I got zapped by a pair of killowatts, and it hurt good. After a few days skiing on Black Diamond’s new wood core fattie backcountry ski, I’m convinced the Kilowatt would make a fine addition to any quiver.
I got zapped by a Kilowatt and it hurt good. (09/10 graphics shown above, early models had a red theme.)
Specifics: I didn’t get edgehold from the Kilowatt that a more dedicated hardpack ski provides, but after making sure the ski was tuned flat with recommended bevel, they had enough bite to dial up the fun meter. Overall feeling on the groom was a silky smooth forgiving sensation, like settling back in a recliner with a good book. Once in the chop and unbroken powder, I enjoyed the usual solid feel of a fat waisted ski, along with smooth and predictable transition between turns that’s a trademark of wood core skis. My 165 cm test skis were a bit short to iron out the bumpy stuff, so I got thrown around a bit, but the “shock” wasn’t as bad as stiffer foam core shortie would have done me. Comparatively, in soft snow I like this ski better than the Black Diamond Verdict and better than most of my other narrower planks. I like skis without twintip tail, so that’s a plus for me as well. In all, thumbs up!
Factory spec dimensions: 125/95/112
WildSnow.com real world weight, one 165 cm ski (07/08 red model): 59.6 oz, 1692 grams.
Shop for Black Diamond skis here.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
