I’m lucky living in Utah. Not only do we have the Greatest Snow on Earth™ (yeah, trademarked), but this is also an awesome proving grounds for ski equipment. It’s no wonder that so many ski companies call this area home–large and small. All the way from Salomon, Rossignol and Atomic down to DPS, Bluehouse and Surface Skis all call Utah home. But let me take this one step further… the owner of Surface Skis lives just down the street from me–how cool is that?
For this season, Surface expands their product lineup in a big way with a wide variety of fat, rockered and twinned skis for all types of skiers. As always, the lineup consists of creative graphics and solid designs built to handle the abuse that will surely be doled out. Lets take a look at a couple of skis from the lineup.
Surface Skis: One Life
A new ski in the lineup for this season, the One Life sports Three Stage Rocker technology to keep you on top of the pow, crud, cement, hardpack or whatever you throw its way. With 8-degree rockered tip/tail and completely flat underfoot, the One Life will surf in the pow and still carve up the groomers. Skiing full rockered skis in powder is something you’ve got to experience.
One Life Features:
- Tip-to-tail Maple/Poplar Wood Core
- Full Wrap Edge Protection
- Thick 2.5mm Edges
- ABS Sidewalls
- Reinforced Mounting Points
- Sintered Base
- 3 Stage Rocker Technology – learn more
- Lengths: 179 cm and 189 cm
- Dimensions: 140/112/132
- MSRP: $599
Surface Skis: Watch Life
This ski not only looks cool (simple is cool), but the dimensions are stellar for a “do-it-all” ski. Hence why Surface calls this “the new standard in a One-Ski-Quiver”. This year, the Watch Life has been overhauled, making it even more versatile in all conditions.
Watch Life Features:
- Tip-to-tail Maple/Poplar Wood Core
- Full Wrap Edge Protection
- Thick 2.5mm Edges
- ABS Sidewalls
- Reinforced Mounting Points
- Sintered Base
- Lengths: 172 cm and 182 cm
- Dimensions: 132/100/122
- MSRP: $499 (yup… really!)
If you’re looking at buying a new pair of fatties or interested in checking out rockered skis, for the money, Surface Skis 2009/2010 lineup is hard to beat. And, you’re supporting a growing local company owned by a great guy.
Buy Now: Visit SurfaceSkis.com for Retailers
8 Comments
thanks 4 the great article. i usually buy ski stuff used n as cheap as possible. ski bumming is a tough gig so i gotta make my meager funds go twice around the track! anyway, im always way behind the tech curve with skiis. your article helped me 2 catch up. n wow, i didnt realize all those ski companies were here in UT. wonder if they will sell me some scraps? live 2 ride 2 live!
I’m sure you could scrape together a few hundy to jump on the Bluehouse Ski sale right now. $262 for some MR’s is a steal.
Jas:
I busted a pair of the Old Watch Lifes and I’m looking to replace with the new ones, or be brave and try the rockered One Lifes (never been on a rocker). I’m in So Cal so there is a lot of groomer/park days, but when it dumps or I head to Mammoth and Tahoe, I want to be able to rip the deeps too. I’m 6’4″ 205lbs for what it’s worth.
One or Watch? What say you?
Don… so hard to say for sure. If you’re going to ski a rockered ski every day on the groomed, you’ll endure it with a smile, but it won’t be the most fun or elegant solution. I ski rockered skis in the backcountry. I ski them on deep and crud-filled days. But, on groomer days, I go with a traditional ski.
If you think you can endure the groomer ‘tweener days with a rockered ski, then by all means… you’ll love it every time it piles up high and deep. Don’t get me wrong… my Live Life’s can carve turns on the groomed, but they aren’t my favorite groomer skis. Make sense?
Gotcha. I’m torn between wanting to try something new and not fixing what isn’t broken, I suppose. Hard to tell how I’d endure the groomer days since I’ve never been on a rocker. Thanks for the $0.02!!!
One Lifes are on the way!
hey Jason,
you may want to do a little research….
Atomic and Rossi DO NOT call Utah home. Try France and Austria… good try though.
Dusty
Thanks Dusty… you are indeed correct, but their US headquarters are all here in Utah and the product development that drives the US product mix is driven out of here in Utah.
So while they are rightly European-based companies, their respective US headquarters serve as the homebase for much of what you see coming out of their factories that’s relevant to the North American market. Fat, rockered skis were the byproducts of North American skiers and North American product managers.
If we were all still leaning on the French or Austrians, we’d likely still be skiing on 62mm-waisted race stock. Thank goodness for US, and specifically Utah-based, headquarters.
Do that pass muster now?