Individual Review Supernatural 100

[Castle Dave]

Product:
Length Tested: 179 Line Supernatural 100

Dimensions/Turn Radius: 132/100/121, 21.3 m sidecut
Early Rise Tip & Tail w/camber
Binding: Look SPX 12
Mount point: Suggested

Other Skis in Class:
*Bonafide

Environment & Conditions:
Location of Test: Apex Resort, Penticton, BC
Number of Runs: 5 days
Snow Conditions: chopped 3" off piste, rough groomers
Own

Tester Info:
Username: Castle Dave
Age: 68
Height/Weight: 6'2"
Ski Days/Season: 40
Years Skiing:30
Aggressiveness: moderately agressive but not stupid
Current skis: 185 Line Sick Day 125, 185 first gen Cochise (all metal, no carbon), 179 Line Supernatural 100, vintage 178 Dynastar Contact Limited

Home Area: Apex Resort, Penticton, BC
Preferred Terrain: off-piste, trees

I moved to Penticton from Sparwood BC where I had been skiing Fernie and Castle for the last 10 years. Fernie but especially Castle are perfect for Big Mountain charger skis with big bowls and nicely spaced trees. Apex is somewhat the opposite and features short steep bumps and super tight trees. I needed a quicker, shorter, more manouverable ski than my OG Cochises. I demoed the 180 Bonafide and found them to be excellent skis but they required full commitment 100% of the time and I didn't want to work that hard. I also found them to be very 'crisp' almost like the old Volkls and my preference is for a damper, smoother ski. In other words something one notch down from the Bonafide but still with good performance.

After reading BlisterGearReviews

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2014-2015-line-supernatural-100

I bought the 179 Supernatural 100 and am very pleased. As stated in Blister Gear, they are light especially compared to the old Cochise, very quick in the bumps and yet surprisingly smooth and stable on the groomers even when the groomers are rough. The Supernaturals are definitely not noodles and can handle considerable speed. They come alive at about 15 mph whereas the Cochises didn't really start to respond until about 25 mph. I didn't try them in powder - I have other skis for that.

Summary would be if you want a ski that's a little less work than the Bonafide but still has very high performance and a smoother ride you should check out the Supernatural 100.

 

[BMC]

I agree with pretty much all this. My downside for the Supernatural 100 was definitely powder. There was some tip dive and I didn’t like the default natural turn radius in that medium. It was weird - loved them on hard snow or in crud, a bit meh about them in powder.

I moved them on.

 

[TheHitman]

I agree with pretty much all this. My downside for the Supernatural 100 was definitely powder. There was some tip dive and I didn’t like the default natural turn radius in that medium. It was weird - loved them on hard snow or in crud, a bit meh about them in powder.

I moved them on.

I'm thinking of getting these. Are they at least decent for powder? I'm looking for an all mountain ski and don't really want a dedicated powder ski at this point.

 

[BMC]

I'm thinking of getting these. Are they at least decent for powder? I'm looking for an all mountain ski and don't really want a dedicated powder ski at this point.

Different people like different things in different skis, but for me I just didn’t like them in powder. But at 100mm underfoot they do work in powder ok. They’re certainly great everywhere else.