2012-2013 KLIИT (Klint) White Noise

129-88-111 @175cm
r=(variable radius sidecut according to spec sheet, but roughly avg 18.5m according to PhysicsMan's radius calculator..feels shorter than 18.5m)

Manufacturer Info:

KLIИT
205 16th Street,
San Diego - CA 92101 USA
Ph: 619-876-5060
Fx: 619-798-3547
http://www.klintsnow.com

Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$750 usd

Usage Class:

Rockered All Mountain

Rating (with comments):
(1="get me off these things"->10="I have to own a pair")

9-10

Summary:

[Not tested in bumps, soft or variable snow, so this test is incomplete.] The KLIИT White Noise is a state-of-the-art, rockered all-mountain ski with a remarkable range of performance which handles quicker and more responsively than most other skis in the popular 88mm waist category.  Lightweight, grippy and sporty with a huge fun factor in an easy-to-ride, very well controlled chassis.  Not for GS+ speeds, but a really, really fun ride.  The White Noise should be considered a reference point for new "all-mountain" designs for the majority of skiers out there who don't consider themselves better than everyone else.  Nice work, and good looking.

Technical Ski Data:

Rockered tip and tail, traditionally cambered underfoot, vertical laminate birch hardwood core , fiberglass, UHMW sintered base, slanted ABS sidewalls.  This model incorporates their "Reflection Applied Concept" which means they proportionally scale the geometry of the ski for each length, so the tip, waist and tail dimensions vary between sizes to produce the same relative personality traits among the different length skis. Manufactured by one of the most experienced ski facilities in the World.

Pre-Skiing Impression:

Top-shelf fit, finish and materials, somewhat soft-feeling, sporty but not burly rebound response to hand flexing. good torsional rigidity, but compliant along its length. Clean looking graphics. Somewhat unconventional, but interesting forebody core vertical taper leading to rockered tip (see pics). Lightweight, thin profile. The hardwood core should provide a very long lifespan for this ski.

Test Conditions:

This initial report is the result of two runs on hardpack, ice, frozen granular and hardpack chalky groomer surfaces at a multi-day demo event in Vermont. Terrain was intermediate-level only, so this initial review should be taken with a couple grains of salt. I hope to get back out on this ski on steeper terrain.

Test Results:

I did not ski the White Noise in "all-mountain" conditions, so I can't talk about its handling in crud, fluff or bumps. Hopefully we can get out on the White Noise in softer snow this season and see how it behaves in more diverse kinds of snow. The White Noise is the rockered, high-performance all-mountain model, new for 2012-2013.  My intial impression skating to the lift was "wow, this is a light ski."  Usually, it takes several series of turns to get a feel for a ski's initial behavior, but the White Noise gave me an instant grin on the first turn as I tipped it on edge slightly and felt it feed itself right into a nice arc, going exactly where I aimed.  I quickly changed direction again, putting a little more downward, forward force, and bingo, it snapped to attention, gripped and zinged over to the new position.  The White Noise almost had an eager feel to it, but really well behaved, predictable and really fun.  I banged out some small, short radius turns right on top of them, and they gripped, and bang...went exactly where they were supposed to go, ready for the next direction change.  I brought them up to moderate speed, laid them over and pressed them into a crusing, GS-like turn across the boilerplate in the center of the hill toward the softer surface at the trail's edge, they gripped with a solid, fun feel and then took a smooth, authoritative change of direction banking against the softer snow on the side of the trail and I loaded the tails, and zing....nice acceleration off the snow into the next turn.  No vibration, no fuss, no resistance to anything, just a sporty feel with very little effort required to get any change of turn shape, chop-turn to scrub speed, sideslip at speed, carve, pop, slice, dice or cruise.  What impressed me was the ability of the White Noise to grip hardpack and boilerplate so securely as a rockered ski. Edge-to-edge response was essentially effortless and very accurate.  Response of the ski along its entire length was smooth and very well balanced (a difficult thing to do in some rockered skis). It has better security and bite underfoot than many conventionally-cambered skis. This pair was 175cm, so they were a bit short for my nearly 6 foot size and 180lb weight at any speeds above moderate since they have a significant rocker fore and aft, creating a short running length.  When I brought them up to GS speeds, they handled just fine, but lacked the running length I wanted underfoot.  The 182cm size would be more what I would need in this ski...so buy them longer than you think.  The White Noise immediately had me looking to jump into the junk along the very edge of the trails to find odd surface types, off-cambers and odd consistency snow.  They were as friendly as you could want, without any hint of fluffy behavior or wimpy support.  You can drift along with a lazy style and have a great time, or punch them down and jack-rabbit your way in a new direction with very little input. The White Noise is an excellent "high-performance recreational" design, well executed.  I really liked this ski in a big way and was more impressed by it than many of the other skis in this crowded category I have tried.  While the White Noise has almost the same dimesions as Klint's "Fringe (130-86-114 173cm r=18m), the personalities could not be more different.  The Fringe is a cruising carver for medium to higher speeds, while the White Noise is more surfy, turny, lighter and quicker edge to edge ski. It is not a hard-charger or for burly, hard-core skiers, but is an ideal ski for the wide variety of intermediate, advance intermediate and expert skiers looking for a 80-90cm waisted ski for all over the hill.  I immediately thought this would be a ski for nearly anyone, and its level of performance and fun-factor should make other builders take serious notice.  The more I skied it, the more I wanted to keep it and get other people on it and watch their reactions.

Analogies: (this ski is like...)

A really eager, always ready, do-anything-with-you buddy with an infectious laugh everybody likes the first few minutes they spend with him/her.

Things I Would Change About This Ski:
 
I would not change anything in this design.  It works perfectly.  I would perhaps add a "hopped-up" version with one sheet of metal and some carbon fiber in it for heavier skiers or people looking for more rowdy support or charging behavior.

Short Answer When Someone Asks "What Do You Think About This Ski?":

This is probably one of the best all-mountain skis with modern, rockered camber design you can find in the mid-upper 80mm waist range.  Light and very responsive. Nearly zero-calories per turn, but excellent grip and performance.  Fun, easy, beautifully balanced and high-performance are the words to describe it.

Advice To People Considering This Ski:

Look to another model if you want a hard-charger or high-speed machine.  Put the White Noise on your "must demo" list if you want a mid-upper 80mm waisted all mountain design.  Buy it longer than you think you normally would.

Self-Description of Skiing Style, Ability, Experience, Preferences:

5' 11", 180 lbs. 52 year-old expert, "old-style" race inspired, "foot steerer" with fairly sensitive edging feel. Loves to hold long arcs with lots of pressure on the downhill ski (you know the type),  but also loves the feel of both skis on-edge leaving tiny railroad track edge tracks.  Loves powder when it's not tracked out. Trees and odd terrain angles are fun.

Pics:
(click images for larger versions)