Yea yea yea...I know. I already posted to gear talk. Since no one reads that and I love these skis, I am posting it here too. Sorry for the inconvenience (fuel for haters) this may cause.
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Just spent my first weekend on my new ON3P Filthy Richs and thought I'd
do a quick write up. I am not much for reviewing products, but these
things are pretty impressive.
Me: 5'8", 155 lbs
Skis: ON3P Filthy Rich 171
Bindings: Rossi FKS 140 center mounted
Other Skis: AR7s, Thalls, Bent Chetlers, Goats
Testing Ground: Bear Mountain (SoCal)
I skied two days on the new ON3Ps this past weekend. Saturday was the
worst ski conditions I have ever seen. It pissed rain and visibility was
about 15 feet. Needless to say, I didn't get much done. Still, the skis
were able to navigate the crud as well as could be expected.
Sunday was much better, although a bit firm from the overnight freeze.
General Notes: I have been riding almost all park this year (no kidding)
and have been on the Thalls the whole time. Whereas they are very flat
and can feel a little "dead" at times when you crank them over on their
sides, the FRs dig right in and bite when you initiate a carve. This
took a little getting use to, because the skis really pull you through a
carved turn hard. In that sense, they really turn themselves once you
get them over on an edge. The elliptical side-cut makes you ski with a
slightly wider stance so as to keep from getting crossed up. Still, they
bite and hold very well and carve nicely. I would have no problem
skiing hard on a variety of different snow conditions and terrain. They
seems every bit as good of an "all mountain park ski" as the AR7s are.
They do ski short because of the rocker. My Armadas are 166's, and these
are 171's but they feel considerably shorter. If I had it all to do
over, I might have gone with the 181s.
Rails/Jibs: I was expecting the ON3Ps to lack a bit in the jib arena
since I am coming off the Thalls. I was pleasantly surprised when they
felt super stable onto and off rails. They don't have the buttery
forgiveness of the Thalls, but they are exceptionally light (especially
with the fks bindings on them) which made them easy to whip around for
270 offs. All in all, they don't feel quite as comfy on jibs as the
Thalls, but they don't lack much.
Jumps: This is where the ON3Ps really come into their own.
Unfortunately, the biggest jumps bear had open were in the 30-35 ft
range, but they were enough to realize very quickly that these skis are
ridiculously stable both on takeoffs and landings. The rocker profile in
the tip and tail gives them a super playful "poppy" feeling, and they
really sail. Personally, I think its silly to say one ski will send you
"bigger" than another off the same jump at the same speed....still,
that's the feeling I got. They pop perfectly and positioning for grabs
was effortless. They've got a little width under foot which helps them
feel super solid when you put the landing gear down. This was especially
nice taking switch landings pretty deep. They are soft enough to butter
through a back/front seat landing, but stiff enough to feel stable when
you do put down the tips or tails first.
The side-cut profile makes carving jumps incredibly fun (as though it
isn't already). I guess its because of the elliptical shape, but when
you carve in at the last minute (even on relatively narrow takeoffs)
they just bite into the snow and send you sailing into the carve.
Carving jumps is probably the single best thing these guys do, and
that's saying a lot because I love what the skis do across the board.
To boot, the ON3P guys are super chill. I checked 2 day Fed Ex when I
bought them so I would have them in time for the weekend. About 10
minutes after I clicked "buy", one of the guys from the shop called and
told me they would make it to me in plenty of time anyway and there was
no need to spend the extra on shipping. That was great service and he
didn't need to do that. Silly as it sounds, that shit is important to
me.
All in all, they are an awesome ski! If you're considering them as a
dedicated park ski, or even an all-arounder, I would say go for it. I
would venture a guess that the rocker makes them skiable in the POW
too.... can't wait to give it a shot.