Firm Off-piste
While my first choice for firm, off-piste conditions isn’t typically a ski that’s 116mm underfoot, the GPO felt 100% capable of handling the task as long as I remained strong, well on-top of the skis, and totally in control of my speed.
As I’ve said above, and will continue to say, the GPO is not an easy ride: it is not super forgiving since its flex and rebound characteristics do very little to tame bumps and irregularities in firm snow (this ski is not inherently very stable). And even a quick, short trip into the backseat on it is like hitting the nitrous button.
Since the GPO likes to be skied aggressively, I felt most in tune with it at slow to medium speeds in steep terrain (whether bumped up or smooth) where I could power the ski through short, quick, dynamic turns.
As terrain mellowed out enough to allow medium- or long-radius arcs, I felt comfortable picking up speed as long as the path ahead looked pretty smooth, to keep from being launched, or beaten around when trying to control speed aggressively (again, the GPO is a really poppy ski).
I usually felt a little awkward during medium-radius turns, where the tails felt a little more stuck than I would have liked, but felt good once I could just let go and carve the ski (again, on a rather smooth snow surface).
Bumps
The GPO is surprisingly good in well-spaced, small-to-medium sized bumps. The ski can be very quick; it is light, and loves to be pushed hard into troughs to control speed.
As you also can probably guess by now, the GPO wasn’t a ski that let me get away with getting lazy or falling back on the tail, and it can be a suddenly very demanding ride if the bumps get too big and tight for those strong tails to squeeze through easily.
Jason Hutchins on the Praxis GPO.
Trees
As I just said, the GPO feels light and quick when worked properly, two characteristics I enjoy in a ski when riding through the trees.
But the GPO proved to be an instant handful if and when I got thrown off its sweet spot, something that isn’t a great perk when dicing through tight trees at speed.
Given that, I think it’s fair to say that, if you’re my size and you’re looking for an easy, forgiving ride through the trees, there are other options that will be worth a look (e.g., the Black Diamond Amperage, the Atomic Automatic, and the Moment Bibby or Governor). But if you’re confident that you’ll be bringing your A-game, the GPO does reward strong skiing.
Groomers
I found the GPO to hold an edge well and the ski comfortably made medium-radius carves down the hill. The arc that the ski naturally carves into definitely feels longer than the stated 24m radius of the sidecut, and from my vantage point on top of the ski, it seemed impossible to engage the entire length of effective edge while carving on a firm groomer.
The short effective edge and light feel keeps the GPO from feeling as secure at speed as similar powder skis like the Blizzard Gunsmoke, Moment Blister Pro, or the narrower Black Diamond Zealot.
I wouldn’t call the ski energetic while carving, but when I transitioned to short radius skidded turns, I did feel it bending and releasing from turn to turn.
Mounting Location
I’ve skied the GPO between -2cm to +1.5cm from the recommended line.
In the end, for multi-purpose, everyday use, I think I would mount these up just a smidge behind recommended, maybe -0.5 to -1cm.
Moving the bindings forward gave me more control over the forward portion of the ski’s sidecut in shallow, variable conditions, but adding length to the tail made the skis even more work to push around in tight spots with tricky snow.
Moving the bindings back behind -1.5cm made the tails feel like they wanted to squirt out from under me sometimes, particularly when I would push for speed control through medium-radius turns in moguls / firm crud with a bit of speed. The ski also lost some of it’s balanced feel off of jumps and while in the air. Still, for those who like to pressure the tips of their skis in powder, I’d suggest mounting this ski -1cm to -2cm from the recommended line.
Some Comparisons:
2014-2015 Rossignol Soul 7, 188cm
The GPO can be quick like the Soul, but it takes more input from a 160lb skier like myself to make it happen. The GPO likes higher edge angles and more power from the skier in chop than the Soul, whereas the Soul prefers a soft touch and smeary approach. It’s easy to say the GPO is not nearly as user friendly (it has a smaller sweet spot and demands more power) for someone my size, but may be better for bigger guys who would easily overpower the Soul 7.
2014-2015 Moment Bibby, 186cm
The GPO is strong like the Bibby, but not as damp or forgiving, nor as versatile when you consider the playful / jibby side of the Bibby.
The GPO has more liveliness to it, which is good at times (when you’re expecting its firm rebound), and also bad at times (when you’re not expecting it).
The GPO is also less grabby from in the tip, which is a big benefit at high speeds and perhaps in very consequential terrain (though I would admit the occasionally stuck-feeling tail of this GPO would be more of a concern for me), but not so good when you are skiing slower or when looking for help during initiation of a turn in difficult, thick snow.
The GPO flattens out the ride best when it’s at speed and on high edge angles, while the Bibby can take either a more bases flat / smear approach or a high-angulation carve approach. And again, the GPO has a smaller sweet spot.
2014-2015 Rossignol Squad 7, 190cm
The GPO is quicker, livelier, and much more balanced-feeling than the Squad, which makes it a better all-around performer (jumping, hard-pack, moguls, etc) than the Squad.
However, with both skis mounted behind the recommended line, I found the Squad to float significantly better in deep (>12”) powder and chop.
A better comparison to the GPO would be the Rossi Super 7, but we haven’t yet ridden the current version of it.
2013-2014 Atomic Automatic, 186cm & 193cm
In my view (and Jonathan agrees), the Automatic is more comparable to the Black Diamond Amperage, Rossi Soul 7, and older Rossi S7 than the GPO.
The Automatic floats better and is much easier to ski slowly in cold, dry, deep or upside down powder than the GPO, while the GPO is a more powerful and balanced ski (in terms of flex, shape, and weight) and doesn’t start to come alive until it’s brought up to speed or you really tell it what to do.
2014-2015 Black Diamond Megawatt, 188cm
The Megawatt is quite a bit bigger and has a significantly longer turning radius than the GPO, differences that will be quickly apparent on the hill. The Megawatt is obviously more buoyant, but feels much slower to react to input and can be a handful outside of fresh snow conditions.
2013-2014 Black Diamond Zealot, 182cm
This GPO reminds me of the 182cm Zealot in that they are both directional skis that can rip, but that also have a playful side.
There is no question that the 187cm GPO is more demanding than either the 182cm or 192cm Zealot, so if you have ridden the Zealot and like its character but wish for more power, the GPO may be up your alley.
Who’s It For?
This particular version of the GPO we’ve reviewed will be perfect if you are looking for a strong and supportive ski (with tails that at times need to be bossed around) that also has a more modern, playful side—playful in a poppy and balanced kind of way, with a slarvy feel in some conditions.
I think solid skiers who weigh quite a bit more than me (say, ≥190lbs) will find the standard edition rocker/camber/rocker version of the GPO to be much less demanding than I found it at times, and I think it will be a pretty darn fantastic all-around “big mountain” ski for those skiers. These same individuals will be the ones that find skis like the Squad 7 and Automatic to be too soft and unsupportive through the tails, or too easily deflected in crud for their liking.
Bottom Line
I found this standard edition version of the GPO to be a strong and lively ski that rewards (and requires) skillful, balanced skiing, and the ski itself feels very balanced and agile in the air.
Finally, a major perk is that a quick call to Praxis will allow you to customize any of their skis and tailor them as you like.
NEXT: ROCKER PROFILE PICS
Great review yet again, Jason! It was only made more thorough by the video clip; any chance of these showing up in future reviews?
They absolutely will be showing up in more and more reviews, and I promise they will be of even better quality. Thanks for your comment!
I have 2015 Praxis 165 custom GPO skis with Soloman sth12 bindings for sale. Skied once, perfect condition
I agree with much of what you say. I skied the 182 cm GPO on a few days of deep powder and sold them right after. It just seemed peculiar that I had to work so hard to get good float on such a big ski. And it wasn’t as playful as I hoped. Not sure if its from the med/stiff flex or the forward mount. I know they have a big following so I just assumed I was doing something wrong.
I have this ski in a medium + flex and think it is pretty awesome for my height and weight (6’2″, 180lbs) as a powder ski. I don’t take it out unless I am expecting 8″ of new snow although I have skied it on refrozen, rained out groomers a couple of times and it was liveable. I personally think the stock layup is a big mountain flex on a shape that most people should consider only as a powder ski. I am mounted -1.5 cm on griffin demos and that feels right so I have not played with the mount.
I thought this about the MVP review as well, and from the reviews you probably agree – you guys are skiing the wrong flexes (probably). I don’t know how Praxis measures flex but their comparative chart doesn’t align with what I have felt in the skis on their list or with fri flyt flex numbers, they just don’t seem to match. Hand flex also doesn’t seem to match flex when skiing, with the med+ hand flexing very soft but skiing like a much stiffer ski. Just my opinion.
Thanks for your comment, Andrew. I couldn’t agree more regarding the flex of the skis we’ve been on from Praxis. I hope I emphasized in this review, as well as in the MVP review, that I loved the shape and many of the characteristics of both models, but didn’t really feel the flex and rebound allowed me (at 160-165lbs) to get comfortable enough to realize the full potential of what I believe these playful and sleek shapes are capable of. Hopefully future tests will be better coordinated!
I have the GPO 187 in a medium+ flex (less than stock) and with a lightweight MAP core. I am not nearly as strong a skier as the Blister crew and generally prefer much lower speeds in consequential terrain, but I am 6’1 208lbs. I got the skis toward the end of last season so only have a few days on them so far. I got these because I wanted a more versatile travel powder ski for everyday soft use to compliment my mind 90s hard snow ski,(was an old school mantra, now a hell and back)
I demoed the Soul 7 and the new Super 7 on a few deep days in Utah and thought the Supers were a great tree powder ski and bump ski but folded up on me at any speed and were way too soft on groomers. Looking at the shape I though these would be similar while being more stout and with better construction quality so I took a shot.
I only have a few days on these in March at Alta and telluride and was pretty happy so far. Got a solid 8 or so inches untracked slightly denser than blower at Alta and had a blast. In 4 inches of nice fresh hero snow the skis were amazing and super quick for me in tight trees and bumps. Spring refrozen coral reef was manageable and soft groomers were good.
The only real issue I had was real Styrofoam like wind jacked snow. The tips despite me detuning a lot were super grabby, making it difficult to ski with any speed. This surprised me, I thought the tapered tips would be much less grabby. I still haven’t gotten these in truly deep powder so the jury is still out on if the mount point being so forward on the line will adequately float my size.
I think the issue with a lot of Praxis skis is that they are very funshaped with a good amount of tip and tail taper and rocker paired with a fairly stiff powerful flex pattern. Especially for a light skier, this disconnect between playful shape and directional charger flex can cause problems, with me being larger and on a softer and lighter than stock version this is much less noticeable.
Ben,
Great, well-said information there. Thanks a bunch for your input.
If you continue to run into the “grabby tip” problem, I would suggest dropping the skis off at a highly reputable shop to have them put on a tune like the one I used during the end of my testing: 1deg base and side, hand fade in a 2deg base bevel through the tip and tail, detune from the contact points.
Honestly this review is incomplete without a comparison to the current ON3P Billygoat.
I am 6′ 3″ and 240 lbs, ski in the Sierra’s. I have a stock flex 192 mounted on the factory line. Due to prevailing conditions the past two seasons I have only had them out twice. The best test for me was last season at Alpine Meadows on a storm day with 8″ to 12″. As luck would have it I was able to AB test my boards against the Atomic Bent Chetler, Nordica Patron, Blizzard Bodacious and Volkl One.
I took two runs on the GPO then two runs on one of the listed skis, then two runs on the GPO and two runs on another test ski until I had skied them all. At the end of the day I prefered the GPO, I did like the Patron and Bodacious also but like the GPO best for its balance overall. I really felt I was fair, skied the same lift and same route. I realize I am out of the normal range due to my size and take advice at the ski shop from sales folks who are like size to me. That has made a big difference, I used to believe skis were skis and they worked the same for everyone, size does matter!
I bought these not as a storm day ski but move as a day or two after a storm, after the snow gets packed out in the trees a bit. My every day ski is a Ski Logik Ullr’s Chariot twin tip in 188. Due to my size I have other wider boards for true powder days.
Many of the things you said in your review I have not experienced on the GPO, I appreciate you realizing that your size does may be a factor