Icelantic Shaman Alpine Ski

By Brian Limoges March 5, 2009

I just took a pair of these 184s out for the weekend in less than ideal, 40 degree temperatures at Alta and the Canyons. First of all, they carve. And not just carve, but track harder than nearly every ski I have ever ridden (including race-stock GS skis) in my life. This is both a blessing and a curse. The positive is when you set these skis up and really roll your ankle to initiate the turn, they LOCK into the snow/ice/crud/etc. and you will be laying rail road-like GS turns that make you feel like a superhero. The negative is this ski is pretty uni dimensional in that it loves to rip those GS turns, but due to its incredible side-cut it does not like quick hop turns or straight- lines. It MUST be on edge at all times...making said turns. I did not have the opportunity to try these out in the pow, but ripping down big open bowls at much higher speeds than I anticipated was a blast. I can only imagine how much more fun they would be in thigh deep blower. BUT...if you are a big mountain rider who is into tight techy lines or an east coast glade fanatic, these skis take a lot of work to really make turn anyway other than their super tight 15m turn radius. If you are looking for a ski that will make you turn like superman on wide open faces, or you want a ski that can crush groomers (I know...it seems much to big to do so, but trust me...it feels like a longer radius slalom ski once you roll your ankle) and open powder fields, this thing is a blast. However, if you like to vary your turn shape based on varying terrain conditions or if you find yourself in tight trees or on super techy lines, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

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