The story of the GPO (short for Giant Pacific Octopus) began in the fall of 2012, when Drew Tabke designed a ski with which he would later win the Freeride World Tour. And although the GPO has proven big mountain qualities, it is still an all-round freeride ski for (almost) everyone.
To the tester
I am 178cm tall and weigh 75kg. I practically grew up with ski racing, but have been skiing off-piste since I was 8 years old.
I ski about 120 days a year and always try to find the best possible snow, which often comes at the price of longer ascents and descents in moderate snow.
Test conditions
The skis were tested in summer in Las Lenas in practically all conditions, from untracked powder and firn to completely rutted slush or wind slush. I was in places that were narrower than the skis were long, made jumps, carving turns and hairpin bends, but also slid sideways. In the 25 days I've used the skis so far, there has been at least one spot with challenging snow practically every day.
First impression
I've already skied skis with a similar shape and was therefore quite sure that it would be a good decision to take the GPO with me to Argentina as my only ski for three months. I am familiar with the well-known high durability of Praxis from my powder boards, which also reassured me somewhat in the rather rocky terrain of Las Lenas.
The skis are mounted on the recommended point, although this is marked relatively far forward. This doesn't bother me as I like long tails, plus the recommendations from Praxis have always worked well for me in the past.
My first day on the GPO was spent on a short trip to the Bariloche ski resort. Wet snow had fallen with a lot of wind, a combination that the GPO mastered perfectly. The playfulness and high pop of the ski suited me in the hilly terrain of Bariloche, the long tail is very stable in the air (or on landings) but of course also in the snow, whereby it is also clear that the ski prefers to be skied and not drifted. Of course, this suited my inner racer and even when the terrain was quickly tracked, the ski showed no weaknesses.
I got used to the ski very quickly, and it was just as quickly clear that the GPO wants to be actively skied, "just standing on it" works badly.
Test
The good first impression was also confirmed during further testing. The flex of the GPO is hard enough to plow through any kind of snow, although I tested the medium-stiffness version. The ski likes speed. Although it can also be controlled well at a slower pace, it only shows its potential with a little speed.
Although the ski works well in almost any type of snow, a few words about its performance in different types of snow: As already mentioned, the ski skis easily in toe-out and gives a lot of confidence. The tip is stable and the tail provides additional security. Here, too, the ski likes to be skied with traction; if you try to drift it, the long tail reacts a little bitchily, although this may also be partly due to the mounting point. In hard snow I found the ski strange at first as both the shovels and the tails gripped somewhat unpredictably, but this was resolved after extensive detuning of the edges in these areas. Since then, the GPO has been riding well in hard snow, especially when you consider that the center width is not quite small. The same applies to use on groomed slopes or in spring firn. Here, the GPO can be carved quite well, which of course requires a certain amount of strength due to the width.
The skis also really impressed me in powder. Even in deep snow, they still want to carve, which of course means that you need speed. They can of course be drifted, but due to the sidecut this is not as effortless as with some other skis. The lift, on the other hand, is just right, although I can say straight away that the tails can be a bit choppy in wind-affected snow. Of course, I haven't yet found a ski that is really fun to ski in the rough stuff. The GPO does well here, but you still have a lot to do. Especially with a lid, it's not easy to keep the balance on the ski, I always have either too much forward lean, which causes the shovels to dive, or too much backward lean, which leads to the tails getting stuck...
A big advantage for me is the high durability of the skis. I'm not exactly gentle with my equipment and therefore usually have to replace it after a maximum of one year. That's why I love skis that are robust and am happy to accept a slightly higher weight. Despite the famous scree fields around Las Lenas, the GPOs still look very good so far and I'm glad I opted for them!
Conclusion
The GPO is more playful than I expected. It definitely has a speed limit, even if it's not quite low. It wants to be ridden actively, preferably in big bends. In return, it carves almost like a dream and performs well in practically all conditions. The only problem for me is the somewhat choppy tail in hardpack.
In general, the GPO is a ski for all those who ski aggressively, actively carve their turns and like to accelerate, but still prefer a relatively playful ski to a pure full-throttle slab.
Advantages & disadvantages
+Lively and with good feedback when skiing
+The shovel powers through practically all types of snow
+Easy to maneuver for the width
+Very robust
+Long tail provides security on drops
-Long tail somewhat difficult to drift
-Pintail dives away in deep snow that has been pressed into a ring.
Information
RRP: $789.-
Waist: 140/116/128mm
Contact patch: 92cm
Tip rocker: 55cm
Tail rocker: 35cm
Radius: 22m
Weight: 4.03kg
Available lengths: 155, 165, 175, 182, 187, 192
Here is the manufacturer's website with more information.
