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All in all, these really are some of the best skis I have ever been on. What really stands out to me is how unique and playful they feel without sacrificing stability. As silly as it sounds, they actually make grabs easier for me...possibly because they are so poppy. Anyway...they are a great product from a cool company.
Performance
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.
Design
Instant lift cred! Most people don't know what they are, but the design really pops. They photograph well too.....
Value
They are BEAUTIFULLY made skis. I've got love for Armada and Atomic, but you can definitely tell these are not pumped out of a mass production factory.
Fit
I bought the 171's since I've been skiing 166 T-Halls and AR7's. I found that these ski much shorter than other 171-ish skis. They even ski a bit shorter than the 166 AR's, which is to be expected considering the rocker profile on the ON3P's. I could see skiing either the 171's or the 181's, depending on what I really wanted to use them for. If they were going to be a one ski quiver (which they are certainly capable of doing) it would have been the 181's. For pure park/jibbin' I would stick with my 171's.
Characteristics
Buttery tip and tail make them playful and forgiving, but a stiffer underfoot gives some of the best stability I have seen from a park ski. All in all, they have all the right flex characteristics in all the right places.
Durability
MUCH better than either of my other park skis. These have a beefy sidewall and they haven't nicked or peeled along the edge of the top sheet like most park skis do. I have only put 6 days in on them, but they still look brand new. My T-Halls (which I do love) looked like they had been used as sledge hammers after about an hour on the snow.
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