Setting The Record Straight: Re-Reviewing Bode's Peak 104

[@bodemiller7765]

Impressive to put the time and energy in to the experimentation, I would encourage you to do the same with all the skis you review in the future ad it provides real value to people watching who don't have the time or energy to put in to messing with everything to figure out the best set up. You would like the shorter 104s.

[@dick91p]

Constant experimentation is why I became my own ski tech many years ago. If I were to pay for all the binding mounts, core shot repairs, tunings, etc., I could not afford skiing.

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Thanks! I appreciate your recommendation to test it. Honestly, the more I learn with testing skis the more I grow to appreciate what you and the team over at Peak skis are doing. Cheers.

[@SpudDood]

Woah this was awesome! Let's normalize the re-review.

[@ronaldp4]

Thank you Elliot. Rock Star Video! (Speaking of, was "Rickety Ski" the VJ for Head Bangers Ball back in the day!?}

[@RicketySkiReviews]

I have no clue what you're referencing, but thanks for watching!

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Thanks To PEAK For Letting me keep these and test them throughout the season. Cheers.

[@RichardKunz-io8ok]

Hi Elliott, Nice to meet you earlier today. The two of us ski so many of the same runs at our home area that I knew we would cross paths at some point. I think your reviews are spot on. Keep up the good work.

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Thanks Richard! Nice to meet you as well

[@Drwatcherman]

So I’m not 100% sure about this but I remember hearing that the factory mount point is determined by the ideal ball of foot position for an “average” (8.5-9 US about 26 mondo?) size boot. There was a time when the ideal mount point was ball of foot set to center of running surface of the ski (using a Campbell balancer) but this has become way harder to determine with rocker designs. Based on this, to put ball of foot at ideal position you should move back half the difference between your boot size and the avg boot (or up by half if your boot is smaller). I have a 28.5 boot and typically mount 1-2cm back from recommended and it seems to work out well.

[@Drwatcherman]

It was from Tom Gielle Big Picture Skiing Podcast “Binding Placement Effect on Skiing with Lou Rosenfeld”

[@jons7e]

Testing them in better conditions was a fair way to re-review... and impressions in different conditions matters

[@johnman7251]

Over the years I have found enough difference in mount point/binding delta/personal preference with skis that had bindings I could experiment with I think from now on (if my wife ever lets me add another pair to the quiver) I’ll always just choose demo or systems bindings. Finding the personal sweet spot can make a good ski great. Thanks for the follow up.

[@RicketySkiReviews]

It's wild just how big of a differnce they can make, especially in this case with off trail/ powder

[@The0rnate]

Always love the reviews! I’m glad you got more opportunities to re-try these skis and find what had been talked about from Bode. Good stuff!

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Thanks for watching! Trying to be thurough when and where I can be.

[@squarrl]

Doesn't Bodie have a unique stance, that people a long time ago called being backseat? You look like you have a very classic stance, and maybe this could be something?

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Bodes’ back seat. In other words, knees of teflon and thighs of steel? No wonder they work for him! 😅

[@fox156]

Ski co's are pretty lazy, sounds like they didn't do enough testing.

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Question everything.

[@adambarnes5915]

Great point! I started playing with factory mount point this year too, as I found my Elan Ripstick 106 blacks seemed to have mediocre powder performance (which seemed strange for a 106 waist ski). Then I noticed the mount point on my 116 powder skis )same length) is a least 3cm further back. So I moved the elan’s bindings 1.75cm back, and BAM! It’s a whole different ski!

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Agree. Now that various mounting points are ok vs one approx 2/3 back that was industry standard, then more chance for ski manufacturers to get wrong mounting point. Shops aren’t much help since they are supposed to do exactly as specified to avoid liability. Sucks.

[@WaechterDerNacht]

For me the question that remains is, why the fctory recommended is on the spot it currently is? If this is such an issue, i'm wondering whether they need to find another solution for people to remount the binding. I'm thinking of threaded inserts with an exchangable plate, so you don't damage the core with every position change. Or selling them with movable bindings only. Because if i think of my bindings (Shift 13) you can't move the toe piece once it's mounted. That would mean new holes everytime.

[@Snowplow-rq3bj]

I have a similar issue with a different ski. From my pov more flexibility in mounting skis would make so much sense. I just think bindings are so random that you can’t factor that in. And for anything that is all mountain or freeride you normally don’t want a plate like a system binding for the flex und foot.

[@scottb6047]

Almost all factory installed bindings (system bindings) are moveable or adjustable. If you choose the binding, then its your responsibility to choose movable or fixed, the ski manufacturer has no control over what you do. A lot of ski companies but several factory lines on skis now and have KZbin video's on which line to use for a given skier profile. Not all skis are like this, mostly the higher end ones and hopefully the ones that are sensitive to mount point. Seems Peak's are sensitive so they should have different mount lines on them, I don't think they do. And to make a point, Bode Miller himself advised Elliot to move them the wrong way for his skier profile. Seems Bode ought to know how to get it right. I use demo bindings unless I know from others what the "optimum" mount point will be for me. Its always a bit of a crap shoot, so I do tend to use demo bindings a lot. Sometimes I start with demo bindings and then when I found the sweetspot, change to fixed mount bindings.

[@simonorr594]

Bit random, but I just ran into Mr and Mrs Plake at Geneva airport on Tuesday. They were super charming and even agreed to have a photo with us. I’d especially like to thank Kimberley for getting involved with PSIA. My daughter met them age 14, at Whitetail PA, got inspired, and now she’s in the Dev Team!

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Woah cool!

[@hannahgage9686]

Thank you for all of your honesty, re view and talk of size!! People do not talk about sweet spots, binding adjustments and weight nearly enough. I love watching your reviews!!

[@michaelaronson9447]

Why don’t you just get a good ski so you don’t have to “futz” around with settings. Elan ski! 😮

[@RicketySkiReviews]

I think these are good skis though

[@CC-ys8qq]

Is 2 clicks equal to 2cm? And did you have a binding that you could move fore and aft or was this a remount?

[@TD05SSLegacy]

And if you didn’t have one (like Look) you are screwed

[@chengyufang2672]

great review as always! just curious, are you planning to review head kore 87?

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Yes I am! just waiting for the snow conditions to be better suited, we just got 12" of fresh snow

[@chengyufang2672]

@@RicketySkiReviews Awesome! Looking forward to that!

[@diegocapelli]

please, id like see the review ok kore 105, ....sorry for my english......

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Great English! The review is up!

[@simongloutnez589]

Nice content, very much like your honesty! And yep Zach sure shreds 😂

[@RicketySkiReviews]

For sure!

[@TheBigHouse76]

You mentioned your height and weight which affected your binding placement point. I am 5'10" 176 lbs. Is my size close to yours that it would make sense to consider mounting them as you did and discovered a whole new ski?

[@RicketySkiReviews]

not sure, it could also be style too I guess, but I'm like 6'1" and 230lbs so quite a bit bigger tbh.

[@TheBigHouse76]

@@RicketySkiReviews thanks for replying. I guess I'll have to trust my local ski shop guys who have known me for nearly 20 years to advise me on placement.

[@PlasticBagable]

Any chance you’ll get your hands on the M7 Mantra soon?

[@RicketySkiReviews]

They said I would, but not totally sure at this point tbh

[@darinsmith2458]

You will have to let us know how Zack likes the new mount point.. There are a couple advantages of having demo bindings.. This does give me something to think about.. On one pair of my skis my tails catch.. I never had that happen.. I could mess with the mount point since I have demo bindings..

[@RicketySkiReviews]

I will ask him, he said he's going to run it at factory recommended to start and then work from there to find his favorite spot.

[@darinsmith2458]

@@RicketySkiReviews Cool.. Thanks..

[@jenniferlynne3314]

At least you still had a decent time flying too close to the sun. I flew too close to the sun *in my bathroom* last week and broke my foot. Season is done. 😭😭😭

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Oh no! Didn't you just do a big trip? But the bathroom is how you got hurt?

[@jenniferlynne7323]

@@RicketySkiReviewsyup we skied Alyeska and Arctic Valley in Alaska at the end of Feb! I’m glad my klutziness waited until now but still a bummer. Was hoping to get up to Jay or Saddleback last week, but it wasn’t in the cards (I would have totally thrown my foot in a boot and skied but finance said NO - fun police 😂) YES THE BATHROOM 😂😂😂😂 Thinking about a trip to South America this summer when I’m healed up!

[@CraigTavis]

Elliott, I’m sheepishly thrilled at this review. Even after watching your previous reviews I took advantage of the two for one sale. I bought the 98’s as I’m probably 50/50 on off piste in the resort. I also picked up their backcountry version by Dav. I’m about your size. Do you think in the 98mm width the 2 click back mount is the best place to start? And how do you become a channel member? I don’t see a join button. 🤷‍♂️

[@scottb6047]

the short answer is yes. IF there is no real guidance, consider demo track bindings so you can move them. Tyrolia Attacks are good demo bindings. If not demo, be conservative in moving your binding placement. Better to not go far enough than too far from recommended point. Rec. points are always manufacturer's guess at best point for average sized skiers.

[@kwwk6151]

So where will Zach mount the bindings?

[@RicketySkiReviews]

He said he's going to keep them stock and then play with them back 2 later

[@TD05SSLegacy]

I told a student of mine to move his binding back two clicks and he could NOT understand. Never made the change.

[@RicketySkiReviews]

I went a lot of my life never messing with it to be totally fair

[@TD05SSLegacy]

@@RicketySkiReviews it didn’t used to be a thing but with park skis center-mounted I think that some mfgrs are throwing around random line designations. These were Rossi beginner training skis. They had a side cut so should have been easy to carve. Yet they were and inch forward by eye sight. The remaining long tails were giving the student real problems as he learned. Chore not to hook the tails.

[@scottb6047]

Glad you sorted this out and I bet Zack likes them on the factory line as he seems to be close to the factory testers physical spec's. Explains the difference in your experiences with them as well.

[@alainbrouillaud484]

Good on you Elliott 😊 An evolving mind is a sign of maturity ⛷️

[@RicketySkiReviews]

Thanks! Trying to keep it evolving