Have you ever skied a ski that underwhelms you to the point you have no review pictures? If so, you've come to the right place-- though I will add it's notoriously difficult to film yourself skiing alone while on lunch breaks. This is the Icelantic Shaman 2.0 - 99.

Ski: Icelantic Shaman 2.0 - 99

Reviewer height/weight: 5'8" - 141 lbs

Length Skied: 176cm

Straight tape-pull length: 176! (Though I am notoriously poor at measuring)

Dimensions: 149x99x119

Radius: 15m (for 176 cm size)

Bindings: Tyrollia Attack 13 demo *I am bummed it was on a demo binding, and do believe this played a slight role in how they skied, but not terribly different than how a frame touring binding would feel on the skis

Locations: Whitefish, MT

Conditions skied: Pow, chopped up pow, packed powder, crud, groomers

Days skied: 5

Intro:

When I think of the Shaman I tend to envision an older hippy hiking Slushman's to try and find some tasty lines and deep snow, skis slung over their shoulder as they slowly traverse the ridge. Unlike the all-ages following of the Nomad, I’ve usually come across older folks on the Shaman of the past. With the new shape I was excited to take these out and see what they can do; especially in the trees at Whitefish as I am a sucker for a good directional ski.

While this isn’t a park ski by any means it’s fun to try out different skis and add to one's arsenal. These days my friends and I are aging and moving to various parts of the mountain outside of the park. This ski is the ski for someone out there who can charge and wants to try the new shape!

Construction:

Icelantic describes the Shaman 99 as “nimble and carvy” to which I would agree. An all wood (poplar) construction the Shaman feels like a traditional and familiar ski from Icelantic despite an updated shape on the 2.0. The Shaman falls within the all mountain and powder category with the following specs for the 176 model:

Profile: 149-99-119

Radius m: 15

Tip Rocker cm: 55

Camber mm: 8

Tail rocker cm: 20

Directional rocker, with camber underfoot and rocker in the tip and tail of the ski.

On Snow:

I was lucky enough to ski a little bit of everything while out on these skis. From powder to groomers and the choppy in between I took these everywhere I could. That said, it’s rare I find a ski that feels like it’s lacking *something* but I found the Shaman to be just that.

Where these skis truly shined is deep in the trees, snappy, maneuverable, and a true joy to ski until I hit the groomer and felt a harsh energy transfer in the tips. On days it was pure powder they still felt off once exiting the trees.

Pow, chopped up pow, packed powder, crud, groomers

Who’s It For:

This ski is for someone who enjoys dancing around trees, charging, and appreciates a surfy tip that prevents them from sinking in powder.

Conclusion:

I am not an Icelantic girly. I have been waiting for one to wow me, and while this ski doesn’t quite do “it” for me it is the closest I’ve come to enjoying one yet. It is engaging, turns well, and skis very solid in the trees; though it leaves me wanting more of a response from it. Occasionally I felt like I was getting hung up on the tips which was a new experience for me-- though I am used to skis with different contact points and more rocker. It’s a great ski for Whitefish and I can see the Big Sky crowd being fans of them-- especially if you want a ski that rips in the trees and handles bumps well. Overall, I was underwhelmed by how I skied it. If you like Icelantic I’m sure you’ll enjoy these but I found myself wishing I was on a Line Sakana, Moment Commander, or honestly was a bit heavier to push them around more.