Ski: 2020-2021 Moment Wildcat 108, 184 cm
Test Locations: Crested Butte, Colorado
Days Skied (184 cm Wildcat 108): ~15
Available Lengths: 174, 184, 190 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 181.8 cm
Stated Weight per Ski: 1975 grams
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2011 & 2028 grams
Stated Dimensions: 134-108-127 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 134.0-107.7-126.9 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (184 cm): 22.0 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 74 mm / 71 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: ~5 mm
Core: Aspen/Ash + Carbon Stringers + Fiberglass Laminate
Base: Sintered 4001 Durasurf
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -6.1 cm from center; 84.8 cm from tail
Ski: 2020-2021 Moment Wildcat 108, 190 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length: 188.0 cm
Stated Weight per Ski: 2060 grams
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski: 2110 & 2119 grams
Stated Dimensions: 134-108-127 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 134.5-107.7-127.3 mm
Stated Sidecut Radius (190 cm): 25.0 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 71 mm / 65 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: ~7 mm
Factory Recommended Mount Point: -5.9 cm from center; 88.1 cm from tail
Reviewer: 5’8″, 155 lbs
Boots / Bindings: Nordica Strider 120 / Tyrolia AAAttack2 13 AT
[Note: Our review was conducted on the 19/20 Wildcat 108, which was not changed for 20/21, apart from graphics.]
Intro
We get a lot of questions around here about a lot of skis, but no ski in the past few months has been asked about more than — or as angrily (“Where the @!*% is the review?!?!”) — as the Moment Wildcat 108, which is the narrower version of the Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro.
Well we now have the Wildcat 108 in hand — in two lengths — as well as the 184 cm Wildcat Tour 108 (our separate First Look at the Tour 108 will be coming soon), and we’ll be getting them on snow as soon as possible. But in the meantime, we wanted to get the Wildcat 108’s specs up; talk about how its design compares to the wider Wildcat / Blister Pro and other skis in its class; and mostly … just get you all to shut up.
(Just kidding, keep the requests and questions coming.)
What Moment says about the Wildcat 108
“The Wildcat 108 is perfect for anyone seeking a bit less beef than the O.G. Wildcat is packing. We designed it to deliver the goods wherever winter storms arrive on a less consistent basis—or not at all. But after a season of testing, we’re confident this little kitty will end up going home with as many current Wildcat owners as new parents—probably more, because it’s just that good.
Putting a fat cat on a diet is not as simple as trimming a centimeter out of the middle. We left the profile identical, tweaked the sidecut and added a damper core to ensure it delivers the same playful, confidence-inspiring ride as its older brother.”
So the claim here is that Moment didn’t simply hit “ctrl–” on their CAD machine and shrink the Wildcat, they tweaked a few elements to make the narrower Wildcat perform better in the conditions for which you’d use a ~108mm-wide ski as opposed to a ~116mm-wide ski. Which makes good sense.
First, Moment switched to an aspen / ash core instead of the lighter aspen / pine core found in the wider Wildcat. Given that we tend to use narrower skis on harsher, less forgiving conditions than we would a 116mm+ ski, a heavier, and potentially more damp core layup seems like a very smart choice.
Second, they tweaked the sidecut. The Wildcat 108 has a shorter stated sidecut radius for all of its lengths, though the difference isn’t huge. For reference, here’s how the stated sidecut numbers compare for the different lengths of the Wildcat and Wildcat 108:
Wildcat 108, 174 cm: 19 m
Wildcat 108, 184 cm: 22 m
Wildcat 108, 190 cm: 25 m
Wildcat (116), 174 cm: 21 m
Wildcat (116), 184 cm: 25 m
Wildcat (118), 190 cm: 27 m
Shape / Rocker Profile
The Wildcat 108 looks very much like a narrower Wildcat (duh).
There is a very subtle difference between the tip shapes on the Wildcat, Wildcat 108, and Wildcat Tour 108 (see below). The tips on all three skis look like they start tapering right around the same point, but the Wildcat 108’s tips are fairly straight past that taper point, creating a slightly “blockier” tip shape. The Wildcat Tour 108’s tips taper to more of a point than the standard Wildcat, which is designed to make them work better with the tip clips on climbing skins.
But overall, all three skis look really similar. They have a bit of taper in the tips and tails, but compared to other freestyle-oriented skis, all three skis are pretty moderate when it comes to their taper. And at least for the wider Wildcat, we think that its short (but significant) amount of tip and tail taper is a big part of why a lot of us like it so much. (I.e., you get a wide, straight ski overall, which is great for stability, with a brief but dramatic amount of taper at the tip and tail, which is effective in reducing swing weight a bit, especially on an otherwise-pretty-big ski.)
The rocker profile on the Wildcat 108 looks nearly identical to the standard Wildcat (and Wildcat Tour and Wildcat Tour 108). It has pretty deep rocker lines and a lot of tip and tail splay.
Given that the Wildcat 108 is, you know, 108 mm underfoot, its rocker profile stands out a bit more than the wider Wildcat’s. The Wildcat 108 has very deep rocker lines for its width, and it’s pretty similar to the ON3P Jeffrey 108 and Woodsman 108 in this regard. The Jeffrey 108 has a deeper tail rocker line with more tail splay, while the Woodsman 108 has a similarly deep tip rocker line and a slightly shallower tail rocker line with significantly less tail splay. But compared to the whole market, the Wildcat 108 definitely sits at the “more rockered” end of the spectrum.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the 184 cm Wildcat 108:
Tips: 6-6.5
Shovels: 7-8.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9
Tails: 7-6
And here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the 190 cm Wildcat 108:
Tips: 6-6.5
Shovels: 7.5-8.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 9-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 10-9
Tails: 7.5-6
Both the 184 cm and 190 cm Wildcat 108’s flex patterns feel extremely similar compared to the 184 cm and 190 cm Wildcat. If anything, the 108’s are a tiny bit softer at the very ends of the tips and stay stiffer a tiny bit longer behind the bindings. But we had to hand-flex the four skis against each other multiple times to even notice those minute differences.
The 184 cm Wildcat 108 is a touch softer in the shovels and tails compared to the 190 cm Wildcat 108, but again, the difference is almost unnoticeable.
Compared to the rest of the market, the Wildcat 108 is a very strong ski through most of its length, and the rockered portions of its tips and tails are the only spots where it goes soft (and it’s a smooth ramp-down / ramp-up, not hinge-like). We’ve talked about how both directional and more playful skiers can get along well with the standard Wildcat, and we suspect that the same will be true of the Wildcat 108, given the similarities in flex pattern and mount point (the Wildcat 108 and Wildcat both have a mount point of ~6 cm behind true center).
Speaking of Mount Point…
Over the past 10 years (at least), “108” was a pretty significant signifier of skis that not only were 108 mm wide, but it was where companies placed their straight-up, traditional chargers (e.g., Blizzard Cochise; HEAD Monster 108; Kastle BMX 108; Line Supernatural 108; etc.).
But one thing that all of these skis had in common was their relatively far-back mount points, which were usually at least -10 cm behind true center, and sometimes as much as -14 cm back.
Well with its – 6 cm mount point, the Wildcat 108 is looking quite a bit different, and especially given our experience on the wider Wildcat, we do not expect it (at all) to ride like a heavy, traditional, conventional charger. But the big question of ours is how hard you can still push this ski vs. how fun and playful it feels on snow?
Weight
Moment decided to use a slightly heavier aspen / ash core in the Wildcat 108, which means it’s not quite as light for its size as the wider Wildcat. But the Wildcat 108 is still a fairly light ski, with the 184 cm version coming in around 2020 grams per ski, and the 190 cm coming in around 2115 grams per ski.
That makes the Wildcat 108 significantly lighter than some of the burlier skis in this class like the ON3P Woodsman 108, Prior Husume, and Blizzard Cochise, but a bit heavier than some of the more 50/50-oriented options like the Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Sego Big Horn 106, and Line Sick Day 104.
For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples-to-apples.
1605 & 1630 Line Vision 108, 183 cm (19/20)
1642 & 1651 Renoun Citadel 106, 185 cm, (18/19)
1692 & 1715 Moment Wildcat Tour 108, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
1806 & 1862 Armada Tracer 108, 180 cm (19/20)
1828 & 1842 Elan Ripstick 106 Black Edition, 188 cm (19/20)
1848 & 1903 Line Sick Day 104, 186 cm (17/18–19/20)
1849 & 1922 Elan Ripstick 106, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
1913 & 1943 Sego Condor Ti, 187 cm (18/19)
1923 & 1956 DPS Alchemist Wailer 106, 189 cm (17/18–18/19)
1950 & 1977 Blizzard Rustler 10, 188 cm (17/18–18/19)
1996 & 2012 Dynastar Legend X106, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2005 & 2035 Liberty Origin 106, 187 cm (19/20)
2010 & 2018 J Skis Vacation, 186 cm (18/19–19/20)
2011 & 2028 Moment Wildcat 108, 184 cm (19/20)
2013 & 2013 Moment Commander 108, 188 cm (18/19)
2013 & 2099 Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
2018 & 2045 RMU North Shore 108, 185 cm (18/19–19/20)
2022 & 2047 Faction Dictator 3.0, 186 cm (17/18–18/19)
2026 & 2056 Black Diamond Boundary Pro 107, 184 cm (17/18–18/19)
2030 & 2039 Rossignol Soul 7 HD, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2046 & 2120 Black Crows Corvus, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2096 & 2100 Salomon QST 106, 181 cm (19/20)
2110 & 2119 Moment Wildcat 108, 190 cm (19/20)
2112 & 2125 4FRNT MSP 107, 187 cm (18/19–19/20)
2120 & 2134 Blizzard Rustler 10, 188 cm (19/20)
2143 & 2194 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 184 cm (18/19–19/20)
2165 & 2211 K2 Mindbender 108Ti, 186 cm (19/20)
2165 & 2219 Icelantic Nomad 105, 191 cm (19/20)
2174 & 2187 Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, 190 cm (18/19–19/20)
2182 & 2218 Nordica Enforcer 110, 185 cm (17/18–19/20)
2188 & 2190 Prior Northwest 110, 190 cm (19/20)
2190 & 2268 Armada ARV 106Ti LTD, 188 cm (18/19–19/20)
2202 & 2209 Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, 186 cm (19/20)
2218 & 2244 Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm (19/20)
2232 & 2244 ON3P Woodsman 108, 187 cm (19/20)
2233 & 2255 Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, 186 cm (19/20)
2241 & 2295 4FRNT Devastator, 184 cm (14/15–18/19)
2250 & 2307 Argent Badger, 184 cm (19/20)
2283 & 2290 ON3P Wrenegade 108, 189 cm (18/19)
2312 & 2386 Prior Husume, 188 cm (17/18–19/20)
2318 & 2341 J Skis The Metal, 186 cm (16/17–18/19)
2376 & 2393 Blizzard Cochise, 185 cm (15/16–19/20)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Just how similar will the Wildcat 108 feel compared to the wider Wildcat?
(2) The Wildcat 108 is fairly light, but not crazy light by today’s standards. So how stable will it feel compared to the lighter skis and the heavier skis it slots between?
(3) The ON3P Woodsman 108 shares a good bit in common with the Wildcat 108, so how do the two skis compare?
(4) Moment now offers the Commander 108 and the Wildcat 108, so how much performance overlap is there between the skis, how similar or different do they feel on snow, and will the two skis have very distinct audiences? I.e., if you love the Commander 108, will you also get along with the Wildcat 108, or probably dislike it, and vice versa?
(5) How similar or different is the on-snow performance of the Wildcat 108 and the Wildcat Tour 108? Will we end up thinking that lots of people could be happy skiing the Tour 108 in the resort (and use it as a “50/50” ski), or will we strongly suggest that people keep the Tour 108 in the backcountry?
Bottom Line (For Now)
With the Wildcat 108, Moment maintained a lot of what we think makes the standard Wildcat great, but they also changed a few things to potentially make it more suitable for the different conditions in which most people will be using the narrower version. We’ll be getting the Wildcat 108 on snow as soon as possible, so stay tuned for updates.
FULL REVIEW
Let me just begin here by saying that it’s really, really nice to be skiing again. And writing ski reviews again. And writing ski reviews about skis I really like. Turns out, skiing is still really, really fun.
I’ve now spent somewhere around 15 days on the 184 cm Wildcat 108, and for now I’m posting my thoughts on that ski. We’ll be updating this post once I, Jonathan, and some other reviewers have spent significant time on the 190 cm Wildcat 108, and will also hopefully add some thoughts on the 184 and 190 cm’s performance in deeper snow, so stay tuned for that.
But for the time being, let’s talk about the 184 cm Wildcat 108, a ski that a lot of you have been asking us about since Moment announced it last year.
Groomers
This is the narrower version of the well-loved Moment Wildcat, so it should theoretically be better than the wider Wildcat on groomers. And I’d say that it definitely is, but as will be a common refrain in this review, the narrower and wider Wildcats feel very, very similar.
With its narrower shape and slightly tighter sidecut radius, the Wildcat 108 is easier to get on edge and carve smaller turn shapes than the wider Wildcat. But this is still a 108mm-wide ski with a lot of tip and tail rocker and a fairly long sidecut radius (22 m for the 184 cm), so it is not particularly easy to get on edge at very slow speeds on mellow slopes. My first real turns on groomed snow on the Wildcat 108 were in October on a pretty flat, green groomer. As I noted in my Flash Review, I would’ve preferred to be on a different ski since the Wildcat 108 requires a bit of speed to be really fun on piste. You can easily slarve it around at any speed, but to get it on edge and really start carving, you’ll want a bit of pitch.
But then Crested Butte opened their Paradise lift, and then this week opened the Silver Queen lift — both of which offer steeper slopes with blue and black groomers that let you easily get up to 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60+ mph, depending on how few turns you want to make. This slightly steeper terrain made me much, much happier on the Wildcat 108. As soon as I got it past ~20 mph, the ski felt like it came alive.
The Wildcat 108 is not a fat carver. Its tips don’t pull you into a turn, and it’s got a fairly short effective edge compared to many of the more directional options that are this wide. So while I wouldn’t call it a super engaging carver, I would call it an intuitive carver. Once I got moving, it was easy to lay over the Wildcat 108 on edge and carve GS turns or much longer turns.
As is common with early season conditions in Colorado, I skied a good bit of scraped-off, icy groomers on the Wildcat 108. This is not a ski that encouraged me to really lay it over on these conditions. The ski’s combination of lots of rocker + a fairly long radius meant that it felt more comfortable sliding turns on super smooth, super firm conditions. I could get it on edge at higher speeds on these conditions, but I didn’t really trust the Wildcat 108 to lock into turns on this very firm, very smooth snow / ice (same goes for most of the 105mm+ skis I’ve been on recently). But the good thing is that the Wildcat 108 felt totally predictable while doing this — no surprising wash-outs, no scary loss of grip. And on anything softer than ice, I was easily able to dig in the Wildcat 108’s edges and link solid GS turns high on edge (again, as long as I was going fairly fast).
If you demand that your 108mm-wide freeride ski lets you lay trenches on ice, then you’re looking at the wrong ski. But if you’re comfortable with casually sliding your turns when things are truly firm and smooth, the Wildcat 108 is happy to do so, and it becomes much more fun when the snow is easily edgeable.
Furthermore, all the things that keep it from being an excellent on-piste ski are a big part of why I love it so much as an off-piste ski.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
I really, really like the Wildcat 108 in tight terrain.
If you’ve read many of our reviews, you might already know that I prefer to pivot and slide my way through bumps rather than drive the hell out of the shovels of my skis and really pressure the tips down over the tops and into the troughs of moguls. And my particular approach to bumps is a big reason why I love the Wildcat 108 in moguls.
You can definitely drive the shovels of the Wildcat 108 and I appreciate the ability to do so when things get steep and / or fast. But you can also ski it very neutral, and its deep tip and tail rocker lines make it super easy to pivot. And that combination of its big sweet spot plus its versatility in terms of skiing style plus its loose feel makes for a ski that is very easy to maneuver through tight spots.
That said, the Wildcat 108 is also quite strong through the middle of the ski, and tail-gunning it from the backseat doesn’t feel great. There are lots of more punishing skis in this class, but I wouldn’t recommend the Wildcat 108 to beginner or low-intermediate bump skiers. But if you stay neutral or forward, the Wildcat 108 feels quite quick in tight terrain, especially for a ski this wide. And if you’re a pretty experienced skier and you do that, the Wildcat 108 will reward you with lots of pop to launch you into the next bump.
Another big part of this is the Wildcat 108’s weight. This is a pretty light ski, and it feels like it in bumps. The word “sluggish” never came to mind during my time on the Wildcat 108. Doing back-to-back bump runs on the Wildcat 108 and heavier skis like the 187 cm ON3P Woodsman 108, there was a very noticeable difference in terms of how much input was required to flick around the skis. I could easily move around the Wildcat 108 from my ankles, while heavier skis like the Woodsman 108 required more physical input to push them around.
The downside to the Wildcat 108’s low weight is that it gets knocked off track significantly easier than those heavier skis. This turned out to be a really interesting experiment for me. Skiing back-to-back runs on Crested Butte’s Jokerville (a fairly steep bump run), I found that I ended up getting to the bottom in around the same amount of time and ended up feeling equally tired on both the Wildcat 108 and the heavier Woodsman 108. The key difference is how the skis felt, and correspondingly, how my skiing style changed to adapt to the particular ski.
On a heavy ski like the Woodsman 108, I found myself making more controlled, more deliberate, and less explosive movements. Since the ski tracked better, I found myself not having to make as dramatic of adjustments. But I also had to put more effort into subtly moving it around, particularly through weirdly shaped bumps with no straightforward line.
Conversely, the Wildcat 108 had me making more adjustments and quick movements since it got knocked off track more readily than the Woodsman 108, but those movements required much less physical effort to do since the Wildcat 108 is so much lighter.
So all that is to say that I think the Wildcat 108 will best suit those who ski with more of an active style in tight terrain. It will get knocked around, particularly in firm, rough moguls, but its low weight and deep rocker lines make it really easy to quickly adjust and adapt to the ski getting knocked around. So as always, just be honest with yourself and figure out what kind of ski you like in bumps, trees, etc.
Soft & Firm Chop
We’ve recently had several moderate storms at Crested Butte (2-6”), and I loved the Wildcat 108 for this sort of skiing. In fairly soft, shallow snow, the Wildcat 108 is super fun to ski fast. Its low weight is less of a detriment to high-speed stability since the snow is more forgiving, I could carve it quite hard on the softer snow, and the real fun came when the snow got pushed around and formed mini-moguls.
In softer, drier, shallower chop, the Wildcat 108 did not get knocked around very much and I had a hard time finding its speed limit. And if I could find some side hits and lips, that made things even better. What I really love about the Wildcat 108 is that it’s strong enough to ski quite hard in good conditions, and then it’s plenty light to easily maneuver in the air. (And yes, you should keep in mind that I am 5’8”, ~155 lbs. So if you like to ski hard and are much taller and heavier than me, then the 184 cm Wildcat 108 likely is not going to feel as strong.)
At the end of the day or the day after a storm, the Wildcat 108’s low weight became more obvious. There have been several ungroomed runs at Crested Butte that I wouldn’t call true moguls runs, but they had lots of widely spaced, fairly small bumps. The sort of terrain where you can either really slow down and weave your way between the bumps, or just make longer, faster turns and deal with all the small bumps you’ll be smashing into at fairly high speeds. I’m lazy, so I usually opt for the latter technique on these runs, and doing so on the Wildcat 108 left me making lots of adjustments and having to absorb the impacts myself, rather than letting the ski do so (like some heavier skis will let you do). I wouldn’t call the Wildcat 108 “harsh,” but I also wouldn’t call it “plush.” I think the Wildcat 108 is a bit more damp than the regular, wider, (current) Wildcat 116 and I think the Wildcat 108 punches a bit above its weight in terms of damping and stability, but there are still a lot of heavier, more damp skis in this class that will stay more composed at high speeds in very rough snow.
So again, ski it with an active style, and the Wildcat 108 is a ton of fun in chop. But if you’re expecting this to be a bulldozer of a ski that just plows through or over everything no matter how firm or bumpy the snow is, you will likely be disappointed.
Playfulness
In most respects, the Wildcat 108 is a really playful ski.
First and foremost, its swing weight feels super light, especially compared to those heavier, more inherently stable skis I’ve been talking about. I’ve been making an effort to do more spinny flippy things this year, and the 184 cm Wildcat 108 has been perfect for that. It’s super easy to spin, and I’ve actually found myself over-rotating a few spins after coming from heavier skis.
This also applies to things other than spins and flips. Grabs, tweaks, shifties, and even my favorite — cossacks — are all so easy on the Wildcat 108. And just like the wider Wildcat, the Wildcat 108’s recommended mount point of -6 cm from true center feels great to me. I never thought it felt particularly unbalanced in the air, but I could still drive the front of the ski when I wanted. And the Wildcat 108’s strong platform around the middle feels great on landings, whether I nail my body positioning or end up pretty far forward or back.
Then there’s the Wildcat 108’s rocker profile. While it feels good on edge and is predictable on firm, smooth snow, the Wildcat 108 is really easy to pivot, slarve, and slash. It requires very little effort on my part to throw the ski sideways, and I never had an unexpected edge catch while going from skiing forward to switch, or vice versa. I can think of a few ~108mm-wide skis that are surfier than the Wildcat 108, but it’s a short list.
I’m still really bad at butters (another thing I’m working on this season), and the Wildcat 108 isn’t great for them. Its deep rocker lines do give you a good leverage point on which to bend the ski, but it’s still pretty dang stiff through most of its length, so there are plenty of better options if your preferred method of getting around the mountain involves a lot of time spent bending and sliding on the tips and tails of your skis.
As for pop, I’d call the Wildcat 108 very poppy. Like many stiffer skis, it requires a bit of effort to bend it, but if you do, it springs back with lots of energy. And since it’s so light, you don’t really need to bend the Wildcat 108 to get it off the ground. If you’re worried that the heavier Aspen / Ash core in the Wildcat 108 (vs. the lighter Aspen / Pine in the wider Wildcat) lost all the energy of the wider version, I wouldn’t worry.
Finally, the Wildcat 108 skis switch really well in my opinion, even in deeper snow (thanks to its very high tail).
So, apart from it being a pretty stiff ski that’s not super easy to bend, I’d call the Wildcat 108 a very playful ski.
Who’s It For?
High-intermediate to expert skiers who ski with more of an active style and who prioritize agility, playfulness, and strength in their mid-fat all-mountain ski.
For those of you who prefer very planted, damp ski that feels glued to the snow no matter the speed or conditions, we’d recommend a significantly heavier ski (see the “All-Mountain — More Stable” and “All-Mountain Chargers” sections of our 19/20 Winter Buyer’s Guide).
On the other hand, if you aren’t that concerned with high-speed stability and your absolute top priority is playfulness, I’d look to softer skis (see the “All-Mountain Freestyle” category of our Winter Buyer’s Guide).
But if you don’t need a super heavy, damp ski, don’t want a super soft, buttery jib stick, and instead want something that falls somewhere in between, the Wildcat 108 might be the ski for you. It’s strong enough to ski very hard when the snow is fairly forgiving; it’s light enough to easily flick around in the air and on the snow; and it’s pretty versatile across most conditions.
Bottom Line
Based on my time on the wider Wildcat (116), the 184 cm Moment Wildcat 108 was a ski that I was extremely excited about. And having now spent a good chunk of time on it, I have not been disappointed. The Wildcat 108 takes much of what I love about the wider Wildcat and packages it into a more practical, more versatile design. Strong but playful, fairly stable yet very nimble, and not out of place in most conditions, there’s a lot to like about the Wildcat 108.
Deep Dive Comparisons
Become a Blister Member or Deep Dive subscriber to check out our Deep Dive of the Wildcat 108 to see how it stacks up against the Moment Wildcat, Moment Meridian, Moment Deathwish, ON3P Woodsman 108, ON3P Jeffrey 108, Sego Big Horn 106, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Faction Prodigy 3.0, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Salomon QST 106, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Nordica Enforcer Free 104, Armada ARV 106Ti, Liberty Origin 106, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Line Sick Day 104, Elan Ripstick 106, 4FRNT MSP 107, Black Crows Corvus, J Skis Metal, Prior Husume, and Blizzard Cochise.
How soon is soon….
I have a pair of these, might of been the first order of them from Moment. I don’t even need a review of these to tell you they will be amazing.
Hmmm. Should I use these as my 5050 pnw drivers?? I NEED that topsheet
I have been debating getting this ski…. I will await the full review…
hey Luke – thanks for the review. why did you ski the 184 cm? for your height i would have guessed the 174 was the right size for you (even Moment recommends this size for an expert level skier of your height). i am just curious/worried since i ordered these skis in 174 and i am an experienced skier who is 5 feet 11 inches tall and now i am second guessing my choices…
For me, I base ski-length choice off the skis I’ve used in the past and how I’ve liked them, rather than a sizing chart. I find that ~180 cm is usually as short as I like to go for a ski in the ~105mm-wide range. If I go shorter than that, I usually find that I’m wishing for more stability at high speeds, more float in deep snow, and a larger, more supportive landing platform for airs. So with that said, if you’ve been happy on ~174cm-long skis in the past, I doubt you’d have a problem with the 174 cm Wildcat 108. It does have a lot of rocker and its pretty light, but overall, I wouldn’t say the ski feels super short on snow, primarily due to its stronger flex pattern and moderate taper. It just comes down to personal preference — I know people my size who ski 171 cm skis and don’t need or want a much longer ski, while others my size ski ~190 cm skis and wouldn’t want to go much shorter.
thanks for the feedback.
Luke, thank you for the review! I have the Deathwish and I enjoy them on terrain that is not all rutted out…I have a hard time getting them to move fast enough in the bumps. Looking for something a bit more playful and am looking at the Wildcat 108 and the Meridian. Never skied a full rocker and not sure I want to at 54 as I am a bit old school and still like to get forward and over the tops of my skis, but could be fun learning. I wanted to get a little more of your insight on the 2 skis.
Thank you for your time.
Hey Matt — we compared those skis in our Deep Dive, but the short story is that I don’t think the Wildcat 108 is *that* much more maneuverable in bumps vs. the Deathwish, so I doubt it’d be a big enough difference to warrant replacing the Deathwish. The Meridian is definitely easier to pivot on the snow, but it’s similarly stiff (if not a bit stiffer) and around the same weight, so I don’t think it’s going to be much easier to flick around in the air, but it is easier to slide around. And you can definitely drive the front of the Meridian, and it actually feels pretty “normal” when doing so since you can engage much of its length on edge. If you want a ski that’s much quicker, then I’d recommend something lighter like the Line Sick Day 104 — it’s not quite as strong and stable as the Deathwish, but it’s easier in tight terrain and is also a versatile ski in terms of firm- and soft-snow performance.
Great review as always. I’ve been looking at this ski, the msp 107, and the black crows Atris for some time now and can’t decide which would be best. I know they are very different but I like aspects of all of them. I ski in the PNW prioritizing soft snow but also skiing hardpack sometimes. Love cliffs steeps and occasional side country/backcountry. Anyone have any suggestions for which would be best?
“Doing back-to-back bump runs on the Wildcat 108 and heavier skis like the 187 cm ON3P Woodsman 108. I could easily move around the Wildcat 108 from my ankles, while heavier skis like the Woodsman 108 required more physical input to push them around.”
I’m wondering how big this difference would be if compared to the 182cm Woodsman, which is actually the same length as the 184 Wildcat.
Yep, totally fair point. I don’t think we’ll be getting on the 182 cm Woodsman 108 anytime soon, but Jonathan will definitely be comparing the 187 cm Woodsman 108 vs. 190 cm Wildcat 108 when he posts his update on the 190 cm Wildcat 108.
Luke – what jacket/pants/pack set-up are you using in the photos above? Contrasting colors FTW. Looks dope.
Ha, the pack is the Gregory Targhee 26, the pants are the Black Diamond Mission, and the jacket is Norrona’s new Tamok Gore-Tex Pro shell. Big fan of all of them, and will be posting reviews of each during this season.
Is that 190 review coming soon? :-)
I’ve been on Armada’s TST’s 183’s all my life. It’s been my first go to ski in a long time, but I’m looking for a change, something a bit more expert focused, something with a bit more underfoot, rocker, but still able to charge over 60mph if needed.
Thinking of buying the 184’s site unseen! would you think this would be a good ski to move up too?
Thanks, great review!
Luke – Great review.
I am debating on whether to get the 184cm or 190cm WC 108s.
My current ski is the Blizzard Bonafide in 180cm so going a different direction here. I absolutely want something much more playful and also easier to ski in tight trees. That said being able to rip it up here and there, particularly on powder days, would also be nice. With the significant difference in mount point the 190cm WC actually has the exact same amount of ski out front (101cm) as the Bones. Is this a proper way of considering maneuverability or will the rather significant increase in tail length be an issue?
Jeff,
While you wait for Luke’s response, i give you my two cents: I agonized over that same decision (184 vs. 190) and in the end sized up. I’m so happy that I did. This ski is SUPER maneuverable in tight trees/bumps/steeps and I’ve yet to find a situation where I would have wished for the shorter version. And it’s awesome in pow/chop where you can absolutely rip thanks to how stable the ski is. Unless you’re shorter than 5’9” or weigh less than 155lbs I would go 190CM.
-Steve
Thank you Steve.
Seems crazy to agonize over a 10cm difference but that is exactly what I was doing. I went with the 190s!
I agonized over this for 2 entire seasons and read all the blister stuff there is. Got rewarded by getting the first pair of wildcats with the spaceman sold to a customer (and they have black sides because they were out of orange at the time).
I’m 5’7 150 expert and previously had 170 Mantra M4 and 177 Ranger 102 FR. Prioritize tree skiing and fast skiing. Chat with Moment led them to recommend the 184 for me which was insane sounding so I took a long time to buy… Once I skied them I’m blown away and very glad I went 184 not 174. I just got a pair of 108’s on sale (will have to wait until next season to try) because after having my bigger wildcats, as awesome the Rangers are, I just have a lot more fun on wildcats on basically every west coast day of the season. The 184 Wildcats are at least as easy to turn and pivot than the 177 rangers (which is saying a lot because rangers are so quick) and are much surfier which fits my style better. When theres any amount of snow (especially heavier tahoe snow) the wildcats end up much better in trees because the VERY stiff end-to-end rangers will tend to get hung up in piles more vs the wildcats that surf
@Luke if you read this I’ll probably be selling my ranger 102 and was debating looking for a deal on a narrow ski to complement my Wildcats for the very few west coast / tahoe firm/ice or just rip groomer days…Mantra M5 177, Ranger 94 177, or Line blade? Thinking Ranger 94 wont be damp/fast/different enough than wildcat 108s to ever want to take them but thinking the Mantra M5 might be a big contrast from wildcats…thoughts?
Glad to hear you liked the Wildcats!
For a narrower ski, I think it depends on whether you want a very contrasting ski, or a very similar ski.
If the former, the Mantra M5 is a solid choice. It’s way less surfy than the Wildcats, but way more precise on edge. It won’t be as easy to pivot as the older, reverse-camber Mantra, but it’ll likely be a bit easier to get on edge.
If the latter, I’d lean toward something like the J Skis Masterblaster, which is very damp, but also pretty easy to pivot and is much more playful than most similarly stable skis. I don’t think the Ranger 94 will offer the damping you want in this ski.
As for the Blade, it’s incredibly fun on groomers, but not the most versatile ski. But if you want to practice slalom turns on groomers, it’s super fun.
Thanks Luke – looking for more of a contrast: damp and fast and smooth. More for west coast on-piste / no new snow / firm days where being playful isn’t even as much of an option. I actually demoed the the Masterblaster and they were underwhelming to me. Certainly and clearly just a nice ski but I wasn’t in love: would just take my wildcat 108 over them on any day so not really worth owning masterblaster for me.
Kind of wishing I kept my Mantra M4 haha…It’s clear all your reviewers really like the Mantra M5, have any of you gotten on the Kendo or at least know if it’s somehow more damp and fast than Mantra M5? If it’s a tie or M5 more powerful I’ll go with Mantra.
Got it — we haven’t been able to get on the current Kendo, but I doubt it’d be more damp than the M5, mostly just due to the Kendo being a bit lighter. If you want a smooth, damp, and precise ski for when playfulness isn’t a priority, the M5 seems like a safe bet.
Blister Crew:
I’m torn between two skis: (1) the Wildcat 108 or (2) the Woodsman 108.
A little about me. I’m 5’10, 175 lbs. I ski mostly at Epic resorts in Rockies and Tahoe area. Mostly in-bounds skiing but I’m beginning to explore off-piste. I would describe myself as a directional skier who likes to get air off rollers, ski in the trees, and just generally go fast. I’m also slowly improving my freestyle skiing (slashing, spinning, buttering, switch, etc.)
I currently own Masterblaster 181s and K2 Marksman 177s. The K2 is mounted close to true center and is my rock ski/playful ski when I want to fall all over the mountain attempting butters and 360s.
So, I’m looking for a ski in the ~ 108 mm width to ski more aggressively around the mountain than my Marksman, but I still want the ability to get into the trees, get big air, and do basic rotations.
My path has led me to three skis: The Metal, Wildcat 108, and Woodsman 108. I nixed the Metal because it’s rocker profile looks less practical for west coast powder.
Between the Wildcat 108 and the Woodsman 108, which do you recommend for my intended use? Seems like the extra weight of the Woodsman may be beneficial for charging, but the Wildcat seems more nimble in trees and maybe does not give up that much stability?
Also, what length would you recommend?
Thanks!
Have you checked our Deep Dive of the Wildcat 108? We compare the two there, but the short story is that I think it mostly comes down to whether you want this ski to feel very damp and composed in rough snow, or if you’d rather have a very quick ski. In powder and very soft chop, you can push both of them similarly hard, but the firmer and more variable the snow gets, the more the Wildcat 108 gets knocked around compared to the heavier Woodsman 108. Both are easy to slide and slarve, but the Wildcat is easier to flick around from your ankles. So if you’ll primarily be using this ski in softer conditions, I think the Wildcat 108 would give you the blend of playfulness, stability, and quickness that you’re looking for. If you’re also going to be using it a lot in variable & firmer snow — and you want to be able to comfortably ski very fast in those conditions — then I’d lean toward the more damp Woodsman 108. As for length, if the 181 Masterblaster feels very good to you in terms of length, I’d go with the 184 Wildcat 108 / 182 cm Woodsman 108. If you find the 181 Masterblaster to feel short (or if the 177 Marksman feels *really* short), then I’d bump up to the 190 Wildcat / 187 Woodsman. But I think I’d lean toward the 184 / 182 based on your current skis.
Thanks for the response. One more question for you. I’ve had a hard time finding demos of either ski. So, to get an understanding of how they feel, can you compare them both to the Marksman? I find the Marksman particularly fun and although I don’t ski as fast on them, I often reach for them even with less snow on the ground because they encourage playing on everything and zipping through the trees. How do the Woodsman and Wildcat 108 compare to the Marksman?
Both are much stiffer than the Marksman, and are not quite as loose and surfy (but that difference is more subtle than the stiffness). Given that you like the Marksman, I think the Wildcat makes more sense than the Woodsman. It’ll be similar in terms of swing weight, but its stiffer flex pattern and decreased taper should give you a bump in stability. I think you’d probably find the Woodsman to feel a bit sluggish, based on your comments about the Marksman.
Did you play with the mount point at all? I’ve read that the moment team riders go +2 and I was curious how the ski performs there compared to the recommend line.
I spent a bit of time on it at +2. If you spend a lot of time spinning and skiing switch, the ski feels a bit more natural there. But personally, since the ski is so light in the air and already feels pretty balanced on the recommended line, I ended up preferring the recommended line since I could drive it a bit harder through the shovels. But if you’re coming from center-mounted skis, it does feel fine at +2.
I’m looking to switch up my skis to a little more “adult” feel of a ski. I am currently riding the Icelantic Nomad 105. I’m about 6’5 200 pounds, love trees, cliffs, and some park kickers for the fun of it. The biggest thing I like about the Nomad is how quick you can pivot in moguls and pop from the face of one to the back side of the next. I’m looking into the Wildcat 108 and wondering how stiff it compares and the grab of the edges compared to the Nomad which I’m very used to. All in all would the Wildcat 190 be a good fit?
Just picked up the wildcat 108s in 190. Will be using on the east coast as a powder/soft snow day ski. In terms of mount point, I’m thinking of going back 1 or 2 cm so -7 or -8. I’ve heard people from moment say if using as a pow ski can go back a cm – any thoughts on that and whether I’ll be giving up anything? Thanks.
I think going -1 cm behind the recommended line would be totally fine. Moving -2 cm from the line might lead to some less ideal carving performance and a slightly less balanced feel, but I’m guessing it’d be alright at either of those mount points.
I’m driving myself crazy trying to decide between WC 108 190cm or 184cm. I’m 6′ 180 lbs and I live in Crested Butte. I want a daily driver that will allow me to ski almost anywhere off the North Face, but also be as fun as possible in the park (if/when it exists). I like doing butters/ generally messing around, but want to be planted on bigger landings/ fast runouts. I ski a 186 backland 117 right now and I like them a lot but they are not super playful (obviously). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hmm, I think I’d lean toward the 190, given the more forward mount and tail rocker of the Wildcat 108 vs. the Backland 117. It won’t feel super playful in the parks here (hoping they exist this year!), but I’m guessing the 184 might feel a touch short on the steeper lines and/or when areas like Headwall or Hawk’s Nest are smooth enough to run out fast. Alternatively, if you want to prioritize playfulness vs. the Backland (rather than higher-speed stability), I think you could get along with the 184, but I think the 190 makes a bit more sense in your case.
What’s your thoughts on using the WC 108 as a 70/30, resort/backcountry ski?
Can anyone comment on the durability of the ski?
I have had three pairs of Moments over the years – one pair failed with cracked sidewalls and my most recent pair ? (wildcat tour 116) seemed to have an awfully slow base – which I was really disappointed with, having found the bases in previous models to be excellent.
Thoughts?
Any insight on the new Wildcat 101s? Would love to hear how they compare to their fatter siblings and other skis like the Reckoner 102s
Based on the specs and what I’ve heard from some other members, the Wildcat 101 seems extremely similar to the 108. I suspect the 101 would feel a bit more nimble / light in the air, but not as damp or stable as the wider Wildcats. Compared to the Reckoner 102, I think the Wildcat 101 would feel significantly more stable, but not nearly as playful or forgiving at slower speeds and probably not as good on firm, smooth snow, given that the 101 shares essentially the same dramatic rocker profile as the 108.
Also curious about the new WC 101s! Specifically how they compare to skis like the ON3P Jeffrey 96, and how they should be sized vs the WC 108 if they’ll see some park time
While I’ve never skied the Jeffrey 96, my guess is that the Wildcat 101 would let you drive it harder through the shovels, while the Jeff would feel a bit looser and more balanced in the air. Those are the only things I’d feel somewhat confident guessing about, though.
As for sizing as an all-mountain + park ski, I don’t see much reason to size down due to the Wildcat 101’s deep rocker lines and fairly low weight, unless you’re trying to throw some massive rotations or really quick rail tricks. And if you’re coming from freestyle skis with minimal tip and tail rocker, you might want to size up on the WC101.
Blister Fam,
Thanks for the reviews! I am torn between this years 179 WC and the 184 WC’s, 5’8″ 170lbs advanced-expert skier. My daily drivers are the 176cm 18/19 Candide 3.0s the last year they were 108 underfoot. I ski them on the Candide line and LOVE them, I don’t do crazy spins in the park but rather ski variable terrain doing more drops than spins (dropping more rocks than cliffs because people overuse “cliff” ie <10ft. Thanks Luke). So I would consider myself more of a charger who still likes to slarve down the mountain. What length do you recommend since I'm coming off of a 176cm -2.5cm mount to a -6cm mount. The WCs will compliment the Candide's but will eventually replace them. Also have the 180cm Line Sick Day 114 (RIP) and those DO feel like a lot of ski because they are -11 back and I didn't get out on any deep days last year to really let them run. Thanks in advance for the advice, will pull the trigger on them soon!
Hmm, good question. I think I’d lean toward the 184 cm Wildcat, mostly because, to me, it feels shorter on snow than the CT 3.0 due to the skis’ different rocker profiles and shapes. I think the 179 could work, but I worry it might feel a bit short in softer snow or when really pushing it, though it’d probably feel even more maneuverable than your CT 3.0. So if you were totally content with the stability of the 176 CT 3.0 and/or wanted even more maneuverability, I’d go 179 on the Wildcat. If you would’ve liked a bit more stability and didn’t find the 176 cm CT 3.0 tricky in tight terrain, then I’d go 184 on the Cat.
And on the Wildcat, you could always mount it at -5 or -4 cm from true center — I know plenty of (typically freestyle-oriented) people who are happy with it mounted there, and if the CT 3.0 felt good at -2.5 cm from center, I think that might feel a bit more intuitive.
Thanks for the feedback Luke that helps a ton! After going back and re-reading the mount point recommendations on the Sick Day 114s I should have went +3… Will most likely re-mount those for the upcoming season!
How would you compare these to the Icelantic Nomads (particularly older models – I killed some 2013 Nomads last year). Looking for a Colorado daily driver that likes to pop, whip through tight trees, and get air, but is damp and stable enough to charge crud between launching off of piles. Kind of a do-everything Arapahoe Basin ski for an aggressive but playful skier. I’m 5’10” 140lb, and in the last few years have spent most of my time on Icelantic Nomads, Head Cyclics, and some old Bentchetlers.
Hey Luke, curious how the Wildcat 108 compares to the M-Free 108. I know the M-Free is heavier, but curious how you’d compare the two considering you have reviewed both?
Curious how this ski compares to the Armada ARV 106 (not ti). That redesigned ski had such a positive review and wasn’t included in the guide. Again…curious.
I was wondering the same thing.
Hi Blister Team,
I’m a big fan of the Bibby and obviously of your site … I’m currently facing the fact my 184cm 2012/13 Bibby will probably die soon, and need to be replaced. I’m torn between the full 116 and the slimmer 108.
I love how stable the 116 is through the junk that piles up here (Crystal Mt., WA).
On a side note, I just got the 184cm Wildcat 101 mounted up, and was not really impressed. Well, I guess I had the wrong expectation. That thing can PIVOT! But it got knocked around so easily, and had none of the stability of its big brother. This makes sense giving the fairly short cambered section; not a lot of running edge. I feel like a 190 would have been no problem given how maneuverable this was. I need to ski it more, and learn to ski it the way it wants, but given how much less stable I found the 101 vs the 116, I’m hesitant to try the 108 as a replacement for the 116.
I’m 5’8″ @ 160 lbs. I’ll ski as fast as the terrain allows, but I’d rather not be smashing into stuff. Sometimes you have no choice though, and this is what I love about the 116. It is nimble when needed, spinning down a steep coulior, but it can still handle the rough exit.
Appreciate your thoughts. Keep the good reviews coming.
Hank
Also, on a side note, I would pay one time fees for some of your comparison reviews. Have you thought about making that an option?