2023 Peak 104 and 110

[Tom K.]

Curious why you bought the 98 in such a short length?!

(Post 19, Line 1)

 

[ski otter 2]

Yes!

Guess I musta unconsciously thought I'd turn into a penguin in my old age!
(84 might be about right for some penguins' skier profile but not all.)

 

[ski otter 2]

Anybody want to sell me another pair of Peak 184/104s?

 

[abdul]

Just got on the 110 in 3-6" of relatively cold and tracked out snow at Mammoth. Very nice ski. Has the damp/smooth feel of a kastle, but in a more relaxed and easier-to-ski package, and it skis smooth and playful at speed. If the snow is still somewhat soft, it's a blast either keeping it relatively flat and popping off/through crud, or bending it into smooth mid-sized turns on edge. I think this is a great option if you're looking for a do-it-all 3"-18" soft snow ski (e.g. the second ski in a 2-ski quiver).

I've only got 3 hours on the ski, but initial impressions are if you're looking for a strong crud-busting ski, it feels like the flex in the front is a little soft for dealing with crud and chop (it's not a volkl katana).

Will get back on it tomorrow!

 

[ski otter 2]

I'm still about at the same point as you in evaluating the 110 Peak, but my impression (on steeps with powder then chop then crud) is tentatively, that the Peak likes to be fall line laid over in carving to get maximum crud performance. And it is built to support that - more stable and stronger when fall line laid over (a bit like a race ski) in a carve or near carve through soft snow.

So for me, in initial feel that made me think what you are guessing about crud-busting, that the front flex may be a little soft for rougher/deeper crud and chop, if I laid the ski over, at a bit higher angle, dang, but it became crud rock solid, yet with some float.

I have to admit, this surprised me: I've never had a ski, to my knowledge, that responds in this way. But when I risked high confidence in trusting the fall line, laying these over in about 6" crud only at this point, feeling some playfulness at the same time from the rocker lift of the ski, crud-busting became great.
(Will have to see if this unusual behavior holds in deeper, rougher snow.)

 

[abdul]

I'm still about at the same point as you in evaluating the 110 Peak, but my impression (on steeps with powder then chop then crud) is tentatively, that the Peak likes to be fall line laid over in carving to get maximum crud performance. And it is built to support that - more stable and stronger when fall line laid over (a bit like a race ski) in a carve or near carve through soft snow.

So for me, in initial feel that made me think what you are guessing about crud-busting, that the front flex may be a little soft for rougher/deeper crud and chop, if I laid the ski over, at a bit higher angle, dang, but it became crud rock solid, yet with some float.

I have to admit, this surprised me: I've never had a ski, to my knowledge, that responds in this way. But when I risked high confidence in trusting the fall line, laying these over in about 6" crud only at this point, feeling some playfulness at the same time from the rocker lift of the ski, crud-busting became great.
(Will have to see if this unusual behavior holds in deeper, rougher snow.)

Day 2... I think we're noticing the same things. 1) in soft crud and soft snow on edge it bends into a super smooth medium radius turn. If you keep a consistent speed and turn radius it peels off those turns really nicely. 2) it arcs amazing for its size on groomers - especially as you tip it further over - and stable at speed. 3) it feels quite playful and light for its size - easy to pop it in the air between turns in the chop. 4) I think with the flexpoint behind the shovel, it likes to be skied 'centered', and it also likes to be on edge and bent into a turn. 5) Rough and varied offpiste conditions if you need to vary turn shapes (where i want the 'stiffer front' that a volkl katana has) is where i'm having trouble clicking with this ski. I'm skiing it pretty aggressively through this stuff but i'm not exactly sure what is going to happen :-0 but so far active recoveries have had a 100% success rate!

Where i've had the most fun on the 110 is blue and single-diamond black runs with any type of soft snow... makes me ski like a rock star on the fun stuff

 

[givethepigeye]

Anyone else with time on the 110/188’s - trying to decide if I drill them for attacks (much broader resale should I not like them) or my old pivots (narrow band of adjustment w/o redrill).

 

[Quandary]

I have the 98s with Pivots. If I were to get the 110s I would undoubtedly mount them with Attacks. Much easier binding to deal with in deep soft snow.

 

[givethepigeye]

I’m ok with the slight inconvenience- better binding. Just the limited adjustment down the road means somebody has to either have basically your same BSL or redrill

I had attacks on my old FX104s and have a pair of pivots laying around.

 

[salvatore]

I mounted both my wife's 98s and my 104s with Pivot 15s. When my 110s arrive, I'll do the same. Only binding I use.

 

[Vinnie]

Can someone report the mountpoints for the 88, 98 and 104?

 

[ski otter 2]

on the line for the 98

 

[Quandary]

likewise online the line for 98s

 

[DocGKR]

Mounted some Salomon STH2 13's on the line for my pair of 188 Peak 110 and tuned them 1/2. Fortunately we have been having an amazing amount of fresh soft snow to play in! Much like with the Peak 98's I wrote about in another thread, to me the Peak 110's are reminiscent of similar sized Enforcers or Rustlers. The Peak 110 offered good float in snow snow to at least knee level, didn't mind working through soft bumps, and like most skis of this width were lacking while carving on groomers. While the Peak is a nice ski, I think I prefer my 191 Nordica Enforcer 115 for soft snow use.

In testing these wider skis, I remembered why I hate to use skis over 90mm on groomers....

 

[ski otter 2]

Finally got on the Peak 104/184s in 2" of windblown fresh, snowing. So far, on those conditions, I liked it the best of the three Peak skis I've tried (98/84.110/88, 104/184). Just first day out, but a good first impression.
It's a soft snow ski that will carve on groomers in between doing soft snow turns. It likes more turns and naturally skis a bit slower than the 110 as a result.
But for my profile, and expectations, it was a standout, probably my favorite of the three (and not for its groomer carving, even though that was more than okay, for its type of ski.)

P.S. On a powder day (over 4" I'm probably going to be on the Rossi Black Ops 118/186 or, if I want more float, the Head Kore 117/189.

But I have to think I'd prefer the 191 Enforcer 115 on a powder day also, over the Peak 110; but not sure, since I haven't skied that 115, or the Peak 110 in deeper conditions.

But it's the 104 I'm excited to try more, after today, on shallower powder/crud days.
There's been a gap in my quiver of the skis I take out most frequently, between 98/100 and 110/111/112.

 

[ski otter 2]

Man, there is a Bode video over in the Never-Ending Peak By Bode Miller Discussion thread. Really worth watching.
(I put a comment on it over in that thread.)

Bode on ski design-

Bode Miller interview, March 2023 | International Skiing History Association​

Bode Miller talks about the skis he used throughout his racing career. Interviewed by Seth Masia. 72 minutes.

www.skiinghistory.org

 

[ScottB]

Very good interview, a history lesson for sure and I give Bode credit for reeling in his ego and hyperbole and sounding very sincere. The first 60 minutes is a history lesson, but then he explains how his keyhole works in his Peak skis, and for me it was quite a a revelation. Its all about the torsion deflection that high G loads put on a ski. Best to listen for yourself. I get it now, and the take away in my mind is you have to use adjustable bindings on Peak skis and for every skier there will be a "optimum" boot center location that makes the keyhole work. If your not on that spot, the keyhole feature won't work optimally. How do you know when you are on it, its like porn, you will know it when you see it.

 

[ski otter 2]

Fun to experiment. Some will already be dialed in, others might see big differences, seems like.
I have Marker Schizos on the wider ones, Marker demos on the 98s.

 

[ski otter 2]

Spent three days in powder this past week on the Peak 104s, in everything from 2", to 5-9" on top of snow from before, in places up to a foot.
This ski was good with just 2", a revelation. But in lots of snow build up, on runs that have few people on them this late, man, these skis just had another gear, and came into their own, so to speak. Man, another new favorite five star ski, to me. My other 96 to 106 width skis are likely to get a lot less use from now on, with a big slot in the quiver now filled.

It has taken some getting used to this ski, for me, since this feels like a lightweight ski that takes so little effort to respond in any conditions.
But it responds to laying it over also - on any terrain, pretty much - off piste as much as on. Spaulding Bowl powder/chop/crud, three Bears steep runs in a week of snow, man, these skis made those easy for an old guy. On this ski, terrain I was likely to abandon from old age are now back on the menu for the foreseeable future. Especially soft snow bumps anywhere.

 

[Tony S]

On this ski, terrain I was likely to abandon from old age are now back on the menu for the foreseeable future. Especially soft snow bumps anywhere.

Pro tip: Abandon the hard snow bumps first.