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Overall Overall, I am absolutely stoked about this ski. It takes all of the best aspects of design from previous JPs and the ARG and combines them into one. Not necessarily the best ski for me (as I have a quiver of skis), but definitely a great choice for someone who wants to charge the powder on pristine untouched days, but doesn't want to be overpowered by crud or ice a few days after the previous dump. Performance The JJ was by far my favorite ski that I rode at the Mission Ridge demo day. The day started off very icy and progressed to slush by the end, giving me a good feel of how the JJ would perform in most conditions. After riding skis like the EP Pro (which I love for powder), taking the JJ out was a breath of fresh air. Because of the camber underfoot along with the rockered design, the JJ gripped on the ice, blasted through crud, and yet was still very playful because of the rocker. Design THe JJ took the great aspects of the ARG and last years JP Vs Julien and threw away all of the downsides. By having a solid ARG construction, camber underfoot, an actual amount of sidecut, and throwing it all together in a lightweight package, this ski killed. Value I didn't buy the ski, just rode it at a demo. That being said, if you are looking for a great all mountain to powder ski, this is the one. Definitely not the best choice for everyone as a powder specific ski, but does more than get the job done. Characteristics This ski has a great flex pattern if what you are looking for is an all mountain to powder killing, rockered ski. Using the same construction as the ARG, the JP vs Julien is extremely solid and stable underfoot, while still keeping the area that is rockered relatively soft. This allows the JJ to kill it in the crud and ice, but still float great in the powder. Durability Again, riding this ski only a few times I cannot really comment on the durability.
Overall DISCLAIMER: This rating is if you are going to be using this ski as a POWDER TOOL. Everything is changed if you are planning on using this ski in the crud, or on the ice. That being said, if you are buying this ski for what it is supposed to be used for, powder days (doesn't have to be that much powder), it is a perfect ski. It is very easy to throw around in the trees, it floats miraculously in the powder, and riding switch anywhere is a charm. DO NOT BE SCARED OF HOW SOFT THE SKI IS!If you like skis that are a little more on the soft side, getting a ski this soft is a scary idea, but once done is a wonderful feeling. Being able to feel the full flex of the ski at a whim is amazing.As alluded to before, if you are skiing in snow that is chopped up, or even really heavy tracked powder, the EP pro is less than desirable. It is not horrible, but it is an interesting feeling going from absolute heaven to actually having to work. This ski is definitely a ski to add to a quiver, it is not a one ski/all conditions tool. Keeping this in mind, if you want a one ski quiver, go with something more like the 08/09 JP, but if you want the best of the best for a powder killing ski, look no further. Performance I absolutely love the way that this ski performs in the powder. Given that I do like soft skis, I could not ask for a better ski for a powder day. The elliptical sidecut is not just a gimmick, you can actually feel the difference between it and a normal radial sidecut. In the trees, this ski is incredibly nimble and easy to throw around, and when you get it in its element you will wonder why you ever settled for anything less. Design The design of this ski is about as close to a hellbent as you can get. The rocker is nearly the same, the length is about the same as the 179 hellbent. It is just amazingly softer, has an elliptical sidecut, and has a recommended mounting point that is about 4 cm further forward. With all of these things in mind I cannot think of one thing I would change about the design of the ski. The graphics for this year (08-09) are definitely more plain, but I still love them. It is nice to see Pollard's art on a ski that he obviously has spent so much time testing and designing. Value If you are looking for a super soft, playful, powder ski to add to the quiver, this ski is the best value by far. Fit I am 6'1" 170lb and was a little worried about the size (being that it is practically a center mounted powder ski), but all of these worries have been laid to rest. Getting these skis near the end of the year, I have taken them out a total of probably 8 times, 6 of which were in more than a foot of powder, and have never felt like I needed more of a ski. Whether you are big or small, don't be scared by the length of the ski, riding a rockered ski is a completely different game. On the groomers it will feel small, and in the powder it will be perfect because of the rocker. Characteristics This is by far the softest ski you will ever lay your hands on. From the tip to the tail, you will be blown away by how soft this ski truly is. I remember before I got these skis and just played around with them in the shop, I was confused at how a ski like this could actually do anything, but after riding it I have come to realize how amazing it is. If you want a soft, nimble ski for the powder, the flex is absolutely perfect on the EP Pro. Durability Before you even take the ski to the mountain, file down the topsheet. Where the topsheet meets the sidewall is a perfect 90 degree angle, making for a very easily chipped topsheet. This can be easily avoided though by either filing down the edge and making it a 45 degree angle. By doing this, it will make the ski less prone to chipping.
Overall For a ski that I was completely stoked about before I got a chance to ride it, I couldn't have been more disappointed. A great looking, great sounding (symmetrical) ski, that is as heavy, stiff,and unresponsive as they come, made me sad. Performance I was appalled by the performance of this ski. When I first saw the ski I was so stoked... a well made, perfectly symmetrical rockered ski with killer graphics, what more could one ask for? Well it ends up you could ask for a lot more. I am sure this ski might do a bit better in true powder, but skiing it in everything from ice to complete slush (similar feeling to powder), this ski was about as bad as skiing an old school straight ski. Making any kind of turn on these skis is a pain in the ass, it feels as if you are fighting your ski the whole time. On top of this, the fact that these skis were unreasonably heavy did not help anything. Out of all the skis that I skied at the Mission Ridge Demo Days, this was by far my least favorite. Design I absolutely love the graphics on this ski. They are very original and very unlike anything I have ever seen from Volkl in the past. The idea of the design is good too, a perfectly symmetrical rockered ski sounds like money, but in reality Volkl really dropped the ball. Value I would never buy this ski. Even if it was given to me, I would sell it. I know this sounds like a noob attempt at measuring value, and I normally give a better estimate, but this ski was just bad. Characteristics This ski's flex is about as Volkl as one could get, extremely stiff. Along with this stiffness, the ski is also shockingly unresponsive, heavy, and cumbersome. I can understand wanting a bit more stiffness to a rockered ski, but the chopstick takes the cake as being my least favorite ski of the bunch. Durability I cannot comment about the durability as I only got to ride the ski for one day.
