 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone know how much they're gonna cost? I'm thinking if I move to a cheaper flat next year to saving in rent might let me afford a 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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And I thought you were calling out the company directors...
I'd be very interested in the answer too - pending a ski on them (hopefully) in a few weeks time.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Anyone know how much they're gonna cost?.... |
Bit dearer than the Preachers but a bit less than the Redeemers 
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I'm pretty interested in a pair too, they're apparently quite light in a 188cm and I figure would make a really nice inbounds/slackcountry ski to put dukes on.
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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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DaveC, I was thinking of doing something similar with the pair I'm planning on buying. The 190 cm Redeemers are maybe even a touch lighter than my 179 cm Crusades, both with the same Vist bindings on. No metal in 'em
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skied the White Dot director at Glencoe during a White Dot test day. They were a lot of fun and easily my favorite ski from the fleet (test was 5 to 10cm fresh on variable base, small mountain). It could be a very good every day rocker-ed ski if that is what your after. Super maneuverable and nimble... Even scribbled a wee review over on tgr.
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/216118-White-Dot-Skis-%28test-day-review%29
Apparently the production version will be purple (not pink).
Not exceptionally light - but it would work as a soft snow touring ski assuming your skins fitted the rocker shape well.
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| DaveC wrote: |
| I'm pretty interested in a pair too, they're apparently quite light in a 188cm and I figure would make a really nice inbounds/slackcountry ski to put dukes on. |
I'm thinking the same thing - seem like the perfect 'everyday offpiste' ski. Maybe take the barons off my Bibbys, which in reality are pretty big/heavy to skin any distance with.
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I have a pair of directors with me in les arc this week, will get a review up soon if any one fancies a ski on them with me let me know 
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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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Hi all, got some to test in Mayrhofen if anyone is swinging by soon??
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I will try a pair of Directors (188cm) on-snow tomorrow and will post a review ASAP for everyone. Stay tuned...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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exoticskis, looking forward to it. Will be interesting what you think of them compared to Tue Redeemers
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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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livetoski, hey mate, when are you back in the UK? The guys going on the Off Piste bash want to try the 188 Directors but they leave on Friday/Saturday. Any way you can hook up with them on your return so they can take them to Serre Chevalier?
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| the_doc wrote: |
| Hi all, got some to test in Mayrhofen if anyone is swinging by soon?? |
Just went back to the UK today, but I'll be back out in Innsbruck on the 24th - if you have the demos around then I'd love to come over and play with them!!
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Tue 8-03-11 2:50; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Dot., got any Canadian stores/reps yet now you're branching out into the US? Want one?
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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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Dot., we are heading back sat evening back in uk Sunday morning. Ihave been skiing the preachers for the last two days, great ski, Directors today so will post up this evening, conditions in les arc are varied so a good testing ground.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Leave 'em pink I say! Real men are not afraid to wear - or ski - pink 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I reckon leave 'em pink too!
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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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DaveC, either would always be very appreciated.
It's amazing how many blokes are pro the pink color. Don't worry they are only going 1 pantone darker so still very pink-ish in a purple sort of way.
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PINK!
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+1 
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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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PINK makes them stand out.
Might as well...
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| DaveC wrote: |
| My favourite topsheet ever was the Praxis pink lady |
Somehow I doubt that's because there was pink involved
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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White Dot Freeride "Director" Preproduction Candidate 2011-2012
117-121/107/111-107mm, r=27m @188cm
Manufacturer Info:
World Distribution:
Whitedot Skis Ltd
91-93 Green Lane
Leeds
LS16 7EY
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 7971 471306
http://www.whitedotfreeride.com
United States Distribution:
White Dot Freeride
12665 Minuteman Drive Suite 1
Draper, UT 84020
Phone: 801-576-6460
http://www.whitedotusa.com
Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):
$920 usd
Usage Class:
All terrain rockered freeride
My Rating (with comments): (1="get me off these things"->10="I have to own a pair")
8 for off-piste. 4 for groomed surface carving.
NOTE:
This was a pre-production pair. White Dot confirmed they are alerting the construction slightly to put more rebound snap into the final production version of this ski to liven it up.
Summary:
A solid example of a rockered, tapered tip & tail freeride ski with excellent build quality and components. Favors 3D snow over groomed or firm surfaces. Most suitable for midweight-to-heavier skiers. Damp, planted feel rather than snappy ride. This pair was pre-production evaluation. The manufacturer stated updates to the flex rebound willl occur before final production for 2011-2012 delivery.
Background:
Positioned between White Dot's fully-cambered fat ski ("Preacher" 155-112-133 19m radius@189cm) and their fully-rockered powder ski ("Redeemer"138-142/128/132-128 27m radius) as an "Everyday Rockered Ski", the Director is intended for people who want a 107mm waisted rockered ski for all terrain. Same relative proportions as the Redeemer, scaled down.
Technical Ski Data:
Topsheet screen printed & lacquered (3x layers)
Dry-weave binding retention plate
800g p/Sq.m Bi-Axle Fibreglass
800g p/Sq.m Tri-Axle Fibreglass
Carbon fibre Kevlar stringers
Poplar/Ash Core vertically laminated with Ash strategically placed for extra binding retention
ABS sidewalls (10°)
800g p/Sq.m Tri-Axle Fibreglass
Carbon fibre Kevlar stringers
Rubber foil dampening tape
1.8mm, 360 hardened Steel edge
1.2mm ISO 7200 sintered, die-cut base
100cm effective edge @ 188cm
1mm camber
Pre-Skiing Impression:
Solid construction with very good finish, damp, solid and progressive hand flex. Not a significantly snappy rebound, but smooth response. Torsionally strong. Really nice pinkish-lavender color (White Dot threatens to darken it, but everyone who has seen it says to leave it alone)
Test Conditions:
Powder (shin-to-knee-deep), cut-up powder, packed powder, trees, bumps and hardpack surfaces, cold, dry snow.
Test Results:
Ideal testing conditions after two feet of new snow on a wide variety of terrain ranging from light powder in the trees to windbuffed chalky powder, packed groomers and cue-ball windblown crests had me pysched to put the Director through its paces. My first impression was the Director had a very damp, controlled feel cutting across crud, cut-up powder and powdery bumps. You can set the Director on a path and it stays put, never deflecting across varied surfaces, which inspires confidence. It transitions across surface types predictably and without effort, making it a good choice for freeride terrain. Fairly quick edge-to-edge, with a hint of "solid" feel (not "heavy", but stable feel). The Director likes a slightly foward, agressive stance to get the best performance - it likes to be driven instead of ridden passively, but is easy to drift and slide on demand. Once you drive it into a turn, it likes to have its trajectory maintained by the skier. It is not a ski that pulls itself into the transitions once initiated, but rewards the skier who holds it on-line by being stable, strong and consistent. The Director is not a "snappy" ski with a punch at the end of its turns, but finishes quietly and firmly. I found the turn finish to be slightly unexciting, but stable and predictable (which is a good thing in crud). I would describe the Director as not so much "sporty" as "utilitarian". My personal preference is to have a ski deliver a little "zing" at the end of the turn when requested, while the Director delivers a stable, progressive pressure. Handling in powder was stable and predictable, with quicker response available the faster you went. I think the Director likes faster terrain (think European or Western US terrain rather than Eastern US trees and narrow trails) since it came alive at higher speeds. When skiing the cueball-icy hardpack blown clean of fresh snow, the Directors felt slippery, even at higher edge angles. I quickly looked and saw the base tune appeared to be about 2 degrees. I think the Director's good torsional strength could be brought to bear on harder surfaces by tuning the base at 0.5 or 1 degree (at most) since it showed all the behavior of an over-beveled base in the state of tune I experienced. Having an Eastern-US bias for ski tuning,I have to say the issue may be irrelevant for those who are exposed to nothing but softer snow surfaces. Nevertheless, the Directors were slick in the state of tune they had. Overall, the Director is a good crud-busting, multi-terrain freeride ski with a fairly forgiving, if "reserved" nature. Strong and stable, but lacking a bit of spunk and zing at the end of turns. To be honest, the people at White Dot mentioned they are considering a slight color change (please, don't do it) and stiffening the tip and tail a bit. This could increase the snappiness of the ski's rebound and make it a higher-performance version of the pre-production model I tested, but make it a ski to definitely demo first to make sure it handles the way you like. The price is somewhat higher than some U.S.-made skis in the same category, but it is a ski that should last several seasons of hard use and is very distinctive.
Analogies: (this ski is like...)
A small-series Audi 6 or BMW 525 station wagon that is stable and predictable, can drive nearly anywhere and would always do the job no matter what the weather, but not overly exciting. Needs a little tuning to get it to handle tightly on hard surfaces.
Things You Would Change About This Ski:
Improve hard-surface grip with less base bevel tuning, reduce tail dampening slightly or increase fiberglass content in tail section for stronger, more snappy response at end of turns.
Short Answer When Someone Asks "What Do You Think About This Ski?":
Stable, damp and capable rockered 107-waisted ski with strong feel.
Advice To People Considering This Ski:
Demo the ski to see if you might want a more snappy rebound.
Self-Description of Skiing Style, Ability, Experience, Preferences:
5' 11", 180 lbs. Expert groomed-surface carver, "old-style" race inspired, "foot steerer" with fairly sensitive edging feel. Loves to hold long arcs with lots of pressure on the downhill ski (you know the type), but also loves the feel of both skis on-edge leaving tiny railroad track edge tracks. Loves powder when it's not tracked out. 10 year coach for youth race team in New England (bulletproof is the norm).
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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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Could be pinker, rather than less pink, imo
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Hmmm, I do actually like that colour - looked pinker in another review, which I wasn't quite so sure about.
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You know it makes sense.
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| exoticskis wrote: |
| Most suitable for midweight-to-heavier skiers. |
 I am a lightweight (56kg or 123 pounds) does this really rule this ski out for me?
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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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Zero-G, no, ski tested was a 188. We're also doing a 178 and 168.
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Poster: A snowHead
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exoticskis, would you say it feels like a mini Redeemer or not?
Zero-G, I'm a lightweight too (albeit not that light!). Just need to be more aggressive to bend 'em
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Sharkymark wrote: |
exoticskis, would you say it feels like a mini Redeemer or not?
Zero-G, I'm a lightweight too (albeit not that light!). Just need to be more aggressive to bend 'em |
The version I tried was not as responsive as the Redeemer, but the folks at White Dot tell me they are increasing the snappiness of the Director in the final production versions. I would say it is not a mini-Redeemer, but a more turny, tighter-radius, less "fat" feeling rockered ski than the Redeemer, which is happy in deeper snow. I think the Director will be more suited to a wider variety of skiers and a wider variety of terrain than the Redeemer because of its geometry. I would reach for a pair of Directors more often than Redeemers in most European resort conditions...and definitely pick the Directors if I was hiking anywhere unless it was for pure Redeemer terrain. The Director feels like a ski that likes to be driven to get the best performance. It is not a sit-back-and-snooze kind of ski like ...let's say the new Nordica Patron (which I tried...see the review here), but a good choice for a solid, reliable and versatile ski made by friendly people at White Dot.
P.S. - Please keep the pink!
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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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exoticskis, Nice review by the way  .
Just a random question - if you used it for hiking as you say, how does that work with a rockered ski?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Dot., relieved. I have set my heart on popping my rockered ski cherry on these skis, so to speak.
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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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Zero-G,
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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exoticskis, thanks. Great review by the way - you cab really get a feel of what the skis are like 
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| DaveC wrote: |
| Could be pinker, rather than less pink, imo |
+1. Like proper neon pink would be ace.
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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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Neon pink, 192, more carbon/stiffer model?
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HHmmm I seem to remember you commenting a while back about how people shouldn't second guess the manufacturers about their ski designs
Not that I'd be complaing with those changes lol.
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FAQ
I was skiing pink and boy did the French take the wee wee 
