2019-2020 Sego Big Horn 106

Powder

Cy Whitling (6’0”, 180 lbs): I got a few good powder days on the Big Horn 106 and I was impressed. It planed up well and I had no problem keeping my tips up, even at slower speeds in tight trees. This isn’t a dedicated pow ski, but for its width (and more forward mount) it does very well, and I wouldn’t hesitate to ski it as a 1-ski quiver, even at a mountain like Targhee that gets a lot of fresh snow. However, if I was planning on skiing a lot of fresh snow on the Big Horn 106, I would probably move my mount back from the recommended -3.8 cm to closer to -5 or 6 cm, for reasons that I’ll get into below.

Luke Koppa (5’8”, 155 lbs): Yep, the Big Horn 106’s softer tips and deep rocker lines let it float and pivot quite well in soft snow. Combined with it’s solid performance when there isn’t any fresh now (keep reading), I think that makes it an excellent playful 1-ski quiver.

Groomers

Cy: This is where the Big Horn 106 really stood out to me. It has a pretty high speed limit on groomers, and it holds an edge very well. I found myself skiing groomers much faster than I usually would, and carving harder than usual right out the gate. Out of all the ~106mm-wide, all-mountain freestyle skis I’ve been on I would definitely recommend the Big Horn 106 to anyone who places a premium on groomer performance in this type of ski. While it can make smaller radius and skidded smaller turns just fine, the Big Horn 106 really shines when you’re willing to commit to an edge and let the skis run.

Luke: I’m usually not all that concerned about the groomer performance of a ~105mm-wide freestyle ski, but since you’re usually going to end up skiing at least a few groomers throughout a day at the resort, it’s nice to have a ski that can make those runs fun. And the Big Horn 106 does this better than any other other 100mm+ freestyle ski I’ve used.

It definitely doesn’t carve up corduroy as well as much narrower skis (e.g., less than 95 mm) with less rocker, but the Big Horn 106 provides surprisingly strong edge hold. It honestly threw me off a bit at first — the Big Horn 106’s deep rocker lines mean you’re not using the full length of the ski to carve (it’s more like the middle 2/3rds of the ski). But that part of the ski tracks very well, and after a couple runs I was having a blast laying the ski over.

Beyond its surprisingly strong edge hold, the Big Horn 106 also created a lot of energy coming out of each turn, which adds to its exciting groomer performance. So if you want a very playful ski but you also like to rip groomers, the Big Horn 106 should definitely be on your list.

Soft Chop and Slush

Cy: The Big Horn 106 is a blast in soft / slushy snow. It has a higher speed limit than most of the comparable skis I’ve been on, and it’s easy to nuke through soft piles of snow. It feels solid on tracked-out landings, and it’s very easy to pop off the tails on small hits and lips. While skis like the K2 Marksman want to slarve and butter around slowly in these sorts of conditions, the Big Horn 106 is happy to go fast and boost off of everything. I found myself skiing faster and more recklessly than usual thanks to the Big Horn’s stability.

Luke: For how light it is, the Big Horn 106 can be pushed quite hard in soft snow. It provided a predictable and pretty stable platform while I made my way down Taos’s West Basin, and found some nice little airs at the bottom.

The 106 is still pretty light for its size, so it isn’t the most stable ski in its class. But I think its stability-to-weight ratio is quite good. As long as the snow was fairly soft, I could still ski the Big Horn 106 quite hard, and I didn’t feel like the ski was holding me back.

Firmer, Variable Snow

Cy: Similar to how it felt on groomers, the Big Horn 106 felt like it wanted to get on edge and carve on more variable firm snow, but it lacks some of the dampness that would help it charge in these conditions. The ski got bucked around and deflected easily on rough firm snow, and was harder to ski slow with smaller radius turns. For a playful ski, the Big Horn 106 still does quite well in these conditions, and I’d take it over the Line Sir Francis Bacon, the 17/18 Armada ARV 106, or the K2 Marksman. But in these conditions, it doesn’t match the kind of performance it demonstrated on groomers.

Luke: While I loved the Big Horn 106 in any sort of soft snow, its low weight and shorter effective edge made for a less enjoyable experience when the snow was really firm and rough. The ski was totally manageable at moderate speeds, but when I tried to make bigger turns at higher speeds, its tips got knocked around significantly, encouraging me to dial things back a bit.

For really unforgiving conditions, I’d prefer something that’s heavier (e.g., the ON3P Kartel 108). But the Big Horn 106’s low weight also has a few notable upsides (see the next section), and I think there are a lot of people for whom those upsides trump the decrease in stability.

In the Air

Cy: It’s very easy to get the Big Horn 106 airborne; its tips and tails are poppy and easy to load. In the air, the ski feels balanced and relatively light, especially for its length. I took a few park laps on the Big Horn 106, and I think that for skiers looking for a wider all-mountain ski that doesn’t feel totally out of place in the park, the Big Horn 106 is a compelling option, and its relatively centered mount point is an advantage here, too.

Luke: I thought the Big Horn 106 felt fantastic in the air. Its low weight, tapered shape, and progressive mount point all combined to make shifties and tweaks feel super easy. While its lower weight decreases its stability, that low weight is a big plus when getting the skis off the ground.

Mount Point and Stance (Forward vs. Centered)

Cy: Sego’s recommended line on the Big Horn 106 is 3.8 cm behind true center, which is right in line with a lot of skis in this playful, all-mountain class. I did, however, experiment with the Big Horn at -5.5 cm, and found that the ski felt more stable on groomers and in variable snow without feeling unwieldy in the air. Ultimately, I’d personally still mount the Big Horn 106 on the recommended line for my style of skiing, but I think more directional skiers looking for a playful ride that can still haul on groomers, the Big Horn 106 mounted at -5 or -6 cm is a very good option. The Big Horn feels more like a traditional all-mountain ski than options like the Line Sir Francis Bacon or the Armada ARV 106 (which both feel like wider park skis), and moving the mount back a little only accentuates that.

Luke: As I’ve noted in previous reviews, I really like skis that can be skied from both a centered and more forward, driving stance. For me, that combo seems to work really well for an aggressive but playful skiing style. I can throw the skis around easily, but then drive the front of the ski and keep it tracking better when I need to.

The Big Horn 106 shares this trait, and that’s part of the reason why I, like Cy, think it’d work for a wide range of skiers.

On the recommended line, the Big Horn 106 definitely feels best when skied with a more balanced, neutral stance. However, I could still get over the shovels a bit and drive them. And mounted a couple cm behind the line, I could drive the shovels even more, and the ski felt more stable overall.

So if you’re a more directional skier who’s not spinning or skiing switch a lot, both Cy and I would recommend mounting around -6 cm from center for a more familiar feel. And if you’re more concerned with freestyle performance, I think the recommended line will feel very intuitive.

Length

Cy: I skied the 187 cm Big Horn 106, and I really liked that length. It felt like a lot of ski when I wanted it to (when going fast), but it was still easy to spin and slash.

However, if you’re on the fence between sizes, the above-average stability of the Big Horn 106 mean that sizing down makes more sense than it would on softer, less stable skis. I think I could still have a lot of fun on the 181 cm Big Horn 106 without feeling like the ski was limiting me too much. And skiers who are a little shorter than I am (I’m 6’, ~165 lbs) or who are planning on spinning and jibbing on the Big Horn a lot, the 181 cm model could be a compelling choice.

Luke: At 5’8”, 155 lbs, I was very happy on the 187 cm Big Horn 106 (I typically like skis in the 183-188 cm range). Since I don’t spin a lot, I think I’d stick with the 187 if given the choice to opt for a different size. But as Cy said, if you do want to spin and jib, then I think the shorter lengths make more sense since the middle of the ski is still pretty strong and the shorter length would make throwing tricks a bit easier.

Who’s It For?

Luke: Both Cy and I think the Big Horn 106 could work for a wide range of skiers, and we think it’d be particularly appealing for a few specific types of skiers:

(1) Skiers who want a light, playful ski that can still hold up to higher speeds.

There are lighter freestyle skis (e.g., Line Sir Francis Bacon), but those skis often get knocked around very easily when you’re trying to go fast. And there are heavier skis that are more stable, but that aren’t quite as easy to flick around in the air and at lower speed. I think the Big Horn 106 hits a really nice sweet spot of a lower weight and decent stability at speed.

(2) Skiers who want a wider freestyle ski that is still fun on groomers.

As I noted above, the Big Horn 106 holds an edge better on groomers better than any other 100mm+ freestyle ski I’ve used. Combined with its very strong performance in softer snow, that makes it a compelling 1-ski quiver option for areas like Colorado and Wyoming where there are often plenty of days in between storms.

(3) Skiers who want a playful 50/50 ski.

At ~2085 g for the 187 cm, the Big Horn 106 doesn’t feel like a major burden on the uphill (Cy’s spent a good chunk of time touring on it), and it’s still stable enough for inbounds use. For skiers who want a ski that they can use to throw tricks on in the resort and in the backcountry, I think the Big Horn 106 is a great option.

Bottom Line

The Sego Big Horn 106 is a ski that will appeal to a wide range of skiers. More directional skiers looking for a lighter, playful ride that still feels familiar and doesn’t fall apart at speed will appreciate the Big Horn 106, as will more jibby skiers looking for a bit more stability than some of the other options in this class. That versatility (combined with its width) makes the Big Horn 106 a very compelling option as a 1-ski quiver, especially for skiers in areas that get a fair amount of snow

Deep Dive: Sego Big Horn 106

Become a Blister Member or Deep Dive subscriber to see our upcoming Deep Dive article where we’ll compare the Big Horn 106 to the Armada ARV 106, ON3P Kartel 108, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Faction Prodigy 3.0, Moment Meridian 107, and more.

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