The Manhattan is the second widest freeride ski in the 2012 product range of the Canadian mountain sports brand G3 (Genuine Guide Gear) after the Highball, with a perfectly tuned 108 millimeters under the binding. Despite its considerable dimensions, the Manhattan turns out to be a great touring freerider with good running characteristics and even better downhill performance.
With its dimensions of 139 millimetres in the shovel, 108 millimetres under the binding and a 128 millimetre wide tail, it is not necessarily one of the blatant big mountain boards. Its radius is 28 meters with air at the bottom. The Manhattan boasts perfectly balanced maneuverability and agility, which gives the skier the necessary confidence, especially on steeper terrain and in challenging snow conditions. As a result, it is possible to shift up a gear and ski at faster speeds with this ski, even in rough and uneven terrain.
Even in very deep fresh snow, the ski still floats well in powder and can be reliably surfed over soft deep snow. This is mainly due to its binding position, which is set relatively far back. Due to the binding position oriented towards the tail, the Manhattan becomes a muscular challenge on a flat piste or a hard snow cover: You are therefore required to actively move back towards the shovel with every turn in order not to lose control of the ski.
Due to its sandwich construction and slimmed-down design, the Manhattan appears a little "vulnerable" at first glance. However, incorporated Titanal increases the resilience and gives the ski the necessary stiffness, which in turn gives it a certain resilience and the necessary riding confidence in any terrain.
In addition, the Manhattan's "daintiness" plays to its strengths when climbing. Despite its width and length (in this case 175 cm), the 3.9 kilos on my feet were still easy to push up the last few meters of the 1600... And that's coming from a small and rather petite girl of 162 centimetres...
The Manhattan is available in lengths of 175, 180, 185 and 190 centimetres.
Rating G3 Manhattan
Downhill characteristics: ****
- Powder: ****
- Harsch: ***
- Firn: ****
- Piste: ***
Ascent characteristics: ***
Price: around 630.00 euros
Strengths and weaknesses of the Manhattan
+ The almost perfectly balanced ratio of weight and width/length make the Manhattan a great touring freerider.
+ The relatively long and wide shovel gives the Manhattan the necessary float in deep snow, allowing it to be skied at high speeds.
+ Relatively maneuverable and easy to turn in steep terrain.
+ Available in four different lengths.
- The rearward-facing binding position makes it tempting to lose control when landing jumps.
- Not exactly the most robust ski on the market
- The G3 skis are difficult to obtain in Europe.
