 Poster: A snowHead
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Me:- 195cm and 95 – 100 kg.
Current other skis: - WDF Preacher in 189cm and Stöckli Laser SC in 170cm.
So here I am at the end of the World, skiing at Cerro Castor (www.cerrocastor.com). It’s school holidays, a bit like half term, and so I’m with my fourteen year old son, and about half the other kids from his school.
Anyway, Cerro Castor is fairly small, and doesn’t really have any off-piste, although it’s so far south that it has snow at the fag end of winter. So I brought my three ski quiver of Lasers, Preachers, and the new Redeemers, in order to cover all eventualities.
Well, the Redeemers sat on the ski rack for a week, looking menacing and growling at anybody that got too close. They were goading and laughing at me behind my back, and I could hear them taunting me every morning as I went past to get the Preachers. There was a little bit of powder yesterday (I had a blast on the Preachers) and so today I decided to MTFU and get the big skis out. A quick binding change (Quiver killers are a most excellent invention) and we’re finally on the lift together.
First impressions are a bit intimidating. Each ski is wider underfoot than both my Stöckli Lasers put together. And everybody is giving me very strange looks. They all seem to be laughing.
First run is a groomer to the next lift. Jesus H. Christ. Turning requires several minutes notice. Best just to straight line things. And avoid ice like your life depends on it.
Back in the Comfort Zone of the lift, I reflect on the piste performance. Ok it wasn’t that bad. Actually it was better than I thought. They can “sort of” carve a turn, but slalom skis they ain’t. Later on in the day as I got a bit more used to them, things did become easier. Turning just requires more though and commitment. And a skier free piste. My favourite technique ended up being “point and go” Who wants to turn anyway? This, of course, revealed a new dimension in tip flap. I expect the tails were doing the same but I was too busy looking forwards. And anyway it made an unnervingly calming sound as I slipped and slid down the groomers. What I could see every time I stopped to plan the next turn was the two parallel snowboard tracks that I leaving behind me.
Eventually after a bit of an adventure the Redeemers and I arrived safely at something approaching their natural habitat. Except that it was more like windblown refrozen skied out powder crud. With the possibility of some actual powder towards the bottom. But at least it was fairly well hidden so most people couldn’t see me. Just in case my ambition far outweighed my talent (© Casey Moaner).
So standing at the top of the slope, scanning for rocks and seeing lots of ice, I’m starting to get nervous. And I’ve got to turn to the right, which is only my second favourite direction. Surely I’m screwed? Is that the sound of Redeemer laughter? Now I’m frightened. Can’t back out now though (even if the skis do go backwards as well as an Italian tank).
MTFU. MTFU. MTFU.
Here we go. Feeeeccccking hell and shite. Then something magical happens. The skis actually turn as I want them to. Then they do it again, this time in my favourite direction. All the time just slicing through the crud like a hot knife through butter. In no time at all I was in the powder. Ok it was only four to six inches deep but I ripped it up with ease. And once again, thanks to a WDF ski, I was laughing. It was so good I went round for another lap. Several times.
Later on I took them to something steeper. Same result only it was easier!!!
Short turns, longer turns, or huge fecking turns. The skis did all it all. Straight lining. No problem. And as with the Preachers, even when I made a big mistake, at least one ski always seemed to stay on the desired path and wait for me to catch up and regain some sort of control.
And then it stuck me. The Redeemers weren’t laughing at me. They were saying “ Stevie, calm down. Don’t worry. Trust us. We’ll look after you. Don’t catch too many rocks and we might even make you look good”
So that’s what I did. I put my trust in the skis. And I was amply rewarded. They lied about the making me look good part though. Barstewards.
Towards the end of the afternoon I had to go through some trees to get back to the lift. This was not so good. It certainly wasn’t like the tree skiing video porn that’s posted on various sites. For a start the trees were only about two feet apart, and I was trying to guide my six foot skis between them. To say that it was unpleasant would be a gross understatement. But you can’t have everything.
Conclusion.
These are my first rockered skis. And I have only had about four hours on them. So don’t read too much into this quick review. I’ll need a lot more time on them in powder to come to any useful conclusions.
However, if you can get past their intimidating size, they really are astounding. And so easy to ski. Maybe it’s the rocker? Maybe the shape? Maybe the dimensions? Whatever it is they are one pair of awesome powder skis and I would highly recommend anyone looking for a powder weapon to put these on the list. Pair them with Preachers and you’ll have a quiver to handle just about everything. Just be prepared for all the questions and comments on the lifts. You keep seeing people mouthing Whitedot as you pass over them on the lift. You can’t be a wallflower with these planks on your feet.
And you gotta love those rooster tails.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Skier from Argentina, love the review, just wait till you get knee deep and over on the Redeemers it just gets better than ski porn 
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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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Thanks Steve. You made my day. 
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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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Wow, I can almost taste the snow! Argentina sounds awesome and it's allways sweet to find a fellow Redeemer fan!
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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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If possible, that has only made me MORE amped to get my Redeemers out to play in Revelstoke and Niseko this season!! Bring it !!
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Brilliant review, you have a way with words sir.
Haven't had a go on the Redeemer yet but with Preachers already well used and a pair of the one's on order i'm a big fan of what Whitedot can do with a couple of planks of wood and a layer of three of P-Tex (If that's how you make a ski  ) The Redeemer is the one most likely to have me over a barrell with my arm up my back and my wallet iinching out my pocket next season
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A tip - don't wait til a powder day to get them out to play, you can have loads of fun on any softish day and it's worth working out what you can do on them so you're ready to bounce down fluff when it comes.
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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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Found a small problem today.
Normal sized velcro ski ties don't fit round the skis. Luckily I have a pair of extra large Vist ones that I bought from Spyderjon a few years ago. Perhaps this could be a new product for WDF?
And anyone that buys skis like these really should get them fitted with Quiver Killers. They save a huge amount of space in you ski bag. And remember that you'll need at least a 195cm long bag to squeeze these inside. Another product for WDF?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Skier from Argentina, the ski tie being to short for wider skis is a constant pain, I have been looking for some but to get a decent price you have to buy 1,000's of the little bugs.
Agree on the length of ski bag, I had the same problem with the Redeemers in my roof box they only just fitted had to put at an angle, and thats in a full width roof box which apprently is 2metres long, which it maybe but the struts get in the way at each end!!
Also you got to grab the snowboard slot on some ski lifts, the Redeemers are not the worst for this, just try and get the Flyswatters in a ski lift slot, they are 145 in the tail and they rocker up even more than the Redeemers, the lifties hate them.
SOme gondolas with out side slots have to be watched really carefully, because the rocker skis stick out to much from the side of the gondola, some of my test skis only just missed a couple of pylons and the wall of the lift station
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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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| Quote: |
Also they don't fit in the ski bit of a locking ski rack (neither do Preachers for that matter), so they have to go in the snowboard rack in which side by side they just do
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ahh, man-size skis
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Brilliant entertainment and review - enjoyed that - cheers for posting
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You know it makes sense.
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stuarth, livetoski, I've had the same fear with my Preachers on the lifts. I vividly remember watching them like a hawk in high winds going up the Platjen bubble in Saas Fee last season. Every time they leaned from side to side in the snowboard slot my heart skipped yet another beat. At one point i took to opening the little window in the bubble and holding them much to my assembled mates' amusement.
Skier from Argentina, I'm intrigued by the quiver killers. What do you use them for? Is it to switch one pair of bindings between two pairs of ski's, or to make moving your planks from place to place easier, or both? How easy are the bindings to remove/install? And surely unlike bindings screwed straight into the ski they must loosen off over a few days?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| fastandicy wrote: |
| I'm intrigued by the quiver killers. What do you use them for? Is it to switch one pair of bindings between two pairs of ski's, or to make moving your planks from place to place easier, or both? How easy are the bindings to remove/install? And surely unlike bindings screwed straight into the ski they must loosen off over a few days? |
fastandicy, both of those reasons. And you can have two different bindings (e.g. downhill and touring) for the same pair of skis. Some more info on this thread
And for those struggling with velcro ski straps/ties, try these stretchy ones from Black Diamond.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skier from Argentina, Brilliant post.........was giving these a sneaky look on line, and am definitely wobbling now I might have to look even closer!! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| the_doc wrote: |
| ahh, man-size skis |
Easy there, mister. You don't want to exclude your more feminine customer base!
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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O feck, here we go.
Here I am, fat and happy with my Preachers (which I'm still learning to drive 100% properly), having unfaithful Director dreams (I'm sure the wallet could stretch that far if it really, really had to and no one was looking and two pairs of skis are better than one etc etc etc) and then Skier from Argentina (great rugby team btw) let's rip with an all-singing, all-dancing Redeemer review. I've always thought they looked too damn hard, black and manly for me but your review says it isn't exactly so.
But it's safety gear I need to be spending the money on...
Lovely written review.
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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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Big Paua, No, it's safety gear you need to be spending the money on as well 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Zero-G, do you want commission? I'd echo all the comments. Surprisingly versatile ski
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| Alans deep bath wrote: |
| Zero-G, do you want commission? |
Nope, just the skis
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| fastandicy wrote: |
stuarth, livetoski, I've had the same fear with my Preachers on the lifts. I vividly remember watching them like a hawk in high winds going up the Platjen bubble in Saas Fee last season. Every time they leaned from side to side in the snowboard slot my heart skipped yet another beat. At one point i took to opening the little window in the bubble and holding them much to my assembled mates' amusement.
Skier from Argentina, I'm intrigued by the quiver killers. What do you use them for? Is it to switch one pair of bindings between two pairs of ski's, or to make moving your planks from place to place easier, or both? How easy are the bindings to remove/install? And surely unlike bindings screwed straight into the ski they must loosen off over a few days? |
fastandicy, a bit of both really, but my main reason for having Quiver Killers is just to be able to remove the bindings for transport. Being able to stack three or four pairs of skis on top of each other (or side by side) means I can fit all the skis in one bag and distribute the bindings in whatever other spaces I can find. Skis with bindings placed base to base waste a lot of room in a bag.
It's a doddle to swap bindings from one ski to another, and takes less than five minutes. Four Pozi 2 screws on each binding (sixteen in total), and one Pozi 3 screw on each brake. If you can put a new plug on an electrical appliance, you can change bindings mounted on Quiver Killers.
And the Vibra-Tite ensures that the screws don't come lose. I checked the screws on my son's skis on the second day of skiing, and nipped up one or two by about an eighth of a turn. A week later when I removed the bindings in order to pack the skis, all the screws were still tight.
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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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| Big Paua wrote: |
O feck, here we go.
Here I am, fat and happy with my Preachers (which I'm still learning to drive 100% properly), having unfaithful Director dreams (I'm sure the wallet could stretch that far if it really, really had to and no one was looking and two pairs of skis are better than one etc etc etc) and then Skier from Argentina (great rugby team btw) let's rip with an all-singing, all-dancing Redeemer review. I've always thought they looked too damn hard, black and manly for me but your review says it isn't exactly so.
But it's safety gear I need to be spending the money on...
Lovely written review. |
Big Paua, you sound a lot like me.
I did think about Directors (along with Rossi S7s and DPS 112RPs), although for me they have just a bit too much overlap with my Preachers. So my thinking eventually came round to something along the lines of "WTF, I might as well go for broke and get the big boy skis". The Preachers were so amazing and left such a big impression on me that I just made a another leap of faith with WDF and went straight to Redeemers. I also spoke at length to Andrew (aka Dot) about this and he eased my concerns a lot. It's great being able to talk the guy the runs the company, and is another reason why I like WDF so much.
And thanks for the compliment.
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On Saturday at Hemel snowcentre with the inside out ski bash I took the Redeemers down a very tight Slalom course, they made it down with out to much problem, it surprised me really, just goes to show what a ski they are if a 190cm ski can do this and make you smile all day in the powder.
The Redeemers are a little like skiing ! a lot of it is in the mind 
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