I would pin it at a 8/10- compare to say the armada arv series which is a 6.9/10.
The Alparkas are a perfectly symmetric ski with 80% camber with relatively little rocker & taper.
The skis also have full length carbon bands to give the ski that nice poppy snappy feel.
On-Snow Performance:
On groomers, these exceeded my expectations for an 86mm waist ski.
As a skier who enjoys reaching Candide speeds, these held up quite well on really nice groomers.
Although chattery, I still felt in control.
The upside from the more narrow profile was the overall responsiveness of the ski.
The camber profile allows for decent carving and helps grip a bit more on those cold AF bulletproof days.
Park performance:
In the park, these were a very snappy ski with substantial stability.
Taking off jumps felt solid especially on landings since the underfoot is quite stiff.
The decent camber allowed for solid jump approaches at higher speeds.
They lean on the lighter side, so very little swing weight which makes them ideal for quick spins.
I was able to swap, switch up and spin out my usual features without a problem.
Buttering, on the other hand, was no easy task.
It takes a very committed send to get much lift out of them but certainly not impossible.
Average but completely normal wear on topsheet- especially for all wood construction.
- to be continued!
Conclusion:
This ski definitely exceeded my expectations.
Alex did a great job at creating a solid park ski that works for sending hard in the park.
Great for smallish mountains where there is a bit less all-terrain available to ski.
It’s great for the pop in of skier who goes right to the park after clicking in.
If you love to swerve around and butter super hard you might want to go a bit softer.
- Footage is of @robwski
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