ID One is Making a Splash
by Mike Whitaker
ID One is a newcomer to the freeride world and they’re making a big splash. This very dedicated Japanese manufacturer is renowned for their World Cup mogul skis and there’s little argument that they are among the world’s best.
Two new boards, a 98mm under foot (JPOW98) and a 125mm under foot (JPOW125), are both superb in their own rights. And why not? ID One is a company that doesn’t make compromises. Their attention to innovative design, construction, and detail is commendable.
The JPOW125 is bred for deeper days and it rips. This is a standout ski in the category and you don’t need to be a superhero to love it. The JPOW125 only comes in 188cm, yet it is easily maneuverable, amazingly versatile, and enjoyably light weight. For those who point ’em’ and let them fly, this ski is FUN. It’s the skis’ precision and well-balanced reactiveness that first caught my attention; that and its ability to manage varying conditions with speed and ease.
Not everyone has the luxury of a chopper at hand, or the time to trek to remote places. We troglodytes must trudge through a resort to get to the goods. The JPOW125 is surprisingly manageable inbounds. The amount of camber it carries will catch your eye and it pays-off on-piste. Camber delivers greater and quicker edge engagement on the packed, and gives welcomed stability and control. The 125 draws into turns nicely and delivers a respectable transition into the next.
I especially enjoy the 125’s camber/energy benefit in the deep snow. The JPOW125 caters to advanced and beyond skiers by nature. Anyone riding this ski will naturally have it loaded as they zip through the soft. It’s really fun and often advantageous to get the extra boost when the skis are released, whether it be into the next turn or over the ledge. How does the ski land? It’s 125mm under foot with a rockered tip, albeit relatively mild. The minimal tail rocker is even less pronounced and there’s good stiffness back there too. It lands and zooms away just fine, delivering both confidence and getty-up.
The skis are among the lightest in the big mountain category. Swing weight is of no concern here. And there’s no worry with the skis’ soundness either. The skis’ build-up is a proprietary secret. However, I do know the ski is a wood core, carbon fiber hybrid. One thing for certain is that the JPOW125 is built to the highest standard of performance.
For the more inbounds western-states rider, take the JPOW98 for a spin. This ski is akin to a fine sports car and it does a whole lot of things very well. Just like its big brother, it’s the skis’ reactiveness that grabs you. So many skis these days are literal slouches, not the JPOW98.
The JPOW98 is as good on the harder side of the hill as it is in the soft. Big dividends come from the skis’ wood core, carbon fiber construction, and its nearly full-camber profile. Such a profile is mostly absent among today’s all-mountain freeridrers.
Bumps is one place where these 98mm waisted boards show uncanny ability. I rode the 184cm and there is no other near its “wow” factor. This all-mountain ram charger changes its nature as it engages the snow with superb steering and tremendous confidence. The ski rips and, to borrow another’s expression, it is pinned to the snow.
Eighteen plus inches of fresh blessed the slopes of Snowbird while test spinning these racy little rockets and the JPOW98 made fun work of it. They did so in the after chop too. A tapered tip with just the right amount of rocker delivered all of the float needed without compromising the skis’ liken to be driven down the hill. The 98 carries camber nearly all the way to the very tail, where sidecut tapering and a rapid rise tail upkick take over. The amount of camber towards the tail speaks that the ski will not release easily in the pow. This is simply not true with the JPOW98.
Needless to say the JPOW98 is also the bomb on-piste. The skis roll into the turn with ease and precision, yielding to superb grip and rapid transitions. Tapered tips and tails give way to a rather aggressive sidecut delivering a variety of confident snappy turn shapes. This is the same technology as in multidimensional sidecuts, like the popular 3-D and now 4-D radius sidecuts.
The JPOW98 is lightweight, maneuverable, and powerful. Overall, the ski rips and is a top shelf everyday quiver ride for advancing intermediate skiers onward.
