2016-2017 Revision Subtraction

Pow

Revision bills the Subtraction as a full-on pow ski, and I’ve been blessed with the perfect conditions to test it as such.

Over the course of the review, I skied everything from a few inches of dust on a soft base, to a day where it skied 7” overnight and added another 10” during the day.

In everything short of that monster day, the Subtraction performed very well.

That tip taper, short radius, and rocker profile work together to make a ski that feels much quicker than a 116mm underfoot ski usually would.

The Subtraction’s liveliness made even shallower days very fun. It loves to pop off every nub and roller, and slash every stash. It rewards an active, dynamic skiing style, and is ready to play off of any feature.

However, on that monster day I mentioned earlier, where it snowed 10” before the lifts stopped rolling, I definitely found a limit to the Subtraction’s float.

The combination of deep, light snow, relatively flat terrain, and heavy fog (which limited speeds), meant that the Subtraction started bogging down, and burying the tips if I got too front seat. I ended up actually leaning on those tails and wheely-ing through flatter patches as I milked some of the best turns of my life.

To be fair, I don’t think too many other skis in this waist category would have faired any better. While they’re few and far between, those are the types of days that call for super fat, super rockered planks.

That said, I would be very interested to see how the 194 cm Subtraction fares, since in addition to the length bump, it also gains 3mm in width all along the ski. And this ski is so easy, I wouldn’t be worried at all about this being too demanding. But overall, in anything short of epic pow, the 186 cm Subtraction performs very well.

Soft Crud (and Comparisons)

Here again, the Subtraction is a blast. As long as conditions aren’t too firm the camber underfoot helps it hold a decent edge, and it’s still ready and willing to pop off of everything.

However, that softer flex means that you’ve got to stay on your toes. It’s easy to wheelie out of landings if you’re not on your game.

By comparison, the Subtraction is much more poppy but much less damp and stable than the ON3P Jeffrey 114. It’s much easier to load the Subtraction’s tails and pop off features than on the Jeffrey, but the Jeffrey does a much better job of smoothing over crud and chop and providing a solid platform to stomp landings. If you’re looking for a chargier but still playful ski in this width, the Jeffrey 114 is a much better bet.

It’s also worth noting that, although the Subtraction is actually a little heavier than the Jeffrey, it’s got a lower swing weight, it feels much lighter and quicker on the feet than the Jeffrey 114.

This difference is a little less pronounced with the J Skis Friend, but it’s still definitely there. I swapped between The Friend and the Subtraction for an afternoon, and found the Friend to be a touch damper and more stable, while also feeling heavier and a little less poppy, especially in the air.

Firm Crud

These conditions are not the Subtraction’s forte, and as a powder ski, that’s not a big surprise. I found myself slowing way down, and picking my lines carefully as things firmed up. Its soft flex pattern and low swing weight work against the Subtraction here; the ski feels chattery—and short—at high speeds in firm conditions.

Again, a ski like the Jeffrey 114, The Friend, or even the 185 cm Atomic Bentchetler all offer a more stable, and predictable ride than the Subtraction, while sacrificing some quickness and playfulness.

Groomers

On soft groomers, the Subtraction is once again quick, and is fun to load up and launch out of a quick series of short-radius turns. In longer turns it is fine so long as the conditions aren’t too firm. It feels much quicker edge-to-edge than many narrower skis, including the Jeffrey 114, the J Skis Friend, and the K2 Shreditor 112.

Park

Since most of my laps at Grand Targhee involve passing through the park, I did take the Subtraction through the gamut of rails and jumps.

While I don’t really spin past 360, the Subtraction felt very light in the air, and initiating spins was intuitive. Shifties felt very good as well; there was never any of that hip-wrenching stress a big shifty would elicit from heavier skis. However, on colder days with icy landings, the tails of the Subtraction did have a tendency to wash out if I got backseat at all.

Of course, the Subtraction is a 116mm-underfoot pow ski, so it’s never going to be as quick as a skinnier, dedicated park ski. But it hides its size well.

Who’s it For?

If you’re looking to charge big lines while popping a few tricks along the way, there are plenty of skis better suited for that. However, if you love being in the air and just want to jump off of everything you can find, the Subtraction is the quickest, poppiest ski I’ve been on at this width.

And that quickness also lends itself well to skiers who find themselves skiing tight trees regularly—the Subtraction is very easy to pivot and slarve through narrow areas.

Bottom Line

The Revision Skis Subtraction is a good choice for the playful skier who’s willing to give up some stability in return for a whole lot of air time and fun.

 

 

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