Surface Double Time Skis – Quick Review

With a groomer day at Solitude Resort on the radar, I reached out to Mike Schneider of Surface Skis to see what groomer-friendly skis he might have available. A few hours later, he showed up at my door with a pair of Double Time skis. Very apologetic, he said he could only bring the 170cm length as the 180’s were gone. 10 years ago and I would have sent him packing, but I knew that a 170 could still provide serious corduroy fun, so I anxiously brought them in and loaded them up for the day.

Surface Double Time Features:

• Tip to tail maple poplar wood core
• Full wrap edge protection
• Thick 2.5mm Edge
• ABS Sidewall
• Boot center mounting points
• Extruded Base
• Binding Reinforcement
• Traditional Camber Design
• Lengths: 170 (tested), 180
• Weight: 170 (7.5 lbs), 180 (8 lbs)
• Turning Radius: 170 (17.1m), 180 (17.3m)
• Dimensions: 170 (124/90/113), 180 (128/90/118)
• MSRP: $499

Surface Double Time Quick Review

The Double Time’s are Surface’s entry in the “do-it-all” category. at 90mm in the waist, camber and a traditional shape, The Double Time’s are built for the entire mountain, but will be quite at home on the groomed and in the park.

I had a full day onboard the DT’s at Solitude Resort. It was a few days after an epic storm cycle, but there were still leftovers aplenty. This day, however, was dedicated to spinning laps on the abundance of corduroy. Why? Well, a few reasons, but a major one was that I was skiing a pretty short version of the DT’s. AT 170cm, it was a good 10-20 cm shorter than I typically ride and 10-20mm narrower than I typically ski. Believe me, though… I knew I was in for some great turns and the Double Time’s didn’t let me down.

The trademark Surface snub tip and tail rounds out the nice-looking package. As usual, both the topsheets and bases are unique and distinctively Surface. A nice new touch this year is the beveled edge topsheet to reduce chipping.

At my age, I’m not about to give these the park and pipe test, so if you’re wondering how these fare in the park, look elsewhere. But, if you want to find out how well the Double Time’s handle the entire mountain, read on.

Knowing full well that a 170cm ski can still be pushed hard, that’s what I did. From the summit, I immediately started getting the feel of these skis. Edge-to-edge, they feel ultra-responsive, but not racy. I mean, they do give you some margin for error but will reward you for balanced technique and proper pressure.

Snapping short turns on the groomed was way fun. I could really snap these through a short arced turn with solid edge grip and stability. New corduroy and shaved-off hardpack were both consistently met with predictable edge grip and the ability to snap short arcs with confidence. The even flex pattern leaves you with a symmetrical turn with easy initiation and completion on into the next turn.

Letting the Double Time’s roll, I was able to really feel the stability and confidence at speed these skis provide. I wasn’t all that surprised as the 170’s exhibited the stability of many much-longer skis of yesteryear. I ride fast and smooth and can push a pair of skis very hard. On all groomed terrain, I couldn’t phase the DT’s. Arc-ing high-speed turns, stability was superb and I was able to smoothly transition from edge-to-edge.

Laying down railroad racks from top-to-bottom is something you can definitely expect to do with these. They can handle some serious angulation and will reward a confident pilot with a blast of a ride.

Taking things off the groomed trails, I was quickly reminded why I love my Live Life’s. Fat, rockered skis simply can’t be beat. Unfortunately for me, the combination of the short length and only 2cm back mounting point put me way over the bars in both untracked and cut-up chop with the Double Time’s.

Needless to say, my off-trail time was limited as I was having too much fun carving up the groomers. A 180cm with a more traditional mount would likely be better, but I’d still long for a wider, rockered design if I intended to use these for untracked or cut-up crud busting.

In my 6 hours aboard the Double Time’s, I can definitely say that these are a solid option for frontside or park duty and could be a do-it-all ski choice those who still prefer a narrower ski.

Setup: I had the Tyrolia demo bindings set up at 2cm back from center on the 170cm test skis. For reference, I’m 5’11” and 170 lbs. Those intending to use these for all-mountain use may want to mount them 4 or 5cm back from center.

Good Double Time

• Very stable at speed on high-speed carved turns
• Excellent edge grip
• Short turns are snappy and fun
• Light weight
• Unique Surface graphics
• Smooth, even flex makes for easy turn initiation through completion
• Forgiving and easy to find the sweet spot

Bad Double Time

• Hard to find at retail
• Even at 180cm, these may be a little narrow to handle deep snow and crud

Bottom Line: Surface Double Time Skis

If you’re looking for an excellent groomer ski or park/pipe ski and you don’t want to shell out the coin for some of the mainstream brands, take a look at the Double Time. You’ll be stoked to have such a capable corduroy slayer underfoot that can also kill it in the park.

Buy Now: Visit SurfaceSkis.com