By Mason Turner
J skis Slacker
Overview and First Impressions
The Slacker is a powder‑focused, all‑terrain freestyle touring ski built for riders who want a light uphill without sacrificing playful downhill performance. With a 136/110/128 shape and a tip height around 72.5 mm it immediately reads as a surfy, flotation‑first ski in soft snow. The long early‑rise tip and rockered tail, combined with 4 mm of effective camber underfoot, deliver buoyant turn initiation and lively rebound. It excels in open powder, trees, and softer off‑piste days where surfy, forgiving behavior is preferred over locked‑in edge precision.
Construction and On‑Snow Feel
Construction blends an Xtra Light Aspen core with pre‑cured carbon stringers and a quasi‑isotropic fiberglass layup, all wrapped in full‑height UHMW sidewalls. The result is a touring‑conscious ski that still carries more energy and dampening than many ultralight powder boards. The 4 mm camber underfoot provides grip and pop on turn exits, while the lighter sintered base and slimmed edges trim grams for the climb without being fragile. On snow this translates to a lively, confident feel that doesn’t chatter as much as comparable weight‑saving designs.
Powder and Off‑Piste Performance
In powder and off‑piste the Slacker really shines: the wide tip and significant tip rocker give immediate float and a playful, surfy turn arc. The rockered tail and shorter tail rocker length make the ski easy to release and pivot, which is ideal in tight trees or variable deep snow. Because it’s relatively light, it’s forgiving in chop and quick to redirect. That said, at high speeds on firm, tracked out slopes it can feel less stable than heavier, stiffer powder planks built primarily for charging.
Touring Practicalities and Features
Touring features are thoughtful: per‑ski weights are modest (for instance ~1835 g for the 176 cm) and there’s a subtle tail notch for reliable skin clip retention, plus some bundles include pre‑cut Pomoca skins. The ski strikes a useful compromise between uphill efficiency and downhill capability — lighter than full‑fat powder boards but with enough dampening and power from carbon and full sidewalls to handle aggressive charges. Bindings with appropriate elastic travel and brakes sized to the tail width are recommended for best performance.
Specs Explained and Sizing Advice
Understanding the specs helps choose the right length and use case. Tip/waist/tail widths (136/110/128) influence float, turn initiation and release — wide tip and rocker equals float, narrower tail aids pivot. The 4 mm effective camber underfoot provides edge hold, rebound and better performance on variable snow. Sidecut radius changes with length (16.9–21.2 m across the range) and affects turn shape and stability; effective edge gives contact length. Pick shorter for nimble tree laps and longer for flotation and high‑speed stability.
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