This was the most effective day of the season! The Sunday solar shined shiny overhead after a large storm blasted Colorado all through the day earlier than. Eighteen inches far surpassed the forecasted 7, and there have been simply 2 ft of recent coldsmoke powder (for those who knew the place to look).
And look we did: My mates and I barreled and slashed by way of deep snow within the bushes, out within the open, and straight down the autumn strains, lap after lap.
Being a great Sunday on a crowded Colorado resort, the untouched powder began getting tracked out by 10 a.m. However apparently, my Scott SEA 108s bought progressively extra enjoyable all through the day. I by no means thought I’d have extra enjoyable because the freshies bought skied off. However given that the majority of my resort ski days coincide with comfortable however less-than-perfect powder, the brand new freeride ski from Scott continued to make sense day after day.
The SEA 108s are new for ‘24/25 and sport shapes and widths for giant mountain comfortable snow shredding. But I discovered their imposing measurement and dimensions misleading — they had been simple to ski and simply plain enjoyable. Nonetheless, it took me many days to pinpoint what makes these skis tick. However consider me, testing these large mountain sticks wasn’t a chore.
In brief: New Scott SEA 108 skis aren’t the large mountain bruisers that you simply’d anticipate from the scale. With distinct consideration to weight financial savings and versatile design, Scott managed to construct a pair of skis with a playful, maneuverable character that excels in large, imposing terrain. They arrive alive in mellower resort terrain, too.
Whereas ideally suited to comfortable, uneven snow, the SEA 108 can slash by way of powder and butter by way of hardpack terrain with grace. They love to leap, drift, and drop options all around the resort, they usually’ll match effectively with intermediate and skilled skiers who prefer to get inventive. The catch? The progressive freestyle-oriented mount level gained’t go well with each skier on the mountain — particularly those that are conventional carvers.
Need one thing versatile? Take a look at GearJunkie’s information to the greatest all-mountain skis.
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Weight per ski:
1,880, 1,910, 2,115, 2,220 g -
Size:
168, 176, 184, 192 cm -
Radius:
16, 17, 19, 20 m -
Sidecut tail:
128 mm -
Sidecut waist:
108 mm -
Sidecut tip:
139 mm -
Core:
Poplar, fiberglass, titanal -
Profile:
Rockered tip and tail, mellow camber underfoot
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Forgiving and simple to ski -
Clean and buttery throughout the snow spectrum -
Completely matched to comfortable, uneven resort terrain -
Light-weight
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Ahead mount level gained’t go well with each skier -
Not as floaty as different skis this huge -
Not exact or energetic on hardpack
Scott SEA 108 Evaluation


In a whole lot of methods, the Scott SEA 108s have been an attention-grabbing pair to check and try to explain. My pages of scribbled notes appear to be pointing to a couple pairs of skis slightly than one. There are contradictions and questions with many alternative solutions.
There are traits that don’t line up with the skis’ dimensions. And so they don’t match neatly in anyone ski class. One factor has been constant, although: I’ve had an outrageous quantity of enjoyable aboard the SEA 108s.
Construct


The SEA 108 is available in 4 sizes: 168, 176, 184, and 192cm. At 6’1” and 190 kilos, I nervously went for the 192cm size. They’re the longest skis I’ve ever stepped into over 3 a long time of snowboarding. I anticipated that my ego was in for a bruising, that they had been about to ski me as a substitute of the opposite approach round.
The SEA 108 packs in a full-length poplar core such as you’d need in a ski that blurs the road between freeride and freestyle. Fiberglass provides somewhat further pop, and a sheet of titanal underfoot holds collectively a moist, sturdy package deal.
The ensuing flex was medium and balanced back and front — although barely stiffer within the tails than the nostril. They felt stiff sufficient for quick and unfastened freeriding with out feeling like a chore to bend out and in of turns and at slower speeds.
They really feel lighter on the snow than their comparatively gentle 2,220g weight suggests, particularly within the suggestions and tails. A part of that weight financial savings come from Scott’s Air Tech core, the place they basically mill channels out of the wooden to drop the load by about 10%. It’s much like what Volkl and Fischer do of their weight-conscious skis, which have impressed me.
I mounted Look Pivot 14 bindings 1 cm again from Scott’s steered mount level. Their steered mount level is a freestyle-inspired ahead mount if I’ve ever seen one, and it’s probably the most idiosyncratic aspect of the SEA 108’s design.
Meaning a lot of tail for touchdown change and fewer shovel size than one thing extra conventional. My 16-year-old self would have been psyched for all of the backward potentialities. Freestylers take notice.
Snowboarding in Powder


Being hooked up close to the center of the skis meant that pure, untouched powder wasn’t the place these skis knocked my socks off. As a substitute of floating to the floor and refusing to sink, they ripped by way of the powder beneath it, planted to the firmer snow beneath the fluff.
Their comparatively low rise however deep rocker saved them feeling nimble, pivoty, and simple within the deep stuff. My hunch is that the freestyle-oriented ahead mount level saved the skis planted slightly than browsing up excessive within the powder. The tails simply didn’t give me a lot room to lean again and let the large shovels fly or for them to take flight within the powder on their very own.
Snowboarding Smooth, Uneven Snow
They got here alive in comfortable, uneven snow. Each run was a playground. The SEA 108s had the maneuverable character to leap, jib, and slash by way of it. They felt completely matched to these circumstances. And that’s factor for a spot like my house mountain, Vail. Each run throughout 5,289 acres is tracked out to some extent by 11 a.m. on a typical powder day.
The closely tapered suggestions made that uneven, messy snow a lot easier to plow by way of than with wider-tipped skis. The information refused to hook and deflect — they stayed the road and reduce by way of all of it with secure, poised character. As soon as I trusted that the reasonably comfortable shovels wouldn’t fold, I pushed them to my restrict.
They had been as much as the problem like I’d anticipate from a pair of freeride skis. However once more, they had been nimble sufficient to throw sideways and scrub velocity even whereas pushing them to the sting of my energy and ability. I by no means felt like they had been in cost, as I had half-expected with these large dimensions.
The skis make the most of Scott’s 3D Spin Tech Rocker within the suggestions and tails. They’re formed virtually like the underside of a spoon, which was surprisingly noticeable in comfortable snow. Think about slapping the floor of a bathtub of water with the flat palm of your hand. It smacks, and there’s some pressure pushing again.
Now think about pushing into that very same water with the underside of an enormous serving spoon. It glides into the water, and there’s much less kickback. That’s what the information felt like in comfortable snow, or no less than my greatest guess at what’s occurring. They glided by way of comfortable chop with out getting bucky and slappy. It complemented the remainder of the SEA 108’s buttery character.
Scott SEA 108 in Onerous Snow


The SEA 108s shocked me once more in laborious snow. Scott didn’t design them to excel right here. However the agile character and massive rocker saved them feeling fast and simple in hardpack crud, bumps, and all the pieces else you discover within the resort when the snow traits towards crunchy. I needed to let go of my extra ahead, exact tendencies, however the skis rewarded me with smoother snowboarding on chattery snow.
“These skis slide by way of terrain like I’m smearing room-temperature butter over it,” I wrote to myself whereas testing on a hardpack day. It’s definitely not a sensation I used to be used to, and it’s not what everybody appears to be like for in laborious snow.
That buttery dance meant they weren’t notably exact, nor had been they demanding to ski. They flowed down chunky terrain easily and gracefully.
Given their easy, fashionable character, no one needs to be shocked that carving groomers isn’t the SEA 108’s forte. They weren’t bursting with energetic carving charisma on hardpack.
That stated, they maintain an edge simply effective, and the 20m flip radius (within the 192cm size) felt blissfully quick for such large skis. They turned shortly on edge and will effortlessly escape of a flip with a small pivot, not like some large, highly effective freight train-like skis on the market.
Who the SEA 108s Are For


I had an inordinate quantity of enjoyable aboard the 192cm Scott SEA 108’s. However this isn’t a kind of skis that I might broadly advocate to everybody on the lookout for a comfortable snow freeride ski. They’ve somewhat extra character than that; they gained’t go well with each skier kind.
If you wish to ski like a freight practice full velocity forward, there are higher skis for you that aren’t fairly so fast and nimble, such because the Black Crows Atris. If you happen to’re a standard directional carver at coronary heart however need one thing floaty, the SEA 108s additionally gained’t be an ideal match — you’ll need one thing with a extra energetic camber just like the Volkl Blaze 104 or 114. And for those who’re genuinely on the lookout for a floaty powder ski, bump as much as the SEA 108’s large sister, the SEA 116.
The SEA 108 is an enormous mountain ski for skiers trying to smear fashion all around the headiest terrain their mountain has to supply — those that ski dynamically, artistically, and with somewhat aptitude. They’ll reward these skiers with a pair of skis which might be easy, nimble, and playful.
SEA-curious skiers who lean towards a extra conventional and directional fashion can be happy with the ski, too, however I wouldn’t hesitate to mount them 1-3 cm again from the beneficial mount level for a barely extra conventional really feel and float.
Conclusion


Scott’s new SEA 108 skis cowl an thrilling area of interest. On one hand, they’re ideally suited to intermediate and skilled freeriders with a dynamic fashion — these which might be flowy, inventive, and easy. That group will recognize their pivoty, slashy allure, particularly in comfortable, uneven snow.
Then again, they’re simple to ski, given their reasonably comfortable, forgiving character. They don’t demand precision or notably sturdy method just like the Black Crows Atris or Volkl Blaze to have enjoyable, circulation, and surf by way of the resort.
So, a whole lot of totally different skiers might bounce aboard the SEA 108s and have a good time. Nonetheless, the progressive mount level might really feel international to some skiers who’re unaccustomed to freestyle-oriented freeride skis. It takes some getting used to.
Skiers desirous to ski quick and unfastened in comfortable, uneven snow will dig the Scott SEA 108s. And because the “Ski All over the place Anytime” acronym suggests, the SEA 108s gained’t be relegated to the roof field when the snow stops falling — these skis are versatile and enjoyable in varied circumstances and terrain.