volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A few years ago, I had a chance to demo a couple of Shaggy's hand made skis, and I came out pretty unimpressed by their biggest seller, the Tubby - previous review. Fortunately, I got another chance at them this year and am singing an entirely different tune - there was definitely something wrong with the pair I demoed the first time!
The Tester: 50 year old heavyweight with a love of speed and cruddy snow. Ex-PSIA level II instructor and NATAR/league racer.
Conditions: 38-43 degrees with bright sunshine. frozen groomed granular changing to granular, corn, and slush throughout the day, over a scratchy, firm base.
The runs: A scratchy, narrow blue, then several runs on our blacks, quickly developing boot-top slush bumps and deep, sugary crud.
The Tubby: 178 cm, 145-118-139 (dimensions vary based on length), full twin tip, rockered tip and tail, flat underfoot, mounted on the line (very close to centered).
These guys have really stepped up their game since last time I demoed their stuff. Fit and finish is now very close to factory production quality. I know it shouldn't matter, but I LOVE the graphics on this ski!!
My first run down the blue was a bit unimpressive, not surprising given a ski of this width. It quietly slid across the scratchy stuff in the middle, not really skidding, but not really gripping, either. Once I hit the softer stuff on the sides, it was perfectly fine but still just "meh". Then we headed to the deeply crudded-up, sugary, slushy steeps.....instant LOVE!! Quick, poppy, and skiddy in the slush bumps, solid and powerful while making deep carves through the sugar and across the icy scratch in between. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the whole rest of the time I was on this ski, and apparently I wasn't the only one, as the 178 cm version disappeared immediately after I brought it back and didn't reappear until they were tearing down the tent. The length was absolutely perfect for me.
The Ahmeek: 180 cm, 139-105-124, rocker-camber-rocker twin tip, mounted on the line.
This one was hubby's favorite - so much so that he said he'd happily sell his beloved Gotamas (the older, full camber version) and replace them with the Ahmeek. While I liked the ski and thought it was solid, it didn't wow me like the Tubby. I thought it was eerily similar to the Coalition Snow S<O>S that I currently have for demo and have been riding frequently and neither have enough grin factor for me to want to give up my Kikus (the newer full rocker version). It held solidly on the hardpack base and wiggled easily through the bumps. It also powered through the slush and sugar, but I think I was completely spoiled by skiing the Tubby first. I would totally recommend this ski for a strong skier looking for one ski quiver for anything except true ice.
2017 Big Mountain/Powder Prototype: 184 cm, ?-115-?, early rise/tapered tip and tail, camber underfoot, mounted on the line.
Wow! This is a BIG ski. I don't mean waist or length, necessarily, either.....it just skis HUGE - three turns hauling a$$ as fast as I could go down a 325' black without a wiggle or complaint huge! The first couple of runs I felt just a bit off balance and was really struggling to go slower or make shorter radius turns, so I suggested to John that they may need to be mounted a bit farther back. He said that was his impression when he tried them, too, so I hopped back on them a little later after they moved the bindings back 2 clicks (about 1 cm). Bingo!! That was just the adjustment the skis needed to come alive for me, and I noticed the change simply getting off the lift. Not only were they happier about going slower and making smaller turns, they also started going up and over the crud instead of just plowing through it - a much better trait for a powder/big mountain ski. John seemed a bit hesitant to put me on them at first (I don't know if it was the length, or what), but then acted truly appreciative for my feedback and observations.
Overall, I was really impressed with their current offerings and recommend stronger/heavier skiers to give them a try if possible. They also make a softer model of the Brockway for lighter women, though I didn't try them. These guys have seriously stepped up their game in the last 3 years! Yay for the little, local guys!!
The Tester: 50 year old heavyweight with a love of speed and cruddy snow. Ex-PSIA level II instructor and NATAR/league racer.
Conditions: 38-43 degrees with bright sunshine. frozen groomed granular changing to granular, corn, and slush throughout the day, over a scratchy, firm base.
The runs: A scratchy, narrow blue, then several runs on our blacks, quickly developing boot-top slush bumps and deep, sugary crud.
The Tubby: 178 cm, 145-118-139 (dimensions vary based on length), full twin tip, rockered tip and tail, flat underfoot, mounted on the line (very close to centered).
These guys have really stepped up their game since last time I demoed their stuff. Fit and finish is now very close to factory production quality. I know it shouldn't matter, but I LOVE the graphics on this ski!!
My first run down the blue was a bit unimpressive, not surprising given a ski of this width. It quietly slid across the scratchy stuff in the middle, not really skidding, but not really gripping, either. Once I hit the softer stuff on the sides, it was perfectly fine but still just "meh". Then we headed to the deeply crudded-up, sugary, slushy steeps.....instant LOVE!! Quick, poppy, and skiddy in the slush bumps, solid and powerful while making deep carves through the sugar and across the icy scratch in between. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the whole rest of the time I was on this ski, and apparently I wasn't the only one, as the 178 cm version disappeared immediately after I brought it back and didn't reappear until they were tearing down the tent. The length was absolutely perfect for me.
The Ahmeek: 180 cm, 139-105-124, rocker-camber-rocker twin tip, mounted on the line.
This one was hubby's favorite - so much so that he said he'd happily sell his beloved Gotamas (the older, full camber version) and replace them with the Ahmeek. While I liked the ski and thought it was solid, it didn't wow me like the Tubby. I thought it was eerily similar to the Coalition Snow S<O>S that I currently have for demo and have been riding frequently and neither have enough grin factor for me to want to give up my Kikus (the newer full rocker version). It held solidly on the hardpack base and wiggled easily through the bumps. It also powered through the slush and sugar, but I think I was completely spoiled by skiing the Tubby first. I would totally recommend this ski for a strong skier looking for one ski quiver for anything except true ice.
2017 Big Mountain/Powder Prototype: 184 cm, ?-115-?, early rise/tapered tip and tail, camber underfoot, mounted on the line.
Wow! This is a BIG ski. I don't mean waist or length, necessarily, either.....it just skis HUGE - three turns hauling a$$ as fast as I could go down a 325' black without a wiggle or complaint huge! The first couple of runs I felt just a bit off balance and was really struggling to go slower or make shorter radius turns, so I suggested to John that they may need to be mounted a bit farther back. He said that was his impression when he tried them, too, so I hopped back on them a little later after they moved the bindings back 2 clicks (about 1 cm). Bingo!! That was just the adjustment the skis needed to come alive for me, and I noticed the change simply getting off the lift. Not only were they happier about going slower and making smaller turns, they also started going up and over the crud instead of just plowing through it - a much better trait for a powder/big mountain ski. John seemed a bit hesitant to put me on them at first (I don't know if it was the length, or what), but then acted truly appreciative for my feedback and observations.
Overall, I was really impressed with their current offerings and recommend stronger/heavier skiers to give them a try if possible. They also make a softer model of the Brockway for lighter women, though I didn't try them. These guys have seriously stepped up their game in the last 3 years! Yay for the little, local guys!!
