Soft Snow Gymkhana - The Heritage Lab FR110

[SnowMachine]

I think the R110 is going to be my first HL purchase. I think it will fit my style for a soft snow DD.

FWIW, I saw some FR132's in the wild today. Beautiful ski.

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Can't stop thinking about that R110... Need it in my life.

[ASmileyFace]

The new blue to silver fade pivot is call the Super Edition, they are paired with a Super Edition Rossi ski, but will be for sale separately too. 105mm brakes only, which should work well with all your FR110 & R110 needs

[The Iron Horse]

I look at it as an opportunity to solidify two quiver spots at the same time, which ‘should’ reduce speed dating for the foreseeable future…cost savings! That R line pretty much solved all my coastal resort quiver waneeds of the last 5 years…can’t wait to ski em. Good luck with the resistance; I lasted 72 hours.

TIck-tock, tick-tock. Villhöver​.

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Need to get some P15s on these stat!

[cocoapuff]

Solid quiver KimJong. Good feedback on the R110 and look forward to hearing more form others.

I am bored and it looks like awhile til we get another pow day but I'll throw these up. I'll refrain from saying much as I only have one day on them. Albeit a fresh 9"... with limited terrain open. Echoing what everyone says these are things are super smooth. My buddy took a few laps on them after things started to bump out and he kept calling them "bump erasers." They also encourage a very playful approach to the mountain. Not super poppy but playful. I mounted at -6.75cm on the 186s. Glad I did as they did took a few runs for me to adjust to a more centered stance. Love em so far and look forward to more days on them.

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Its an ongoing problem, but makes for a good conversation as a back ground on zoom calls...

My 110 is actually the R in FR clothing! I appreciate all the takes on the FR since the 120ST will be very similar!

[SnowMachine]

Its an ongoing problem, but makes for a good conversation as a back ground on zoom calls...

My 110 is actually the R in FR clothing! I appreciate all the takes on the FR since the 120ST will be very similar!

Best office decoration ever!!!

[Marshal Olson]

Hi Marshal,

The FR110 are just so fun! First day was 20cm of fresh and they just make the most of every aspect of the day: smashy, bouncy fun in the cut up stuff, terrifying myself straight lining out of trouble and carving better than I expected, just objectively well for a ski of the width. What surprised me the most though was a quite how sideways you can get these things in deeper patches - so so much fun!


Just for science: I mounted mine at 87cm from the tail (326mm BSL) at 6 ft and 90kg which even at my size I found to be perfect, but the skis I have spent the most days on are Rossi scimitars).

Sharing some more FR110 stoke too!

Get those sticks mounted @KimJongThrill!!!

[Marshal Olson]

Got some 186 FR110 ramblings if you're interested, I don't have a TGR account but have been reading the Gymkhana thread there.


Why I purchased this ski: During the past 2 seasons I skied the 192 M-Free 108 most of the time. I love the M-Free for how stable it is while being loose and easy to pivot for its size - it's the first ski I've been on that allows me to enjoy almost all conditions. However, it's a bit cumbersome in tight spots, which makes tight turns in no fall zones more nerve-wracking than I'd like. I tried sizing down to the 182 M-Free 108 but that sacrificed too much stability for me, the ski would wash out on high speed turns and jump turns. So I was looking for something similar to the M-Free - stable and loose but less cumbersome for softish snow use in tight, steep, technical terrain. Most of my days are at Bridger Bowl, with Big Sky and Altabird in second place. Shredeagle mentioned Bridger on the first page of the Gymkhana thread and the wheels started turning. I'm not sure if you've skied the ridge at Bridger before, but primary use case I envisioned for this ski was chutes with choke points of 2-3 feet/mandatory air before having to scrub speed above another choke/mandatory air. I'm 6'1, 190lbs and have never skied reverse camber before. 329 BSL, mounted at -7cm.


On to the ski - my favorite thing about the FR110 is that for the first time, I have complete confidence that my skis will go exactly where I want them to go. It's like magic. I just scope out my line, envision myself following it, and it happens. No tails washing out, no edges catching early, no missing the turn because I miscalculated speed, no going over the handlebars if I land in snow that's too deep, no tails propelling me to Valhalla if I get knocked backseat. It's like easy mode. It's perfect for the reason I bought it. What really caught my eye in the description was "drifting out of 55mph straight lines," and it's amazing how maneuverable these are while also providing very good stability.


Unexpected benefits:
- I haven't gotten to ride the FR110 in any really deep conditions yet but had a few runs on 10-12 inches of untracked and this is a dream in powder. I never seemed to enjoy powder in trees as much as other people because I couldn't get my tails to release predictably (probably because I ski more centered in trees), but those days are gone. It's insane to me how loose and maneuverable these are in soft snow, extremely confidence-inspiring.
- Halfway down the mountain yesterday the soft conditions turned wet and heavy and it started raining. This is my all-time least favorite type of snow, and a big reason why I moved to Montana instead of further West. But on this ski I didn't hate it!
- I got knocked backseat after catching some unexpected air and was surprised to find I was still in control and could make turns! I don't think I've ever felt in control while backseat, this was a crazy feeling.

- Haven't skied these on firm groomers yet but on soft groomers they carve way better than expected. The "factory tune" is awesome. They aren't engaging, snappy carvers (obviously not meant to be with their turn radius) but just putting them on edge and laying trenches works much better than I imagined.


I saw someone in the Gymkhana thread asking about a comparison to the 192 M-Free 108. I haven't A/B'd the two skis yet, but here are some initial thoughts:


192 M-Free 108:
More stable, especially at speed.
Better edge hold.
Better overall carver due to edge hold on firm.


186 FR110:
More predictable, easier to handle in tight spots.

Slightly looser on groomers, much looser in powder.
Better float.
More forgiving if you get backseat (the M-Free is not particularly punishing backseat, but the FR110 is on a whole other level)
Wider range of turn shapes on groomers.
Better in weird snow.
More manageable in the air.


Basically, the M-Free is capable of bombing groomers at 60mph with minimal input, and I don't think I'd be comfortable doing that on the FR110. One of my favorite things to do on the M-Free is straightline moguls like Candide in this video from 1:02 to 1:08: (https://youtu.be/p-mZTR1glq4?si=5-eDttofLVMw_VYz&t=62). This is not why I bought the FR110, but I don't think it's suited for this kind of skiing. It would be suited for popping off and gapping the moguls though - this ski feels great in the air. I haven't skied the FR110 in really firm conditions yet, but I imagine the M-Free would perform better in firm - I had no problems using the M-Free as a one-ski quiver for 90% of the abnormally dry 21-22 season. I think you mentioned that the FR110 is not suitable as a one-ski quiver and I'd agree with that (unless maybe you only ski Alta/Targhee/Alyeska/Japan).


I'd assume that most of the above differences would hold true for the 193 FR110, except stability would be improved, float would be even better, and they'd be harder to handle in tight spots. If my FR110 goal was to ski more open terrain like Mineral Basin, I'd probably want the 193. And I wonder if I'd actually like the 193 FR110 in those scenarios more than my less-loose M-Free, or if the M-Free's stability at speed and suspension through chop would make it come out ahead.


Some other tradeoffs that come to mind:
Took a couple hours to learn optimal stance and balance points.
Can feel like a long skiblade on groomers if your balance is off.
Not a true charger that dampens out everything under your feet (at least in the 186).


TLDR: Skiing the FR110 in tight, steep, technical terrain is like skiing on easy mode. Impeccably predictable. Floats better than any sub-125 ski I've been on. Loose feeling in deep snow is the most fun I've ever had in powder. Less stable than similarly long/heavy skis. Probably my favorite steep ski of all time, and will be my favorite powder ski until I get on a wider reverse camber ski!

Sharing nicely detailed review from email!

This review does a great job contrasting theFR110 and Mfree108... Once they are out there, VERY interested in how people compare the R110 too.

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Sharing nicely detailed review from email!

This review does a great job contrasting theFR110 and Mfree108... Once they are out there, VERY interested in how people compare the R110 too.

This makes me even more stoked to get my FR120 out on a pow day!

[Shorty_J]

Its an ongoing problem, but makes for a good conversation as a back ground on zoom calls...

My 110 is actually the R in FR clothing! I appreciate all the takes on the FR since the 120ST will be very similar!

Thank you for those pics. Not that I need it since I put in my order already, but every time I see the R110 rocker profile I get a little bit giddy!

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[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Thank you for those pics. Not that I need it since I put in my order already, but every time I see the R110 rocker profile I get a little bit giddy!

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Problem is when they are right behind you at work your mind tends wander... lol

[twoAdog]

I’ve got a handful of days on my 186 FR110’s. Mounted mine at the recommended -6. Mount point feels perfect to me. But, for reference I’m 5’8” and spend a lot of my soft snow days on the 188 Inthayne mounted at -5.5.

I’ll confirm some common themes from others that stood out for me. The build quality is fantastic. It’s so nice seeing a structure on the base when I first unpacked them. And, these things ski smooth. The layup is impressive. When I push them through chop it feels like my enduro bike when the suspension is dialed. Planted and poppy at the same time.

I was worried about the length before skiing them. I typically gravitate towards skis that are 182-185 straight tape. I never felt like the old Sickle was too short. The FR110’s measure almost 2cm longer than my longest ski. But, not once have I felt they’re too long since putting them on snow. I think the rocker profile has a lot to do with that. It’s more pronounced than my other reverse cambers, so I can get away with the longer length. For me, I think I’d need to go for the shorter length on the R110s with the more subtle rocker profile. But, I have no desire to downsize my FR110’s. I even dig them in bumps.

The FR110’s carve a nice GS to SuperG turn at high edge angles in softish snow. I’ve yet to try them in anything really firm, but I’ve got other skis for that kind of stuff. I was surprised at how tight a turn I could push them into given the published turn radius.

Float has been good for me too. I’ve had them out in 12-14” of classic Wasatch pow and never felt any tip dive. Super slashy as advertised. They plane up nice at speed. I did take them out in 18” of super heavy upside down pow. In those conditions I had to tail gun a bit. But, after a couple runs when things are getting tracked the FR110’s work better than anything else I have or have had in my quiver including 184 OG Devs, Inthaynes, 183 Hotshots, and 182 MFree 108.

It’s been too long for me to do a direct comparison with the Sickle. Recency bias aside, I’m feeling that the FR110 captures what I’ve missed since I retired the Sickle. I know the FR110 will be the ski that I ski the most for this season and likely the next.

[SnowMachine]

Yeah, pretty positive that I want this ski. My urgency has dropped off since they are out of stock for now. I thought maybe the R110, but my quiver is pretty round. A ski like the FR110 would have been perfect in the gloppy, wet snow I skied today. Honestly, getting onto the 191 Renegade convinced me that I need a smaller reverse ski. They make soft snow even more fun than it already is.

Marshall, when are they coming back? Do I need to make haste and sell some skis?

[Marshal Olson]

Yeah, pretty positive that I want this ski. My urgency has dropped off since they are out of stock for now. I thought maybe the R110, but my quiver is pretty round. A ski like the FR110 would have been perfect in the gloppy, wet snow I skied today. Honestly, getting onto the 191 Renegade convinced me that I need a smaller reverse ski. They make soft snow even more fun that it already is.

Marshall, when are they coming back? Do I need to make haste and sell some skis?

Thanks for the thoughts @TwoAdog! Glad they are working well for you so far

@Snowmachine - Preorder for mainline skis is slated to start Feb 15th!

[2FUNKY]

Hopefully someone can A/B the 187 R110 and 192 Mfree 108. Those two look most similar and the R110 could be a contender to replace my beloved Mfree108’s.


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[phil_dirt]

Hopefully someone can A/B the 187 R110 and 192 Mfree 108. Those two look most similar and the R110 could be a contender to replace my beloved Mfree108’s.


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if you read the thread like 10 messages up, somebody did that already

[2FUNKY]

if you read the thread like 10 messages up, somebody did that already

Unless I missed something, that was the FR, not the R.


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[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Looks like the FR.

[2FUNKY]

Looks like the FR.

It was. Trying to be nice.


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[Marshal Olson]

It was. Trying to be nice.


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Paging Dantheman to the "come borrow the demo skis I mounted for you" phone

[2FUNKY]

Paging Dantheman to the "come borrow the demo skis I mounted for you" phone

Yes please! Wish I was closer. So tempted to just pull ze trigger.


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[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

Playing hookie tomorrow. Kinda excited.




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[Shorty_J]

Playing hookie tomorrow. Kinda excited.




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I'm impressed that you have conditions that warrant that quiver.

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