2013-2014 Caravan SB 100

Soft, Fresh Snow

After a couple laps on the T-Bar, I made my way over to Peak 7 where it looked like Y-Chute was filled in with several inches of softer snow that hadn’t been as affected by wind. Y-Chute’s wide, open shape also allowed for larger, sweeping turns rather than the shorter, slower turns I had been making in the terrain by the T-Bar. Here, I had a whole different experience. The SB 100 floated well for its waist in these softer, fresher conditions, and I found the snap out of the tails to be nice when surfing through the new snow.

Variable, Off-Piste Conditions

The runout from Peak 7 to the base of Peak 6 was pretty skied out and the snow surface was firmer and chopped up. I was not expecting the SB 100 to perform like a hard charger here, and I did get tossed around quite a bit on that runout. If I stayed nimble and balanced over the center of the ski, I was able to negotiate the terrain well, but once I became off-balance I struggled to regain control of the ski. If forced into the backseat, the SB 100’s lively tails would throw my weight to the front of the ski.

Atop Peak 6, we hiked over to Behold where I wanted to see how well the SB 100 held up on a burlier line. Descending Behold, my experience was about the same as in the runout of Peak 7, and I started to wish I had mounted the Caravan’s further back. Controlling the tail of the ski from a center mount point was again bit of a chore. If I had mounted the ski at the factory recommended -3cm, I would probably have had a slightly better experience in these sort of rough, off-piste conditions.

Big, Soft Bumps

Later in the week I made my way over to Vail and experienced bluebird skies and temperatures in the upper 30’s. By mid-day most of the mountain was sunbaked and I found myself in China Bowl with loose-packed mashed potatoes as far as the eye could see. Here the soft, poppy feel of the SB 100 presented some fun options for how to approach the terrain and conditions, but again, I had to make sure I stayed balanced on the ski. The liveliness of the bamboo core had me jumping from one newly formed mogul to the next and throwing slashes all over the place. A couple of times I knew I had pushed the ski a little too hard when it seemed to buckle a bit in hitting the transition of a mogul, though I wasn’t burying the tips. Here I was still able to recover by dialing back my speed before hitting the next bump/transition.

Durability

At 17 days in, I can say the SB 100s are holding up impressively well. I’m most surprised to find that the skis have ZERO edge cracks so far, which is amazing because I am used to seeing edge damage appear after 2 to 3 days of park skiing.

Tucker Nixon reviews the Caravan Skis SB 100, Blister Gear Review
Tucker Nixon mid-swap on the Caravan SB 100, Stowe, Vermont.

Topsheet chipping has been minimal, especially around the tip of the ski, which is usually the first area to show signs of wear. The topsheets are made out of a softer material that appears to hold up better than a typical, more rigid/brittle laminate. The SB 100’s sidewalls are nice and thick, similar to those of a ski from Icelantic or ON3P, and so far show no signs of blowouts or compressions. All in all I would say Caravan has built the SB 100 extremely well.

Bottom Line

Skiers in search of a playful one-ski-quiver with a soft, lively flex ought to consider the SB 100, especially next to the K2 Shreditor 102 and 12/13 K2 Kung Fujas. I’ve only spent a little time on those skis, but my sense is that the SB 100 is a comparable, freestyle-oriented all-mountain ski that is only slightly softer underfoot, and generates more energy and pop.

The SB 100 is too soft for someone really looking to charge through variable, chundery conditions. (If you’re looking for a playful, freestyle-oriented all-mountain ski with a similar width, but a much stiffer flex, check out the Moment PB&J.) However, the SB 100’s softer flex can be made to work around the mountain if you have a light, flowy, playful style (or are a lighter person) and it makes the ski especially capable jibbing around the park.

We’ve been told that Caravan plans to stiffen up the flex profile of the SB 100 for the 2014-2015 season, and I’d really like to see how this affects its performance. Perhaps a slightly stiffer flex will make the ski more capable in off-piste conditions without sacrificing much of its great pop and fun, forgiving feel elsewhere.

 

NEXT: ROCKER PROFILE PICS

 

Leave a Comment