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Ramp Sports - Peacepipe 179cm 2011

Ramp Sports - Peacepipe
2011
146-115-134mm, r=14.43m @ 179cm.


Ramp Sports Peacepipe 179cm


Manufacturer Info:

Ramp Sports
2750 Rasmussen Rd. Suite 103
Park City, Utah, 84098
1-888-406-0567
http://www.rampsports.com


Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$1,000 ($799 "street price" on the website)
Sales in 2011 are direct-to-consumer only, no dealers
Applying the "insider" deal code (free if you sign up at the website) applies 18.5% discount for final price of $651. Free shipping.

Usage Class:

Powder Ski

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

9 for powder, 7 on-piste for its width.
Note: This limited test did not test the ski in "big mountain" terrain, but in Eastern trees with fresh, shin-deep powder, cut-up powder, packed powder and hardpack groomers (no crud, no crust, no windblown).

Summary:

Really, really fun, friendly fat ski with a wide range of terrain and snow condition capabilities.  I loved this ski after two turns.  Excellent agility, float and response with above-average grip on firm surfaces for about $650 delivered to your door.

Technical Ski Data:

Wood-core, fiberglass, full-wrap edge ski construction. No metal layers.

Techsheet from Ramp Sports:
http://www.rampsports.com/store/media/specs/Ramp_Tech_Data_Peacepipe.pdf

Pre-Skiing Impression:

Very good quality construction and finish.  Nicely saturated topsheet colors.  Smooth, soft forebody flex through the rockered section leading to a gradually-stiffening and longer-radius midbody and tail.  Good rebound response and vibration dampening.  Overall impression is of a friendly-flexing fat ski with sporty rebound.

Mfr Comments:

Peace Pipe Description

You love being out of bounds, charging big open slopes in deep snow. Sometimes this means you climb but you love that too. Your ski needs to be strong and solid on windblown hard sections and even groomers when you’re skiing runouts. You want the most versatile wide ski you can get. Most of all you want the ultimate tool for going fast on the steeps and in the deep. Speed Range: 7-10

Features- The 115mm waist and 14.43M turn radius provide the best planing and turn shape for actually carving turns in powder and soft spring velvet. The Pow Camber has the most early rise and reverse sidecut in the tip for effortless, catch-free skiing in all snow conditions, even heavy crud. The Razor Cut sidecut gives this wide ski incredible edge grip on the hardest snow.


Test Conditions:

Powder (shin deep), cut-up powder, packed powder and hardpack surfaces, very cold, dry snow. No really steep-and-deep or big-mountain terrain.

Test Results:

I immediately fell in love with the Ramp Peacepipe after the first two turns in tight Easten trees with shin-deep fresh powder.  Ridiculously easy handling, nimble, forgiving, sporty and FUN.  I tested the 179cm version, which is shorter than normal for a rockered ski for me (I would prefer the 189cm).  Bumps and cut-up powder terrain were fun and easy to navigate at slow to moderate speeds (I did not get a chance to ride truly hi gh-speed, steep terrain).  Exiting onto the groomers from the trees, the Peacepipe was willing and able to grab the groomed surfaces at low and pull-your-ticket speeds with a simple roll up on edge.  The grip was remarkably secure for a 115mm waisted ski, and had a definite bias to pressuring the ski from the ball of the foot back toward the tail for maximum edgehold.  Ramp bills this ski as "Most of all you want the ultimate tool for going fast on the steeps and in the deep. Speed Range: 7-10".  I found the hand-flex and handling of of the Peacepipe to be compliant and super-friendly, not burly as some big-mountain skis designed for high-speed, high-pressure situations feel.  Ramp assured me the Peacepipe is regarded by pro skiers as an excellent big-mountain charger, but I didn't have the terrain to test its handling in those conditions, so we'll have to wait for more reviews from sites with big terrain.  The Peacepipe's wood and fiberglass sandwich construction was nicely balanced with sporty responsiveness and appropriate dampness to maintain control and quiet behavior on harder surfaces.  I found the Peacepipe immediately fun and I began to point it at any surface or terrain to see how it handled, and had a grin no matter where I went.  That says a lot about a ski.  Fit and finish were very good, and the skis are very light for their size due to a thin vertical profile and poplar core.  The Peacepipe is an excellent choice for all-kinds of  terrain and provides a really fun, sporty ride with very little effort by the skier.  Add this to an above-average hard-snow security underfoot for a 115mm waisted ski priced at around $650 delivered, and you have a serious contender for the fat ski market.  If you buy a binding with your skis, Ramp extends the warranty to two years.  New brand for 2011.

Analogies: (this ski is like...)

Trusty jacknife  for nearly any job on the hill. Favorite tools you'd really miss if you lost them.

Things You Would Change About This Ski:

Nothing.

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

Great fun and amazingly easy to handle in nearly any terrain (but I did not ski it on big-mountain surfaces).  Playful with an impressive grip on firm snow. I would buy a pair.

Advice To People Considering This Ski:

Try a pair on your most frequented terrain to see if it handles the way you want.

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

5' 11", 180 lbs. Expert groomed-surface carver, "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. 10 year coach for youth race team in New England (bulletproof is the norm).

 

Tip rocker profile of Ramp Peacepipe.

From left to right on this side of the rack:
Frenzy (no graphics) - 2 pairs
Hula
Chicadee - 2 pairs
Woodecker - 2 pairs
Beaver
Groundhog
Peacepipe

By: e.edelstein  Posted: Sunday, January 23, 2011 6:15:19 PM

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