Shaman - Testimonials
My name is Ted Kinsella and I have been skiing for 41 years. When I was a kid, Ski Patrol was my dream job. Skiing is the most rewarding sport and the greatest connection I have with my planet. In Vail this past week I rented a pair of your Shaman skis from Buzz's Boards - Neal suggested I give your skis a try having received a fresh 8" dump of new snow. So riding up the chair lift looking at your skis looking back at me was a bit unsettling. A friend I was skiing with really liked the graphics and having a son (illustrator) helped. We headed to Blue Sky Basin but wanted to do warm up runs off 11 - that's where I realized how amazing these skis are.
Instant Gratification - never had more fun skiing Vail - your skis under a pair of boots. Ben, this ski is so incredible. They have transformed everything I've ever learned about skiing and made the next four days so rewarding. Not only could I skis powder but crud or chopped snow and oh the trees. I could skis any slope degree with ability and confidence - I'M NOT KIDDING, something by the way I could only do on a board. My balance was so steady. This skis floated on snow with incredible calm - no sagging or tilting throwing me around. Braking was quick and controlled like spreading a layer vanilla icing - Turns quick, effortless and rewarding. You are literally guided by ski angels. I was so excited about your skis I convinced Beth (wife) to rent your Oracle's from Buzz after listening to her complain about powder runs on K2 Lotta Loves bought two years ago. Beth is an accomplished skier and you can't believe how excited she was skiing along with me with the same satisfaction I was screaming about days earlier. We skied Hairbag Alley, Genghis Khan, Shangri-La Glade off 21, Buckskin and Riva Glade, trees off Zot and Whistle Pig, through Blue Sky Basin and at the end of the day Riva Ridge thru Tourist Trap. First time in a very long while we have been able to ski together if not on the groomed stuff. She asked, "Is this what you and Colby (daughter) have been doing all this time"?
Beth liked your ski so much she bought a pair from Buzz and trading in her K2's. Saturday, travel back home to Kirkwood, MO leaving 1PM, out she goes on fresh 9" snow and first run off 11 hits that deep depression above First Step, crashed and banged her left thumb pretty hard against her pole - probable ligament damage but skied until noon enjoying her new Oracles dealing with thumb later. Seeing a doctor sometime today but will cherish the Icelantic Skis experience and skiing with my wife again.
Thank you for a sensational product providing so much more mountain.
~
I called you several weeks ago to tell how much I love the Shaman's. I also wanted to make damn sure you guys keep making the best ski's EVER made.
Since I got them 2 years ago I think I have gotten at least 10 Vailites to buy them. Just today a friend I ski with got some demo's from Kid's Sports and guess what. She bought 'em. I also got Buzz Schleper, a close, personal friend, talked into carrying them, and he sold out of them. I ran into another friend 2 days ago at the Vista Bahn and he had a pair he bought from Buzz. Another lady I ski with ordered a pair from Buzz for next season.
Here are some of the things friends who bought them have told me; "They're cheatin' ", They make me 20 years younger", "They make me giggle every turn", "OMG, OMG, these are toooo much fun", "They carve like a SL ski".
So Ben, thank you from all of us who ride the Shaman's. Don't you dare change them!
Please remember that I told you I would buy you a steak dinner at my restaurant, The Minturn Country Club, whenever you are up here. Also, a couple of us were wondering if someday we could actually see how these bad boys are made?
~
I have never sent a letter like this, nor can I remember buying a pair of skis “mid season”…BUT after skiing on a pair of Shamans I felt compelled.
My name is Tom Beck, I am 51 years old and have been skiing since 1970 (yeah I know…you were probably in diapers…). I consider myself an advanced skier that can ski almost anything. I get in between 30 to 40 days in a year (not bad for being a full time working professional) I predominately ski at my local mountain Dodge Ridge (about ½ hour away from the home), but also frequent the near by Tahoe resorts.
I am a patient man, my typical mode of operation is that I scope out and demo skis throughout the season and at the end of the season scoop up the good deals to keep my quiver full and fairly current. This years plan is to update my powder skis.
Mike, the manager of the Dodge Ridge sport shop decided to carry your skis this year and they intrigued me. A few weeks back BJ Otts, your California rep had a free demo day at Dodge. Unfortunately it was a (very) hard pack day but I spent some time talking to him and he convinced me to try a pair of Shamans. I figured “what the heck it’s free, I could slap around some fat boards for a while” …….. After one run I could tell that these definitely can hook up and rail on groomers. At speed (if you’re not crying you’re not flying) I found them to be quite stable, unless I rolled from one edge to the other, a little more un weight on edge change and I was right along my buddies on their AC 50’s.
But I was not convinced that they would do me well in powder, after all they have an odd shape and different from the norm. Over the last week or so we have received 5’-8’ of fresh powder so I demoed powder skis, ran through the typical Volkl, Salmon, Nordica and Rosi line. These brands felt very similar to what I already had, just a variation and maybe some a bit more refined, but not worth spending any money, not even at year end sales.
Then I hopped on a pair of 173 Shamans and took off again. I was kind of tired from trying all the other skis, but wanted to see what they would do and not expecting much. HOLY CRAP, you need to put a sticker on these skis stating “CAUTION YOU MAY FEEL YOUNGER THAN YOU ARE”. I found myself in tree runs and banging through crud like I used to do in my younger days. As I'm sure that you are aware these Shamans are phenomenal, extremely maneuverable and take minimal effort to change direction even in deep powder and crud. Most skis have a sweet spot; I found that the Shamans didn’t care. I skied them by driving the knees, mid foot weighted and even sitting in the back seat. All I had to do was tilt them one way or another and just grin and giggle as I was shredding the gnar and banging the bark like the good old days.
I went back to the shop and told them about my experience and told them I wanted a pair NOW! They’re response was that they were out of stock and they didn’t think that they could get any more, but they handed me BJ’s card. I called BJ on the way home from the resort and told him the story. He called Dodge back and let them know he would contact the factory. A little over a week later a pair should be arriving, today or tomorrow at Dodge. That’s great since more snow is predicted the later part of this week.
In summary, as I am advancing in my years (not to be confused with getting old, I can still out ski many people 1/2 my age) I still enjoy hitting it hard and leaving it on the hill by the end of the day. However, I find myself tending to lean towards the more groomed, less chewed or smooth powder runs to save the body.
I want to thank you for not following the trends, but in my opinion taking Ski technology to the next level. I know you don't tout these skis as "old man Skis" but that's where I am in life and I can only imagine the possibilities if I had these when I was 18! Your skis have re kindled my desire to go off the grid, plow through the crud and having me look at the whole mountain and once again saying “that looks fun”!!!!
~Tom Beck
I have now had the opportunity to ski the 09 Shamans for seven days. I have these set up with the burley Roteffella Cobra R8 Tele binding and the new Black Diamond Push boots. The first five days were spent on groomers and the last two on 7" and 12" of fresh powder. These skis are truly amazing. Simply put, when I'm screaming down a groomer, or charging on a steep narrow pitch full of deep fresh powder, I know that I am having more fun than my friends. Your graphics are also so cool, I get looks left and right from practically everyone on the lift. Even the guys on the Gotamas, Pontoons, Line & Armadas get a good look.
Thank you for the opportunity. You can bet that I will be a big advocate of your skis in the Wasatch Range.
~Robert
Skied your Shaman and Nomads today - having near wet dreams tonight. Me, I'm 32 years into hard core skiing and I started at 32. All the skis in my quiver are serious carvers of one sort or another - Rossi 9s, Atomic 9'16, 2 TroubleMakers, Ruckits, and (can you believe this ...) Volkl Snow Rangers. Since I teach at Loveland, I get great deals on demo/rentals and I try lots of boards. The Shamans hit my visual sweet spot the first time I laid eyes on them. It was as if in my inner physicist immediately grokked (I am old) the carve/float potential of these puppies. The shop dude wanted to steer me to the Nomads (which I also interviewed) but my gonads said Shaman. I may have two major decision centers and only enough blood supply for one at a time, but the lower intelligence center was way ahead of the shop dude - Shamans Rule. I never use poles, I carve hard, and I regularly clock over 55mph on my racers. I consider it a personal growth experience to take my TroubleMakers (155cm & 175cm) into the deep fluff (the shorter ones in the tight trees) and I get high dropping in off the steeps at A-Basin and Vail on the SnowRangers. That said, I'm ready to chuck some of those puppies for the Shaman. I popped off the lift onto a long groomer where I've previously clocked 70+ and those snowshoes of yours locked into the hardpack and made me feel like I was cruising in a Bentley blower (try one - you'll like it). Transition from the groomer into some hacked up crud - say wot - no problems at all. From the crud into some 15" powpow and the boards made me realize just how hard I have to concentrate on my skinnies ~ SIMPLY effing EFFORTLESS. You definitely have your physics down right (SURFACE AREA, SURFACE AREA, SURFACE AREA ... did I mention SURFACE AREA).
Since I am a minimalist and have been striving mightily to simplify my life (eat, sleep, SKI) I probably should deeply resent you for creating a materialist lust object - but I don't. I may even have to sacrifice several other operating rules and gratify the lust so I can at least sleep at night. My sometime ski compadres acknowledge that I'm pretty decent given the antique crap I ski on (I always keep up and, since I place minimal value on continued existence, occasionally surprise) and now I know, given the technology (your magic) - I can blow them all into the puckerbush.
Damn them all to hell anyway. And you too, Mr. Ben, but I'll happily keep you company - on my Shamans. Gawd, what a kick.
~
Thanks for your advice on the proper length Shaman. I am loving the 173cm length (BD 01). I have skied three ½ days in New England and have them pretty much sorted out. I can't believe the edge grip I can achieve on the hard pack. I feel like a snowboarder laying down trenches. Most people in New England would assume that this ski would only be a powder day ski and never give them a chance. If they ski with me, they may rethink that. I have not had this much fun on skis in awhile!
~Jon
Just a quick note to let you know that my Shamans are truly unbelievable in all conditions on my Tele set up. I absolutely love this ski and have been pimpin them to everyone I see, which isn't hard cause people ask all the time about them. The Wasatch seem to be perfect snow, conditions to open these puppies up. What I like most is that I can ski the tightest chutes, tightest tree lines on a ski that is so big..they turn, turn, turn.. love it. Thanks for the opportunity. Incidentally, I am taking them up to the Valdez this March!
~Robert Kunz MS