- Joined
- Mar 5, 2017
- Posts
- 1,202
11/14/22 Mod note: With no change to the 2023 model, this thread was updated in title and review video added...
Philpug: When I first heard about the all-new AM98, I have to admit I was a bit scared. I had just skied the AM88 for a couple of days prior and I know the attention that ski demanded of me. I wondered if I really wanted to give that kind of attention to a 98mm ski. Knowing the type of ski that Augment is known for, verrrrrry traditional and demanding, I thought the 98Ti would not be the type of ski that I usually like in this category. Boy, was I wrong.
I had a list of skis to get though at Winter Park and I didn’t get on the AM98 until near the end of the day when my legs were on "E," the light was flat, and the conditions were cut up: the trifecta of “What could possibly go wrong” after a full day of skiing. Why so negative? I should been thinking, "What could go right?" And what went right was everything. The AM98 rejuvenated my energy, gave me a solid connection to the snow, which made the flat light a nonissue, and ...what crud? Hell, had I time to ski it more, it would have done my taxes, changed the oil in the SS Pugski, and had the drinks poured when we got back to the condo. Augment’s All Mountain 98Ti is a ski that dreams are made of.
Like with many premium skis, they are not constrained by piddly things and limitations like turn radiuses and running lengths, these numbers are beneath them. This is the case with the Augment AM98Ti, when you look at the rise if the tip and tail, you would think the 179cm skis short and might be nervous. Nope. 18 meter turn radius? It wil be too turny and limited. Again, nope, I was close to scaring myself...yet I was able to lay the ski over into some serious trenches. There is a calmness that this ski exudes that I have rarely felt before.
@Alexzn and I were out at Squaw last season, Alex on the 187 and I was on the 179. It every condition we took the AM98Ti in it performed stellarly. We came to the conclusion that the AM98 was a ski that was built to a standard and not to a pricepoint. The one ski we did compare it to was the Nordica Enforcer 100 and if someone built the best Enforcer they could, using the best materials they could get their hands one, damn the beancounters you would have the Augment 98Ti. As far as playfulness, I think the AM98Ti is one of the more playful 98-100's offered, the personality range of this ski is huge. Personally I gravitate to playfulness in a ski in this range and the AM delivers in spades.
Stephen: I was able to take the AM98(187 length) out for my birthday and what a friggin treat! I own the AM88 in 179, absolutely love it, and wouldn’t change a thing. The AM98, just based on its shape, I knew would be different and it did not disappoint. Confidence inspiring doesn’t even seem to give it enough credit. I’ve been a big fan of the Augment skis and I don’t hide that fact but I cannot overstate how good this ski is. When considering skis, there is always give and take and you make choices based on the boxes you want it to check. This ski checks so many boxes it makes it an easy choice. If I had a complaint at all it would be in the playfulness category but even that seems a bit unfair because it is playful. Definitely the most playful Augment I’ve been on aside from their freestyle ski. If I’m being super picky it’s not as playful as some skis that check very few boxes in comparison. This ski gave great feedback while still remaining damp. It’s powerful when that is needed but doesn’t demand your attention all the time. Overall it’s just a dang good ski.
AlexZN: The Augment AM98Ti is not a fat race ski, its a purposely-designed-from-the-ground-up all-mountain ski. Augment still bring its top-quality construction and materials to the table and, yes, the ski is not a noodle. The result is quite spectacular, perhaps class-leading.
Andy Mink: I was able to take both the 179 and 187 up to Mt. Rose this morning. It was actually good conditions to test in. High wind, limited visibility at the top, and between 0 and 8-10" of fresh, depending on where the wind blew it. Essentially, you could go from boot deep rollers to scratched off frozen several times in one turn. Throw in soft piles for bumps, bumps hiding under soft snow, and really nice tree snow and it was truly a test of a ski's mettle.
I skied the 187s first. Blown. Away. They provide a soft yet controlled suspension over the varying snow. In the piles I could either GS turn or pivot on top. The ski just flowed over and around. On the blown off groomers with wind affected whale backs they just moved from hard to soft to hard with no problems or excitement. I took them into the trees, which had wonderful soft snow, and found I could turn them as quickly as necessary to avoid owees. Float, flow, pivot, carve.
After 3 or 4 runs I got on the 179s. I took them down the same run I just did on the 189s. Growing soft piles with crust in between. Once again, like the other day, I felt tossed about a bit. OK, what's up? I then took them down one of my favorite, very familiar runs. They were better in the chop but still not overly confidence inspiring. On the groomers I felt the same disconnect I felt a few days back.
I don't know why there is such a noticeable difference in the way these two skis feel to me with only an 8cm difference. @Philpug loves the 179 and we're almost the same weight and height. Some thoughts are binding position, boot angle, and general skiing style. My BSL is about 15-20mm longer than Phil's. With the Salomon demo bindings only having adjustment on the heel piece, I'd be skiing them a bit further back. Does it make a difference? Perhaps. My boots also have a bit more forward lean than Phil's so I'm probably a little more forward over the tip of the ski. That extra few centimeters may come into play there. And then there's style. Phil has a very easy, flowing, efficient style of skiing while I tend to muscle my way around to compensate for shortfalls in technique. That extra length may just keep me from tipping over!
I got back on the 187s and finished the morning until the lifts got put on wind hold. Trees, glades, tighter trees, piles, groomers all felt good. Even in fresh, untracked powder, these Augments feel, um, different. Silky. Quiet (they even sound different when you drop them to the snow to click in). Sooo smooth transitioning from one snow type to another. I don't think I'd want the 98 for my DD but I could be talked into it. I see more groomers than fluff so the AM88 would likely be my choice from the Augment line. The 98 would be for the skier who really likes wider skis and may have the opportunity to put that extra bit of width to use more often than not.
DocGKR: After having skied the 187cm Augment AM98 (soft flex--which really isn't soft, but I digress), I now believe the "AM" does not just refer to "All Mountain", but actually stands for "AMAZING". For several years I have been searching for a replacement for my beloved 2014 Nordica Hell & Back (185cm/98mm/21m), but none of the 90-100mm "All Mountain" horde matched the H&B's amazing capability for carving groomers while offering awesome rebound energy, fantastic mogul capability, all while being able to handle a foot or two of fresh new snow as well as punch through the chopped up aftermath.
The 187cm Augment AM98 is the first 90-100mm ski I've been on which matches or exceeds the performance of my 185cm Hell & Back. The AM98 offers very quick turn-in, with amazing edge hold and stability for such a wide ski, while offering nice rebound energy out of carved turns. The AM98's work surprisingly well in moguls and they just zoom through Spring corn and slush. I have not had a chance to ski them in fresh snow yet.
These AM98's came with the absolute best factory tune of any ski I have used or seen--bar none. These are the ski I have been searching for!
Philpug: When I first heard about the all-new AM98, I have to admit I was a bit scared. I had just skied the AM88 for a couple of days prior and I know the attention that ski demanded of me. I wondered if I really wanted to give that kind of attention to a 98mm ski. Knowing the type of ski that Augment is known for, verrrrrry traditional and demanding, I thought the 98Ti would not be the type of ski that I usually like in this category. Boy, was I wrong.
I had a list of skis to get though at Winter Park and I didn’t get on the AM98 until near the end of the day when my legs were on "E," the light was flat, and the conditions were cut up: the trifecta of “What could possibly go wrong” after a full day of skiing. Why so negative? I should been thinking, "What could go right?" And what went right was everything. The AM98 rejuvenated my energy, gave me a solid connection to the snow, which made the flat light a nonissue, and ...what crud? Hell, had I time to ski it more, it would have done my taxes, changed the oil in the SS Pugski, and had the drinks poured when we got back to the condo. Augment’s All Mountain 98Ti is a ski that dreams are made of.
Like with many premium skis, they are not constrained by piddly things and limitations like turn radiuses and running lengths, these numbers are beneath them. This is the case with the Augment AM98Ti, when you look at the rise if the tip and tail, you would think the 179cm skis short and might be nervous. Nope. 18 meter turn radius? It wil be too turny and limited. Again, nope, I was close to scaring myself...yet I was able to lay the ski over into some serious trenches. There is a calmness that this ski exudes that I have rarely felt before.
@Alexzn and I were out at Squaw last season, Alex on the 187 and I was on the 179. It every condition we took the AM98Ti in it performed stellarly. We came to the conclusion that the AM98 was a ski that was built to a standard and not to a pricepoint. The one ski we did compare it to was the Nordica Enforcer 100 and if someone built the best Enforcer they could, using the best materials they could get their hands one, damn the beancounters you would have the Augment 98Ti. As far as playfulness, I think the AM98Ti is one of the more playful 98-100's offered, the personality range of this ski is huge. Personally I gravitate to playfulness in a ski in this range and the AM delivers in spades.
Stephen: I was able to take the AM98(187 length) out for my birthday and what a friggin treat! I own the AM88 in 179, absolutely love it, and wouldn’t change a thing. The AM98, just based on its shape, I knew would be different and it did not disappoint. Confidence inspiring doesn’t even seem to give it enough credit. I’ve been a big fan of the Augment skis and I don’t hide that fact but I cannot overstate how good this ski is. When considering skis, there is always give and take and you make choices based on the boxes you want it to check. This ski checks so many boxes it makes it an easy choice. If I had a complaint at all it would be in the playfulness category but even that seems a bit unfair because it is playful. Definitely the most playful Augment I’ve been on aside from their freestyle ski. If I’m being super picky it’s not as playful as some skis that check very few boxes in comparison. This ski gave great feedback while still remaining damp. It’s powerful when that is needed but doesn’t demand your attention all the time. Overall it’s just a dang good ski.
AlexZN: The Augment AM98Ti is not a fat race ski, its a purposely-designed-from-the-ground-up all-mountain ski. Augment still bring its top-quality construction and materials to the table and, yes, the ski is not a noodle. The result is quite spectacular, perhaps class-leading.
Andy Mink: I was able to take both the 179 and 187 up to Mt. Rose this morning. It was actually good conditions to test in. High wind, limited visibility at the top, and between 0 and 8-10" of fresh, depending on where the wind blew it. Essentially, you could go from boot deep rollers to scratched off frozen several times in one turn. Throw in soft piles for bumps, bumps hiding under soft snow, and really nice tree snow and it was truly a test of a ski's mettle.
I skied the 187s first. Blown. Away. They provide a soft yet controlled suspension over the varying snow. In the piles I could either GS turn or pivot on top. The ski just flowed over and around. On the blown off groomers with wind affected whale backs they just moved from hard to soft to hard with no problems or excitement. I took them into the trees, which had wonderful soft snow, and found I could turn them as quickly as necessary to avoid owees. Float, flow, pivot, carve.
After 3 or 4 runs I got on the 179s. I took them down the same run I just did on the 189s. Growing soft piles with crust in between. Once again, like the other day, I felt tossed about a bit. OK, what's up? I then took them down one of my favorite, very familiar runs. They were better in the chop but still not overly confidence inspiring. On the groomers I felt the same disconnect I felt a few days back.
I don't know why there is such a noticeable difference in the way these two skis feel to me with only an 8cm difference. @Philpug loves the 179 and we're almost the same weight and height. Some thoughts are binding position, boot angle, and general skiing style. My BSL is about 15-20mm longer than Phil's. With the Salomon demo bindings only having adjustment on the heel piece, I'd be skiing them a bit further back. Does it make a difference? Perhaps. My boots also have a bit more forward lean than Phil's so I'm probably a little more forward over the tip of the ski. That extra few centimeters may come into play there. And then there's style. Phil has a very easy, flowing, efficient style of skiing while I tend to muscle my way around to compensate for shortfalls in technique. That extra length may just keep me from tipping over!
I got back on the 187s and finished the morning until the lifts got put on wind hold. Trees, glades, tighter trees, piles, groomers all felt good. Even in fresh, untracked powder, these Augments feel, um, different. Silky. Quiet (they even sound different when you drop them to the snow to click in). Sooo smooth transitioning from one snow type to another. I don't think I'd want the 98 for my DD but I could be talked into it. I see more groomers than fluff so the AM88 would likely be my choice from the Augment line. The 98 would be for the skier who really likes wider skis and may have the opportunity to put that extra bit of width to use more often than not.
DocGKR: After having skied the 187cm Augment AM98 (soft flex--which really isn't soft, but I digress), I now believe the "AM" does not just refer to "All Mountain", but actually stands for "AMAZING". For several years I have been searching for a replacement for my beloved 2014 Nordica Hell & Back (185cm/98mm/21m), but none of the 90-100mm "All Mountain" horde matched the H&B's amazing capability for carving groomers while offering awesome rebound energy, fantastic mogul capability, all while being able to handle a foot or two of fresh new snow as well as punch through the chopped up aftermath.
The 187cm Augment AM98 is the first 90-100mm ski I've been on which matches or exceeds the performance of my 185cm Hell & Back. The AM98 offers very quick turn-in, with amazing edge hold and stability for such a wide ski, while offering nice rebound energy out of carved turns. The AM98's work surprisingly well in moguls and they just zoom through Spring corn and slush. I have not had a chance to ski them in fresh snow yet.
These AM98's came with the absolute best factory tune of any ski I have used or seen--bar none. These are the ski I have been searching for!
Insider tip: A Raw Pivot 15 will look so choice on these.
- Awards
- Who is it for?
- Skiers who miss the the original MX98.
- Who is it not for?
- Lighter, finesse skiers: to paraphrase Jack Palance, this ski craps bigger than you.
- Skier ability
-
- Expert
- Ski category
-
- All Mountain
- Powder
- Ski attributes
-
- Off Piste
- Trees
- Touring/Backcountry
- Segment
-
- Men
Specifications
- Available sizes
- 171, 179, 187
- Dimensions
- 138-98-120
- Radius
- 18m@179cm
- Rocker profile
-
- Camber with tip and tail rocker
- Construction design
-
- Carryover
- Binding options
-
- Flat
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