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Sherpas - A Quiver of One

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  • Sherpas - A Quiver of One

    I suppose it was destiny for me to end up here - Sherpas. I was out on Sherpas 4 times this past week in varying conditions: 2 nights of pure Pocono Pavement at Bear Creek, a full day at Elk Mountain in pretty good groomed conditions (with lots of frozen hardpack and some ice coming through quickly) and a morning of excellent conditions yesterday at Bear Creek.

    Bottom line assessment of the Sherpas: a quiver of one for me - simply brilliant.

    Detailed review:

    I was comfortable on the Sherpas from the first run. They look big - no doubt about that. The set-up feels heavy carrying them to the slopes. However, all of that disappears once I got on the snow. The Sherpas feel like supercharged Spruce 120s. I think they actually take less energy to ski them than the 120s - how is that possible? Because the Sherpas has such good edge grip, carve on rails, glide so well, track straight, skate easy (good edge bite, good glide and nice energy from the tails) and they go through what is in front of them without much, if any, deflection. All of that saves energy.

    I was in Pocono Pavement the first 2 nights out. Rock hard base, rutted up, skied off, frozen hardpack everywhere, powdered sugar top surface with low grip. Thursday night was even worse than Wednesday night (the first night out) - didn't look like Bear Creek groomed overnight so it was even more skied off, glazed over and generally nasty. The Sherpas were surefooted, carved great and can do soft edged slip turns very well. They are really fast too.

    Saturday at Elk Mountain was in pretty good groomed conditions. Lots of frozen hardpack and some glacial ice started showing through pretty quickly. The Sherpas go from the groom to frozen hardpack and ice without missing a beat. I was riding at very high speeds at times - felt planted and very comfortable. I skied 5 1/2 hours with one 10 minute break and at the end of the day my legs still felt good. Could have stayed longer but needed to get home. Was there with Zach from the forum, which was cool.

    Yesterday morning at Bear Creek was on excellent groomed conditions on quickly softening snow. The Sherpas were sweet in that condition as well. Gliding great, carving rails, seamless tight slalom style carving turns in very tight spaces.

    The Sherpas have definitely unlocked unrealized potential in my riding.

    Free word association:

    --Power
    --Carve rails
    --Glide
    --Fast, fast, fast
    --Skate so smooth
    --Quick edge-to-edge (surprisingly so)
    --Slip turn like a champ
    --Grip
    --Dampened ride
    --Look great
    --Lots of interest from other people
    --Smooth turning and buttery transitions

    My search for a quiver of one has ended for now. These are everything I have been looking for.
    In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
    Think Like a Mountain

    Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

  • #2
    Totally inevitable LOL.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
    Crossbow (go to dream board)
    Most everything else over time.
    Go Android

    Comment


    • #3
      Sooo .... exactly how much do you want for your Blunts? LOL.
      Boards:
      2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
      2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
      2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
      2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
      2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
      2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
      2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
      2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Wookie View Post
        Sooo .... exactly how much do you want for your Blunts? LOL.
        The Blunts are my daughter's. She would be very unhappy if I sold them!

        I haven't been on them in a good while. She was rocking them yesterday at Bear Creek. Taking her for an overnight trip to Elk in early March which will be cool.

        My 120s, however, are going up for sale...
        In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
        Think Like a Mountain

        Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
          My 120s, however, are going up for sale...
          Noooooooo! That's blasphemy and like selling your first love. You can pry my 120s out of my cold dead hands. I just grabbed a back-up set and set for the wife from Jeff's "scratch and dent bin".

          While I love the 120s. I suspect that I will end up on the Sherpas or (cover your ears) something longer as my kids get to be better (read: "faster") skiers and an I need more horsepower AND stability. Those options all lead me back to "skiing" with poles which is a place I don't want to go. For East Coast hardpack skiing I have yet to find conditions where the 120s or the 125s don't get it done for me.

          For you, after following your comments over the years, this thread comes to no surprise. The Sherpa's seem built for someone looking to get what you want and ride like you do. I am only surprised that no one suggested the Sherpa's to you previously. Enjoy them and see you on the mountain!!
          Boards:
          2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
          2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
          2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
          2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
          2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
          2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
          2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
          2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
            I suppose it was destiny for me to end up here - Sherpas.


            My search for a quiver of one has ended for now. These are everything I have been looking for.
            Welcome to the club

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Wookie View Post
              For you, after following your comments over the years, this thread comes to no surprise. The Sherpa's seem built for someone looking to get what you want and ride like you do. I am only surprised that no one suggested the Sherpa's to you previously. Enjoy them and see you on the mountain!!
              For me the Sherpas are certainly something I needed to work up to. If I would have tried them last year I don't think I would have got on with them right away. Last year when I first got my 120s it took a good four times out on them before I got the hang of them and felt comfortable. Going from 94s to 110s was no problem. Going from 110s to 120s was a big step for me. I have spent so much time on the 120s the past season and a half that the Sherpas were then easy to transition to.
              In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
              Think Like a Mountain

              Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
                For me the Sherpas are certainly something I needed to work up to. If I would have tried them last year I don't think I would have got on with them right away. Last year when I first got my 120s it took a good four times out on them before I got the hang of them and felt comfortable. Going from 94s to 110s was no problem. Going from 110s to 120s was a big step for me. I have spent so much time on the 120s the past season and a half that the Sherpas were then easy to transition to.

                I am the complete opisite. I suck big time on short boards. I took right away to the 120 but didn't like the hold on ice so I tried a 130 short ski and bamm!! I knew what I needed. I am now on Atomic Panics in a 157. Nice light twin tip, piece of cake and I'm going faster and better than I have since I started last year and still poleless. I don't think I would go longer but wider would not be a poblem. I would still like to try the Sherpas tho.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Quattrofan View Post
                  .... I took right away to the 120 but didn't like the hold on ice ......
                  Funny my personal experience both agrees and disagrees with this. I also took to the 120s right away but actually appreciate when they consistently don't hold on the ice. A skier I frequently ride with says I ride like a drift car driver with a controlled slide that doesn't look natural but works. It's neat that we all get something different from skiboards.

                  I do however keep wondering if I will end up in the same place a you .... on a slightly longer rockered twin tip. The Panics you are riding are like the cambered 120s with 15cm of rockered ski added to the tip and tail. Maybe it will be something like that eventually for me or the Sherpas. Who knows??
                  Boards:
                  2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
                  2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
                  2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
                  2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
                  2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
                  2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
                  2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
                  2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Last season I rode the Sherpas back to back and compared them to my son's rockered twin tips and my wife's 160 Line twin tip skis . I also have the not much longer 143 cm Icelantic Scouts which I have ridden a lot in the past . For me what distinguishes the Sherpa from the other twin tips is the very tight turn radius compared to skis (7.2meter compared to 15meter or higher for skis ) coupled with uber fat shape at the tips and tails and short length . All the features combine IMHO to make the Sherpa feel much more like a skiboard then a short twin .
                    My buddy Michael who has the Icelantic Scout and demoed my Sherpa agrees. He says they are super fun and signficantly more manuverable and turny feeling then the Scout .
                    I also got my brother on them earlier this year . He is an expert skier who skis regular twin tips without poles . He really liked the Sherpas and said they had a turnier and more "slippery" feel then the long twins that he enjoys. I think the "slippery" comment is referring to the way the Sherpa can nicely slarve and slide when put into that mode .
                    When riding the Sherpa again after a long absence and being a Condor fanatic , to me the Sherpa felt like 130cm long more powerful version of the regular non rockered Condor . They both have the same big 160cm front tips , they both are nice sweet turning boards, big enough for pow ,yet stiff enough for excellent edge hold on ice. . The narrower waist of the Sherpa compared to the Condor , allows IMHO it to still be quite manuverable despite the additional 20cm in length compared to the Condor .
                    I still firmly believe that the most powerful all around skiboard on the planet is the Sherpa . I do prefer the shorter skiboards just because I like their manuverability and I like to ride with snowboard boots ... but for raw power and competence while retaining a nice skiboard feel the Sherpas are hard to beat .


                    ps. I have experimented alot with set backs vs center mount on the Sherpa and although I have ridden the Sherpa in all conditions center mount and it works great .. the ability to set the bindings back 5cm with the new additional inserts for powder and crud is IMHO fantastic . In deep pow and in crud and chopped up stuff , the ability to ride from a set back position allows you to be perfectly centered and UBER stable with a regular centered riding position which is fantastic ... basically you will comfortably blast through all manner of the steep and deep as stable as on a big long ski without any fear of going over the handle bars , which on a 130cm skiboard is pretty damn good ...
                    Boards :
                    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                    Boots
                    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                    Bindings:
                    Zero Pro Non release Binding
                    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Jack -- Thanks for the insight on the Sherpas as compared to skis and other short skis. I am really starting to think I need to demo a pair for an extended trial. I LOVE my 120s and the 125LEs are awesome but my curiosity of the Sherpas may demand some more demo time. This is a recent thought change (just this weekend) for me as I repeatedly pushed the 120s to their upper limits for someone of my stature and felt I needed more of something ... length, width, etc..
                      Boards:
                      2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
                      2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
                      2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
                      2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
                      2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
                      2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
                      2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
                      2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Currently, my 2 favorite boards are Sherpa's and the rockered 125's. For me there is no slarve in Sherpa's. They run like they are on rails, yet you constantly have to be telling them where to go. It's not a big deal, sort like driving a boat, yet they go anywhere like a 4 wheel drive jeep and have the stability and smoothness of a Cadillac or Lincoln town car (like a 4 wheel drive Cadillac Snow Yacht). They are serious boards and may be an acquired taste that could be too much for the unwashed masses. Sherpas have to be forced to slarve so if I feel like skiing like that I prefer the rockerd 125 LE's.

                        The 125's are more stable than 120's, yet turn just as effortlessly. 120's and 125's turn so easy that they seem to read your mind and even anticipate how you're going to read the terrain.

                        I don't want a single board quiver. That would imply doing multiple tasks equally OK but not equally great. A quiver of 2 boards at the opposite ends of the spectrum should accomplish my task specific missions* better than just one, while still maintaining simplified logistics issues. I really want to audition Yeti's and Blunt's (the opposite end of the spectrum) for a temporarily permanent position in my 2 board quiver.



                        *missions always have yin/yang type attributes that can quickly narrow down which set to click into:
                        Serious vs Playful
                        aggressive vs passive
                        amp you up vs calm you down
                        Speed vs Accuracy
                        Male vs Female
                        Bold vs reserved
                        Steep vs Groomer vs Trees

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by shortydude View Post
                          They are serious boards and may be an acquired taste that could be too much for the unwashed masses.
                          Ouch!



                          Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
                          Crossbow (go to dream board)
                          Most everything else over time.
                          Go Android

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by shortydude View Post
                            Currently, my 2 favorite boards are Sherpa's and the rockered 125's. For me there is no slarve in Sherpa's. They run like they are on rails, yet you constantly have to be telling them where to go. It's not a big deal, sort like driving a boat, yet they go anywhere like a 4 wheel drive jeep and have the stability and smoothness of a Cadillac or Lincoln town car (like a 4 wheel drive Cadillac Snow Yacht). They are serious boards and may be an acquired taste that could be too much for the unwashed masses. Sherpas have to be forced to slarve so if I feel like skiing like that I prefer the rockerd 125 LE's.
                            Interesting , yes it really is all relative ... for my brother moving down to the Sherpa from 185 cm edgy slalom skis .. the sherpa feels small , playful and very slippery and slarvy ! for me moving up from recently riding Blunts and Rockered Condors ... I probably would make the exact same comments you made about my Blunts and RC's as you did about the 125 LE compared to the Sherpas ! Also I have a pair of the LE's and agree with you they are more playful then the Sherpas ...
                            Boards :
                            Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                            Boots
                            K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                            Bindings:
                            Zero Pro Non release Binding
                            Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                            Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                            Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                            Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Just got back from 4 hours of stomping Sasquatch laps at Bear Creek on the Sherpas. Sasquatch is the steepest run there and it is literally a lap of the resort to get back to it since there isn't a lift that directly services it. Take a run down Sasquatch, catch the lift in front of the lodge, do a tour of the entire flat top of the mountain gliding and skating all the way round, take a run down to the lift on the other side, get off the chair, do a Sasquatch run and repeat. Snow conditions were great - we got 10+ inches of wet, heavy snow yesterday and the resort had it all groomed out nicely top to bottom.

                              Was hurling myself down. Snow wasn't super fast today and I don't straight line that run, but managed to hit 51.9 mph as a top speed and was carving rails the whole way down. Gliding and skating all day was a breeze. So stable, powerful and fast. Skiboard crack. So intuitive, easy and fun. Getting lots of attention and interest from skiers too.
                              Last edited by Bluewing; 02-04-2014, 02:29 PM. Reason: Re-read what I wrote and it didn't quite come out right so fixing.
                              In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
                              Think Like a Mountain

                              Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

                              Comment

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