2nd Look: Kingswood SMB

Jonathan felt that the tips of the SMB could have been a bit stiffer when dealing with soft chop. I agree with this, but only because I noticed the SMB’s tips were a bit flappy when running bases flat. When tipping the ski up on high edge angles, however, even in conditions with a firm base underneath, the SMB was remarkably quiet and stable. As long as the underlying base is just soft enough to maintain an edge, the SMB offers an enjoyable ride in soft chop and crud. I think this speaks to the overall quality construction and torsional rigidity of the Kingswood build, and is something I noticed on my time on the narrower Kingswood Archetype as well.

(Note: While the flex of our pair of SMB’s suited me well overall, it should be kept in mind that Kingswood is a custom ski builder and can specifically tailor the flex pattern of their ski to your taste. So if the SMB sounds like a great ski for you, but you think you’d like stiffer shovels, they will make that happen).

Of all the skis I’ve ridden this year, the SMB is my favorite resort powder ski. It’s significantly better in fresh powder than some of the more dedicated crud busters I’ve skied this year (the 194cm 4FRNT Devastator and the 193cm Blizzard Cochise) while being more stable in crud than other fat, powder-oriented skis I’ve been on (the Salomon Rocker 122, Salomon Quest 115, 186cm On3P Billy Goat, and DPS Lotus 138 and Spoon).

I took two trips to Jackson this year in January and February, and the SMB would have been a perfect ski for inbound days at the Village.

Groomers

Given that this has been a low snow year, I’ve spent more time than usual riding groomers at Alyeska and will sometimes sneak in a few laps in the evening after a day of guiding.

Jonathan felt that the SMB was “excellent on groomers for a 123mm-underfoot ski.” I’ve spent most of my lift days on skis less than 115mm underfoot, and most of my heli and touring days on ski over 130mm underfoot. As such, I don’t have as much experience with ~ 120-125mm powder skis in the resort, but I wouldn’t disagree with Jonathan’s praise of the SMB’s performance on groomers. All and all I found it adequately stable and fun.

I have spent a lot of time inbounds on the Salomon Rocker2 122 and the DPS Lotus 120 spoon, and the SMB would be my choice for railing groomers. The SMB feels more damp, has a more manageable groomer sidecut than the Lotus 120 Spoon (35 meters), and has a longer effective edge and much more tail to finish a turn than the Rocker2 122. The SMB doesn’t have the pop of the slightly narrower Quest 115 through a carve, but that isn’t so surprising given how damp and stable the SMB is in chop and crud.

Bottom Line

The SMB is among my favorite of the more versatile, resort powder skis I’ve ridden. Fatter skis with reverse sidecut designs offer a surfier ride and substantially more float in deep, untracked snow, but for the average lift-served pow day, the SMB is an excellent choice.

The SMB is also now available in a carbon layup that Kingswood claims is 20% lighter than their conventional core construction. Given my affinity for light carbon powder skis in the backcountry, it could be an interesting option, too.

 

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