Ski: 2021-2022 Whitedot Altum 114, 187 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte, Colorado
Days Skied: 4
Available Lengths: 179, 187 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 185.5 cm
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2122 & 2151 grams
Stated Dimensions: 143-114-132 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 142.5-113.0-131.3 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (187 cm): 24 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 63 mm / 58.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 3 mm
Core: poplar/ash + carbon / kevlar stringers + fiberglass laminate
Base: 1.2 mm sintered ISO 7200
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -5.95 cm from center; 86.8 cm from tail
Boots / Bindings: Nordica Strider 120 & Dalbello Lupo Pro HD / Tyrolia AAAttack2 13 AT
[Note: our review was conducted on the 19/20 Altum 114, which returns unchanged for 20/21 and 21/22.]
Intro
Earlier this winter we reviewed the Whitedot Altum 104 and came away quite impressed. It’s a ski that’s very playful, but we think it’d also work for a lot of more directional skiers who just want something a bit more maneuverable and forgiving.
Whitedot also makes a narrower version of that ski, the Altum 94, and then a wider version that we’ll be reviewing, the Altum 114. So, how different is the wider Altum, and how does it look compared to some of its competition?
What Whitedot says about the Altum 114
“Utilising our new twin rocker profile the Altum 114 is designed to bring a new level of flexibility to the mountain, with the 114mm waist you can easily release the tail at the end of the turn giving you an intuitive and adaptable feel to a ‘big’ ski.
Our signature tip and tail taper pushes more width into the forefront of the ski, this allows for a forward mounting position making turn initiation easier without sacrificing float and balance in the deep snow. A resort friendly 2mm of camber and hard carving sidecut provides a stable and agile platform to give you an adaptable ski for all over the mountain and side country adventures.”
Shape / Rocker Profile
The Altum 114 looks nearly identical to the Altum 104. FWIW, Whitedot lists the effective edge of both skis as nearly identical (1 mm difference), and that seems pretty accurate while looking at and measuring our pairs of the two skis.
For a 114mm-wide ski — especially a more playful ski — the Altum 114 doesn’t have a super tapered shape. It’s notably less tapered than skis like the K2 Reckoner 112, Armada ARV 116 JJ, Faction Prodigy 4.0, 4FRNT Inthayne, J Skis Friend, and Line Sick Day 114. Overall, the Altum 114’s shape is very similar to the Moment Wildcat.
In terms of rocker profile, the Altum 114 has very deep tip and tail rocker lines, but like the Altum 104, those rocker lines are very subtle and low-slung. I.e., while the contact points are close to the center of the ski, the tips and tails don’t start really rising until you get to close to the ends of the ski. With that said, the Altum 114 has much deeper rocker lines than most directional skis like the Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, Faction Dictator 4.0, and Head Kore 117.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Altum 114:
Tips: 7.5-8
Shovels: 8-9
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-9.5
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-9
Tails: 8.5-7.5
The Altum 114’s flex pattern feels almost identical to the Altum 104’s. Both skis are quite strong, especially given their playful design intentions. The very ends of the tips and tails are somewhat easy to bend, but those are pretty much the only parts of the ski that are remotely soft. Overall, this is a very strong ski, and its flex pattern is quite round / symmetrical.
Compared to the Moment Wildcat, the Altum 114 is stiffer at the very ends, but similar around the middle. Compared to the K2 Reckoner 112, Liberty Origin 112, and Parlor McFellon Pro, the Altum 114 is much stiffer at the ends.
Mount Point
The Altum 114’s mount point is right around -6 cm from true center, which is fairly far forward but not as far forward as some freestyle skis like the Prior Northwest 110 and Moment Deathwish. With the Altum 104 (and many skis we’ve tried with -6 cm mount points), we found that we could ski that ski either centered or forward, and we suspect the same of the Altum 114.
Weight
The Altum 114 is fairly light for its size, with our pair of the 187 cm version coming in at an average weight of 2136 grams per ski. That’s much lighter than skis like the Faction Prodigy 4.0, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, ON3P Woodsman 108, and J Skis Friend, but not quite as light as some skis like the Moment Deathwish, Scott Scrapper 115, and touring-oriented options like the Line Vision 118 and Renoun Citadel 114.
For reference, here are our measured weights for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples to apples.
1753 & 1756 Renoun Citadel 114, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
1873 & 1878 Line Vision 118, 183 cm (20/21)
1910 & 1941 Scott Scrapper 115, 189 cm (17/18–20/21)
1959 & 1975 Volkl V-Werks Katana, 184 cm (15/16–19/20)
1964 & 1972 Moment Deathwish, 184 cm (19/20–20/21)
2006 & 2011 Rossignol Super 7 HD, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2011 & 2028 Moment Wildcat 108, 184 cm (19/20)
2013 & 2099 Moment Wildcat, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
2019 & 2051 K2 Mindbender 116C, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
2024 & 2031 Line Outline, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
2027 & 2052 K2 Reckoner 112, 184 cm (20/21)
2034 & 2052 Blizzard Rustler 11, 188 cm (17/18–20/21)
2043 & 2046 4FRNT Inthayne, 188 cm (18/19-19/20)
2049 & 2053 Whitedot Altum 104, 187 cm (19/20–20/21)
2097 & 2103 Liberty Origin 112, 184 cm (17/18–20/21)
2102 & 2137 Line Sick Day 114, 190 cm (17/18–19/20)
2122 & 2151 Whitedot Altum 114, 187 cm (19/20–20/21)
2125 & 2134 Kye Shapes Metamorph, 185 cm (19/20)
2150 avg Parlor Mountain Jay, 185 cm (17/18–20/21)
2165 & 2211 K2 Mindbender 108Ti, 186 cm (19/20–20/21)
2165 & 2219 Icelantic Nomad 105, 191 cm (19/20–20/21)
2170 & 2180 Dynastar M-Free 108, 182 cm (20/21)
2177 & 2180 Moment Commander 108, 188 cm (19/20)
2181 & 2190 Parlor McFellon Pro, 185 cm (19/20–20/21)
2182 & 2218 Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, 185 cm (17/18–20/21)
2188 & 2190 Prior Northwest 110, 190 cm (19/20–20/21)
2212 & 2215 Armada ARV 116 JJ, 185 cm (17/18–20/21)
2220 & 2252 Faction Prodigy 4.0, 186 cm (18/19–19/20)
2221 & 2245 ON3P Jeffrey 108, 186 cm (17/18–19/20)
2232 & 2244 ON3P Woodsman 108, 187 cm (19/20)
2237 & 2315 Salomon QST 118, 192 cm (19/20–20/21)
2280 & 2286 Icelantic Nomad 115, 191 cm (19/20–20/21)
2318 & 2341 J Skis Metal, 186 cm (16/17–19/20)
2343 & 2360 J Skis Friend, 189 cm (19/20)
2346 & 2351 Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, 191 cm (17/18–20/21)
2408 & 2421 ON3P Jeffrey 116, 186 cm (17/18–19/20)
2438 & 2492 Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, 186 cm (16/17–20/21)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Given its deep rocker lines and somewhat forward mount point, should you only be considering the Altum 114 if you’re trying to throw tricks, or will directional skiers also appreciate it?
(2) The Altum 114 is neither super heavy nor super light, so how stable will it feel in chop and crud?
(3) The Altum 114 is pretty stiff, but it also has a fairly symmetrical design, so how playful will it feel?
(4) The Altum 114 shares a lot in common with one of our favorite skis, the Moment Wildcat, so how will the two compare?
Bottom Line (For Now)
The Whitedot Altum 114 looks like it could be appealing to a lot of skiers. It’s fairly light, but not crazy light. It has very deep rocker lines and a bit of tip and tail taper, but it’s also quite strong and has a moderately forward mount point. In other words, its design isn’t super far on one of the spectrum, and Blister Members can check out our Flash Review for our initial impressions. In the meantime, hold tight and stay tuned for the full review.
Flash Review
Blister Members can now check out our Flash Review of the Altum 114 for our initial impressions. Become a Blister member now to check out this and all of our Flash Reviews, plus get exclusive deals and discounts on skis, and personalized gear recommendations from us.
FULL REVIEW
I spent time on the 187 cm Altum 114 at Crested Butte before they had to stop running the lifts, and I actually skied it on what turned out to be the very last lift-served day of the season. Looking back, I was not at all upset about that — I really like this ski. And while I didn’t spend a ton of days on it, the days I was on it varied from firm to deep and everything in between thanks to the various aspects & elevation of the Butte, so I got a good idea of it.
Powder
In all conditions, the Altum 114 feels very much like the Altum 104, just, you know, wider. In powder, the two behave very similarly, but the Altum 114 obviously floats a bit better.
I would say the Altum 114 is neither exceptional nor sub-par in terms of flotation. For a 114mm-wide ski with a fairly progressive mount point (-6 cm from true center), I have zero complaints about this ski in soft snow. I got it in about a foot of somewhat heavy snow (by Colorado standards) and its tips planed up to the top pretty easily with no random tip dive.
Like the Altum 104, the Altum 114 felt most natural in deep snow when I was skiing it from a somewhat centered stance. I.e., I wasn’t putting a ton of effort into driving the shovels, but I also wasn’t skiing completely neutral — basically, this is the way I typically prefer to ski fresh snow.
Like its narrower sibling, I really like the Altum 114’s ability to both carve and slarve in a variety of conditions. This ski feels loose and easy to throw sideways in powder, particularly compared to more directional options, yet I could also carve it through pow when I wanted. I think a lot of this comes down to its deep but subtle rocker lines. If I keep the ski more bases-flat, it feels like I’m working with a shorter contact length and it’s easy to pivot from a centered stance. But if I get over the shovels a bit and lay it over, most of the ski engages and I can carve clean turns through any sort of snow. As I’ll get into below, this ski is versatile in many ways, with its ability to carve and slarve being only one part of that versatility.
Soft Chop
I’m a big fan.
For reference: I can appreciate a very wide range of skis, from super damp, stable chargers to lightweight, soft freestyle skis. But given that, I tend to get along best with skis that fall somewhere in the middle — those that let me ski with a playful style, but that still hold up well at higher speeds.
The Altum 114 is one of those skis. It’s not super damp, and there are plenty of heavier options with higher speed limits, and there are also several lighter and / or surfier skis that are easier to flick / slash around. But the Altum 114 offers a really fun blend of stability and playfulness that I think will make it more appealing to a broader range of skiers than those skis on either extremity of that spectrum.
For me, that translates to being able to ski basically as fast as I want in soft chop while still maintaining the ability to either throw the skis sideways or launch off a patch of snow at a moment’s notice. As is the case with many fairly lightweight skis like the Altum 114, its lower weight isn’t a big drawback when the snow is soft and not very dense. And unlike some skis that are both light and soft, the Altum 114 is strong enough to blast through soft patches of chopped-up snow and its shape does a nice job of both not getting knocked around very much in these conditions while also not being hooky / grabby.
Firm Chop / Crud
This is where I found myself needing to dial back my speed just a bit, which wasn’t surprising. I think the Altum 114 does a good job of absorbing and muting out rough snow for its weight, but it definitely does not match the ultra-smooth feel of much heavier skis (e.g., Rossi Blackops Gamer, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, etc.).
As always, there are tradeoffs to all of this. While the Altum 114 doesn’t make every inconsistency in the snow disappear under my feet, it also makes it easy to adjust on the fly. With a much heavier ski, I’m more prone to just let it run and trust (or hope) that it won’t get knocked around, since quickly changing my line would require a good deal of effort on my part. With the Altum 114, I can throw it sideways really easily and avoid the really rough snow.
And all that said, the Altum 114 is by no means some super twitchy ski. I’d be totally content using it as a resort pow ski; it offers enough suspension for me to ski it quite hard, it just leans a bit more toward the quick & playful end of the spectrum, rather than the super stable end.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
I had zero complaints here, whether I was slithering my way through steep & deep trees or firm & tight moguls.
As I noted above, the Altum 114 feels quite comfortable whether I’m laying it over hard on edge or pivoting with the ski more bases-flat. For my style of skiing in tight terrain (more slarving than carving) I usually opted to keep the ski off edge and was easily able to slash my way through tight spots. At the same time, if I found myself coming in too hot toward a cliff or just needed to give my legs a break, I could easily dig in the edges and come to a controlled halt. We’ve talked about skis being either too loose (like they only want to slide sideways down the fall line) or too locked in (always need to be on edge). In my opinion, the Altum 114 strikes a really nice balance between the two.
In terms of how punishing / demanding it is, I’d call the Altum 114 a fairly forgiving ski. It is pretty strong and you can engage a lot of its length on edge if you lay it over (whether purposefully or accidentally), so this is not a ski that you can totally steer from the backseat. I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners, but I think for most people who attempt to stay somewhat over the front of their skis in tight spots, it’ll feel pretty manageable.
Groomers
For a 114mm-wide ski — especially a playful one with deep rocker lines — the Altum 114 carves really well.
Once again, those subtle, low-slung rocker lines play a big role here; after I got it up to speed (roughly 30+ mph / 48+ kph), I could initiate a turn and lay over the Altum 114 surprisingly hard. This ski feels very secure on edge for its width, and it also produces plenty of energy if you’re willing to put in the effort to bend it.
The 187 cm Altum 114’s 24-meter stated sidecut radius feels pretty accurate. It needs some speed for me to truly and cleanly carve it, and has a preference for turns on the longer side. Though, compared to skis with similarly long sidecut radii, I’d say the Altum 114 is slightly easier to bend into slightly tighter turns since you can engage most of its length once you lay it over.
So as long as you don’t need to crank out slalom turns on your 114mm-wide ski, I doubt many people will complain about how the Altum 114 carves.
Playfulness
The Altum 114 is a very playful ski in most regards. It’s very poppy, light + balanced in the air, skis and lands switch very well, is pretty loose, and feels nice and supportive after bigger airs.
For those who prioritize freestyle performance, it’s worth noting that the Altum 114 isn’t the most forgiving ski when you under- or over-rotate a spin (I found this out many times), which I’d say is one of the side effects of its subtle rocker lines (they’re more prone to catch if you land kinda sideways). It’s also not a very easy ski to butter due to its pretty strong flex pattern.
But if you’re not looking for the surfiest or most buttery noodle out there, the Altum 114 is a very playful ski overall.
Who’s It For?
Those looking for a versatile, soft-snow-oriented ski that’s playful, maneuverable, quick, and still pretty stable.
As I just mentioned, the Altum 114 isn’t for those who are looking for the absolute most playful ski on the market. Nor is it for those who would happily ditch quickness and playfulness for a super damp, smooth, stable ride.
But those who fall between (i.e., most skiers) should take note. Since you can ski the Altum 114 in a directional manner with a forward, driving stance, it’ll work for directional skiers who want something that’s a bit quicker and more maneuverable than some of the flatter-tailed, more rearward-mounted skis in this class.
And since you can also ski it pretty neutral and it’s a playful ski overall, it’ll also work for those skiers who like to slash, spin, flip, & ski switch around the mountain, yet who also like to ski fast and aggressively.
While it excels in soft snow, the Altum 114 by no means falls apart when the pow is gone. It carves well for its size, offers pretty good suspension for its weight, and overall does a good job of feeling comfortable across most conditions, given its width.
Bottom Line
The Whitedot Altum 114 is one of those skis that I think few people would have major issues with. It’s not the most playful nor the most stable, but it blends both of those elements into a ski that rarely feels super out of place and that can adapt to a variety of skiing styles. If you want your ~115mm-wide ski to be pretty playful or pretty stable or pretty loose or a pretty good carver — or any combination of all those things, the Altum 114 certainly warrants consideration.
Deep Dive Comparisons
Become a Blister Member or Deep Dive subscriber to check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the Altum 114 to see how it compares to the Moment Wildcat, K2 Reckoner 112, Line Outline, Moment Deathwish, Faction Prodigy 4.0, Icelantic Nomad 115, Parlor McFellon Pro, Liberty Origin 112, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, Blizzard Rustler 11, Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, K2 Mindbender 116C, Prior Northwest 110, Prior CBC, & Kye Shapes Metamorph.
Interesting ski, be keen to hear how it compares with the Black Crows Anima. And btw will you be getting on the new version of that soon (whenever soon is these days)?
I’m very curious about the Anima as well. We’re hoping to get on that ski next season.
Whitedot web site says: “Recommended Mounting Position: 860mm, 905mm (from tail to boot centre)”.
Makes me wonder if you’ve skied the 187 cm ski using the mount point recommendation for the 179 cm ski.
I’m not sure about their website, but there’s a big line that’s very clearly marked on the ski we have that says “boot centre,” so that’s the line we measured (its the line that slots right between the binding plates in our top sheet photo).
OK, then Whitedot just provides confusing info on their website. Thanks for the clarification.
Zooming in, one can indeed see the text “BOOT CENTRE” even. BTW, it would be nice if one could open the rocker pic photos easily for closer inspection. Now it’s nearly impossible (on Chrome at least), on mobile devices I don’t even dare to try (and zooming the whole page is not very handy).
Yep, we don’t currently have a way to enable that right now for the rocker profile pictures, but we are looking into it.