SKI CANADA TEST 2022
INSTINCT ORIGINAL SENDER (O//S) * FREERIDE/POWDER
BEST FOR: Charging in big terrain.
Instinct skis stand out. They’re one of the few with a contoured cap construction, versus the more common square sandwich. They always sport an eye-catching graphic—everything from Stealth-black to mountain scenes and the O//S’s ghostly image. When you pick them up they have a remarkably lightweight and high quality feel; Al Eagleton builds each pair in his Rossland, B.C., workshop. Several testers of the O//S noted the obvious craftsmanship right before they praised the performance. “Super stable at speed,” wrote Chris Baikie. “Long-radius turns are its happy place.” Indeed, Eagleton designed the straighter sidecut and stiff build (including sheets of Kevlar, basalt, spectra and carbon) for Maching in wide-open terrain and mostly in soft snow. Many testers found the O//S hard to handle in Mount Washington’s treed slopes, but for those with the skill and attitude to let it go found a ski that has no top end. “You’ve got to have the courage to let it rip,” said Ryan Stuart. “When I did, I found it was surprisingly manoeuvrable and utterly dependable.” A ski for showing off at big resorts and in the alpine backcountry.
LENGTH: 186
DIMENSIONS: 136/108/128 @ 186
RADIUS: 19 @ 186
WEIGHT: 1,860g @ 186
SUGGESTED RETAIL: $1249
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