Ski Canada Test 2019 On-Slope Reviews
PROOF POSITIVE
Firmly on the all-mountain side of freeride, Deviation’s The Proof could be a one-ski quiver. Its 16m turn radius is snappy, and a 101mm waist can rip a groomer or bound through the bumps. Plenty of tip rocker and just a bit in the tail allow it to plane in powder but also polish off a turn in a perfect C. And Deviation built it light enough for backcountry use (3.9 kg), and added a notch in the tail for attaching skins. (US$849; deviationusa.com)
DEVIATION THE PROOF
US$849 * BEST FOR: An all-mountain ski with a playful side.
LENGTHS: 168, 178, 185 * RADIUS: 16@178 * SIDECUT: 136/101/122
This unique ski threw a lot of testers, but the ones who figured it out really liked it. The sweet spot for turning this ski in slop, moguls, groomers and steeps took some experimenting to find. “Once I adjusted my skiing to pressure more in the middle and less in the tips, the ski suddenly came alive for me,” said Ryan Stuart. “It was easy to hook into a turn and smoothly transfer into the next turn.” That may be due to the rocker profile, lots in the tip and only a smidge in the tail. “In sloppy spring conditions it stayed high in the snow, and the long tail made it easy to spray the corn,” Stuart added. At medium speeds Paul LaPerriere found it easy to turn, and thought it would make a great slackcountry weapon: “It’s a nice versatile width for playing around the resort or getting into the backcountry.”
