139-105-124 r=>20 @ 174cm

Manufacturer Info:

Shaggys Copper Country Skis
419 E Main St.
Boyne City, MI  49712 USA
Phone: 231.459.4323
http://www.SkiShaggys.com

Suggested Retail Price (MSRP):

$699  usd - free shipping inside USA

Usage Class:

All-mountain (Eastern Storms or Western Daily Driver)

Rating (with comments):

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

8+ - 9 mixed surfaces, crud surfing and fresh snow
8+ for packed surfaces for its width

Background:

Shaggys Copper Country Skis is a family-run company from the heart of Michigan's ski country, building skis since 2005.  Jeff and John Thompson create the skis, Shari does the books and Stephanie takes care of social media tasks.  They have a rabid local following and take a lot of pride in their products.  We began testing samples of their handiwork in 2001 and have been watching their development ever since.

Manufacturer's Description:

""The Ahmeek 105 is the all mountain tool that will make you carve harder, destroy crud, float higher, and ski easier. It features a 105 mm waist width for maximum all-mountain versatility. The dual sidecut radii utilize a 10% larger radius at front 20% of the sidecut, which creates an amazingly stable ride in any condition. The Ahmeeks utilize pockets of camber molded within the traditional camber to triple the amount of contact points on hard snow.

The tip rocker profile is perfectly mated with the sidecut length to provide exceptional and hook-free turn initiation. The rocker profile also lets you smear into or out of a turn whenever you want and float in the soft stuff. This is the ski you want for skiing everywhere; pow. groomers. slush. crud.

While we love dedicated powder skis, we have created one ski that can be your entire quiver! "

Technical Ski Data:

• Northern Michigan Ash Hardwood Core
• Carbon Fiber Core Reinforcement
• Clear View Core Graphic
• 2.2mm Hardened Edge
• CNC Knife Cut Base
• Dimensions: 139-105-124
• Progressive Turning Radius: 22-20 m @ 180 cm
• All Mountain Tip Rocker
• Camber + Camber Pockets
• Early Rise Twin Tail

 Bindings and Boots Used:

Tyrolia PRD12 PowerRail Adjustable Bindings
Salomon S-Max 120 boots.
GreenIce Wax.

Pre-Skiing Impression:

This pair of test skis had been previously mounted as demos and had several months of usage before we got them, so we could evaluate their ability to absorb wear and tear a little bit.  They had a very nice fit and finish, on par with many small ski builders’ products, with a bit of chipping on the glossy topsheet edges,  some minor scratches and scuff marks, typical of what you would see after a few months of demo usage.  These Ahmeeks had a heft to them, but not “heavty” feeling (if that makes sense). Flex was fairly soft at the tips, with a progressively stiffer and somewhat stout feel ufoot, leading down to a moderately stiff rear section and  softer heel.  Torsional strength felt good. Hand flex felt damp and gave the impression you could pressure these skis well and not overpower them.  Not as burly as the stiff-flex Brockways we tested at the same time.  The Amheeks give you the impression you have a long-lived ski in your hands, and the multiple camber pockets are discrete, but evident if you look for them.

Test Conditions:

Eastern corduroy, packed powder and hardpack groomers & boilerplate., shin deep to knee-deep cold powder conditons.

Summary:

The Thompson’s latest revisions to the Ahmeek design have created a truly versatile ski for tons of conditions ranging from packed groomers to fresh powder and skied-out crud and storm slab surfaces.  The Ahmeek remains true to its origins as a mid-Western developed ski with a higher degree of hardpack performance than most 105mm-waisted skis, trading off a bit of surfy-smeary behavior for a more locked-in and directional GS arc though various snow conditions, yet delivering a nicely surfy front-end to get you up on top of 3-D snow and avoid deflection from subsurface junk.  The more you ski the Ahmeek, the more places you feel confident to take it.  It becomes more agile at moderate to higher speeds, with great stability and spunk, only feeling a little balky at slowest speeds threading your way through tight “bumper-to-bumper” trees with closely-spaced bumps.  The relatively firm midbody provides a rock-solid platform to power through pretty much anything with confidence, yet yields to the moderately rockered tip to initiate turns without protest….finishing up on a nicely powered tail with a bit of rocker to deliver GS-like arcs under pressure.  99% of skiers will not overpower the Ahmeek.  Intermediates  or lightweight skiers might want to size it down a notch, depending on your favorite terrain.  Shaggy’s Ahmeek is about as close to an all-mountain, one-ski quiver as it gets, especially if you want something in the 105mm class with a directional bias, excellent durability, romp-stomping power handling in a durable chassis with a more hefty than flimsy feel built by a family of ski builders.

Builder's Mount Position:

We mounted our Tyrolia PRD12 test bindings on the manufacturer’s mark, and testers preferred pulling the position back a centimeter or two depending on conditions.

Hardpack and Boilerplate:

The Ahmeek, like its Brockway sibling, features the multiple camber pocket design where there are several different zones of cambered base sections along the length of the ski to produce more high-pressure points of contact as the ski is edged and pressed into hard surfaces.  The Ahmeek has a strong torsional resistance and a flex underfoot biased toward the stiffer side of the spectrum, so it’s hardpack grip is pretty impressive for a 105mm-waisted ski.  It’s moderate tip and tail rocker create a sligthly shorter feel to the ski than its length would indicate, but not too much.  The Ahmeek likes to be tuned relatively flat (we used a 0.5 degree base bevel and a bit of tip detuning just a smidge behind the rocker point and a flat-tail tune to get a good Eastern grip underfoot), and feels almost true-to-length in this state of tune.  The mass of the ski gives it a sold and grounded feel on hardpack, never skittery or unattached.  The Ahmeek can grip boilerplate well if you roll it up on edge and apply steady, deliberate pressure, or punch it directly underfoot.  If you ski it lazy, it won’t set itself into its sweet gripping zone and it might feel planky.  Ski it with an athletic attitude and it comes alive on hardpack.  While it lacks the intense bite of some other skis in its class, the Ahmeek demands less of the skier than most ski with a similar prowess on hard surfaces, and that’s a good thing.  You can smear it across hard surfaces to scrub speed without any fear of hooking or high-siding.

The Ahmeek’s construction delivers an essentially vibration-free ride, neutralizing the transmission of nasty feelings underfoot, yet you still get a good readout of what kind of surface your skiing on without loosing the feel you need on hardpack. 

Shaggy's "Camber Pocket" design (2016 model shown here because the pcture is better than the other photos we took) There is one in the forebody and one in the tail section of the skis.

Mixed And/Or Powder Conditions:

Shaggy’s bills the Ahmeek as an ultimate all-mountain ski, and cruising through mixed snow surfaces is definitely what it does best.  The damp, yet sporty rebound and surfy front-end with ample surface area delivers a confidence-inpiring feed-in to any trajectory you start through pretty much any kind of snow you might find out there.  In freshies, you surf smoothly.  Ski in crappy, cut-up, skied-out crud, and the body of the ski absorbs the initial hits, and delivers a ride up on-top of the junk where you can set an arc across the surface with the midbody and tail of the ski with super-solid confidence.  Zero deflection, zero complaint, zero problems.  If the conditions are iffy, the Ahmeek is your ride because it essentially disappears underfoot when you get it up to moderate speeds.  It might feel a little balky, or planky at slow speeds if you try to foot-steer your way through 3D snow conditions, but as soon as you get it up to planing speed and let it run, you get the fun ride the Thomson family designed into their mid-size all mountain model.  The broad shovel of the Ahmeek works well to surf into materials without deflecting, and the solid midbody and tail provides a firm platform to keep directional integrity right on the line you pick.  The harder you ski it, the more solid a line the Ahmeek delivers, and that’a nice trait.

Turn Initiation, Apex & Finish:

The Ahmeek has a slightly more stout feel than many 105mm skis on the market these days, owing to a  hardwood core of ash which makes it weigh in at 1674 grams and 1651 grams (measured).  This means the swing weight is not featherlike, but not really heavy either.  Turn intiation of the Ahmeek is very friendly owing to its moderately rockered tip and quick grip in the forebody, but really wants you to pressure it with some authority to get it to dig in and pull the ski into the rest of its arc.  If you set your turn and then get lazy, the Ahmeek with naturally want to go back to its original course instead of auto-feeding itself into the turn.  Maintain pressure, and the ski will get to its apex where you can transfer power to the ample tail and get the acceleration you really want.  You can release and smear your turn or scrub speed mid-turn without any protest from the skis.  The Ahmeek is pretty forgiving along its turn sequence, but its strong core delivers a dandy zing at the end of the turn if you load it up and release it well.  Many 105mm-class skis are pretty tame at the end of their turns, but the Ahmeeks are capable of putting you in the back seat if you get lazy.  Ski them with an athletic attitude for best results.

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

A really nice, sport station wagon with a rowdy-mode option switch.  Reliable to go anywhere you want in totally solid comfort and confidence, but able to spice things up a notch when you turn it on.  Likes having both hands on the wheel.

Notable Tester Comments:

Stronger than expected under pressure, yet totally fun all over the place.
A bit balky at slow speeds, but it disappears quickly as soon as you get moving along.

Quick Comments:

• Totally confidence-inspiring in any junky conditions.
• A bit heavy feeling until you get moving.
• A go-to ski if it’s storming or expected to change into different snow conditions mid-day
• Super solid and durable feeling

Things I Would Change About This Ski:

Nothing.

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

Great all-mountain ski in the 105mm category for slightly heavier or athletic skiers looking for a super-solid ski customizable by a family of builders you can call up on the phone.

Advice To People Considering This Ski:

If you can, demo these in several lengths and consider going one size down from your normal length if you are on the lighter side or less powerful skier.  Also consider having Shaggy’s customize the flex for your situation.

Pics:

Shaggy's Brockway 95 (left) and Ahmeek 105 (right)

Tip profile - Ahmeek 105

Tail profile - Ahmeek 105

Midbody camber - Brockway 95

Sidewall construction detail

Shaggy's Brockway 95 (L) and Ahmeek 105(R)

Shaggy's Brockway 95 (bottom) and Ahmeek 105 (top)

Shaggy's Brockway 95 (top) and Ahmeek 105 (bottom)