G3 (Genuine Guide Gear) is unfortunately somewhat unknown here in Europe and lives a bit of a shadowy existence. My experience with the SENDr shows that this is completely unjustified and that the Canadian brand produces top innovative material.
Tester & test conditions
I am male, 85kg and 186cm tall. I ski the fine piece in 188 cm (the SENDr is also available in lengths 174, 181 and 195). So far I've probably already spent 20 days skiing on the ski and there will be many more happy days in the snow to come. I was even able to use the ski briefly on the piste at the beginning of the season, then the days got fatter and fatter and it feels more like spring ski touring when you're out there. So I can already give a good insight into the behavior and performance of the ski, exemplary for a whole season.
So far, the ski has been used a lot for pure freeriding (lift-assisted). But in the last few days and every now and then, it has also been used for tours with a maximum of 1,000 meters of ascent. A G3 Ion 12 binding (has already been tested by us) has been installed, which requires the use of an insert boot. I use the ski with a Salomon Quest 130 Pro as well as for touring with a Salomon MTN Lab.
Admittedly, when I took the ski out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the somewhat unusual shape of the tips. Ok, it doesn't have to be a tip like on my old Renntiger, but my eyes had become accustomed to a round shape over the last few years. I only noticed this as a first impression, otherwise I don't care and it has absolutely no influence on this test. It has to ride and ride well, then it can be pink with a star tip and inflatable for all I care.
The specifications of my Salomon QST 106 (gear review can be found here) are extremely high. Because I can still more than confirm everything I wrote back then. What these two skis have in common is their versatility and weight: the SENDr 112 weighs 1.78 kg (per ski) at 188 cm and has a radius of 25.8 meters, the shape is 139/112/127 mm. The new POWERIDE PLUS construction gives the ski enormous versatility and smoothness.
In the following I will go into more detail about the construction of the ski, starting with the topsheet. The topsheet is made of nylon and is said to be extremely robust, although I have seen the odd nick on the edge, but nothing dramatic. The two Titanal inserts from the 7,000 series provide cushioning and power transmission. The core of the ski is made of poplar paulownia, which gives it its lightness. Quadraxially stitched carbon fiber makes it light, strong and also contributes to torsional rigidity. Polyurethane side bolsters ensure high durability and good cushioning. The hardened steel edges are resistant to corrosion, impacts and stone contact. And last but not least, the high-quality base makes the ski fast, durable and long-lasting. Most of this information is manufacturer's data, which of course I cannot test and confirm in detail. But this information is also more important for the technique freaks, I'm interested in the result and the function.
The ski details read well and the setup with the binding is also really fun and exciting. The look is kept rather simple, the "noble" silver G3 emblem is still striking.