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First Look: Majesty Superpatrol Carbon

A thought-provoking “technical’ ski from the Polish ski makers at Majesty.

By

Spencer Dillon

Steep skiing, depending on your stylistic persuasions, comes in two French flavors: Tof Henry and Vivian Bruchez. Henry sadly died while practicing his inimitable and beautiful form of steep skiing: huge, fast fall-line turns over enormous exposure. Bruchez’s style—flowing, rhythmic, double pole-plant hop turns – is no less beautiful thanks to its amazing consistency and…

Responses

  1. Whit

    I’ll be interested in your full review – especially on the COT idea. I have been interested in the Supernova for some time after having the 178 Superwolf carbons for a few years (which have a lot less camber than those Patrols, holy cow). They are nice well made skis and look marvelous!

  2. Ethan Ayer

    I’ve also been interested in the Superwolfs. The COT idea seems to suggest that you can size down significantly on Majesty skis but then you have a very rearward mount point, which may not be the best for jump turns in steeps and tight couliors?

    1. Ethan Ayer

      Edit: I meant I’ve always been interested in the Superpatrols and Supernovas.

    2. Whit

      At least for the Superwolfs I’d agree, the mount point felt far back with light more upright boots, especially for spring steeps. I like it better at +1. The relatively big rockered tip is great when it gets soft but I have to stay forward or the stiffer shorter tails throw me. I’ve grown to really like the ski but eventually want to find a more playful spring ski with a looser tail.

      1. Spencer Dillon

        Interesting thoughts all around, and definitely mirror what I’ve been wondering about, especially the down-sizing. Majesty does not recommend down-sizing and on their chart for ski length, I (an almost 6′ tall super badass) comfortably chart to the 185cm. I remember Bruchez taking a pair of 164cm m-verticals to Dhaulagiri or another 8000m peak, and ‘short technical skis’ certainly have a place (and I am already thoroughly convinced on that point), but outside of the greater ranges, most of the steep skiing we do involves some un-steep skiing, at which those micro skis tend to really not be fun. I have a pair of 178cm ski trab maestros (76 underfoot) that I really enjoy in the steeps, but I almost invariably crash in the aprons. I think the short skis are great for ‘ski-alpinism’ of the sort that Sam Hennessey, Adam Fabrikant, Ben Tibbetts among others practice. In a world where skis rained from the sky (ouch), I would own m-verticals or pierra mentas for racing and the toughest of technical mountain adventures, my 178cm misticos for traverses and very long days and these majestys for steep skiing I anticipate being somewhat fun or accessible, e.g. chamonix.

        I will say so far the COT concept doesn’t feel particularly revolutionary or extreme. It feels like a 175cm ski behind and 185cm ski in front. Reverse mullet I guess. I will have to do some measurements against my 178cm misticos. Mounted at recommended, I haven’t had trouble maneuvering the skis around, apart from the garbage 3-D snow that everyone has been struggling with this season. The rockered tip (more rocker than I’m used to) doesn’t make the ski feel that long on firm snow, but does allow for wicked fun hop turns without feeling like you’ll go over the bars. In deeper snow, they definitely feel long, like I am constantly reaching to stay on the front of the ski, but perhaps I will finally have to increase the forward lean in my boots, which I have always kept as upright as possible to remedy over-the-handlebar-itis.

        Regardless, as Whit points out, holy hannah they are cambered and as such take some input. Super duper fun until they get out from under you if you like that sort of thing.

        1. Whit

          The reverse mullet ski, classic. I have the same thought about COT not feeling hugely different in reality but I’m not a badass on skis and haven’t tested a ton of them.
          But the “getting over the shovels” comment is why I went +1 on my Superwolfs with Skorpius. Also the shorter effective tail took some getting used to, I don’t feel like it wants any backseat driving, threw me a bit at first. But I still can’t rationalize getting anything new for all around spring touring and the Patrol looks even more of a solid choice.

          BTW- I had been checking back to see if you left a comment but I was mistakenly clicking the SuperNOVA post…the photos and topsheets look identical!

          1. Spencer Dillon

            Ha, Jason had the same issue when I sent him photos for first looks on both pairs. The bases are different (bright pink on these and yellow on the Novas). but otherwise they are almost indistinguishable.

            As to the COT, Majesty did clarify to me that these are the only two skis in their lineup that feature this rearward mount point.

            1. Whit

              Ah that’s new info to me on the COT, makes sense with the Wolf mount point being around -9 compared to -13ish on the Patrol and Nova.

              Funny about the base color difference. Need someone to snap a shot of you getting rad to show them off!

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