Blackcomb Powder Feast - December 14 - 17, 2006
|| Blackcomb Dec 14 - Movement Goliath Review || Blackcomb - Dec 15 FAT FRIDAY || Blackcomb Dec 16 and 17 ||
BLACKCOMB - DECEMBER 14, 2006
Review of Movement Goliaths 191 length - 2007 edition
Template modified from Telemarktips Community Ski reviews - (http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2767)
Is this a tele or alpine ski: Alpine
Length: 191cm
Tip width: 135
Waist: 108mm
Tail: 124
Turn Radius: 32m
Weight in this length: not measured
Boots used: Atomic alpine boots/Garmont Mega ride with Raichle
Flexon tongues
Bindings used: Fritschi Freeride Plus
How many days on the skis: 5
Resort or backcountry: 4 days resort, 1 day backcountry
Geographical region: Whistler, British Columbia
Tell us about the terrain you ski: Varied, but usually off
- piste
Do you know how the skis were tuned (bevel): Factory tune;
no other details
How long have you been skiing: 15 years +
How many days a year: 60 - 100
Previous ski that you liked: See list of skis below
Previous ski you did not like: Head IM103, Rossi Bandit XXX
How big are you: 5' 10", 165 lbs
Mostly resort or backcountry: Backcountry. Prefer turnier skis.
Will sacrifice downhill performance for uphill
Other skis you own:
180 Kneissl Tankers
173 BD Havocs
185 Salomon Pocket Rockets
170 Atomic SX 11
The flash heavy, incredibly annoying Movement Skis website is here (http://www.movementskis.com). The rather more useful and subdued Canadian distributors site is here (http://www.roirecreation.com/movement/index.html).
Downhill
Keeping in mind that I'm light, ski short skis and like turny boards I was a bit scared about being on such a big ski. I didn't have to be. It doesn't ski like a 191 cm ski. Perhaps its the soft forgiving shovels but the Goliath skied more like a mid 180 set of boards. Well-mannered and turny yet able to hammer through pow, chopped-up crud and crust. Much to my surprise, I could drive the skis not only with my alpine boots but also with my Garmont touring boots.
The Movements are a handful in tight trees. No matter how forgiving a ski is, 191 is long and you will get hung up no matter how much you try. Additionally, the Movements like speed and tight trees trees are not conducive to going mach speed.
The tail doesn't have a lot of kick to it so if you have to saw back and forth billygoating into tight lines, you'll have to move your weight back and forth to help prevent the tails from sinking.
The best way to describe how the Goliath turns is to think of it as a turbo rally car. Sure you can drive it slow but that's not what it's for. You want to let this ski go fast then engage it. There's also turbo - lag; the Goliath is not a snappy edge-to-edge railer. You provide rider input, there'll be a moment's hesitation then the Goliath will turn. Mind you, edge quickness is a bit much to ask of a 108mm fat ski. It won't shine in the groomers but that's not why you get these beasts. You get this for steep and deep and that's where it shines especially if you let this baby run. Having said that, all things are relative. I also had a chance to hop on a friend's 193 Head IM103 skis and basically found the Heads so stiff and straight that they were, for me, basically unskiable. Compared to those Head's the Movement's were a snappy, quick responsive ski. Keep in mind that my experience with 100mm+ waist skis is limited.
Uphill
The Movement is useable as a backcountry ski. However, going uphill will require a different skinning stance (think legs wide apart like one is cradling a melon between one's thighs) then with a narrower ski. There's no disguising the weight of the Goliath. Then again, if you buy a ski called a "Goliath" who are you kidding if you think you got it for uphill performance.
Given the downhill biased nature of the ski, I would have to say that the Goliath's uphill shortcomings are to be expected. I would use this ski in side/slack-country but most certainly not for multi-day expeditions.
They're so wide that carrying them in your hand is impractical e.g. using it as a snow stake or picket when climbing. They have to be slung over a shoulder or on a pack.
Likes:
Dislikes:
Summary:
The only thing keeping me from running out and buying one is the fact that Movement is coming out with a 181 version next year. Oh decisions, decisions...
BLACKCOMB - DECEMBER 15, 2006 - FAT FRIDAY
The day started off with shovelling 80cms of snow off the wheels and the driveway plus excavating a path to the road.
The snowphone said 50cms - 58 in the last 24. Why am I getting knee deep freshies in the driveway then ... unless I've shrunk?
Let the games begin! No pictures for the first three runs as the powder hunt is on. Lots of work chasing what seemed like a mountain full of locals bagging work to mine pow.
Unknown skier taken from the Crystal Chair
First picture of me taken in Twist and Shout after Crystal Chair opens.
We run into Brian, Maya and Sven who've braved Hwy 99 to make it out here.
Maya gets deep
Brian has the fine art of photoslutting dialed.
Sven drops in
Sharon mining pow
Maya's so proud of her Explosivs that she wants to show everyone the logos
Sven charges hard on CBC - the last gasp before his quads seize up.
Brian takes photoslut of the day award with this little sequence
Incoming!
Touchdown!
As the day ends, the sun peeks out on this wonderful world.
BLACKCOMB - DECEMBER 16, 17, 2006
On Saturday, December 16th, I rested the camera. Sharon brought it out to take a shot of the crazy lineups at Spankys as the alpine opened up after the craziness of the day before. Temps warmed up significantly so the snow wasn't quite as good as before.
Sunday brought a weak high-pressure system to SW British Columbia. High pressures bring cold, clear nights and tighten up the snowpack. The results we had observed yesterday in the high alpine looked good so we took the opportunity of touring Blackcomb sidecountry.
Brian and Sharon approach East Col - a familiar place for us, but our first visit of the new season.
What a familiar yet gorgeous sight - Decker with a mid-January base - in mid-December. Hmmm... guess where I'm going next week.
The trek over to DOA is a bit rocky and exposed ....
Sharon looking down on more peaks to slay in the Spearhead Range
OK - the approach to DOA is a bit rocky, the entrance is downright fugly
Now Maya tells me that she doesn't like heights that much...
Ok - 1, 2, 3 ....
Go!!
Photo ~Brian Earle
Sharon follows - with complete disregard for her bases.
Brian drops in while I hunker down in just about the only safe zone... snow is bomber and what coverage there is isn't bad.
Unfortunately the 80 cms of new was brought in by 100km/h winds, and the bottom choke looks a little worse for wear
There's always Bodybag Bowl ... untouched lines for Sharon
Lee shreds Bodybag Bowl
Photo ~ Brian Earle
Brian with racer steeze showing his eastern roots
Lee hitting the skyline, dancing with the glaciers
Photo ~Brian Earle
Lee hits a pillow - the pillow hits back
Photo ~Brian Earle
More Bodybag Bowl action - long runs down to the ski area boundary.
Photo ~Brian Earle
Sharon tests slope integrity
Photo ~Brian Earle
After mining the heck out of Bodybag Bowl powder we head to a flank of Husume Couloir. The entrance is very exposed and steep and requires a certain amount of routefinding so don't even think about heading here unless you're either feeling lucky or you have someone to show you.
Brian waits at the ramp entrance while I do slope angle measurements; yup - that's sustained 55 degrees.
Maya gets thrown in the deep end of sketchy steep slope approaches and doesn't seem to mind it too much.
View from the bottom as I practise sluff management
Photo ~ Brian Earle