Just getting distracted (in the best way) before taking Scott SuperGuide 95 out for a rip on an April deep day in the San Juans.
You know those long tours that are more for the adventure itself and less about the great skiing conditions? You know the type: they usually involve good friends, a flask of something yummy, lots of beautiful scenic alpine miles, and generally some really junky “snow.” Well sometimes those walks end up having surprise killer tree skiing and include north-facing untouched powder fields! When those days happen, you want skis like the Scott SuperGuide “SG” 95.
One of those days.
First and foremost, this winter, the SuperGuide proved to be a versatile and reliable backcountry ski. Again, this is the kind of ski that is nice to have around on the days that you’re going to hit all sorts of variations in snow conditions. I’ve tested it in deep powder, on the most heinous breakable crust my knees have ever experienced, spring corn, and frozen chunder while night skiing.
Scott SuperGuide 95, 168cm length
I wouldn’t say that this ski performed at the highest in its class in any of these individual types of snow, however, I will say that it worked through ALL of the variations in snow quite well. This leads me to say that it is a good all-around ski that has the ability to be playful and maneuverable. If you were to have one ski in your AT quiver, the SuperGuide could be the perfect fit.
On the uphill SuperGuide 95 feels light but sturdy. The Paulownia wood core gives the ski a nice light float to it, while the carbon and Aramid wrap keeps it strong and resilient. I felt confident while billygoating around on exposed rock sections and during narrow creek crossings. This ski is a pleasure to uphill on.
The Scott SuperGuide 95 is available in three lengths: 168, 178, 184. I tested the shortest of the bunch, which comes in at a weight of about 1306 grams on the WildSnow scale. Scott states that the 184s weight about 1530 grams. This ski sits in the comfy zone of compromise between a nice downhill ride and skin track efficiency.
The tips and tails feature deeper cut sidewalls for smaller radius turns while the sections closer to center have next to vertical side walls for better edging abilities. Early rise in the tips allows for some added buoyancy.
This ski first arrived for the winter 2015/16 season and pretty much remains unchanged except for updated graphic on the 2016/17 ski.
Cleaver holes in the tips and tails allow for Scott skins to be clipped closer to the center of the ski reducing unnecessary skin weight.
Overall, if a one-quiver wonder is your game or you just want a reliable ski that will happily take you up and down all the different versions of “snow” we find out there, the Scott SuperGuide 95 might be the perfect all-in-one for you!
Manufacturer specs:
Available lengths cm: 168, 178, 184
Tip mm: 126, 128, 130
Waist mm: 94, 95, 96
Tail mm: 114, 116, 118
Radius: 19m, 21m, 22m
Construction: Sandwich Sidewall Construction, Carbon/Aramid Elliptic
Weight gm/ski: 1370, 1450, 1530
WildSnow Girl, Rachel Bellamy, skis, snowboards and does just about everything else that’s fun. Rachel calls the Pacific Northwest home but is often romping around the mountains and crags of other states she loves. Whether on snow, rock, or in the sea, this WildSnow Girl will frequently have a camera in hand to capture the bliss of adventure through photography. See her beautiful images on Instagram: birdrachel.
