I've been using the Shift as my go-to-ski this year with Speed Radical bindings and Backland Carbon boots. This, to me, is just about the perfect setup for versatility in Colorado. The float is solid in powder (but obviously not as good as a fat powder ski, 110+), they like to rip groomed runs quite respectably, and everything in between is solid as well.
Clearly Movement have done a great job making even lighter skis, and that makes me wonder if they couldn't take another 100-150g out of each ski and keep the same performance (my guess is yes, but they would cost more), but at 1450g for the 177 (SkiMo.co lists 1525), you don't have a lot of room to complain.
At the end of a long day, these are the kind of skis that you look at with a glint in your eye because they are just a lot of fun. They make you thing about heading back out tomorrow before you even get your boots off.
My one complaint is that I'd prefer a lighter top sheet on the front of the skis as the charcoal color seems to be a magnet for snow build-up.
For the Shift, Movement set out to create a wide free-touring ski that gave a new dimension to the sector by keeping it ultralight. They seem to have accomplished their goal by using North Thin Ply Technology (TPT), which is a special method of spinning multidirectional carbon fibers around a ski core. And by using a light Karuba wood core mixed with a composite material, they managed to make the ski rigid yet lively. Movement made the tail of the Shift stiffer than the tip, which adds stability on the edge in challenging terrain. But with 98mm of ski underfoot and a light rocker tip, the ski can certainly hold its own in soft snow. Enjoy.
- Light Karuba wood core is reinforced with composite material to give strength at low weight.
- Tri-axial carbon fiber is woven around the core using TPT technology to add lightweight rigidity.
- 1.3mm of P-Tex 5000 is added to the bases to give a strong, smooth finish.
Update 2015/16: The Shift got a graphics update and are weighing in around 75-100g lighter than list.
| Specifications | |
| Lengths (cm) | 169, 177, 185 |
|
Weight |
1430g [169] 1480g [177] 1555g [185] |
| Weight (pair) | 2860g [169] 2960g [177] 3110g [185] |
|
|
135-98-123 [169] 137-98-125 [177] 137-98-125 [185] |
|
Turn |
17.5m [169] 18.0m [177] 19.0m [185] |
|
Skin |
Round tip, flat notched tail |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
|
|
Rocker tip, camber underfoot |
|
|
Short to medium radius |
|
|
Cap with TPT |
|
|
Karuba wood + composite |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Skiing big lines under human power |
| Notes | High surface-to-weight ratio |
| Bottom Line | New standard in free-touring |
Questions & Reviews
3/25/2016
As a follow-up, I recently moved my bindings back 25mm and have found a lot better balance on the skis, particularly when the terrain gets steep.
Comment on this review:
I've skied these for about 6 days now, in wildly differing conditions, thanks to some weird weather. They are a blast to ski in cold boot deep powder and soft corn snow (what isn't?), very easy to control in chopped up heavy powder, and perform very respectably on bulletproof hardpack and groomed runs. They feel very predictable and easy to turn, and I think they would respond well to being skied hard by an expert skier (my technique is far from great). My only concern is long-term durability, but after a long day of bushwacking and survival skiing in awful conditions they still look brand new. I will give them another review when I've skied them for the rest of the season.
FYI: I'm 6'1", 170lbs, and am skiing the 185 cm, mounted with Speed Radicals, using La Sportive Spectre boots. Far from ultralight, but very respectable for a deep snow oriented setup.
FYI: I'm 6'1", 170lbs, and am skiing the 185 cm, mounted with Speed Radicals, using La Sportive Spectre boots. Far from ultralight, but very respectable for a deep snow oriented setup.
1/16/2015
I forgot to mention that the service I got from Skimo.co was awesome!
Comment on this review:
I had an opportunity to ski these for couple of runs when we discovered that my friend has the same boot sole length. They were great in soft, heavy, and chopped up powder. Easy to turn, very nice response, no surprises. And obviously, very light for uphills. I think I got to ski them in conditions they were made for but I would believe they perform on harder snow very well too. The pair I skied was 177cm and felt slightly short for me (6' 1"), personally I would buy the 185cm.
Comment on this review:
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