Lengths: 154, 164, 171, 178, 185, 192cm | Dimensions: 144/112/138 | Turn Radius: 19.8m | Profile: Reverse Camber With Early Rise Tip/Tail
Based in Boston, Parlor Skis is an east coast brand that makes boards for rippers the world over. We we’re recently lucky enough to test their west coast powder ski at Arapahoe Basin and Telluride last week and what we found was a big mountain ski that is as versatile as it is burly.
Related: Parlor Wants You To Build Your Own Skis
At 6,5″ 220lbs, I took the 192cm version on the road in search of big powder faces and deep couloirs across Colorado. As advertised this ski does great in soft conditions but I was surprised to find out how well the it does on hardpack and variable snow types.
The ski’s narrow waist combined with very gradual early rise in the tip gives The Mountain Jay a surfy feel in the powder while holding a tight, longer edge on firmer snow surfaces.
“Surfy-smooth peterbilt crud busters with trench digging option built in. When you get it on snow, you realize you need to adjust your preconceptions of how reverse-camber skis handle, because the Parlor Mountain Jay can rip GS-trenches when flexed fully” – Eric Edelstein, Exotic Skis
Compared to other market offerings, Parlor construction closely resembles Volkl but unlike the German ski maker, Parlor ski builds can include multiple variations of its cores and profiles, allowing them to cater to the skier who wants a custom feel in their planks.
We chose the aspen/maple core, flat tail Mountain Jay for testing and found it was both poppy and powerful. In fact the ski was straight up demanding. The flat tail is very strong and for those who really like to drive powder turns fall-line on big faces– this ski is for you. On the other hand, those skiers looking for a slashing and buttering machine might want to consider getting the early rise tail instead of the flat tail.
Mountain Jay Takeaways:
Preferred Surface: Powder
Turn Radius: Longer
Ideal Terrain: Big faces, open bowls, chutes
Not Ideal Terrain: Bumps/dense trees/park
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Check out the rest of Parlor skis here: The Flock