Let’s take what we like about a race ski, but make it a little more approachable and versatile. Renoun uses a common sense approach to designing a high performance frontside carver for the people!
It appears they have basically taken a slightly wider race ski layup and mellowed out the flex just a bit for us mere mortals. Then they shaped it somewhere between an SL and a “cheater” GS sidecut and finally added just a hint of early rise in the tips to reduce the hookiness that racers prefer, but we probably don’t.
Think this sounds like a winner? It really is.
What you end up with is a versatile, relatively forgiving ski that loves to lay over on an edge, but won’t take you for the ride.
If you want a true “resort race ski”, go for the beef and get one of the many choices out there. But if you prefer a little less of the business and all of the fun, this may be your go-to ski.
RENOUN SKIS are what you would call a “boutique” brand. They inevitably elicit questions from curious fellow skiers on the chairlift. Renoun relies predominantly on a direct-to-consumer online sales platform. Their skis are not cheap, but pricing is right in line or even a little less than other premium handmade brands.
In place of a retail demo opportunity, they have a unique “Risk Free” program where they’ll send you the skis, you have them mounted with your bindings, and you try them out for a period of time. If you don’t like them, just send them back (yes, with the screw holes in them!) for a full refund.
From the Renoun website: “Ski them up to five days within six months of delivery and if you’re not absolutely in love, exchange or return for a full refund” (including return shipping).
ABOUT THESE SKIS:
Sticking to the Renoun theme, like other skis in their lineup, even though the Atlas 80s have two full sheets of metal, they are still quite light and definitely don’t have that heavy planted feel that many frontside carvers have.
As far as design, at 80mm under foot, they are a bit wider than many frontside carvers. They are also on the slightly softer side of the flex index in this category. Finally, they added a slight early rise tip for smooth and easy turn initiation.
All of these design characteristics contribute to a ski with greater versatility and ability to deal with differing terrain and conditions that one might encounter, even when staying on-piste.
Adding a fun 15 meter turn radius to the mix creates skis that make you want to catch first chair just for the virgin corduroy!
While I tend to focus mostly on the outward aspects of the ski design, let’s not forget what goes on inside. All Renoun skis feature their patented “VibeStop” material in the layup and they are marketed as being more “knee friendly” than other ski designs. More on that later.
Despite the fact that Renown skis are manufactured in Quebec, Canada and headquartered in Vermont, IMO their character is anything but “east coast”. You might expect a typical east coast oriented ski to be rather heavy, stiff, and damp to best deal with prevailing conditions. These skis, along with the rest of their lineup, are actually on the lighter side of the spectrum and seem to behave more like skis with very little or no metal. They are very light, agile, quick, and playful. And while this will always come at the expense of some stability and dampness, it’s remarkably little.
So what is this patented VibeStop Polymer Technology?
Renoun’s claim: When subjected to high stress, such as during intense turns, the polymer instantly stiffens, providing enhanced stability. Under low stress, it softens, allowing for more flexibility in softer snow conditions. Reduced chatter means better edge contact and more control. Reduced vibration leads to less muscle fatigue and more runs.
My take: While it’s impossible for me to determine if this VibeStop stuff really works, there is definitely something good going on here. These skis feel very light underfoot and may be the most effortless turning skis I’ve ever been on. The fact that this kind of performance comes at so little cost in dampness and stability is really quite amazing.
I can attest to the fact that these skis definitely feel easier and less fatiguing as the day wears on than other skis I’ve been on. This brings us to their claim of being more “knee friendly”. If the VibeStop is responsible for less chatter and a smoother ride, and the skis are overall very light and easy to turn, then I’d guess they probably are not only more knee friendly, but total body friendly.
My advice is to take advantage of their unique “no jeopardy” guarantee program, and just see for yourself.
SPECS:
- Stated length & dimensions: 177cm………… 128-80-113
- Measured length & dimensions: 175cm …… 128–79–113 (see comments)
- Stated turn radius: 15m
- Recommended mount point: -6.8cm / Actual mount point: -6.8cm (Note: I thought this might be a bit too forward, but it actually felt right on the money)
They come from the factory with 1 degree base and 1 degree side edge bevels. This seems a bit conservative, especially for a frontside carver, so I will eventually go to a 1 & 3 on these skis.
PERFORMANCE:
Groomers, Hardpack, and Carving: (8/10)
I have numerous ski partners that have no appreciation for groomers. They are great skiers, but have never taken the time to really hone their turning techniques. I feel sorry for them! The feeling of being in control of a true carved turn is simply addicting. These skis are turning machines.
Not off the charts like a 12m pure SL race ski, but right in the sweet spot where controlling edge angle results in effortless variation of turn shapes. Just a nice smooth forward flex results in tip engagement, then progressing into a solid and controlled bending, and finally a slight aft pressure in the finish to propel off the tails.
While I may be no real speed demon, I’m no slouch either, and I certainly didn’t notice any perceived speed limit with these skis. They stayed smooth and controllable even when I stepped on the gas.
Despite pointing out the differences that separate this ski from many of the more race oriented frontsiders, I will be totally happy using this ski as my Nastar or Beer League racing ski next season. As a novice level racer, many of its characteristics may even help on the race course.
BUMPS: (9/10)
These skis are great in the moguls. And this is really no surprise. They have pretty much all the ingredients you would expect in a good bump ski.
- Relatively narrow underfoot
- Lightweight overall with a low swing weight in the tips
- Nice even flex pattern and not overly stiff
- Slight early rise tip to reduce unintended engagement and smooth out turn initiation
While a 15m turn radius may not be ideal for a bump ski (competition bump skis tend to be fairly straight), it certainly doesn’t feel like a detriment and I definitely wouldn’t trade it for the fun it delivers on the groomers.
They seem to reward a very traditional ski style with a nice centered position, They allow for an easy transition of balance fore and aft along the the length of the ski through the bumps.
Basically instead of a bucking bronco like many “resort” race skis, they are quite friendly and won’t punish you when you either choose to ski bumps or inevitably wander into them on pretty much all expert terrain anywhere.
Other Conditions:
I won’t really get into Trees, Powder, Etc since that’s not what these skis were designed for. From my short experience on them, I would totally expect the same verstility characteristics mentioned above to be equally advantageous when wandering off piste.
I will mention two things:
- Unlike some of the instability knocks that the lightweight Endurance 88 and 98 get in heavy variable conditions, I thought these skis felt just about as stable as some other heavier skis in this category (ie. Nordica Spitfire, Blizzard Thunderbird). This was in heavy, piled spring slush.
- Also, the odd tinty, pingy noise I experienced with the E88s does not seem to exist at all with these skis.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
I would not neccessarily recommend these skis to anyone less than an expert level skier. Why? In a nutshell, they are a high end ski built with a high performance design.
Most particularly, because they have a “demanding tail”. Not because they are too stiff. It’s because of the aggressive sidecut in the tail section. When laid on edge, they are much happier in a carved type turn than a skidded turn. Of course they will brush or skid when needed, but it’s not in their comfort zone. That being said, if you let those tails follow the tips and do what they were designed to do, hang on!
I just appreciate Renoun’s approach to designing skis. Rather than having separate “Directional vs Freeride” lineups within their brand, they seem to try to take the best of both worlds and put them into one ski, and in moderate doses. This results in a very versatile, high performance, but user-friendly platform to slide on snow with.
Finally, kudos on the graphics. Attractive and classy. I got compliments on the lift from day one.
Tester: 71 y/o male Level 2 ski instructor. 5’11”, 172lb.
Boots / Bindings: Technica Mach 1 130 MV, Look SPX-13
Conditions: Late season, spring conditions. Soft, grippy corduroy to slushy and icy. Hard icy moguls to slush bumps. Winter to Spring temps.
Location: Colorado – Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, & Keystone
Regarding the A80 2cm length discrepancy, I have no idea whether it also applies to the other length skis, but I can only assume it does.
This true shorter length actually happened to work out sweetly for me. As I’m building my quiver, I actually prefer my ski lengths to slightly increase along with the widths. “Slightly” is the key word. I don’t usually want to go up a whole size which is usually 6-8cm. A true 175cm on the A80 and E88 and then 177cm on the E98 worked out perfectly.
If I was getting the Citadel 107 I’d ideally like it to be a bit longer around 180cm (which they don’t have).