As many of you know I started out a Sherpa maniac and then for the last season and a half or so ditched the Sherpa in favor of the Condor . I think I rode the Sherpa once all last season . Today I got back on the Sherpa in great conditions at Sierra at Tahoe after having ridden the Condor just two days before in similar conditions. It is sometimes very instructive going back to a board that has been your favorite in the past and reevaluate it in light of your experience on another board. Here is the Jue family at Sierra on a perfect cold day ... Jack on Sherpas, Liz on 170cm long skis .. and Jordan on a snowboard.
The fascinating thing about the Sherpa and the Condor is they both have almost exactly the same surface area but the design of these boards is very different . Here is picture of my favorite Sherpa model , a two plate low riser installation by Jeff Singer for the Fritschi backcountry touring binding. It is sandwiched in between Condors with prototype touring bindings for the Revel8 Receptor .
So both have similar fat tips but the Sherpa is skinnier in the waist , asymmetrical in shape and signficantly longer while the Condor is fatter in the waist , shorter and symmmetrical in shape . The Condor is a very soft flexing board whereas the Sherpa is signficantly stiffer and considered a moderately stiff board.
First thing I notice snapping back into the Sherpa is how long it seems , is this a ski???
Interesting comparo shot of my Sherpa and my wife's long skis in the lift line ...
Ok off to the races, high speed turns on perfect turns on the groomers with my wife and then into the off piste pow with my son ... .
nice snow .. .lift line shot
pow in the trees
So here is the scoop .. jumping back on the Sherpa is like getting back with an old friend .. but with a new appreciation born of becoming a Condor devotee. The Sherpa is no ski . it is a skiboard through and through .. It turns just like as skiboard , skates like a skiboard , is compact enough to feel like a skiboard . and just feels like a skiboard everywhere on the mountain , whether it is bombing moguls , plowing through powder in the trees ,or cruising the groomers at mach speed.
But it is a skiboard with a difference.. .this is no ordinary skiboard. It is a skiboard that gives away absolutely nothing to skis and snowboards. The length , the moderately firm flex ploughs through everything , neck and neck in all conditions at speed it matches snowboards and skis . Yes I can match skis and snowboards on my Condor as well , and the condor has similar speed through pow and on the groomers but the Condor is a rougher ride .. more road feel ... the Sherpa has a damped ride that is very smooth and relaxing ... longboard skiboard for sure .. i draw out my turns longer and a bit wider then the Condor .. dead tired from a 9 hr backcountry trek 2 days ago ... i am not tired at all on the Sherpa .. it takes me through anything and everything , smoothly , without any effort . On the Condor I pay attention more to fore and aft balance , my body is working a bit to make all the minute changes necessary to drive the Condor smoothly .. the Sherpa does all that work and damps the ride right down , no matter how fast I go . Like Skafreak and Mahatma have said you need to drive the Sherpa hard and aggressively , but when you do that lt becomes a pussycat .. turns smoothly and easily , totally in control .
Does it replace my Condor as my favorite skiboard ? No , I love the minimalist feel of the Condor with my non release bindings, the way it follows every nuanace of motion of my body.. the soft flex and the way I can play in the snow with it, it does ALMOST everything the Sherpa does .. but yes I have to pay more attention , yes I have to be more attentive to getting my balance just right , yes it takes more energy from this ageing 58 year old bod... but everything about skiboarding is getting the most direct experience on the slope with the most competence and the Condor is all that .
But will I sell my Sherpa ?... Never ! the Sherpa ride is in a class all by itself , something that must be experienced to be understood. I think every all mountain skiboarder needs both boards in their quiver !
ps .. both boards are sold out .. but in a couple of weeks make their reappearance with new skin ! Both boards will be ready for those ready to take skiboarding right out to the limits !
Sweet !
The fascinating thing about the Sherpa and the Condor is they both have almost exactly the same surface area but the design of these boards is very different . Here is picture of my favorite Sherpa model , a two plate low riser installation by Jeff Singer for the Fritschi backcountry touring binding. It is sandwiched in between Condors with prototype touring bindings for the Revel8 Receptor .
So both have similar fat tips but the Sherpa is skinnier in the waist , asymmetrical in shape and signficantly longer while the Condor is fatter in the waist , shorter and symmmetrical in shape . The Condor is a very soft flexing board whereas the Sherpa is signficantly stiffer and considered a moderately stiff board.
First thing I notice snapping back into the Sherpa is how long it seems , is this a ski???
Interesting comparo shot of my Sherpa and my wife's long skis in the lift line ...
Ok off to the races, high speed turns on perfect turns on the groomers with my wife and then into the off piste pow with my son ... .
nice snow .. .lift line shot
pow in the trees
So here is the scoop .. jumping back on the Sherpa is like getting back with an old friend .. but with a new appreciation born of becoming a Condor devotee. The Sherpa is no ski . it is a skiboard through and through .. It turns just like as skiboard , skates like a skiboard , is compact enough to feel like a skiboard . and just feels like a skiboard everywhere on the mountain , whether it is bombing moguls , plowing through powder in the trees ,or cruising the groomers at mach speed.
But it is a skiboard with a difference.. .this is no ordinary skiboard. It is a skiboard that gives away absolutely nothing to skis and snowboards. The length , the moderately firm flex ploughs through everything , neck and neck in all conditions at speed it matches snowboards and skis . Yes I can match skis and snowboards on my Condor as well , and the condor has similar speed through pow and on the groomers but the Condor is a rougher ride .. more road feel ... the Sherpa has a damped ride that is very smooth and relaxing ... longboard skiboard for sure .. i draw out my turns longer and a bit wider then the Condor .. dead tired from a 9 hr backcountry trek 2 days ago ... i am not tired at all on the Sherpa .. it takes me through anything and everything , smoothly , without any effort . On the Condor I pay attention more to fore and aft balance , my body is working a bit to make all the minute changes necessary to drive the Condor smoothly .. the Sherpa does all that work and damps the ride right down , no matter how fast I go . Like Skafreak and Mahatma have said you need to drive the Sherpa hard and aggressively , but when you do that lt becomes a pussycat .. turns smoothly and easily , totally in control .
Does it replace my Condor as my favorite skiboard ? No , I love the minimalist feel of the Condor with my non release bindings, the way it follows every nuanace of motion of my body.. the soft flex and the way I can play in the snow with it, it does ALMOST everything the Sherpa does .. but yes I have to pay more attention , yes I have to be more attentive to getting my balance just right , yes it takes more energy from this ageing 58 year old bod... but everything about skiboarding is getting the most direct experience on the slope with the most competence and the Condor is all that .
But will I sell my Sherpa ?... Never ! the Sherpa ride is in a class all by itself , something that must be experienced to be understood. I think every all mountain skiboarder needs both boards in their quiver !
ps .. both boards are sold out .. but in a couple of weeks make their reappearance with new skin ! Both boards will be ready for those ready to take skiboarding right out to the limits !
Sweet !
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