Ski Canada Test 2019 On-Slope Reviews
YOUR MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLD
The Citadel is the widest of RENOUN’s three skis, yet it’s also the lightest and sometimes the stiffest. Like all RENOUN’s skis, the Citadel has stringers of HDT, the company’s proprietary vibration dampening polymer, inlaid into the core. It has the unique property of becoming stiffer as the ski vibrates, reducing chatter and increasing strength and carving. The Citadel has twice as much HDT as RENOUN’s other skis, and is also its only full carbon ski. It has a small early rise tip, just a touch of early rise in the tail and a bit of camber underfoot. (US$1,499; renoun.com)
RENOUN CITADEL
US$1,499 * BEST FOR: A backcountry weapon that can still carve.
LENGTHS: 178, 185, 191 * RADIUS: 19@185 * SIDECUT: 136/106/125
The most expensive ski we reviewed this year is also the most technology rich. The Vermont micro-brand’s newest and widest ski is the result of three years of R&D. The Citadel is full carbon with 24 channels of HDT, a unique polymer the company discovered that stiffens with vibration. The faster the speed, the rougher or harder the snow, the more vibration or chatter the skier experiences. HDT stiffens as the vibration increases, absorbing more. The result is a super lightweight ski that acts more like a heavy, metal-filled ski. “It was easy to swing from edge-to-edge, whether I was carving in soft groomers or plowing through heavy powder,” said SC’s Technical Editor Ryan Stuart. “It felt much smaller and lighter than its 106mm waist.” Match it with a Marker KingPin or Salomon S/Lab Shift binding for a great slackcountry combo.
