Well, here goes.
I watched the Pugski Bode interview (Thanks!), looked at the website, got the skis. I just had a good feeling, about this model in particular. In case you haven't yet watched it:
www.skitalk.com
Maybe the category for this ski is "non-typical, fun, front side biased carver". At home on all corduroy, yes. Wow. But I found them more versatile also - good in some crud and powder as long as it's not too uneven. And they will do mild bumps in crud very well, at a carve. (I'd been told they were not good in crud, but it's more they have some of a race-like skis' aversion to really uneven/big bumpy terrain instead.) To my surprise - and relief - I enjoyed them in mild off piste as well as on.
I only have one day on these, so bear with me, these are first impressions. Subject to change or updates (by myself or others).
(This review sooner rather than later, in response to a request.)
So, what a relief, these things rock - so far so good. At first I had to get used to their strong tips (at this length, anyway), and their stiffness, relative to skis like, say, the Line Blade, Liberty VMTs, or similar skis. But by the end of the first run I'd mostly adjusted. They hold an edge, flex and carve as dependably as a GS race ski (at this length, at least), rock solid that way; yet with much more forgiveness and more of the versatility of something like a Deacon, or a Head iSpeed Supershape WC Rebel RD (in a similar length). But they are pretty much different from such versatile near race skis also, a different animal. It's partly because of the lack of, or very late tip taper, I think, which gives them a steep "V" shape or, to me, narrow fan shape, in front of the boots to the tip (like the Blades and the VMTs and others). The dang things don't hook, or catch an edge, or need such care/or such precise timing in that sort of way, nor with their flex, as a result. Very confidence inspiring. To me they are as forgiving, almost, as a very different type of ski, more all mountain in that way. But they still have the chops close to a race ski - a much more accessible race ski.
Another thing: Bode (in the Pugski interview) mentioned that many skis have their turn shape too far forward, so they chatter, are not dialed in, make less experienced skiers doubt themselves. Well, I think that is another part of the success of this ski: they are dialed in, in this and other ways - just a dialed in carve, hard to make chatter, a right feel to these things with attention to the details, dunno, maybe in a fresh way. It helps that these skis have rubber along the edges and in the tips to help with dampening. That seems to work also.
And it helps that these skis were pretty much perfectly tuned, at least my pair, and needed no follow up tuning, flattening or adjustments.
Bode said in that interview he wanted a ski people (and families) could learn with, that more folks could learn to carve well with - that would give confidence; and as a result, folks could learn to commit more fully to the turn and learn to carve better and more easily. Well, to me, this ski does that, big time. But it's also a ski that a good, experienced skier can love as well, at least so far.
I know this may not be really applicable, but please forgive me, bear with me a bit (and please don't ask me "where I read that?"): what do you get when you cross an FIS GS ski (at this length) with a pair of Line Blades? (Or maybe Head V8s, or Liberty VMTs in 76. 82 or 92)?
Well, maybe with some careful cultivation you get this ski, the Dissenter 78; a Bode Miller/Crosson ski. For me, it has the best of both worlds, so far. The Blade, to me, is such easy carving fun; but it is just so much a noodle. The FIS ski, on the other hand, tends to intimidate some, and wants me on my best game, on less crowded slopes, maybe. Not these, to me.
When I saw them online, they just seemed to have a bit of the shape of those other "fan" shaped or "V" shaped skis, good learning to carve skis; but maybe more dialed in and more ski , maybe more right for me. I just had a good feeling.
Crosson Dissenter 78
165 r. 14; 175 r. 15; 185 r. 16
134-78-110 @ 185
130-78-110 @ 175
Boots: Lange RS 130 LV
bindings: Marker Griffen 13 demos,
mounted BC on the recommended dimple
me 150 lbs/5'10"
The day was the day after a powder day, on top of previous melt and freeze, so a variety of conditions:
some crud, some soft, some firm, some ice underneath in places, some bumps formed and skied off terrain, as well as corduroy.
I thought of getting a pair of Pivots, the bindings Bode Miller was using, but stuck with my usual Marker demo bindings for more narrow skis
that I don't really want to be like race skis, with no race bindings and plate - hopefully more versatile. (Not the recent toe high Marker demos - yuck.)
I had various guesses about the ski beforehand, but these were a surprise, in a good way. Something, for me, very different. Success.
(Bode mentioned he wanted to recommend the longer version. Glad he did. I'd probably have gotten that anyway.
)
P.S. I don't really know how much of a hand Bode had with this particular model, but it seemed to mesh pretty well with what what he was saying, at any rate.
I watched the Pugski Bode interview (Thanks!), looked at the website, got the skis. I just had a good feeling, about this model in particular. In case you haven't yet watched it:
EXCLUSIVE: Bode Miller on SkiTalk Live 1/13/21
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Bode Miller. This week on SkiTalk LIVE we have the most successful American skier of all time, Bode Miller. At the top of Bode’s long list of accomplishments are 6 Olympic Medals, Two World Championships, and 33 World Cup victories. Bode will be joining us both on the...
www.skitalk.com
Maybe the category for this ski is "non-typical, fun, front side biased carver". At home on all corduroy, yes. Wow. But I found them more versatile also - good in some crud and powder as long as it's not too uneven. And they will do mild bumps in crud very well, at a carve. (I'd been told they were not good in crud, but it's more they have some of a race-like skis' aversion to really uneven/big bumpy terrain instead.) To my surprise - and relief - I enjoyed them in mild off piste as well as on.
I only have one day on these, so bear with me, these are first impressions. Subject to change or updates (by myself or others).
(This review sooner rather than later, in response to a request.)
So, what a relief, these things rock - so far so good. At first I had to get used to their strong tips (at this length, anyway), and their stiffness, relative to skis like, say, the Line Blade, Liberty VMTs, or similar skis. But by the end of the first run I'd mostly adjusted. They hold an edge, flex and carve as dependably as a GS race ski (at this length, at least), rock solid that way; yet with much more forgiveness and more of the versatility of something like a Deacon, or a Head iSpeed Supershape WC Rebel RD (in a similar length). But they are pretty much different from such versatile near race skis also, a different animal. It's partly because of the lack of, or very late tip taper, I think, which gives them a steep "V" shape or, to me, narrow fan shape, in front of the boots to the tip (like the Blades and the VMTs and others). The dang things don't hook, or catch an edge, or need such care/or such precise timing in that sort of way, nor with their flex, as a result. Very confidence inspiring. To me they are as forgiving, almost, as a very different type of ski, more all mountain in that way. But they still have the chops close to a race ski - a much more accessible race ski.
Another thing: Bode (in the Pugski interview) mentioned that many skis have their turn shape too far forward, so they chatter, are not dialed in, make less experienced skiers doubt themselves. Well, I think that is another part of the success of this ski: they are dialed in, in this and other ways - just a dialed in carve, hard to make chatter, a right feel to these things with attention to the details, dunno, maybe in a fresh way. It helps that these skis have rubber along the edges and in the tips to help with dampening. That seems to work also.
And it helps that these skis were pretty much perfectly tuned, at least my pair, and needed no follow up tuning, flattening or adjustments.
Bode said in that interview he wanted a ski people (and families) could learn with, that more folks could learn to carve well with - that would give confidence; and as a result, folks could learn to commit more fully to the turn and learn to carve better and more easily. Well, to me, this ski does that, big time. But it's also a ski that a good, experienced skier can love as well, at least so far.
I know this may not be really applicable, but please forgive me, bear with me a bit (and please don't ask me "where I read that?"): what do you get when you cross an FIS GS ski (at this length) with a pair of Line Blades? (Or maybe Head V8s, or Liberty VMTs in 76. 82 or 92)?
Well, maybe with some careful cultivation you get this ski, the Dissenter 78; a Bode Miller/Crosson ski. For me, it has the best of both worlds, so far. The Blade, to me, is such easy carving fun; but it is just so much a noodle. The FIS ski, on the other hand, tends to intimidate some, and wants me on my best game, on less crowded slopes, maybe. Not these, to me.
When I saw them online, they just seemed to have a bit of the shape of those other "fan" shaped or "V" shaped skis, good learning to carve skis; but maybe more dialed in and more ski , maybe more right for me. I just had a good feeling.
Crosson Dissenter 78
165 r. 14; 175 r. 15; 185 r. 16
134-78-110 @ 185
130-78-110 @ 175
Boots: Lange RS 130 LV
bindings: Marker Griffen 13 demos,
mounted BC on the recommended dimple
me 150 lbs/5'10"
The day was the day after a powder day, on top of previous melt and freeze, so a variety of conditions:
some crud, some soft, some firm, some ice underneath in places, some bumps formed and skied off terrain, as well as corduroy.
I thought of getting a pair of Pivots, the bindings Bode Miller was using, but stuck with my usual Marker demo bindings for more narrow skis
that I don't really want to be like race skis, with no race bindings and plate - hopefully more versatile. (Not the recent toe high Marker demos - yuck.)
I had various guesses about the ski beforehand, but these were a surprise, in a good way. Something, for me, very different. Success.
(Bode mentioned he wanted to recommend the longer version. Glad he did. I'd probably have gotten that anyway.
)P.S. I don't really know how much of a hand Bode had with this particular model, but it seemed to mesh pretty well with what what he was saying, at any rate.
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