Moment Skis Deathwish 2012

Overall

The Moment Deathwish is the most fun ski I've ever skied. Hands down.

When I first heard of them, I was dying of curiosity to try them, and got my chance at Powder Week last year in Jackon Hole, Wyoming, where they were the #1 ski I wanted to ski on, and the half day I had the chance to do so was quite possibly the most fun few hours of my life. And I am happy to say that I am now a proud owner of a pair as a result.

The Deathwish is unlike any other ski on the market. The reason for this is Moment's 'Mustache Rocker', which consists of no camber under the foot, camber in front and behind the bindings, and rocker in the tip and tail. While some hailed this concept as a gimmick when it first hit the market (despite the success of certain snowboards that have embraced this concept), for some reason, it totally works in a variety of fun ways...

First and foremost, it makes slash turning better and more fun than ever. Because where as some rockered skis have the tendency to wash out while slashing (like a surfboard or water ski), thanks to the camber in front and behind the binding, these bas boys grip like a knife, so you'll feel like the late and great Shane McConkey when he ripped down an Alaska spin on water skis.

Second, they're easily the lightest and most playful and poppy ski I've ever tried (and everyone I know who's tried them says the same thing), as my favorite terrain to ski is trees and pillows, and the Deathwish makes it so much more fun to do thanks to how light, springy and easy to turn and slash they are.

Third, both the dimensions (at 110 under foot, with a healthy amount of sidecut, which is my ideal width and shape in a ski, so I can ski anywhere and everywhere with it) and flex is perfect for me, as it's not overly stiff, or noodly soft, which is exactly what I look for in a ski (and particularly in a wide one). It's definitely firm under foot, but not to the point where you have to really crank it to get it on edge, and the slight softness in the tip and tail helps with that and allows you to enjoy and shred soft snow like a charm.

Fourth, and perhaps most surprising, while they don't ski as well as a conventual ski on the groomed (as it's a tad less smooth going from one turn to the next), the extra contact points give the ski serious edge grip, which causes you to feel stable in not just pow and crud, but on groomers and/or ice as well, which came as pleasant surprise to me, as I was concerned that the camber points would cause them to catch an edge easier or cross over one another easily and in a dangerous way...but it's never happened.

I could go on and on about how much fun this ski is for hours and hours, but as opposed to doing so, I would highly encourage anyone who loves skiing pow to try them out for yourself. Because you'd have to have a death wish to not be smiling ear-to-ear while skiing them.

• Terrain
  Park
  Pow
• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Flex
  Soft
  Stiff
• Camber
  Cambered
  Rockered
• Pop
  No Pop
  Poppy
• Stability
  Jittery
  Stable