Renoun’s Quebec-made all-mountain ski proves nimble, disciplined yet uninhibited.
For many skiers, a typical resort day includes a bit of everything: crispy morning groomers, dense machine-made granules, afternoon crud and the occasional soft stash or glade detour. If, like me, you’re skiing in the East (broadly defined as anywhere east of the Great Lakes) your typical day, especially during an El Niño-influenced season, will be heavier on the machine-made base.
When powder happens, you need to jump on it immediately. A few hours later, it could be gone—either consumed by nature, or shralped by your fellow shredders.
A single day can veer between all the extremes. The trick is learning to love it all. And being ready to grab and go at a moment’s notice.
I’ve found one ski to cover all the bases, so to speak.
Renoun Endurance 88: Built for the Way Most People Ski
The Renoun Endurance 88 meets the demands of these “all-in-one” days. Stable but versatile, it is an all-mountain ski meant to handle whatever conditions the slope delivers, all season long, through thick and thin. After a week on variable late-season groomers I’ve come to really appreciate the Endurance 88s: they carve confidently and allow tight turns while adding smoothness to gradual arcs; they boast excellent edge-hold on ice and hardpack, and forgiveness over bumps and moguls.
And compared to my old groomers, they’re very lightweight (the 177 length is 1,920g per ski) so I can ride longer (and I don’t make a pained face when I lift them one-handed into my cargo box).
The Endurance 88s add zip to my groomer laps, and my turns feel more propulsive yet easy to control. In mixed snow, which I see plenty of, the profile really comes to the fore. With roughly 15% rocker in the tip, 80% camber underfoot and 5% rocker in the tail, I can initiate turns almost effortlessly while maintaining a reassuring level of edge contact at the skis’ centre.
They can handle powder but you’ll find more float on the wider Endurance 98s. The 88s are a little lighter than the 98s but still offer a ton of stability especially at higher speeds or on harder surfaces where they hold their shape and resist chattering.
The maple wood core reinforced with a full metal laminate keeps the skis solidly on base and predictable in variable conditions.
The Key: Vibration Control
Engineer Cyrus Schenck founded Renoun in Vermont in 2011, growing the brand out of an effort to solve one of the sport’s oldest problems: excessive vibration.
The problem is this: When skis encounter ice, uneven terrain or hardpack, they tend to get the shakes. Those vibrations both reduce edge grip and significantly increase leg fatigue over time. Renoun’s answer? Integrate a vibration-absorbing material into the interior structure of the ski. That material became the company’s patented VibeStop technology, now used across their lineup.
Renoun’s Anti-Chatter Tech: VibeStop
This material is a non-Newtonian polymer. (Yes, I had to look that up. A Newtonian polymer is one with constant viscosity, or thickness. A non-Newtonian polymer defies Newton’s law of viscosity, and changes as force is applied to it.)
This material is embedded inside the ski in six interior channels. Non-Newtonian materials behave differently according to the forces applied, so under slight pressure, they flex, but under intense pressure, they stiffen.
In icy conditions, the polymer reacts to increase support and stability. On more forgiving snow, it reacts to stay responsive and lively.
What’s more, the polymer absorbs vibrations that will echo through a ski’s interior, and dampen everything. So during edge to edge transitions, the ski maintains firmer contact with the snow.
Renoun Endurance 88 Excels on the Frontside …and Most Sides
Skiing’s ‘new normal’ demands adaptation. And I want that adaptation to be as quick and seamless as possible. Because I already have different skis for the backcountry and for deep powder, I want one ski that can ace all resort conditions and handle powder if I don’t feel like switching skis. That ski is the Endurance 88. –Ned Morgan
Renoun skis are designed in Burlington, Vermont, and handmade in Rimouski, Quebec, using locally sourced maple in the cores. More from Renoun here. Their Spring Sale is happening now.
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