http://www.karhu.com/gear/item.php?p=PFD&c=telemark
http://www.untracked.com/highlight-175919.html
I was in a ski store the other day, and was looking at the ski rack. I found a ski made by Karhu called the PFD. It bore a shocking resemblance to my Elizabeths, so I took a closer look at the dimensions.
Karhu PFD Dimensions: 139-110-137
Line Elizabeth Dimensions: 139-110-137
The sidewalls looked exactly the same, too. Both have Maple Macroblock Cores. I didn't have my Elizabeths on hand, but I'm pretty sure the weighed the same.
What's the difference here? Did one copy the other, or is this just a strange coincidence?
>>>>>>>>>
PFD
"A Snowboard for Each Foot. We’ve all heard ski town legends about skiers cutting snowboards in half for the deepest days. What if you could have a snowboard-like ski for each foot? The PFD is the answer. Extremely fat with a forgiving soft snow flex, the PFD will keep you afloat on the deepest days. This limited edition beauty features a birch wood top, ABS sidewalls, and a big wave inspired painting by Jackson Hole local Megan Anderson across the bases. Strap a pair of PFDs on before you surf the next big mountain snowstorm."
Line Elizabeth
"The ski I named Elizabeth is a radical ski. It is different from all other skis in how the side cut and flex correlate with the mounting point. The mounting point is very close to center, much more forward than a traditional ski. In response the side cut radius and flex pattern line up with the position of the mounting point. I knew there was a need for a ski with that kind of progressive design when I began mounting my skis more forward than the originally designed mounting point. When you change your mounting point you change how the ski is supposed to perform. When you mount your skis forward the side cut and flex line up behind the foot instead of under the foot. That causes the tail of the ski to be much too stiff and the side cut to be totally incorrect. So we fixed that, but that's not all. The ski is not only progressive in side cut and flex, but in shape as well. The side cut and flex work with the almost symmetrical shape to create a true twin tip. The tail and tip width are closer in size than any other ski. I wanted the ski to ride just as well backwards as it does forwards. So when you hit a little chunder riding fakie you don't eat the back of your head because you are riding a directional ski. Instead you plow through it because your tail is almost as long and wide as your tip. The overall ski width adds stability as well as providing a much bigger area to butter on. The flex allows for major buttering action while the length and mounting make for great swing weight for spinning. It is short but fat, so surface area, stability, edge control and speed are not lost. I designed Elizabeth to ride like my snowboard. I wanted to be able to butter, turn on a dime, take off and land carving, nose and tail press, spin with equal weight, ride and jump forwards and backwards and float on powder. A noticeable bonus to all that good stuff is how light the ski is. So that is the ski. I also designed the graphic for Elizabeth. I had done some perspective drawings throughout the year while traveling. So I sketched a castle as if I were looking up at it, with a dragon on the side of it. It looks a bit odd bounded by skis, and it is pretty much a lame idea, but there you have it."
