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J Skis Fastforward

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bremmick

bremmick

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@JLev to the SkiTalk Courtesy Phone

It reminds me of the 4frnt MSP, although maybe more twin tip. Was hoping for a MSP 92. Overall I want a fast, fun ski for UT non-storm cycles. But still have great edge hold when it gets hard here, in Jackson or Big Sky. I've had the MSP 99 in 189 and loved that ski, only flaw is the tails sometimes seemed to get in the way in the tight trees or bumps. That ski has a very high speed limit.
 

GregK

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Measured my effective edge on my 183cm CT 1.0 out of curiosity and looks around 155cm/1550mm or about 5cm longer than the 181cm Fastforward. Seems about right as the CT 1.0 is 2cm longer and has a bit less taper.

If the Fastforward 181cm measures the same 178.8cm like the 181cm, then the given 82.5cm from tail spec(vs the 81.5cm up on the old 181cm Masterblaster) should give it a mount point 1cm ahead of the MB or about 6.9cm back of Center. Noticed the new Masterblaster now has the same “more forward” mount point as well.

Would think the Fastforward would ski a BIT “longer” than the old Masterblaster due to reduced rocker and stiffer flex but doubt it’s a huge difference. Would be nice for a longer length option than 181cm as a 187cm version would measure the same as a 186cm Enforcer 94(and they have 191cm option too).
 
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JLev

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@JLev to the SkiTalk Courtesy Phone

All J skis, and previously all Line skis we've always based the advertised ski length on the actual engineered final length from tip to tip with the ski 100% flat on a table (no camber, tip, tail curve). This what our engineer sees when creating the ski shape in CAD. We use this because it's the ISO standards method for measuring skis. I'm not an engineer and don't know exactly where it says that but every engineer I've ever worked with points to this as the standard. Obviously there are brands that massage the numbers to be more marketable or just ignore that standard and measure cord length tip to tip when ski is bent (longer finished length). You'd have to check each brand to see if their advertised length is cord length or flat like we do it.

All that said, the Masterblaster and Fastforward are both derived from the previous Masterblaster DNA. This means the core mechanical and geometry properties will be similar being from the same family simply different widths and slightly more or less oriented toward pow or firm snow.

The Masterblaster is now 99mm instead of 96mm waist so it's going to naturally float better than previous and it has SLIGHTLY more rocker but still very gradual enabling the rocker to always engage when laid up on edge of firm snow... but now surf and float easier when in soft snow.

The Fastforward is one step closer than the previous Masterblaster as a carvier ski that has slightly less rocker and more edge grip but still very playful and nimble in soft snow than traditional carving specific skis. Obviously 92mm today although it's considered narrow by many, it was considered a powder ski just 10 yrs ago haaa. So plenty versatile

All in all, my goal for all my skis has always to be easier to handle = less tiring and way more fun and playful.

- if you want more grip, less float go with The Fastforward 92mm waist
- If you want more float but still grip and rip like a pro go with The Masterblaster 99mm waist

When it comes to length, we found previously most people purchased the 181 Masterblaster and very few needed the 187cm. Those that did choose 187 often told us it was too much ski, so we figured the first year of an even narrower ski, The Fastforward we'd be better off supporting a larger quantity of customers by offering shorter lengths and can always consider adding longer in the future depending on demand.

Although you can't touch and feel a ski when buying online, we have lots of reviews and PLEASE REMEMBER we offer a money back guarantee... after 5 days of riding on the mountain. That means if you go skiing 3 months from now or even 6 months from now and simply don't absolutely love my skis after your first 5 days on snow, you can hit us up for a full refund and return them, we are also happy to swap for a different size no problem!

Great to hear you were already talking to our crew here in customer service at Jskis.com

Thanks for considering my skis and hit me up anytime here or on social. Cheers!
 

jmeb

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Just another opinion from the internet.....

/s.

Thanks for weighing in.
 
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bremmick

bremmick

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All J skis, and previously all Line skis we've always based the advertised ski length on the actual engineered final length from tip to tip with the ski 100% flat on a table (no camber, tip, tail curve). This what our engineer sees when creating the ski shape in CAD. We use this because it's the ISO standards method for measuring skis. I'm not an engineer and don't know exactly where it says that but every engineer I've ever worked with points to this as the standard. Obviously there are brands that massage the numbers to be more marketable or just ignore that standard and measure cord length tip to tip when ski is bent (longer finished length). You'd have to check each brand to see if their advertised length is cord length or flat like we do it.

All that said, the Masterblaster and Fastforward are both derived from the previous Masterblaster DNA. This means the core mechanical and geometry properties will be similar being from the same family simply different widths and slightly more or less oriented toward pow or firm snow.

The Masterblaster is now 99mm instead of 96mm waist so it's going to naturally float better than previous and it has SLIGHTLY more rocker but still very gradual enabling the rocker to always engage when laid up on edge of firm snow... but now surf and float easier when in soft snow.

The Fastforward is one step closer than the previous Masterblaster as a carvier ski that has slightly less rocker and more edge grip but still very playful and nimble in soft snow than traditional carving specific skis. Obviously 92mm today although it's considered narrow by many, it was considered a powder ski just 10 yrs ago haaa. So plenty versatile

All in all, my goal for all my skis has always to be easier to handle = less tiring and way more fun and playful.

- if you want more grip, less float go with The Fastforward 92mm waist
- If you want more float but still grip and rip like a pro go with The Masterblaster 99mm waist

When it comes to length, we found previously most people purchased the 181 Masterblaster and very few needed the 187cm. Those that did choose 187 often told us it was too much ski, so we figured the first year of an even narrower ski, The Fastforward we'd be better off supporting a larger quantity of customers by offering shorter lengths and can always consider adding longer in the future depending on demand.

Although you can't touch and feel a ski when buying online, we have lots of reviews and PLEASE REMEMBER we offer a money back guarantee... after 5 days of riding on the mountain. That means if you go skiing 3 months from now or even 6 months from now and simply don't absolutely love my skis after your first 5 days on snow, you can hit us up for a full refund and return them, we are also happy to swap for a different size no problem!

Great to hear you were already talking to our crew here in customer service at Jskis.com

Thanks for considering my skis and hit me up anytime here or on social. Cheers!

J, can you comment on how the ski feels in length with regards to a masterblaster. If I recall correctly, the Masterblaster and MSP skied pretty similar, so that could provide a reference point. I really enjoyed the 189 MSP 99 for skiing fast and railing big turns, where I wasn't the most fond was in the tighter stuff, it was a little cumbersome.

Thanks.
 
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Been on the JSki Metal for past couple of seasons (previous 'fat' ski was Gotama) and have been so pleased that I decided to buy the FastForward last month. Have not shipped yet but pretty excited to get on them and report back here. Been happy with my current groomer (Brahmas), but hoping the extra width/rocker of the FF will provide more versatility without as much work that is definitely required when going off piste on the 88s. Use Pivots on both. It's only September?? Hurry up and snow!
 

MapleLeaf

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Same here, on 186 The Metal for the last couple of seasons and love them. Currently have Enforcer 93 at this waist width, the FastForward arrived yesterday, I'm hoping they feel like a 181 Enforcer 93 would if Nordica had made that length, can't wait for the snow to fly to get out on them! A little surprised the factory edge bevels on the FastFoward are 1/1 just like The Metal. I've been skiing the Enforcer 93 and Mindbender 99Ti at 1/2 and that works great, I'm interested to see if I will notice the difference on the FastForward.
 

GregK

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Same here, on 186 The Metal for the last couple of seasons and love them. Currently have Enforcer 93 at this waist width, the FastForward arrived yesterday, I'm hoping they feel like a 181 Enforcer 93 would if Nordica had made that length, can't wait for the snow to fly to get out on them! A little surprised the factory edge bevels on the FastFoward are 1/1 just like The Metal. I've been skiing the Enforcer 93 and Mindbender 99Ti at 1/2 and that works great, I'm interested to see if I will notice the difference on the FastForward.

Will feel similar to an Enforcer Free if Nordica made one that narrow but with less taper so hopefully better edge grip. Should be a fun ski!

Any new ski should be hand tuned to check for base flatness and that edge bevels are consistent. You could definitely change the sides to 2 degrees for more bite if you’d like. I have all my skis from 106mm and narrower with a 1/3 and my 112mm and 118mm at 1/2(the 118 was originally at 1/1 like your JSkis).
 

MapleLeaf

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Will feel similar to an Enforcer Free if Nordica made one that narrow but with less taper so hopefully better edge grip. Should be a fun ski!

Any new ski should be hand tuned to check for base flatness and that edge bevels are consistent. You could definitely change the sides to 2 degrees for more bite if you’d like. I have all my skis from 106mm and narrower with a 1/3 and my 112mm and 118mm at 1/2(the 118 was originally at 1/1 like your JSkis).

Thanks for the input Greg, that makes sense about the FastForward feeling closer to a narrower Nordica Free as it appears to have a looser tail than the Enforcer 93. When I looked at the FastForward on paper compared to the Enforcer 93 before purchasing I envisioned the Enforcer 93 would be a little better carver, but thought the FastForward could be more agile off piste, can't wait to find out!
 

GregK

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Thanks for the input Greg, that makes sense about the FastForward feeling closer to a narrower Nordica Free as it appears to have a looser tail than the Enforcer 93. When I looked at the FastForward on paper compared to the Enforcer 93 before purchasing I envisioned the Enforcer 93 would be a little better carver, but thought the FastForward could be more agile off piste, can't wait to find out!
I wouldn’t doubt the Fastforward will be more fun off piste AND a better carver on edge than the Enforcer. Enforcers have too much taper in their 88/93/94 skis and have always lacked hard snow grip. My Candide skis are better carvers on hard snow than the Enforcers and I wouldn’t doubt these JSkis will be the same.
 

ELDoane

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I posted these thoughts in another thread and remembered we had this one going, too.

BLUF - It ain't a race ski, but it sure is fast.

You will know you're on a 92 wide ski as it certainly doesn't like to snap edge to edge like a V76 or an e-Rally. Still pretty quick, mind you, but I'd certainly classify this thing as a narrower all mountain tool rather than a frontside specific ski. Pretty damp for such a poppy, bouncy feeling ski. It's kind of a contradiction that I was pleased with.

I went flat out through some real crunchy freeze/thaw "corduroy" bouncing back and forth between big sweeping arcs and short turns down the fall line. Very little tip chatter, despite the hard conditions, and as long as I stayed on them, all the grip I needed. I felt happily planted, but you do notice the softer tails at the ends of the turns. Not a lot of rebound, for sure, and the rockered, twin-tip tail is noticeable. But, nothing that bothered me, it was just different feeling than a stiff, flat tail. Of course, if you're looking at a J Ski, you probably were looking for a looser stick to begin with.

On that front, the Fastforward delivers. You can break the tail free at will and, if your style includes throwing in a pivot in tight space to shut down speed or you like to slarve or schmear, you're going to like these. I'll have to check in deeper snow (c'mon Ullr!) but the frozen grans built up into soft mounds provided chances to spray some flatter ski turns around in between the carves.

Plenty of fun in the park, it hops and pops as well as anything with a metal laminate should. I'm not a great park skier and these do breed a certain amount of confidence, especially on landings. Maybe it's the marketing, but I did find myself launching myself off anything I could find on these. Fun!

This is likely going to be my daily driver when I'm with a crowd. I feel like I can do everything well that a group might want. Mach 8 GS turns? Check. Steep, tight turns? Easy. Bumps? No problem - unless you're a zipperline addict looking to ride the lightning, in which case, buy some 244s. Ready for launch? Check. If I am looking for a ski to excel at one thing, there is literally nowhere this ski fits. There are better chargers, carvers, park skis, and powder sticks out there. But if I am looking for one ski to take me all over the hill in a single day and put a grin on my face while doing it, I'm sold.

Note on sizing - 181 is the hugest they come. I'm 6'3" and 215 lbs and I think I'm at the outer limit on these. If @JLev made 'em bigger, I'd consider buying a 186, but I'm plenty comfortable on the 181. If you already have a big charger in your quiver, or your home hill is full of tight trails, you might want consider giving a shorter than normal length a try.
 

GregK

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Good to hear a first hand review of the new Fastforward skis and glad you’re liking them!

Happy that there are some daily driver options now between lightweight noodles and traditional chargers. Finally some narrow waist width “playful charger” skis.

Loving my set of the 21 Faction 183cm CT 1.0 for similar use.
 

Ratbastrd

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Quick write up on the Fastforward. Spent a few hours on the skis this past week in Tahoe. Needless to say my 110's, got most of my attention given all the snow, but had a chance to put the FF through their paces on a variety of terrain and snow conditions. Agree with most of the earlier reviews, they are rather damp, stable ski that are a bit more playful then their larger siblings. Was reasonably surprised with the float in the deeper stuff, despite the weight and width. They seemed to excel in heavier broken up snow, so typical of Tahoe mid morning when everything is getting tracked out. The weight and consistent flex pattern make for a nice suspension in broken up softer snow. Not the liveliest or most intuitive ski I've ever ridden (groomers), took some speed, patience and attention to really feel them out. They definitely want to be skied faster as they are somewhat lazy and non-responsive at slower speeds. Given my size, this somewhat surprised me. I suspect the edge angle is a bit extreme for softer snow. May need to explore modifying the edges a bit for typical Tahoe conditions. FYI, I'm a larger skier, 6'1 215, ski's are 181's mounted with Pivots.
 
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GregK

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The 181cm Fastforward is only an 18m radius so it shouldn’t need a lot of speed to come alive so I think you’re right there might be a tune issue.Base is either edge high and/or the base bevel is not uniform at 1 degree tip to tail would be my guess. That would cause what you’re describing.
 

ELDoane

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The 181cm Fastforward is only an 18m radius so it shouldn’t need a lot of speed to come alive so I think you’re right there might be a tune issue.Base is either edge high and/or the base bevel is not uniform at 1 degree tip to tail would be my guess. That would cause what you’re describing.
+1. I retuned when I had a similar feeling and it got better afterwards. I might need a grind, but lost my truebar to check, darn kids. J ships at 1/1. I took mine to 1/2 and it did increase grip, but they feel a little hooky now. I may go back. I'm also not the world's most proficient tuner, so I could have messed something up, too.
 

GregK

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+1. I retuned when I had a similar feeling and it got better afterwards. I might need a grind, but lost my truebar to check, darn kids. J ships at 1/1. I took mine to 1/2 and it did increase grip, but they feel a little hooky now. I may go back. I'm also not the world's most proficient tuner, so I could have messed something up, too.
Sounds more like a base flatness, base bevel or burr issue than the side angle issue. Have all my similar Faction CT skis at 1/3 without issue.
A steel scrapper or metal ruler works very well to check base flatness too if you have one of those.

I’d check if the base is flat and then go over the base bevel with a file then diamond stone again, especially around the tip and tail where they might be below 1 degree still. Hit the sides edges too with a 2 degree guide again with a diamond stone and then I LIGHTLY drag a soft gummy along the edge on a 45 degree angle once or twice to make sure it’s totally burr free.
Then heavily detune/smooth above the widest taper points on the tips and tails with a file/diamond stone to make sure they aren’t catchy and to reduce top sheet chipping.
 

GregK

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Finally read the Blister review and wondering if their review pair has some tuning issues too as the nervousness on firm snow sounds like a base high ski.
Noticed a comment below the review that one person returned his new pair as he didn’t feel confident on them as well. They returned the Fastforward for the previous version of the Masterblaster which they prefer but it was well known for having edge grip issues on firm snow.

I’d be checking the base flatness and getting them stone ground if not perfect and resetting the bevels by hand at 1/2. The ski should have much better edge grip with it’s shape and profile then what’s being reported so far.
 

ELDoane

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I’d be checking the base flatness and getting them stone ground if not perfect and resetting the bevels by hand at 1/2. The ski should have much better edge grip with it’s shape and profile then what’s being reported so far.
This is key. J ships at a 1/1 and I had a much better time after resetting to 1/2. They will still wash out a little on ice if you aren't driving the shovels, something I attribute to the twin tip tail. I haven't checked the base flatness, might be something to look into.
 

GregK

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This is key. J ships at a 1/1 and I had a much better time after resetting to 1/2. They will still wash out a little on ice if you aren't driving the shovels, something I attribute to the twin tip tail. I haven't checked the base flatness, might be something to look into.
If you feel the need to constantly drive the shovels on any ski, it’s a VERY good chance it’s base high underfoot. Base high skis have the “skiing on marbles” feeling and you are constantly adjusting your stance to try and get balanced.
Myself and others went through this on Volkl Deacons 72 and 76 and a few pairs in the Candide thread were a bit base high.
After stone grinding and bevel reset, they instantly felt more planted and much more confidence inspiring.

Most new skis seem to be more commonly edge high which feel TOO locked into turns, make the ski feel heavy and slow edge to edge.
You can even get both edge and base high areas on a single ski which are a nightmare till properly ground flat. It’s sometimes shocking the difference a stone grind and edge bevel reset can make.
 

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