2022 Renoun Endurance 98

[SkiTalk Test Team]

Renoun has grown up as a ski company, and the all-new, fourth-generation Endurance 98 is proof of how far this small boutique ski builder from Vermont has come. The Endurance 98 has consistently been a nice ski. Always the nonconformist alternative to some of the other premiums, the Endurance and its ViveStop was nearly the Saab of skis, and boasted noticeable changes in each evolution. But, in the newest V.4, the changes were far from evolutionary. This is an all-new ski; a seriously grown-up ski. Now the newest Endurance can and will go head-to-head with any of the usual suspects in the 98-100 mm segment and not have to make any excuses. This ski just plain rips.

The Endurance 98 is a charger, something that could not have been said about outgoing version three. The outgoing Endurance was a favorite, but there was a limit to its performance. But wow, the new model has power in spades.

The first day on the Endurance, I encountered conditions that would have challenged the old model. However, the new version took total control, pounding the day-old, cut-up snow into submission without breaking a sweat.

In previous years, VibeStop, Renoun’s propriety technology, is what made a Renoun a Renoun. Interestingly, I didn’t need to discuss VibeStop in my review above because now there is more than just VibeStop. Now there a ski that does not rely on just this technology; it is now built with the backbone and substance to give it a world-class platform. This combination makes the new Endurance 98, as they say in baseball, a three tool player.

• Insider tip: On our test skis, the out-of-the-box tune is good, real good.
• One thing we would change: Asymmetrical graphics. They are fine, but don't make a specific left/right ski design.

 

[Racerdad]

I currently have a pair of Head Monster 98’s and I love everything about them except the weight. As a west coast skier that needs a ski good in soft, all mountain conditions, the endurance 98 looks appealing. But the stated turn radius of 17m has me a little worried. The Heads are a little narrower in the shovel and have a stated radius of 21.3 meters. Will the Renouns be squirrelly at speed?

 

[Noodler]

I currently have a pair of Head Monster 98’s and I love everything about them except the weight. As a west coast skier that needs a ski good in soft, all mountain conditions, the endurance 98 looks appealing. But the stated turn radius of 17m has me a little worried. The Heads are a little narrower in the shovel and have a stated radius of 21.3 meters. Will the Renouns be squirrelly at speed?

This is probably the classic case of not reading too much into the stated sidecut radius. That 18.0m sounds like it's a bit optimistic (depending on your perspective), but the real-world performance is highly dependent on the rocker profile which isn't discussed in the initial review. So what say you SkiTalk testers? Any ski above 80mm needs to have more discussion of rocker profiles (pics would be good too).

 

[Philpug]

I currently have a pair of Head Monster 98’s and I love everything about them except the weight. As a west coast skier that needs a ski good in soft, all mountain conditions, the endurance 98 looks appealing. But the stated turn radius of 17m has me a little worried. The Heads are a little narrower in the shovel and have a stated radius of 21.3 meters. Will the Renouns be squirrelly at speed?

Having skied the Monster 98 in years past and going through my database in my head, I don't recall the skis skiing that much different in turn shape. I didn't feel this was squirrelly at all, and much more on the solid side, especially compared to the outgoing model that in the 184 was more finesse. With Renoun's return policy, I see no reason not to take the risk.

 

[Unpiste]

I had a chance to try the Endurance 98s for the better part of a day recently.

Starting off with the question of stability at speed, I found the skis to be quite solid and predictable without any noticeable squirrelliness. To me, these also did not particularly ski like an 18m radius ski, maybe low 20s instead, though in fairness I also don't mind a tighter radius on a longer, stiffer ski.

The conditions I had for the day were decent Tahoe snow. Several days old with spots crusted over, but some soft if you knew where to find it. The Renouns handled well in the mixed conditions, and were plenty maneuverable for tighter trees. I'd have no problem using these as a daily ski for Tahoe.

In comparison to the M6 Mantras, which I also had for the day, I actually found the Renouns to be a bit more easy going, simply because they didn't require quite as much attention to keep from catching on to the chalky bumps. I expect this is due in large part to the tip and tail shapes on each ski, and something I would have gotten used to on the Mantras with more time.

 

[dennispaulfreed]

I tested the Endurance 98s as well as several other ski models. The Renouns perform as stated on their website. They are stable and confident for a light ski. Other skis may perform the same but at a higher weight. This makes it a special ski to use in bumps and powder as well as groomers and icy groomers. Try a pair, you may enjoy the feel.

 

[SmileGuy]

I currently have a pair of Head Monster 98’s and I love everything about them except the weight. As a west coast skier that needs a ski good in soft, all mountain conditions, the endurance 98 looks appealing. But the stated turn radius of 17m has me a little worried. The Heads are a little narrower in the shovel and have a stated radius of 21.3 meters. Will the Renouns be squirrelly at speed?

I’m not sure I’ll ever find a pair of skis that I like better than that ski. Have 2 pair of 98s, a pair of 88s and 108s. I’ll ski them until they’re dead

 

[Andy Mink]

Long Term update: I got on these today by mistake. @Philpug thought I threw my AM77s in the car and had these as a backup in case the snow at Mt. Rose was soft today. I didn't and it wasn't. Initially the skis felt very edgy on the crusty refrozen snow with a little bit of dust here and there. I gummied them a little at a time and then they were fine. It's no secret that wider skis on hard surfaces are not my jam but, by golly, these Endurances worked very well. I was surprised by how little tipping is required to start a turn. On edge they held on the hard groomerish surface (think scratchy, crystally hardpack). After the gummy stone they also allowed for slarvy, skiddy turns without giving up good grip in arc to arc carves. At speed they are very stable and, even in the relatively lousy flat light we had, I didn't feel like I needed to see everything. Today threw some very LOUD surfaces at us. The beauty of the Renouns and the Vibestop tech is you don't FEEL that noise, even though the skis are pretty light. I'm looking forward to trying them out when there's some snow in top.