TOPICS & TIMES:
- Our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast (0:21)
- Our next Listener Appreciation Video (1:57)
- Signs we’re going stir crazy (5:50)
- McConkey’s Spatula (14:59)
- Houdini Anorak (29:20)
- Spatula vs other pow skis (33:25)
- Clarifying Terms: “Spines” & “Cliffs” (35:10)
- Reverse camber skis (40:30)
- Line Vision 118 (43:39)
- DPS Koala 119 (49:40)
- Best underwear nominees (56:40)
Reviewers Paul Forward, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the signs we’re going stir crazy; Shane McConkey’s Volant Spatula and how it stacks up to other modern pow skis; the DPS Koala 119; the new LINE Vision 118; our current nominations for best underwear; Luke’s new mustache; and more.
And you should also listen to this Bikes & Big Ideas episode, where Jonathan Ellsworth talks to several outdoor-industry companies that have pivoted to fight COVID-19.
Flash Review: Volant Spatula
Blister Members can now check out our Flash Review of the Spatula for our initial impressions. Become a Blister member now to check out this and all of our Flash Reviews, plus get exclusive deals and discounts on skis, and personalized gear recommendations from us.
Yay! There hasn’t been enough group chat gear30s this year. You guys rambling on about skis is always my favourite!
Where’s the picture of the moustache? Come on!
Luke! Don’t cha know? Girls aren’t big fans of underwear not washed after single use. Even if they are merino.
That’s ok, the ‘stache should ensure enough “social distance” to keep anybody from noticing the state of his underwear.
I think that the real question that the Spatula raises is whether reverse sidecut still makes sense.
For me the answer has always been “no”, mostly because no amount of flossing could make my brain accept a ski that shoots away when you tip it on edge, and I don’t ski exclusively powdery conditions enough to escape that disconnect. They’re just not fun for me. I love my Ravens (for backcountry) and Renegades (for powder), though, so I totally “get” reverse camber. I like to keep my skis a little big on edge anyway (if only to make Super-G arcs) so the squirreliness when flat isn’t a showstopper.