I've got some feedback for you on the boards. Mission accomplished! They work great, in fact, for what I do, they have exceeded my wildest expectations.

Anyway, I've got six full days on the boards in various conditions and they are holding up fine so far. That being said, tree skiing in December is sacrificial to the ski. Think rocks. In fact, your regular ski aficionado (an idiot in my mind) would be horrified to see the bottom/edges on these things. My point being, I've beat the pi** out of these things already and they've held up fine. They roll along the flats magically, no longer do I get dropped in these sections. They are much less tiring due to the length which removes much of the fore and aft balancing necessary to keep the shorter boards rolling optimally. They carve the groomers fine and the I've yet to top them out speed wise. The extra length is great for jumps, they still turn on a dime, I can still maneuver by walking in the lift line (or trees). These things really float, I had them in about 15 inches of powder in the woods and they just hammered right though. F****** awesome in the woods. This is where these things are truly a revolutionary ski. You can take these things everywhere. It has to be seen to be believed where and what we are skiing in bounds on the mountain.

I had them out at Pico 2 days after it rained and then froze solid. ....no one short of Bode Miller was carving turns that day. It was frozen solid. Super fast. I mean the trails all sucked and were full of people so barely in control that it made me wonder why they weren't in the lodge drinking hot chocolate lest they kill each other. So, what to do, well tree skiing of course! Let's just say that I scared 2 different sets of snowshoers on the Long Trail next to Pico. Imagine walking through the pristine woods and all of a sudden some dude goes skiing by through seemingly impossibly tight trees - on skis - on pretty much solid ice. A hoot indeed. These things are really unbelievable, boldly going where no one else goes.

As for bumps, this is where I will eventually get hurt, again the extra length behind the foot allows jumps without pinpoint landings and the extra length in front of the ski allows you to bash everything in sight without fear of endoing. Therein lies the problem though, I'm really flying in the bumps. Danger! I sense injury.

As far as the flex pattern goes, it is perfect for what I do. People who'd use them in the park or on the hardpack may want more stiffness. I can carve them on anything short of ice.

Posted on the Skiboards.com Message Board by
Bruce

Summit 110s vs. Spruce 120s Just got back from a weekend at Stratton. First of all, great snow, probably one of the best early season weekends at Stratton in the past 5 years. Arrived on Friday around midday, right in the middle of the big storm. Immediately grabbed my MNPs, got a half day ticketm, and hit the slopes. This is my first time on the mountain this season, so wanted to use something familiar to get myself back into the groove.

Saturday, time to break out the Summit 110s for the first time. One word can describe the Summits... FAST! Getting used to the extra length from the 98s of the MNPs wasn't a problem. The Summits are as stiff, if not stiffer, than the MNPs, which make them accelerate like nothing else I have tried before. They may rival the Line Bullets as the fastest skiboards around. With all the snow that fell on Friday, around one foot at Stratton, there were lots of bumps on the trails. Just like the MNPs, the Summits, due to their stiffness, has a tendency of bouncing off bumps hard. I did a major face plant and rolled on the snow several times when I hit a bump I didn't see going too fast, was launched airborne! With such potential power on these skiboards, if you get sloppy, then you will pay for it, but if you are on the top of your game, you will be rewarded. To my surprise, when I was on one of the lift lines, one of the lift operators immediately recognized the Summits because she purchased a pair too. I was even complimented on the Summits by a 69yo grandmother who uses snowblades. The all wood topsheet made them distinct from anything else on the mountain and received praised from all, from skiers, snowboarders, and skiboarders.

Sunday, it's the Spruce 120s turn on Stratton. First impressions, they are heavy, due to the bindings more than the extra length. If I used the Spruce bindings on the Summits instead of the Bombers, then their weight would be comparable. As soon as I went down my first run on the Spruces, there was an immediate difference felt. First, even though they are 10cm longer than the Summits, they don't feel as fast. I wasn't able to achieve the same speeds that I was able to on the Summits on the same trails. Second, the Summits are much more forgiving if you break form. Hitting bumps, the Spruces absorbed the bumps and made them easier to navigate through than the Summits. The Spruces are less stiff than the Summits, which could account for these differences. I was also leary of the bindings since this is my first time on releaseables on a skiboard, but they were great. No pre-release, easy to use, felt as confident on them as I did on my Bombers. Big kudos goes to the design of the riser. As for the added length, it did take me a bit of time to get used to them. Going from 98cm to 120cm is a big jump, I had a tendency of getting my tails' edges caught here and there at the end of turns, but since the Spruces are more forgiving, I was able to compensate. I'm sure with more time on the slopes, I will not have this problem.

So, at the end of the weekend, with both the Summits and Spruces in my hands, my MNPs are officially retired after 5 seasons. Both the Summits and the Spruces have their advantages and disadvantages, and from this point forward, both will accompany me on my trips. Depending on mountain conditions and how my own physical abilities feel during that day, that is when I will choose between the Summits or the Spruces. I am in love with both skiboards, the Summits for days when I want to rip it down the mountain fast and furious, the Spruces for heavy powder days and for overall cruising. Also, if any of you were wondering about thigh/quad burn from usage, minimal for both compared to the MNPs, but then again, being my first time out this season, I am out of shape!

If someone comes to me and said I can only have one skiboard, it would be the Summits. It has the same characteristics as my MNPs, except they are more stable and faster, which is exactly what I was looking for.

When I go to Vail at the end of January, both will be tested on powder, so stay tuned!

Posted on Skiboards.com message board
BrklyCarver