The 1st Ever Catskiing.ca Backcountry Powder Ski Test
someone had to do it
Tired of reading the same old ski tests in the magazines each year? Have you ever been to a ski test and wondered what these beautiful powder skis you are skiing on would be like actually in the powder where they belong rather than on the corrduroy? So did we and that is why Catskiing.ca and Big Red Cats decided to do something about it.
For the past five or six years now we have talked our way into the retailer intro Ski Test at Big White Ski Resort. There is some justification to be clear, we do some advising to www.freshairconcept.com and are new gear junkies! We are always looking for the latest greatest ski out there. And like you, we are powder hungry and will do anything to get more vertical in powder rather than be relegated to the hard-pack and lift lines of the local ski resort. Every test we have ever been to we hear the same thing, “I bet these would be great in the powder”. That is why we decided to organized The 1st Ever Catskiing.ca Backcountry Powder Ski Test at Big Red Catskiing. It's a long title we know, but we thought was warranted.
The concept began on another incredible powder skiing trip to Big Red Cats just outside of Rossland BC. Owners Kieren and Paula Gaul had a friend coming up from Australia to check out the Olympics and as it turns out he is a former World Cup skier. Steve Lee from www.chillfactor.com is no stranger to ski test and they thought that a more relaxed, grass-roots test dedicated to powder skis would be a cool idea. They contacted us and we took it from there.
We loaded up the car with as many fat skis as we could from companies like Salomon, Rossignol, Line, Movement, Blizzard, and BC start-up Crown Skis. So many skis in fact that we had to duct tape the Thule box shut! Since this was the first test ever for us some of the ski companies weren't too comfortable giving us a few pairs of brand new, yet to be released skis for the weekend. We hope they will join us next year...
Below you will see a little bit of a different review that you are used to seeing in the magazines. We all tried every pair of skis in order to get a good feel for how they perform for different types of skiers. We then decided to give you the specs of the ski and then our own take on how they felt and what their main traits were. We limited the techie-speak!