Simply Recreation long term review

Hello,

this is my review about the Simply Recreation skis. I bought them right after they were released (season 2022/2023). The price was high, but I had to test them, because they just looked very nice and Switzerland is notorious for high quality products. So I sent the money and then I waited. I got them in 180cm because that is my go to length. After receiving the package, I went to my local ski shop and they mounted the bindings. I went for Look Pivot 15s because I am familiar with these bindings and I like the way they feel while riding. The mounting position was on recommended, which in the aftermath, was definitely the right choice.



Let’s start with the real review.



Shape

I want to start with the shape. It really looks great but also serves a purpose. I noticed that the nose is designed to not get caught in the snow while carving. It happened when there was a little bit of fresh snow on the slope and right when I was leaning into the carve, another ski probably would have gotten caught with the nose, but the Recreation happened to surf out of the nose catch on its own. I really liked this feature, because it sure saved me from many crashes. The other significant feature is the fishtail. I feel like it’s more for the looks. I never had a situation, where I felt like having an advantage because of the fishtail. Not even in deeper snow, because the skis are so soft, you won’t feel the even softer fishtail. The only useful thing I noticed is, you can track your line from the chairlift, because the fishtail imprint can be seen at landings in fresh snow. Please don’t hate me, but out of curiosity I tried skiing them the wrong way around (left ski on right foot). It looked weird and didn’t feel right. I don’t exactly know if it was the shape of the skis, or if it was just in my head, but it just didn’t work. The skis were not enjoyable anymore. Because of always putting them on the same way, the wear of the topsheet will mainly be on the inside. This did not influence the structural strength of the skis, so it’s nothing to worry about. The corners on the nose will wear off the quickest, because there is no steel edge. But more on that later.



Characteristics.

That’s the next part of the review. The radius is tight. I really love it, because you can find new lines which are nearly impossible, or at least not as much fun with bigger radius skis. This combined with the very soft flex, is very playful. There is a speed limit on these skis while carving, because you’ll lose your edge hold when carving too fast. But hillbombing is no problem because they stay pretty stable. I often let other people test the Recreations and most of them liked them but couldn’t quite handle the softness at the beginning. You will fall on your butt more often than usual, because you must keep your bodyweight pretty centered on them sticks. Of course, for buttering these skis are a dream, you won’t have problems with your knees like you used to have with those ARVs or Bentchetlers. At least I don’t have them anymore. The edge grip is great in any condition, and I wonder how they did this, despite the skis being so soft. Except for icy conditions. You won’t be happy on an icy day. I’d rather go drink some beers, than sliding down the mountain with those buttery soft skis on an icy day. The skis are really light, which is great for spins, flips and whatever you want to do but they won’t save you from a backseated landing. They will just slip out under you like a skateboard does. I think they are declared as an all mountain ski, but I still tried them in powder. If the powder is lower than knee deep, they’ll do just fine. You may need to focus a little more on your skiing, but you’ll get used to the unstable feeling. If the powder is deeper than your knees, you will face some problems. The nose is so soft, that the snow is too heavy to plow through. It kind of feels and looks like as if the nose turns into a wall in front of you. And if you ride against a wall, you will either get pretty slow, or even faceplant. So, they are a one quiver ski, if you live in an area with no icy or big powder days. On moguls you also have to be a little more careful because of the softness, but you’ll jump from one to the other like a dream. Because they are so light, you can change the direction really quick, which is very useful in moguls or tree runs. In slushy conditions, they are really fun too, but sometimes you have to put a little more force onto your feet, because the Recreations don’t plow through the snow like other harder and heavier skis, but I guess that’s just Physics. I might have forgotten some things on characteristics, but please just ask me if you want to know anything else. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to finish this review.



Longevity

Is an important thing to me, because I break my skis every season. It gets expensive. And Simply themselves say, they wanted to build a ski that holds up. And they were right. I started using them in January 2023 and they held up until January 2025. The most seeable wear is on the topsheet, but this does not bother me. What bothers me is that the base layer starts to come off at the corners on the nose. Not on every corner, but still on one, and it gets worse over time. Another thing that kind of bothers me, is that the cork is starting to show at the nose, at the same corners. Logically this happens on the insides, but it didn’t influence the performance. So it is ok for me. There is one thing that influences the performance. The edge broke underfoot, which is normal at some point, but it didn’t stay in. About 5 to10cm (I didn’t measure) of the edge just ripped out. I was not happy about it because in this situation you can catch an edge while riding straight. I glued it back in and I guess I’ll see if it holds up. Since they are starting to dissolve, I now use them in the park too. On rails, they feel a little floppy because they are pretty wide and very soft. But other than that, you can do your switch ups, pretzels and everything else you want to do. On big kickers you want to land centered on your skis, because as said, they won’t safe you because of their softness. For jibbing and finding new lines in the park they are a charm.



In the end I would sum the Recreations up as a very playful and advanced all mountain ski. If you have the money, buy them. But keep in mind that these skis are not made to save you from falling. So if you want to send it like Candide Thovex, these skis are not for you. I sure didn’t go deep enough into this review, so if there are any questions, I would love to hear them. Just contact me.