Special would be a word to capture the spirit of the whole day. From the moment of the invite while standing at the service counter, deep in discussion about skis. To showing up, not really knowing what to expect. Then being lead into a curated skiing experience, akin to “Omakase” sushi dining. All with a friendliness as if you’ve know the Boone family for years.
Guidance: Skilled questions, shared discussion, Intuitive suggestions you start.
Exploring: Our crew grew to as many as 20+-. I skied a total of 5 different skis. The whole time, an information stream happening organically. Both at you and from you. Not just to the Boone Crew, but all 20. Switching skis to try something new. Sometimes on the mountain or sometimes returning to “Home Base”.
The Skis: Some skis tell you right away who they are. Others give you a taste of what might be. A few may want to take you home. Keep in mind, you are skiing a skillfully curated demo experience. So likely, all the skis you click into are worthy of consideration. And hopefully somewhere along the way, you find something Magical. A ski that connects with you in a way that leaves you speechless. See my review of the Augment 98 AM
Stockli SR 88: Not sure of length, Incredibly fun front side ski. Variable turn profiles with ease. In true Stockli form tackle all the variable conditions you find on a 6” day.
Stockli SR 105: 184 L( I think). Very dampened action on the snow, without being dull or sleepy. Clearly a fun ski on the front side, and the width to hit a back bowl. Great edge hook-up, rode through crud as if it wasn’t there. They were not a quick as I was hoping in the bumps, but nor are they designed for that. I came to ski this and see if it was my next ski, so it was first out of the gate in the morning. The interesting outcome was, the ski never closed the deal.
Augment 98 AM 179L: WOW! I almost want to stop right there. On the Hill I was in amazement of the skis ability to instill Absolute Confidence. It had a Fore & Aft Balance point that I could not or did not find the limits of. By the time I clicked in for a ride, the day had already taking my youthful energy ( 59yo), so I was unsure how much I had in the tank. WOW! The Fastest, most aggressive, inspiring ski I have ever experienced. A Bench Mark Ski for Sure!
Fisher 102 not sure the length, this ski was surprisingly engaging. At moments feeling like the “One”. Great edge hold when laying down high speed rippers. Playful in the bumps. We did not ski trees, but my guess is they would be fun there too. But the ski has an odd on snow action that I could not pin down. The only ski of the day to not surrender the outside edge mid turn, but to oscillate front and back edge connection to the snow. Never spooky but certainly required you to be controlling the ski at all times.
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