a flatter tail version.
What I’ve noticed is the 98 require a lot more constant input than my wider versions. They feel stiffer though the shove and are more challenging to slarve. Maybe it is the increased camber?
Love the 98 on groomers insanely fun. Also really enjoy them in wind buff and chalky well spaced bumps.
I found them really challenging and not actually fun in firm tighter bumps. I was not able to bend the ski into the bump shape and kept getting knocked around.
I rarely ski firm tight bumps, but I’ll pick a different ski if that is in the plan for the day.
Would the Woodsman bend easier?
Funny. I briefly skied the 98 Wren in 184 (purchased used) and found it to be a delightful ski in all sorts of bumps, but it struggled in hard snow and lacked dampness when raging firm- hard groomed runs. Still, I liked this ski so much and I went with custom 96 Wrens with carbon and have having a lot of fun with those. Now I'm getting to know the new 102 ti variant.
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Your dog just ate an avocado!
Posted this up over in quiver land. Wanted to share here for the mutual enthusiasm. I love all my children equally......well maybe a couple more than others.....[emoji41]
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@ottime I had Wren 108s for a while, sold them and replaced with Woods108s and and much happier with those for a daily driver.
Wonder if I would be better suited for the 184. Seems like the tips would hook up on the bumps in front and want me to be driving hard.
For reference, Lower Grizzly was not fun. They worked in Avalanche 1 and 3 (I think). Anywhere there were large radius bumps OR some give to the top of the bumps, they were a lot of fun. Firm tight radius kept throwing me around. And I do suck at skiing those types of bumps anyway, but my old school cambered 182 Mantra easily bend under my weight comparatively.
I did not really ski bullet proof groomers but these skied fine on the backside wind frozen groomers. They were super fun on any groomer with moderate grip. Matterhorn at June was super fun. I hit 51mph on St Anton and they were not at all squirrelly.
In any sort of wind buff, wind blown, chalk etc I really really enjoyed them.
I also skied Gull Canyon at June on then as my son didn’t want to “take a boring cat track down”. Mixed wintery up top to mostly refrozen mid way down, some corral reef, to almost corn. They worked great through the entire descent of shitty snow.
Might just take time to get to know them in the bumps.
And maybe my older skis are just “broken in”.
First time on a non traditional cambered ski with a waist of less than 108.
I’m just comparing my 113 vs the 98, and the 98 feels like it has a few more beans. I’ve been skiing Wrens since the OG, what ever that year was. It was also my touring ski for like 4 years.
I’d like to demo the woodsman for sure. But In wide open terrain, I’d suspect I’d prefer the Wren. Fwiw I thought the Wren handled nicely in low angle tight trees with variable snow. They went where you told them to go and did not easily get bucked.
Hopefully this won't sound dumb in context, but my 18/19 189 wren 108s kick my ass in tight bumps. I just can't get em around and the tails load up in a weird way. Yeah I know they aren't a bump ski, but they are harder to ski there than my 191 mantras (no rocker) and way harder than a 186 bodacious. But as soon as the bumps flatten out a bit they are great. Totally fine/not scary in tight trees and do exactly what I want in firm chop.
i would just try to air bumps and hold on with my wren 108, quick enough in 3d, thought they were a great tree ski and obviously like the open stuff
woodsman is much more turny/pivot but can still arc wider or go straight
Not an easy decision.......kinda like the line up at the Bunnyranch. No wrong choices IMHO. They all rule for what I like outta my skis.
But if I had to choose SC’s old 189 asym BG’s and my Wren 108’s. My kid and I share models short of the big ones so they all get love.
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I know they slightly shortened the radius on the wren 96 from the 98, but I find my 184 96's to be quite enjoyable in bumps, especially soft ones. They are pretty much automatic for me, I don't feel the constant input thing at all. In manky powder they definitely take some work but any relatively flat tailed 96 underfoot ski would. For how hard they charge I feel like they slarve really well. I sorta wish they hooked up on groomers a little better, but I try not to ski groomers anyway.
Cease & Desist’s in deep fresh snow and tight trees rule. That is all.
Looking to sell a minty pair of 184cm Wren108s pressed this winter or possibly trade for the softer 17/18 iteration.
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