The Salomon Shogun is a ski that has been around for a while now, so I was surprised to see it gracing the tent walls at the Outdoor Retailer 2012 Winter Market All Mountain Demo. A bit sheepishly, I asked the tech manning the booth if there was a reason the Shogun was among Salomon’s slate of new skis to be released next year. Well, one reason was that they all were mounted with the new Salomon Guardian 16 binding that is all the buzz of the ski world right now. But the other reason is that the Shogun has been redesigned with a new early-rise tip.
So I thought, what the hell, let’s give ‘er a whirl. Up the Eagle chair I went with the Salomon Shogun skis and Guardian binding clicked happily on my nasty alpine boots. On the ride up, two young’uns sharing the chair with me had all kinds of questions about the bindings. Seems word has spread about the Guardian’s superhero-like ability to switch from tour to ski mode in an instant. I gave them the scoop and unloaded feeling all smart and stuff. You can read review of the Guardian binding here.
Sadly, the Shogun skis didn’t draw any glances like the bindings did. Too bad, because these skis rock. Cruising down the somewhat awful snow that resembles skiing in October was nothing for the Shoguns. These babies thought any conditions were bomber, so I called them bomber skis. They were quick to react, even on variable snow and terrain. I’d say they were easy to ski and they liked to go fast. However, they weren’t so great on ancient moguls that hadn’t been softened by new snow in what seems like centuries, but I forgive them.
I’d say the new early rise tip on the redesigned Salomon Shoguns would be better tested on a powder day, and it’s a damn shame that no powder was in sight on this big demo extravaganza. But considering the conditions, I thought the Shogun was a decent, competent ski that rips on groomers and probably shreds the pow even better.
For more about Salomon skis, check them out online.
Whereabouts on the ski were the bindings mounted? Does the Shogun mount dead center like the Twenty Twelve?
It was a long time ago, but I’m pretty sure they were mounted on the back line. If you want to center mount them for park and pipe/tricks, then I don’t see why you couldn’t do so.