Sherpas are the BOMB!

[sempai]

I just got back from Wolf Creek, CO. This was my first chance to ride the Sherpas. The temp was warm and the conditions were slick hard pack and mush/slush/crud/chunk. I started out the day on my 120s but quickly switched to the Sherpas because I was anxious to try them out, plus the 120s weren't handling the conditions too well.

I felt right at home on the Sherpas first thing. Sure they were bigger than anything I'd been on before, but the extra width and length wasn't overwhelming. Right away I could feel a huge difference in stability over the 120s. I was plowing through all the crud with no problem. The added stability you get with these babies is incredible, and the hold they get on icy patches is surprising. I think they get much better hold than the 120s. It was so nice to feel so safe. I've never felt this way with any other boards. The Sherpas had me feeling so secure and comfortable that I ended up going into the trees and into some moguls, something I never do. The moguls I wasn't great at, but I was tearing it up in the trees. :D

Sure the Sherpas are big, and they push the limits of what skiboards are. I'm not even sure if I'd consider them skiboards. They feel like something different, something amazing. They were still skateable, and I even pulled off a couple butters on them. The Sherpas do require you to work them hard but when you are on them, you desire to be aggressive and to push your limits. They gave me the confidence to tackle new terrain. No other board has done that before. Besides playing in the trees and moguls, I was even hitting big jumps (big for this old man). The extra surface area helped out tremendously when landing.

I have one BIG regret about the Sherpas, and that is I wish I'd bought them sooner. I've experienced a lot of powder this season and didn't have the boards to tackle it. The Sherpas would have tackled it without a problem. They can plow through anything.

If you have been on the fence about buying the Sherpas because of the size or because of the price, don't hesitate any longer. The Sherpas are worth every penny, and you'll be glad you have these beasts in your arsenal. They are the BOMB! I'm a Spruce guy all the way. I can't wait to see what Jeff comes out with next season. :)

http://politepooches.com/images2/sherpas.jpg

[jjue]

nice review Sempai .. I agree with you wholeheartedly !
funny thing though , at Shredfest I threw everything the Tahoe mountains had to offer at Valmorel on his Spruce 120's
everything from deep pow . crud , moguls , tight trees , icy groomers , and he handled everything on his 120's as well as I did on my Sherpas .. I know I would not have been as good or confident on my 120's and was happy to be on the Sherpas which are the bomb to me and my go to board for sure... but I was totally blown away at how well Valmorel did on all the same stuff on his 120 .. he brought his Sherpa along on the trip but absolutely never had to bring it out . his 120 handled everything ..
Valmorel is a bit lighter than me , I think he weighs around 175 lbs to my 195 lbs .. but perhaps there is more to the story ..
like maybe he is a more skilled skiboarder than I and doesn't need a "cheater" board :)!

I kept thinking I was playing with an oversized tennis racquet or a huge big bertha golf driver against a guy who was schooling me with a regular size tennis racquet or driver, weird ... !!!

Well no matter, I take my "cheater " board any day LOL !!!!

ps .subplot to this story , on the last day at Shredfest .. I needed to prove my manhood by riding my 101 KTP with line ff pros against Valmorel with his 120's at Sugarbowl . no deep pow , but steeps , ice , and lots of crud .. I think I held my own with the KTp's but in the chunky broken pow .. my legs sure got a really bumpy work out as I was ploughing through at speed and I sure wished I had Kirk T. 's young legs ! and by the end of the day , I was kind of wishing for my Sherpa but happy that I had proven , at least , to myself that I had the " machismo" to ride head to head against the master , Valmorel , with my short boards. .. (of course, kind of unfair beccause those KTP's are also the bomb in crud .. -probably should have tried to ride my Canon M7's in the crud or maybe my bigfoot .. :)! )

[t21]

Sempai,welcome to world of SHERPA! i'm glad that you have finally ridden the sherpa and had a blast with them. as you said, you start looking for challenging terrain and that was exactly what i was doing, going on glade runs,any fresh untracked powder just too see what the sherpa can do and it just does it. even when i say to myself that i'm tired so i'll just cruise around on easy trails and next thing i know i'm in some glade trails(again)looking for any untouch pow :D. it's just unbelievable what it can do. even as jjue says"cheater"board,he knows its the BOMB!

[wjeong]

sempai,

Sherpas definitely rock. I got to know my pair much better at shredfest. They are the best of my real skiboards.

Wendell

[valmorel]

Glad you like the Sherpas too Sempai. Dont take too much notice of Jjue, he is every bit as skilled as I am, its just that the Sherpa suits him best, thats all. I have this picture stuck in my mind from Sugar Bowl of Wendell deliberately grabbing some air on his Sherpas too, something he usually avoids, so I guess that big stable platform is tempting him too...........

[pinkkid]

Great review and remarks you guys! Sempai, so glad you rode and lked the Sherpa... sounds like an amazing board, even moreso than the 120!!!! Actually, the Sherpa & KTP are the two unique boards of this skiboard family and the more aggressive you are on either board the better they each perform and take care of you.
Very good stuff, thanks!
How did they do just cruisng down normal blue runs?

[sempai]

How did they do just cruisng down normal blue runs?They do a great job just cruising down intermediate groomers. Speed can get out of control if you're not careful.