2015-2016 Revision Bodrum
137-107-127  r=21.5@ 179cm



Manufacturer Info:

Revision Skis, Inc.
8601 W Cross Dr. F5
#145
Littleton, CO 80123
(720) 608-0251
https://revisionskis.com/

Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$599 usd retail

Usage Class:

Freeride / All Mountain Twin Tip

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

7+ for packed powder groomers
8+ for mixed conditions crusing
9 for mixed or powder conditions for romping-stomping

Manufacturer's Description:

"A hard charging, stable twin tip with a stiffer flex pattern and longer turn radius that is built for variable conditions. This one ski quiver inspires confidence while charging through ice, crud, and crust. A 109mm waist provides the needed stability to both float through soft snow and crush the sketchiest of conditions. Topsheet Design by Devon Brown of Oxburger Studios.."

- website 2016

Summary:

The guys at Revision have put out a serious jib-style, stiff-ish romp-and-stomp freeride ski with a 107 waist and large radius meant to sustain medium to high speeds through mixed surface conditions with stable, non-buckling integrity.  Their product description is pretty darn accurate.  The only downsides we identified were a skittery, slick feel on hardpack in stock tune (until we re-ground the bases which came through a little high...then it got better, but never really impressive), and a big of sluggishness in tightest situations due to the relatively straight nature of this model's shaping.  Tons of pop and energy, begging to be skied hard and works well when "in" snow, delivering a spirited ride and confidence-inspiring tracking across cruddy conditions.  The harder you ski it, the more you get back, and the quicker it gets. Strong, reliable landing platform. Excellent power-handling and a very high speed limit. Hardpack carving is not its strong point, while storm conditions and cut-up new snow are fun and rowdy.  For the bargain-price of $600 retail, the Bodrums are a great deal if you like a jib-oriented, all-terrain ski with a bias toward 3-D surfaces and don't need groomer-trenching behavior.  Cool, understated graphics and plenty of floatation along the entire chassis.

Technical Ski Data:

•     Sizes = 189cm, 179cm
•     Turn Radius = 24.5m @ 189cm
•     Dimensions = 137-107-127 @ 179cm
•     Dimensions = 139-109-129 @ 189cm
•     Flex = 9
•     Tip rocker with camber underfoot
•     Screenprinted TPU Topsheets
•     Poplar Core
•     1.6mm, Sintered, Die-Cut Bases
•     2.2mm, Full Edge Wrap
•     Cap Construction in the Tip/Tail for added durability, sandwich construction underfoot for improved performance.
•     Full length Carbon Stringers
•     Additional Carbon Reinforcements in Tip/Tail for additional Pop and Durability.
•     Switch Up Bases – Bases randomly available in black (with white text) or white (with black text).

Ski manufactured in China.

Bindings,  Boots & Wax Used:

Tyrolia PRD PowerRail 12 Demo Bindings
Salomon S-Max 120 boots.



Pre-Skiing Impression:

Handsome, understated graphics (everyone liked the look).  Glossy topsheet.  Slightly rough construction finish...more skunk-works effectiveness than boutique fit and finish.  Stiff hand flex with plenty of rebound energy, yet damp enough to be respectible.  It pretty much reeks of "Push me harder..you'll like what you get.."  Relatively straight shaping, looking more like a crud buster than turning machine.  Torsionally strong midbody with progressive tip feel and strong tail.  More camber than you expect.

Test Conditions:

Eastern corduroy, packed powder and hardpack groomers, boilerplate, ungroomed packed powder with small bumps, shin-deep to knee-deep powder conditions, both smooth and bumpy. Chalky wind buff, fresh and old powder. Corny spring conditions.

Hardpack and Boilerplate:

We ski each test ski in stock condition out-of-the-wrapper as much as possible, and the first few turns on the Bodrums on hardpack in Vermont were slippery...more than we expected with the camber and stiff flex profile the skis are designed with. Quick checks indicated the bases were indeed a bit high. We reground the base on the Wintersteiger and retuned the skis, the hardpack performance improved, but never got really impressive."

This is really a fault of the production finishing line and not the design of the ski, and when we reground the base on the Wintersteiger and retuned the skis, the hardpack performance improved, but never got really impressive.  The Bodrums are not meant to be hardpack carving tools, so our expectations were adjusted accordingly..but be aware it may take some tuning to get them as grippy on hard snow.  Dampening at speed on hardpack was good, with no high-frequency vibes underfoot, and control was predictible and well telegraphed to the pilot.

Mixed Conditions:

If you like crushing cut-up conditions or blasting through storm conditions in a centered, slighly jib-stance, the Revison Bodrums are your ride.  They essentially ignore the tracks, lumps, contours, piles and troughs in a typically skied-out surface after a storm and hold the line under moderate or high pressure with confidence and lots of energy.  The Bodrums like to pop up and over things with excellent rebound enthusiasm, while staying controlled, but stay centered since a ride in the back seat can be hard to recover from since they want to power you forward.  "Rowdy Romp-n-Stomp" was the phrase that kept coming to mind, and they do it well.  Torsional integrity is very good and reliable, with nearly zero darting or deflecting.  The faster you go, the quicker they get, and they like an active, athletic, enthusiastic pilot.  Cruisers can look elsewhere...this ski wants to be "skied"..not "ridden".  This is a ski that likes to come up off the ground, land, store energy and launch again.  The Bodrums can take hard, GS-like pressures across mixed surfaces with enthusiasm.  Soft-touch, technical skiers might find the Bodrums a little crude feeling or less elegant than other skis with a softer flex and curvier shape, but if you want to attach mixed conditions with a rowdy attitude, the Bodrums might be your ticket.

Bumps:

The Bodrums are stiff and want to be driven through bumps, not passively ridden.  The energy is super-fun, and the response is strong, so these reward an athletic command sequence and navigation through bumps.  Really tight bumps can beat the pilot a little bit since the tails are stiff and rowdy, but if you pick up the speed and get the tails out of the troughs quick enough, you can stay on top and bang away with a reliable, strong platform under you.  No folding noodles here.  The bigger the bump spacings, the better, and if you have large rollers, even better to take advantage of the rebound available in the Bodrums when they are loaded and released.  Their relatively straight shaping means they are not as agile in edge-to-edge reactivity in bumps as some othe skis, but they can be pivoted pretty well on the crests if your timing is good.  Bottom line in the bumps.....Bodrums are stiff, but energetic, stable and rowdy.

Powder:.

We had a terrible season in Vermont in 2015-2016, so powder conditions were nearly impossible to find, but when we did get out in the few storms we had, the Bodrums showed some good powder behaviors.  Since they are cambered with just a little tip rise, they are definitely directional, but their relatively straight shaping along a fairly wide platform provided plenty of float along the entire chassis, which made up for the non-smearly handling quite a bit.  The cambered midbody and lack of significant tip rocker means you need some speed to get them to float their best in powder.  The faster you go, the better.  Once you get them up to planing speed, the handling is smooth and predictable, with plenty of full-body float due to width rather than tip-induced floatation handling (if that makes sense to you).  Overall, the Bodrums work pretty well in powder, but we have been spoiled by ride of skis with more rocker and softer flex in powder condtions.  Let the powder get mixed with some windpack or old manky snow, and the Bodrum crud-busting prowess kicks-in and you suddenly have a different situation.  While they work pretty well in powder, the Bodrums are happiest and most effective cutting crud and skied-out material under power.

Analogies: ("This ski is like...")

A beefed-up Rallye truck meant to pound throught the sandwashes and roughted up terrain at speed with authority.

Things I Would Change About This Ski:
 
We would be half-tempted to make the Bodrums a bit more shapely to give them more turny behavior in Eastern conditions (at the expense of high-speed stabilty in wide-open Western terrain...but then again, we ski the NorthEast mostly).

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

If you want a ski to pound through skied-out day-after powder conditions, or manky, windpacked surfaces with good surface area and lots of landing stability and cab-forward, jib-like stances, the Bodrums will make you happy if you like to drive a ski with authority.  Not for lightweidhts or casual skiers.

Advice To People Considering This Ski:

If you want a strong, stable, non-twitchy platform to crush mixed conditions, take it out for a demo.  If you want a precision instrument or elegant ride, look elsewhere.  Get rowdy or go home.

Other Reviews:

DownDays (January 2016):

Pics: (click for larger versions)