Titanal 99cm

Rider Reviews

I received my new Lacroix 99cm skiboards (with Extreme II bindings) last Wednesday (Thanks G for all the help and quick turnaround) Friday Night we headed to Brundage mountain in McCall Idaho for our annual Presidents day ski trip. Over the following 2 days, with the help of my son-in-law (Who is an expert skier) we put the Titanal to the test. My mission was to try these new skiboards in as many situations as possible (Except rails, sorry) and I think we pretty much accomplished that Goal.

Saturday was my day. I’m 51, 5’10” and 175lbs. and in pretty good shape. I ski 5-7 times a year (for 10-12 years) and while I may not be the fastest guy on the mountain I do like to move along at a pretty quick pace. I also have rollerblading experience and was looking for that feel in these skiboards. I was not disappointed, the Titanal were much faster than I expected, very maneuverable and yet had plenty of stability. While this was my first experience on this quality of skiboards, I have ridden snowblades and currently own a pair of Head Big Easy’s. The difference in speed and handling on these Titanal 99 was unbelievable. For me the carving was probable the most impressive. When you stay up on the edges like a snowboard (I did a little of that back in the day) it is amazing how much speed you can get and by half way through the day I was doing those big knuckle dragging carves with ease. 360’s, skiing backwards and zipping through those little trails that cut through the trees were all effortless. Very quickly it became obvious to me that the Lacroix Titanal 99’s could handle anything I was ready to dish out so it was time to call in the expert.

My son-in-law James is in his early thirties, 5’9” 190lbs. he has been skiing since he was 3 years old and usually is the fastest guy on the mountain. On Sunday, I bit the bullet and had James use the Lacroix 99’s while I strapped on my 170’s. James’s mission was to push these skiboards as hard as possible, and he was more than ready to do it. I asked him to especially focus on jumps and powder. His first attempts at both were actually kind of humorous. I guess I hadn’t tighten the binding enough when I adjusted it for his boots so landing his first jump didn’t workout so well (but boy was it impressive right up until the crash) and on his first attempt at powder he realized the need to keep his weight back a little more (Face Plant). After that, he seemed to have everything dialed in. At the end of the day, he was quite impressed. He felt that the Lacroix Titanal 99’s worked great all over the mountain, had plenty of float for the powder (as long as you keep up your speed) and were easy to land on the jumps. He did feel his skis might be a little better for big moguls at high speed but other than that he’ll be looking to pickup a set of skiboards.

As for me, going back to those 170 planks on Sunday, after such a great day of skiboarding on Saturday, just helped me recognize how much more fun the skiboards are. I think the Lacroix Titanal 99’s were one of the best purchases I have ever made. They look great (a very clean but classy look) and seem to give me the ability to go anywhere on the mountain I want to go. I would highly recommend the Lacroix 99’s for riders at all levels. The 170 planks are going in the garage sale.

Board Specs:
Width Profile - 13.5/10.9/13.5
Base - Ptex2000 Base
Core - Woodcore-carbon-vibrachoc
Weight(Pair) - 5.2lbs

Topsheet:
The look and quality of the titanial topsheet is amazing. Not only does it look and feel amazing, It seems to have a heavy resistance to scratching and gouging. Various people stepped on and rode over top, and there seemed to be no apparent marking from doing so. On the edges of the topsheet; where the most damage begins occuring, there was none. While not totally invincible, they are pretty damn close. Looking over after a heavy day of riding....(7.5hrs) there were only a few minor scratches from heavier spills. One of which I broke some leashes.

Edges:
They are rockwell steel edges on these still; but as discussed in other threads, they seem to be much sharper. My full day of riding, the edges always felt sharp....They dug in consistently as if they were right out of the box. This feeling lasted all day. I am not sure if the angle of cut on the edges differs from the Revel 8 lineup, but there is a deffinate sustainability of edge sharpness. I always ride hard and fast when I go out, which usually takes away edge sharpness at the end of the day...especailly with partial ice conditions. This was not the case with these boards. I was hard carving all day and they still seemed to stay sharp.

At the end of the day I actually cut myself on the middle edge of the board. After a full day of riding!! A clean razor style slice. If that doesnt say anything about the quality of edges, nothing does.

Bases:
The base on these boards are the Ptex2000 Base. The speed while riding is truly amazing. The bases ride smooth and fast and do it consistently. As the conditions were melting and getting sloppy. The bases allowed me to cruise over crude, ice, and grainular with ease. The bases allowed for an extra push of speed in the steeper areas.

Weight:
These things are built like tanks. Whatever extra materials go into the making are felt while riding. With a pound difference between the BWPs or (.5 per foot) and .6 between the 105 Revolt (.3lbs a foot). It take a while to get used to the weight differential once they were strapped to my feet. I usually have Tanshos on, so I was up 1.5lbs. Once you get used to the extra baggage, it get right back to that skiboard feel. For those of us that enjoy the heavier boards, these are a must have.

Butters:
No troubles here. Same feel and consistency as BWPs. Buttering was a little firmer which I liked, because I have more of a taste for firm boards. Being firmer, they have a little less "bounce" or "pop" when pressing weight into your tips, this could lead to smoother or rougher buttering depending on your riding style. A lighter rider may not be able to get the real flex that these can have when hardpressing. (Im 200lbs) This may be the sub 100 for you heaver gents because of the firmness they offer.

Fakie:
MMM fast. Loved the fakie riding on these. Although I have not tried the KTPs and have kind of steered clear from post 100 boards. These could very well be a contender for you fakie lovers. With this base being as fast as it is, I was pushing speeds well beyond my normal fakie riding. I dont know if it was the torpedo shaped tails/nose or the slick bases. They seemed to be locked to the snow, while at the same time gliding so fast i actually had to stop myself from running ovr people. They allowed me to ride harder/faster/longer backwards. It was great. If you love to go backwards and fast, I highly suggest a pair of these.

Flex:
The most Bulky/firm sub 100 on the Revel 8 site. This is the best board for those of us that like a little less flex. Very firm and consistent throughout the board, although forgiving on those hard landings. Much Lighter persons may find the firmness more unforgiving.

Rails:
The bases are a big part of rails. The bases slide over rails and boxes with ease. It felt like the boards were prewaxed every time. I never got caught up on any rails, as i sometimes do when it gets sticy out.

Jumps:
Great overall board for Big Airs. I dont know what it was but they reminded me of 105s when I was riding them. A 99 that lands like a 105cm, it was strange. Its like a had a heavier/firmer pair of Revolts on my feet. I landed firmly and consistently like I did when I had EMPs(Revolts) in my lineup. You would expect the sharp edges to hold you back in your landings, but they did the oposite. I was able to pull out and fakie out of possible bad landings. The sharp edges made board control quick and sharp.

Final note:
Amazing pair of boards that add some weight and firmness to your riding. Lacroix has made a real winner, and I hope this year is the beginning of many with their sub 100 boards.