skier info
27 years old
165lb
5'10
130-150 days a year
I ski alot of everything but mostly freeski trees
I can turn left and right in various shapes and sizes on most parts of the mountains
conditions EVERYTHING I have owned this ski for over a year and it has seen everything.
my first review from last year.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/189693-2010-Volkl-Katana-Review-east-coasters-review Ski
183cm
141-111-131
25.2 meters
full ELP reverse camber
mounted first at the line with Marker Dukes, unmounted the dukes because the ski is simply to heavy for me to skin with.
then mounted plus 1.5 with Look P14s
tuning
edges set to 1.5/3 rarely tuned as they arent used on ice all that much
similar skis skied Volkl Gotama, Atomic Sugar Daddy, Atomic Thug, Blizzard "the answer", Blizzard Cochise
Open Powder - 8/10 in this size at my skill level this ski is strong performer it is eager to float and for most people would be more than enough ski, but in open powder I do wish I had the more length. It would also make the ski more stompable off airs. Open powder is one of the few times I would rather be skiing my Atomic Thugs with their 192cm of lenght.
Close quarters powder - 9.5/10 The ski is hyperquick. Disregard the turning radius its will make any size, shape, at any speed in trees and tight chutes with just small amount of snow. It is one of the best powder tree skis I have tried.
here is a great video showing what this stick can do in tight trees
http://vimeo.com/19731329wet powder - 7/10 skis pretty good and with the full rocker is always eager to turn but is not as good as say the Rossi S7.
Crusted powder - 6/10 ski was slight better mounted on the line, the rossi S7 own this conditions where as the Katana is acceptable but not awesome.
Packed powder - 7.5/10 narrow skis like my Blizzard "the one" do better in packed powder conditons, but this ski wont leave you hanging.
Tracked powder/ dry crud 9/10 - keeping mind that this skis is slightly short for me out west, perfect lenght back east it flippin rocks and makes cruds its
**** The ski is better at crud mounted +2 than at the line.
wet heavy crud 10/10 - this ski accels at eating deep heavy sloppy crud, never gets defelcted never feels unstable at stowe. At say snowbird the bigger size would be preferable.
groomers - 5/10 it is not a groomer ski, but will arc turns if you good enough to do it. Was better with the lift of the Duke than being flat with the P14s
ice - 2/10 skis can be flat out scary on true ice.
softer bumps - 7/10 no ski this size has a right to be this good in the bumps. By comparision Id give the Sugar daddy a 4/7 and the gotama(non rockered) a 6/10
harder bumps - 4/10 wont leave you hanging but far from the best skis
jumping - the skis is a dead sled and does not like to jump.
Bottomline - an easy to ski big mountain ski with a biased towards powder, and tight places. This ski has rocked since day one and will stay in my quiver for next year.