Movement Thunder (2007)

I was lucky enough to demo these skis just before Christmas in the Alps. The snow was not great but you could have a lot of fun on these specially in the better conditions. The stiffness allowed for really hard sweeping turns and they do not take kindly to back-seat skiers. Get forward, get on top and get going.

Henry Lukas 6’4, 12.5 stone, expert level

One season on them. Bad season in snow terms, but good season in ski terms ! The Thunder are great for every skier who is not afraid by a 89mm waist (and you should not !). Here what you discover when you get a pair :

- fisrt, they are so pretty… and so light ! And very well hand-made, at a first look.

- then, you put them and… they do not slide so much at low speed (mine were hardly waxed but the ptex 4000 seems to need more and more)

- easy to turn. Good tip effect : well centered on the thunder, then turning is easy and without any doubt.

- good, very good on icy snow. Not as good as a supershape, for example, but very precise. Better than a mission or a legend 8800. Even it is not the reason why you’ll buy thunders, you must know thay are very ice-capable for a freeski ! The reason ? Rigid in torsion. That’s it.

- fresh snow : well, they push everything as expected. Not exactly the same effect as with mission, but with higher speed, they seems more stable, more precise than mission. Because of their higher radius, i guess. But also very pleasant on short turns and/or groomed snow/spring snow.

- edge to edge : estonish ! Very quick. The 21m radius is not a problem on small places, you can turn very fast on short radius, easily change radius, and stop.

- easy to manage in usual conditions : if you suddenly have to slide or stop, no problem with the thunder. It has race giant skis capabilities, but it keeps an easy way of live !

Cons : they appeared too much fragile, especially the ptex 4000. Pro : speed, easy, all conditions. THE ski which makes you loving large waists !

Got a pair in December 2007 and sincerely enjoyed skiing these ever since in Argentière, Verbier, Champex Lac and Col St Grand Bernard. Predominantly used for endless off-piste in conditions ranging from virgin powder to wind blown hard pack. As I still participate in master downhill racing, I tend to ski them fast under all circumstances. They behave as I like them to behave. Each time again I am surprised how they seem to absorb various snow conditions especially with changes of terrain and inclination. Very responsive without being dominant. Highly recommended for passionate and adventurous skiers.

couldn’t be happier with these skis. I’ve demoed a lot of skis, mostly of the heavier, downhill variety because at 200lbs I’m not willing to ski down on some noodles just to save a few grams on the way up. I’ve steered clear of light weight gear until now because I thought you had to sacrifice railability. Not with the Thunders. These skis punch way above their weight. Every time I load them into the truck I’m amazed how light they are. They are comparable in weight to any reasonable ski setup I’ve picked up (not the silly rando racing setups). I’ve skied them in every condition we get here on the coast from near blower pow (as close as we get to it anyway), breakable crust gong show, icy scary death, groomers, spring slop and everything in between. They’ve taken it all without question. In pow they ski better than I ever expected for a 89mm waist ski. The way the tip is designed it feels as though someone is pulling it out of the snow all the time. This lets you get more and more aggressive and push hard in the soft stuff. It really feels like you can’t sink the tips (a whole different world from skiing the LPs). On groomers and sketchy steep sections, they are so quick edge to edge, its confidence inspiring. In bumps, as long as you’re on it and don’t get in the back seat, they work just fine. In the crud, they are stable and slice through without getting bounced around too much.