realskiers

What kind of person is Jim Ratliff ? He Sherpa?d two pair of skis to the Elk Mountain Demo Day so that I could demo the Chariots, adjusted them for my boots, and was willing to leave them in the snow while we all demo?s other skis. Ok, you may say he?s a little crazy, but, I say he?s a great guy.

My first runs on the Chariots were in 3-5 inches of new snow on groomer warm-up runs with moderate speeds. Sure, it?s hero snow or ego powder but they kept me smiling. I was thinking, damn, Peter Kelty knows his skis. The narrow turning radius lets them be turned with minimum input in a nice arc shape. The feeling is more of a plush ski, not stiff, not demanding, stable. I did some tight, linked, brushed turns trying to simulate tree skiing in powder and they performed well. My area of concern was when I put more input into the skis with tipping movements, they are slow to edge and did not grip and come to life.

For the next several runs, we all demo?d other skis and moved to black diamond trails to ski the varied conditions of ice, hardpack and loose powder that was Elk that day. I needed to get back on the Chariots and put them to a better test.

On the pre-lunch run, put them back on and did an aggressive black diamond run. They continued to fight responding to tipping movements and seemed to ski better just letting them turn more on their own. It was hard to find a rhythm in those conditions, but, where I could keep them in looser fresh snow, they did their thing. My sense was that with some more time and softer snow, I?d figure out how to ?not fight? with them. Its hard to stifle Harbian technique in me. Did not test them at high end speeds.

To be fair, they were not in soft snow conditions for which they were designed. Plus, I?m out of my pay-grade reviewing powder skis. Just musing, but, I?m thinking that for a skier who does not put a lot of input into skis, the Chariots may facilitate powder skiing with the low turn radius. Less edge angle can be a good thing. I wish that I had them in Jackson Hole last year when I demo?s a stiff Salomon powder ski and just did not enjoy the experience.

Someday I hope to again be with Jim on the right mountain and right snow. I?d have to be pretty persuasive to talk him out of using them, but, I like to see what they can do on an extended basis. They make Jim smile and ski pow and trees with Lynn. That?s what counts.