Ramp Sports - Hula / Kumoniwannaskiya 2011
121-75-105mm 14.88m@169cm

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):

$625 ($499 "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 $406. Free shipping.

Usage Class:

Frontside Performance

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

6 for powder, 8+ on-piste.

Summary:

Very solid, silky and peppy frontside ski with superb turning and cruising behavior. Performs beyond its target category while remaining very easy to ski.  Great choice for advancing intermediates or experts looking for an easy-skiing ski with the abiity to lay down excellent arcs with friendly, yet sporty behavior. An excellent frontside ski with above-average grip on firm surfaces for about $406 delivered to your door.   Hard to beat this ski at this price.

Technical Ski Data:

Wood-core sandwich, fiberglass, full-wrap edge ski construction. No metal layers.  the "80%-20% Camber" design has medium-minus early rise and reverse sidecut tip with 20mm rise in a strong tail.  Targeted at 80% groomers, 20% powder usage.

Pre-Skiing Impression:

Very good quality construction and finish.  Nicely saturated topsheet colors.  Progressive flex and good torsional strength.  Fairly lightweight for its size. Thin vertical profile.  Good rebound response and vibration dampening.  Appears to be the same geometry and construction as the Kumoniwannaskiya model for men.

Mfr Comment:

Hula Description:

When you ski it’s like an elegant dance, smooth and flowing. You look good, and so you feel good. You can dance at all speeds and no matter the pitch, you still perform. Speed Range:  2-8

Kummoniwannaskiya Description:

The idea is you want to have fun when you ski. At all different speeds you want to be feeling good. If the terrain is flat or starts to tip toward steep, you’re still stoked. You want a tool that takes you from slower and more careful to letting it rip. Speed Range:  2-8

Features- The 80%-20% Camber helps you hook up and initiate turns with ease. The Razor Cut sidecut gives this carving ski the best possible edge grip on the hardest snow. The wood-core sandwich, sidewall construction makes this ski solid, predictable, lively and durable.

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 was expecting to feel an intermediate-level ski  underfoot, based on Ramp's description of its speed range being "2-8". What I found was a surprisingly responsive and grippy frontside ski with the ability to keep experts thoroughly entertained and make advancing skiers really happy without demanding precise technique and physical prowess.  The more I skied the Hula, the more impressed I was.  The turns hooked-up easily and predictably with very little input from the driver, and provided a very, very nice grip underfoot at nearly any speed, changing direction on demand with excellent manners and predictability. Vibrations dampened nicely to keep good contact and control, yet zingy and impressively responsive.  I immediately thought the Hula could be a "breakthrough" ski for many advancing skiers looking to feel higher performance turns.  The Hula was happy across surface changes and was always right-there with any command  you gave it.  Deeper surfaces were easy to manage, but as with any ski 75mm underfoot...the ride was not "floaty".  The relatively light swingweight was very nice and people could ski the Hula all day without feeling like they had been driving a serious frontside ski.  Ramp has found an excellent formula with this ski, expecially for $400 delivered!  Very impressive ski for the money, even at nearly twice the price.   If you buy bindings with your skis, Ramp extends the warranty to two years.  New brand for 2011.

Analogies: (this ski is like...)

Sporty touring coupe for nearly any part of the hill, prefering the tighter terrain if you can find it.

Things You Would Change About This Ski:

Nothing.

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

Excellent ski for advancing intermediates looking to feel a real carving experience or smooth transition ski without spending time in the gym first, or experts who no longer want ski that demands to be driven instead of ridden.  Great ski for the bulk of resort skiers who don't venture into extreme conditiions.  Fantastic value for the money.

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).