quiver 2015

After umpteen years of working with Black Diamond and skiing on their skis, I’ve made the switch to work with the great local manufacturer, Voile.

It’s only been a short time, but it’s very exciting to work with a medium sized company that still puts product and people before profits. Prior to this season I had never skied any of the Voile ski line. My perception was that they were on the soft and light side of the spectrum, a good backcountry ski, but maybe not enough on the performance side. So, I was a little skeptical and hesitant to jump on board. This changed when I was able to ski and film with local shredder Erik Balken who showed up charging on the V-8 and gave them his seal of approval.

The season is flying by, but I’ve finally got the full quiver of skis dialed in and put enough days on them to warrant a thorough yet totally biased review. Luckily I really do love their sticks so it makes it easy to be honest.

I like a full quiver from light is right to large and able to charge. The current line is a great balance of weight and performance, especially in the V-6 and V-8. Whether it’s for racing, long traverses, steep couloirs, deep powder, or big faces, they really do have a fully accommodating line. Damn, they should pay me for this! Oh yeah, they do.

The quiver of one…….brand!

V-8 (193cm, 186cm)

Let’s start big and work our way down the line. The V-8 was the ski I was most excited about and it has totally lived up to my hopes as a big, stable, floating, ripper. The 193 is incredibly fun on big open terrain at high speeds, but more than I need on most days. The 186 is still plenty big and skis fast with a 115mm waist, but it’s also quick and nimble in the trees. This is my everyday go-to Wasatch powder ski that does a fine job replacing the Megawatt. It carves, instead of just smearing the turn. I even took it to the resort and was able to rail groomers which surprised me. Depending on conditions, I’ve been using the Scarpa Freedom and the Maestrale RS to drive these beauties.

V-6 (188cm)

This is the general all-purpose board if you can only choose one. I took this to Chile this past summer not knowing what conditions I would find and I found out it doesn’t really matter with this ski. The rocker is incredible at keeping you on your feet even in breakable funky crusts. And then when it did soften up there is plenty of girth underfoot for it to be wow in the pow. Voile has been winning a bunch of awards with this ski and I can see why. This ski works really well with the weight and performance of the Scarpa Maestrale RS. I tried it with the F1 Evo, but it seemed like too much ski to drive with that boot.

Vector (180cm, 170cm)

The 180cm fills the ski mountaineering slot really well. With 96mm underfoot this dimension is ideal. It’s got a nice early rise tip that makes turning quick and easy. The 180 length is enough even for a big guy like me. It’s good for hop turns and will squeak through narrow chokes and saves weight. The stiff tail gives you something to trust and rely on if you get bucked. My motto; When all else fails, ride the tails. I’ve been using the Scarpa F1 Evo and liking it a lot. Unfortunately they have just recalled the boot. I may send it back, but I’m going to see if there isn’t a quick and easy fix I can do on my own. If not, I’ll use the Maestrale RS boot.

I’ve mounted some race bindings on the 170cm and paired it with the Alien boot and an ultra-light climbing skin. This is an attempt to create an “adventure ski” for long link ups and traverses. The team at Voile is working on an a new “adventure ski” or “race hybrid” to fill this gap. Excited to see what comes about.

Wasatch Speed Project (160cm)

I’ve been racing a bit for the past two years and I’m not that familiar with too many skimo skis. My little experience has been on Ski Trab Aero Wold Cup, so that’s all I have to use as a reference. Voile has gone with a much more “modern” design than other ultra-light skis. The tip rocker really makes the ski more friendly to use in off piste or powdery conditions. They don’t hook up and toss you around like a traditional shaped ski can. However, they are much softer and I don’t feel like I’m able to go as fast on the WSP. So, for me they are a great adventure ski for long distances, traverses in firm snow. The Alien boot has been the perfect coupling with this ride.

Many thanks to all the hard working folks at Voile for putting together a great line of skis! And for bringing me on board to play with all the cool toys and represent them. Maybe it will start to snow now so I can but all these bad boys to good use!