I just got to demo a few of next years MOVEMENT skis. I was skiing in a foot of heavy pow, which quickly became a foot of choppy elephant snot. Here is some background:
Me: very aggressive skier, usually 70+ days lift access and lots of touring.
If I compare something to another ski, I have owned that ski, and spent a lot of time on it, none of this "I tried it once" crap.
Overall, all the skis really stood out in construction, and tip/tail rocker/taper. The topsheets are amazing, and they all had a hybrid sidewall/cap construction, but even where they have sidewall, the topsheet rounds down to it, so you still don't have the chipping issue most sidewall skis do. BUT, the best part? They have, by far, the best tip shapes I have ever seen. They start low and long with rocker, plane straight, and then end. This means they don't hook, and they cut through inconsistent snow, rather than deflecting or "punching" through. Very similar to the 4FRNT EHP, and next years ON3P skis. I will detail more about each pair.
First: I tried the 2012 Fly swatter. The first thing you notice on these is the ridiculous tip and tail. Way more tip/tail height than even my Line EPs (I think). However, they have a good amount of camber underfoot, and are burly. They flex is about the same as my Volkl Chopsticks, and a little softer than my 186 EHPs. With a shortened running length, they were very nimble in moguls, and tight trees. They float and plane as well as my EPs ever did, and with the moderate camber underfoot and stiffish flex, they charged almost as well as my EHPs. The tip shape really excelled in the heavy snow, but since they have so much surface area, they were a little overkill in the snot. (most 125+ waists are)
Next, I tried some 192 Super Turbos: They are like the holy grail of pow charging skis. At 192 they had more than enough length to be stable (they also come in a 202, and a 182). They have a super long/low rocker profile, solid flex throughout, and a rounded, mini tail. With a 21 meter turn radius they could actually turn, really well in fact, which has been my main gripe with the EHPs. These are definitely replacing my EHPs as my big mountain ski. And did I mention they come in a 202?
Last, I tried the 186 Trust: These were stiffer than the Super Turbos, and with a shorter tip profile, and a flat/square tail, they were just as solid. They are definitely better in variable snow, and the lower tip cut through the choppy snot much easier at the end of the day. With a narrower waist, they do not have as much float, but are a little more nimble in tight spots.
For some more info on next years models, check out this website:
http://movementskispr.blogspot.com/p/products.html
Definitely replacing several quiver slots with Movement for next season.
P.S. Movement is now more widely distributed in the USA, and it should be fairly easy to find a pair, at least online.
