White Dot Freeride "The One" Twintip P&P Review 2009-2010 model

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Manufacturer Info:

White Dot Freeride
WhiteDot Freeride, 41 Cottingley Rd, Sandy Lane, West Yorkshire, BD15 9JN, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 7971 471306
http://www.whitedotfreeride.com

Background:

White Dot Freeride is one of two ski companies in the U.K. (both born last year, testing their skis this season for retail sales next year...both led by guys named Andrew...go figure..). White Dot is a small company with only a few guys who want to make only three (maybe four) models of different skis, but make them well. They designed all their own skis, specified their own construction and materials and decided to outsource construction to another country in Europe to conserve cash right now and concentrate on R&D to get the first skis the way they want them. I tried their park & pipe ski ("The One") and their cambered powder ski ("The Preacher"). They were still tweaking the rocker and stiffness specs as of January, 2009 so I could not try their "Redeemer" rockered pow ski, but they said their final pre-production version should be ready by the end of February (maybe..)..I'll let you know as soon as I can get on a pair. Anyway...nice guys making some good skis at a decent price. Plus, they have dots...lots of dots...

Usage Class:

Park & Pipe / All Mountain Twintip

Your Rating (with comments): (1="get me off these things"->10="I have to own a pair")

8

Summary:

A solid, excellent quality P&P twintip ski with plenty of zing, very good edge grip and manouverability. Not as burly as, let's say a Lib-Tech NAS P&P, but more accurate with more precision feel. Not as soft as a Palmer P01, but stronger. Very versatile. Great color. This one will sell a ton once people try it. Mount it slightly rear of center "freestyle" for an all-mountain frontside ski capable of any rowdy tricks you might want, or mount it on the center pivot point for terrain and park navigation. Not for heavyweights, muscleheads, high-speed or whimpy skiers...hits the majority of users for this category right on, I think.

Technical Ski Data:

- TRUE TWIN -
BASE: ISO highspeed, Graphite infused die cut
DIMS: 124/89/119
LENGTHS: 166,173,180
RADIUS: 16, 18, 19
EFFECTIVE EDGE: 146, 152, 158
TIP/TAIL LENGTHS: 175,175
EDGE ANGLE: 1=3
CORE: Okume, Poplar Laminate
SIDEWALL: ABS EDGES: 2mm steel, 360 degree
CAMBER: 12mm
TOPSHEET: Screen Printed Nylon
CONSTRUCTION: Graphite infused ISO Highspeed
base/2mm edge/Okume poplar core/Carbon Fibre,
Kevlar Weave/Nylon  Topsheet
Price: €460
 
Pre-Skiing Impression:

Excellent resurrection of orange topsheet color.  Excellent quality of fit-and-finish.  Snappy rebound, decent dampening, torsionally strong with smooth flex, no "hot spots", but decently strong body. Really attractive price of €460.

Test Conditions:

Cold, dry, powder snow 1 day old, boot-deep powder, tracked-out boot-deep powder and nicely packed groomers with small bumps on the sides if you look for them. Les Grand Montets - Chamonix, France. January 2009.

Test Results:

I skied these after riding powder boards all morning and found them to have very quick response at the helm without being squirrely. Very quick edge to edge, grippy anywhere along their length, capable of quick cuts, sustained edging, pops, changes of direction and bumps just right. Mounted on freestyle-center, they got "interesting" and "self-directional" at GS-like speeds if ridden too flat for too long (not a good idea on centermount P&P skis anyway...but I had to try it to see when they would get wandery). I could dash in and out of cut up powder on the edges of the groomers, in and out of the bumps (they want to give you instant feedback in the bumps...not a bad thing...just be alert...they are lively..just the way you want them to be), make direction changes on-demand in the blink of an eye, and if you load them up, they spring with plenty of control and land quietly and stay where you plant them.  Comparing these to the Lib-Tech NAS P&P we tested before, this ski is more precise, and not as burly or demanding.  It you are muscular and need a heavy-timber weapon, you might overski the "The One". If you are looking for a softie twintip, "The One" will probably make you pay attention too much because it wants to cut, carve and pop...not lounge-around.  If you're not at the extreme "muscle-head" nor "floppy-ski" end of the spectrum, "The One" will probably do a great job for you. Demo a pair and make your own decision. The build quality appears to be above-average, and the materials look very solid, so I think they will hold up well. I think park & pipe freaks will find them really fun (I am NOT a terrain park guy...have someone else review their aerial prowess...) and responsive, and definitely eye-catching in orange with white dots.  I also think this would be a great teen-twenty-something all-mountain frontside ski if mounted just behind the freestyle centerpoint to give it some stability at higher speeds. "The One" will suit lots of skiers looking for a responsive, well-built twintip freestyle ski that can cut up the hill nicely. And, you can give your cash to a small ski company instead of one with huge corporate overhead and attitude. "The One" is priced for the people - and that's a nice thing to see.

Analogies: (this ski is like...)

A Cooper Mini "Turbo S Clubman". Quick, nimble, sporty and hip, but still ample enough to do some errands around town when you want some time off from driving intensely.  Enthusiast drivers can get it to do some great gymnastics with ease, while more casual sport drivers can take it all over the place and still keep a wide grin. Cool and very responsive.

Self-Description of Skiing Style, Ability, Experience, Preferences:

Expert groomed-surface carver, "old-style" race inspired, "foot steerer" with fairly sensitive edging feel who loves the feel of powder floating and banking. Loves to hold long arcs with lots of pressure on the downhill ski (you know the type), but also loves the feel of both skis on-edge leaving tiny railroad track edge tracks. Not an instructor, but 10 year coach for youth race team in New England (bulletproof is the norm).

Photos:

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