Lightweight skis don't just make sense for narrow waists. Black Diamond understood this early on and presented a lightweight touring freerider for this season with the carbon version of the tried-and-tested Megawatt, which is not stingy with width and rocker but still saves on the pounds. The ski seems to be made for excursions into deep snowy terrain. What this ski really has to offer has been discovered over the last few weeks.
The carbon version of the tried-and-tested Megawatt is more than just a lightweight version based on material replacement. The shovel has been minimally widened and the radius of the waist has been increased. In the test length of 188 cm, the ski measures 153-125-130 mm, has a massive rocker in the tip and a semi-rocker at the tail as well as a conical sidecut for optimum properties in powder snow and in changing snow conditions. The low weight of 4.2 kg is achieved thanks to a core made of paulownia wood with carbon fiber reinforcements.
Test subject details:
I am 175 cm tall, weigh 70 kg and prefer to ride a first-generation 195 cm Praxis powder board in powder snow and use a 186 cm Dynafit Huascaran for touring in powder snow. I get along very well with both setups.
Which binding?
Before the first real use in the white gold, the question of bindings had to be clarified first. Touring skis with 125 mm under the binding as touring skis in the Alps? I decided to mount an alpine binding. In my opinion, the width of 125 mm under the binding and the shovel width is simply too wide to be able to use tracks from previous bindings. This should not be neglected, especially on long tours with a lot of vertical meters. In other regions, the situation can be quite different.
Practical use:
The Carbon Megawatt was tested most of the time due to the snow and weather conditions when treeskiing. This is where the ski presents itself from its very best side. The ski floats quickly, remains stable at speed (in the forest) and can be turned with ease. The ski masters small or large turns in forest tracks without any problems. Changes in speed cannot throw it off course either. It quickly develops a surfing feeling. Pillow lines are great fun with this ski. It doesn't show any tendency to snow up when it briefly loses contact with the ground and then dives back into the snow. The amount of fresh snow during treeskiing ranged from 20 cm to 50 cm. This meant that the snow spectrum was well covered.
The first impression of the treeskiing was surprisingly good and this was followed by open high alpine terrain with around 25 cm and more of fresh snow. There, for the first time, I had the impression that the ski had a speed limit in open, free "full-throttle terrain". It was a little annoying as I no longer knew this feeling from the powder boards. Big turns are no problem for the Megawatt except for the speed limit.
In steep, narrow channels, the ski is quite easy to turn and the edge grip is sufficient to get a good and secure feeling despite the width of 125 mm under the binding and without a long familiarization phase.
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Some slopes during the test period had a slight wind cap. Surprisingly, the Megawatt doesn't tend to snow up. I once used the K2 Pontoon and have since become a little cautious with large shovels on skis in connection with harsh and windy conditions. However, the BD copes with this situation much better. The conical sidecut was well designed by Black Diamond. I didn't encounter any harsh conditions during the test period and therefore can't say anything about them.
However, the ski doesn't like very heavily tracked terrain. Especially there, you have to push the ski very hard and slow down a bit. A little more flex would certainly improve the handling characteristics.
I only really learned to appreciate the low weight of the ski when I was hiking. Especially on long ascents on foot, you notice quite clearly and above all very quickly whether you have a few kilograms more or less on your backpack.
In my opinion, there's no need to talk about piste quality with skis like this, as the BD Carbon Megawatt is not a piste ski. The few meters I skied on the piste went without any problems.
Conclusion
I was pleasantly surprised by the BD Carbon Megawatt. I really liked it for treeskiing in particular. It didn't leave a negative impression in any terrain. Especially for lighter freeriders (like me) who are looking for an all-rounder, the Megawatt could definitely be an option. Thanks to its low weight, you can certainly master manageable climbs with skins (preferably tours with lift support). For long tours, I would tend towards a ski with a smaller width.
Advantages
- Very good in soft snow
- Playful to ride
- Ski doesn't tend to snow up
- Low weight
Disadvantages
- Speed limit at high speeds
- Too soft for many heavier skiers
- Limited use as a pure touring ski
Details:
RRP: 649 €
Length: 178 / 188 cm (tested)
Dimensions: 147-120-126 / 153-125-130 mm
Radius: 38 / 42 m
Weight: 4 / 4.2 kg per pair
