Ski Reviews

2023-2024 Meier Quickdraw, 181 cm

Reviewer Username: Mark Danielson

Reviewer Height: 6’2″

Reviewer Weight: 205 lbs

Reviewer Experience Level: Expert

DAYS USED: 1 days

TEST LOCATIONS: Crested Butte

TEST TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Firm moguls | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain | Trees

TEST CONDITIONS: Extremely firm hardpack or ice | Pretty firm snow | Firm, off-piste chop or crud

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

(0 = Terrible, 5 = Okay, 10 = Outstanding)

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 4/10

FORGIVENESS: 3/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Loose / Easy to Pivot & Smear?): 4/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Quick / Low is the Swing Weight?): 4/10

STABILITY: 6/10

SUSPENSION: 5/10

EDGE HOLD: 6/10

PLAYFULNESS: 2/10

PLAYFULNESS (Open Ended):

I think most skiers with playful styles enjoy the option to get playful at slow and medium speeds, but the Quickdraw doesn’t really shine at those speeds.

SKI LENGTH: It felt a bit too short (181 cm length tested)

THIS SKI’S IDEAL TERRAIN: Firm groomers | Softer groomers | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain

THIS SKI’S IDEAL SNOW CONDITIONS: Pretty firm snow | Softer, but not deep snow

WHAT TYPE(S) OF SKIER DO YOU IMAGINE WILL GET ALONG BEST WITH THIS SKI?

Advanced and expert skiers who don’t demand much versatility from a ski, and who know they like a ski with LOTS of nearly traditional / full-length camber, and whose favorite style is to rail carves at medium and high speeds, with a focus on keeping those carves pretty aligned with the fall line.

ARE THERE SIMILAR PRODUCTS YOU’VE SKIED THAT YOU CLEARLY PREFER? IF SO, WHY?

Some other ski models seem to match the strengths of the Quickdraw, while also providing more versatility to perform better in some of the areas that are weaknesses for the Quickdraw. A few ski models that come to mind are: the current Peak 88 by Bode, and also many older traditionally-cambered skis such as the old Dynastar 4×4 BIG, the old Scott Santiago Pure 92, etc.

PLEASE ELABORATE ON ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS SKI. FEEL FREE TO GO INTO DETAIL!

It seems that this ski has a narrow range of high performance, but is not very versatile outside of that range — and that led to deflated ratings from me in many of the 0-10 metrics in this review. However, if your skiing style is a close match for this ski’s narrow range of high performance (see my comment in the section for “What type of skier”), and if you ride this ski mostly in the ways that harness this ski’s strengths, then this ski could be a great match for you, and I think you would give this ski much higher ratings than I did.