Saturday, November 23, 2013— I was met with clear, sunny skies and frigid temperatures upon awakening. Yet, my heart was warm and swirling with anticipation. Demo Days at Wild Mountain had finally come. Coffee in travel mug, breakfast pastry in hand; I threw my pack of gear and my boots into the car and sped off to click into the skis I had been longing to shred.
Wild Mountain Ski Resort is about 45 minutes northeast of the Twin Cities. Snowmaking was in full effect as we pulled into the parking lot. Fan guns pumped huge plumes and HKDs sprinkled the frosty white from the nose of their towers; Wild Mountain was wisely taking advantage of the single digit temperatures. Vendor tents were up and 2014 skis and snowboards were displayed like cakes in a bakery window. A quick change and boot up; it was time to ride.
I started with Rossignol. The 7-Series has been the most talked about set of skis this season. They are light weight, torsionally rigid, and damp. I found this to be very true of the Soul 7 and the Super 7. The Soul 7 was incredibly responsive and quick edge to edge; very confident underfoot and hard-charging. Once you have initiated the turn the ski feels secure without feeling locked in. The gentle flare in the tail releases you from the arc, sending you smoothly into the next turn. It’s a fun ski with a versatile waist and feels weightless. I am a big guy and I love my big skis. I skied atop a 115mm waist everyday when I patrolled in Telluride. Needless to say I was more than amped to click into the Super 7. They blew me away and were my favorite ski of the day. At speed, when allowed to run, these skis are exceptional. The Powder Rocker is a dynamic profile which allows for flotation and edge control. The Super 7’s rolled over on edge easily and were surprisingly “carve-able.” The Super 7 is the only ski I tried twice. I began the day with them and bookended to close.
I then moved from Rossi to K2. Not going to lie I was pretty disappointed the Shreditor and Annex series were not brought along. It is Minnesota and you’re not going to sell a lot of “powder specific” skis here…but c’mon! The Annex 98, 108 and Shreditor 102, 112 would have been a blast to rip on and isn’t versatility their selling point?! And where oh where were the park/pipe skis? My dismay was silenced as soon as I skied the AMP Rictor 90XTI. When I laid these over on edge, reached the peak of the arc, and flexed the ski to it’s extreme I was absolutely catapulted into my next turn. I was surprised and had to recover, not expecting such intense rebound. On my second and third lap, I locked it in and got on my game. The AMP Rictor 90XTI had the best rebound of the day. It is a frontside, fall line crusher.
I was quickly waved over to the Head tent and received a warm welcome. The Rev Series tech was explained to me and I had the opportunity to ski the 90. For their price, I can really appreciate how much these skis can do; very quick, solid edge hold, and pretty solid at speed. I was able to jump off those and step into The Caddy. It was truly the only park ski I rode all day and it was a blast. Very poppy and lively, the Caddy has extreme ollie capability and would be a perfect fit for any park rat. It was really fun to carve with and offered a wide variety of turn shapes, plus it’s the first ski to feature Red Bull’s logo (G.N.A.R. points).
The Dynastar Cham 97 was are a fun, entertaining, and high performing ski. The 97 is a great all mountain and versatile width. The funky geometry and spoony tip actually perform remarkably well. The rocker profile provides an ease of turn entry and exit. The Cham 97 is a great all day, all mountain ski.
The Blizzard Cochise is a beast. You better be on your game when on top of these bad boys. Once a turn is initiated you are locked in and if unprepared the ski will run away. Once I recovered and made sure to attack the turn, the Cochise probably had the most hold of any ski I tried. However, they were demanding. I explained this to the rep and was given, quite poetically, The Peacemaker. What an awesome ski and the biggest surprise of the day. Endless turn shapes, ease of initiation, slarvy, smeary, lightweight; the Peacemaker had it all and is the type of ski I love for my type of skiing. You can pop and wiggle, throw the tail and speed dump, carve at speed and “roll ’em over” on edge, flex them out…I can’t give these skis enough compliments.
Wild Mountain put on an exceptional event. It was my first visit to the ski hill and definitely will not be my last. Tasty chili and coffee for lunch kept my legs going and the customer service was beyond all expectations. My stoke from the day morphed into a bit of the Forgetful Jones. I left both my Drivers License and Credit Card at the registration table. When I realized this at our Holiday Party later that evening, I called Wild and my anxiety was put at ease. I received a friendly and calming voice with the reassurance my belongings were set aside in the “Important Lost and Found drawer in the office,” awaiting pick up. Thanks Wild Mountain. You are the best.
Oh, if you get a chance, stop by Coffee Talk in Taylors Falls for a latte and muffin. Ask for Harriet and tell her I sent you. She’ll be the flirty 87 year old dancing and smiling. That is a story for another time…
