Real innovations for 2014 are in short supply in the ski sector. Ski companies are essentially concentrating on optimizing their ski lines, making existing designs more harmonious and, above all, indulging in lightweight construction without compromising on skiing performance. Genuine Guide Gear - or G3 for short - has done something similar and still managed to pique our interest. We strapped on and rode two of the promising new skis: The new, slim Empire 115 and the freeride rat from the carbon touring segment, the Zenoxide C3 105.
Empire 115
The ski immediately piques my interest. The graphics are simple and yet appealing in my eyes, the full rocker, called SweetRise 2 by G3, with very harmonious transitions and virtually flat under the binding. In keeping with this, the ski is quite hard with only moderately softening ends. The edge and base thickness give hope for robustness. I (Knut Pohl - 175cm, 85kg with often a lot of photo gear on my back) would have spontaneously wanted the test length in 180cm to be one size bigger, but I never had the feeling that the ski was too short for me.
I personally like to ski on the ball of my toes with slight pressure on the shin or shovel. The ski allows this without any problems. During the handful of test days in powder, wind-harsh, dust-on-crust, slush and melt crust in the Alps and in Norwegian terrain, I had no problems keeping the ski tips up. On the contrary, I had no chance of pushing them under the snow cover. That gives you security. To my surprise, the ski didn't feel too short at all, but a central position on the ski was the optimum and I would personally mount it perhaps 2 cm further back. Or even choose a size longer.
Despite the length factor, the Empire 115 provided unexpected stability. Absolute full throttle capability and no speed limit seemed to be in sight. At the same time, it is easy to drift at any time and maintain a drift. Even quick changes of direction in the overgrown Scandinavian landscape were no problem, but rather a fun factor. Thanks to full rocker, the ski turns on and around corners without comment. Both the rocker transitions and the taper radii are harmonious and, unlike some "clapped-on" rocker skis, there are no clear transition zones and no choppiness. And the directional stability does not suffer. The tail also provides a surprising amount of feedback and stability.
The result: absolute full throttle capability with full control off-road. This is where the PowerRide construction made from a poplar core and double titanium insert really comes into its own. And changing snow conditions also lose their terror. The Empire 115 copes with ease in heavy snow or rutted terrain, and even if its riding characteristics in hardpack and other covered snow do not come close to those of practice powder boards, they are very close and these types of snow only earn a dull smile. On the piste and in hard-packed conditions you can manage without any problems, but probably not much more, even if these did not occur extensively in the test.
The only time the smile disappeared with the setup was on the ascent. Even though a ski weighing 2 kg (at 175 cm) is relatively light for its class, the test setup with a Baron, together with the power-sapping width, is still a block on the leg with which you want to stay well below the 1000 m mark. Even if a low-tech binding can provide relief here, skis in this width class are rarely purchased for this purpose.
Conclusion
Very harmoniously tuned full rocker, which nevertheless delivers outstanding stability and combines it with agility and control. A real fun machine, especially for riders who like to go fast but don't want to do without a playful riding style. An all-purpose weapon for everything that calls itself deep snow. And clearly and deservedly gets my "I want to have" stamp of approval.
Advantages & Disadvantages
+ Fast
+ Easy to turn
+ Easy to control
+ Harmonious transitions between riding styles
+ Excellent flotation
- Limited touring suitability
Details
Test version: G3 Empire 115 in 180cm
UVP:
Lengths: 175 / 180 / 185 / 190cm
Dimensions: 145 / 115 / 126mm
Radius: 17m (for 175) to 21m (for 190)
Weight: 2.0kg / ski (at 175)
SweetRise 2 Full Rocker - very flat rocker under the binding, which becomes progressively steeper towards the tip & tail
Normal radius under the binding with long tip & Tail taper
PowerRide construction - semi-cap with tridirectional fiberglass and Titanal in the upper and lower chords around a poplar wood core
Zenoxide C3 105
"Wow, it's light!" I exclaimed when I held the ski in my hand for the first time. And this despite the fact that the Fritschi Freeride, a relatively heavy frame touring binding compared to my preferred tech bindings, was screwed onto the ski. The topsheet design is simple yet appealing. Unfortunately, it is mainly black, which in my opinion is counterproductive for a touring freerider due to the often higher tendency for snow and ice to accumulate on the ski. As with the Empire, there is nothing wrong with the edges and the base. The EarlyRise 1 camber profile, consisting of an Early Rise shovel with weak positive camber along the long length of the barrel, suggests good ascent and descent characteristics in different conditions.
The test ski was 178cm long, which is rather short for me (187cm, 85kg and a heavy backpack), as I also prefer a ski with a length of around 190cm for touring. I was also a little skeptical about the weight and feared that the ski would start to flap quickly. However, I was pleasantly surprised from the very first turns on the piste, the ski already felt stable here. I quickly left the piste behind me and made medium-sized turns through 15 cm of fluffy powder on a hard surface in the direction of the Flüela Pass road. With every turn, the grin on my face widened, the Zenoxide turned playfully and my steering impulses were immediately implemented. This showed that the stiff and light CarbonUltraLight construction together with the EarlyRise 1 Tip Rocker and the 105mm center width work very harmoniously and the ski simply does what the skier wants, which had an extremely positive effect on a bushy steep slope and the short turns around the botany were done with playful ease.
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The ski's real endurance test followed the next day, with the 2827-metre-high Sentischhorn on the Flüela Pass road on the agenda. The aforementioned light weight and positive camber made for a good feeling on the ascent, and I also felt safe when crossing steep terrain on hard snow. The ascent was therefore very enjoyable. Together with a tech binding, the weight could be reduced even further, making it a very good setup for long tours with a lot of vertical meters.
Due to the variable snow conditions encountered during the ascent (melt crust, wind slush and up to 30cm of powder), I was curious to see how the ski would perform on the descent. On the steep northern slope of the Sentischhorn, which was covered with a good 30 cm of fine powder, the ski was a pure joy, just like on the first day, and I effortlessly made medium-sized turns through the virgin snow. As the light was rather flat due to the overcast sky, I didn't test the speed limit of the ski, but I had the feeling that it would also take a faster pace.
Further down, the snow conditions were less friendly, alternating between melt crust and wind slush, but even here the ski was easy to control, which is very important on ski tours, as you rarely encounter the same type of snow from the summit to the valley.
Conclusion
The low weight, the good ascent characteristics and, in my opinion, the outstanding downhill characteristics for this class make the Zenoxide the ideal tool for people who like to go on long tours and don't want to miss out on the fun of the descent. The ski, together with a tech binding, is at the top of my wish list for next season!
Advantages & disadvantages
+ Low weight
+ Easy to turn
+ Easy to control
+ Good handling characteristics in variable conditions
+ Good buoyancy
+ Fully suitable for touring
- Black topsheet
Details
Test version: Zenoxide C3 105 in 178cm
UVP:
Lengths: 167 / 171 / 178 / 186 / 191cm
Dimensions: 131 / 105 / 123mm
Radius: 21m (at 175) to 31m (at 190)
Weight: 1.3kg / ski (at 167)
EarlyRise 1 Tip Rocker - short, harmonious tip rocker with otherwise very weak camber over the rest of the ski length
Light tip & tail taper
CarbonUltraLight construction - fullcap with bidirectional carbon fiber in the upper chord and tridirectional in the lower chord around a poplar-Paulownia wood core
