 Poster: A snowHead
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Crosspost from DCski, pardon the US-specific referents
First off they are -thin-, almost too thin for anyone not fully used to the thinness of the old full-metal-jacket Volants.
The second thing one notices upon taking off the wrapping is that the topskin finish is a very curious texture, like someone just put a thin coat of bug shellac onto a vinyl balloon.
Finish: fair to very good. There were a few snap/crackle rice krispies on full deflection, but all that's really telling me is that these spent no time on a shop floor between being laid up and put into my grubby little mitts. There are visible but slight discontinuities in the base grind, in fact one can tell where the grind started and where the twintip was pulled off the wheel. One ski has a little bit extra grind, I suspect to finish off the edge at the tip and to give it a smooth continuous bevel. Nothing remotely worrisome.
Flex. Wow. These things do bend easily. The comparison to the old Chubbs is very close. They are stiffer than Pep Fujas might ski, but I can't say they are stiffer than stock PEs. The forefoot is noticeably stiffer than the tail, particularly in the first 50cm or so.
Damping. Pretty damp. Pretty durn damp with a pert little stiff-sidewall action as though the sidewalls were absorbing a lot of the energy. Damper than the Chubbs. Far damper than, oh, a 999. If Fischer had built a fat full-metal-cap-ski like the Chubb I might expect something similar. This bodes very well for an Eastern pigslush ski.
Sidewall and top edge finish: perfectly professional. No nicks, burrs, unsharp corners, router divots or anything untoward.
Base finish: as noticed above, these were obviously finished by hand by someone with very good quality control but also under pressure to get them done. There are noticeable grinding marks at the tips, where edge smoothness took priority over base polish.
Edge finish, again very good in the main body of the ski. Imperfections noticeable at the break of the front tips, again consistent with above observations and no real functional biggie.
Overall, a very good value. These might turn out to be the Pocket Rockets of the next couple of seasons. There will be a lock on this pair.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh yes, and weight. Light, lighter than any Elan since the DRC cap days.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Oooooo,
I can't hardly wait to get mine!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Trying to decide whether I want tip pro.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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DB, Did you get a pair?
I'm anxious to get on these
I ordered the MR171
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This was posted on Epic by Quickk9
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I spoke with Jared at Bluehouse and asked him the same question yesterday and he did not know the answer, but said that he would check with Justin, who tuned the skis, and e-mail me the numbers.
I received a reply later that Justin tuned the skis at 0/0. I have not received my skis yet so I can't comment on edge sharpness, but I wonder if they were "tuned" at 0/0 or just "left untouched" at 0/0. I will check the edges when I receive my skis, but I am thinking that a 1/2 edge setting would be more useful.
Did you check how flat the bases were by chance? Did they look good or do they need a grind? |
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SnowHot,
No, not got a pair. Unlikely to do so either as is the case with other small US ski manufacturers (e.g. PM Bro Skis) it's a lot of hassle getting them to this side of the pond and there's zero chance to demo. I just put the spec up so that other snowheads would have a few more details on the skis.
They look good though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Bases look good and flat.
Backlight shows base bevel not, repeat, not 0 degrees.
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comprex, I haven't seen a pair yet, as I haven't received mine. I can't imagine 0. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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DB, I can imagine it being difficult to manage the shipping let alone the demo availability. They had a short time when they had them available for 250.00 plus shipping, which is when I decided to take the leap and give them a try.
I'll let you know what I think when we get the great fortune of SNOW!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Can't go wrong at 250 USD. Similar flex to the Gotamas but a lot lighter sounds like just what I am looking for. Maybe someone will distribute them in Europe. I'll keep an eye out for yours and other reviews.
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DB, I had been leaning toward the Volkl Aura for my upper mid-fat/fat ski, but when they had this deal on the Blue House skis for their grand opening of sales September 1st, I couldn't resist. According to the paperwork, I was order number 150. At that price, I can demo them on my own terms, and sell them if they're not for me. The sale period was very limited in quantities, so many who ordered didn't get that price.
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FAQ
