Donek Pilot Review

[Sean]

I finally was able to spend some time on one of the new Donek Pilots, so here is my feedback. In the interest of full disclosure, Sean Martin provides our Snowperformance camps with demo gear and has been a great supporter. Nevertheless I think this is an unbiased review.

I rode the 168cm Pilot. Specs as follows:

Rider: 170 lbs (minus the Red Hook), 41 yrs old

Effective edge: 151

Radius:12.25

Waist: 18.50

Flex: 3.7 (Scale of ten)

Tune: 1 degree base/ 2 degree side (done in my shop before I rode)

The deck was an early production model and arrived with a pretty deep linear structure. Additionally, the graphics were somewhat faded. I talked to Sean about this and he was already aware of both issues. Since then he has gone to a different print process for clear fade-free graphics, and is working with a technician to lighten up the structure during production.

Test conditions were perfect- cool out with nice firm groomers on the main runs, and crud or powder in the fringes and trees depending on whether the sun got to it or not. Initial impressions were that the board felt very light under foot, especially compared to the normal Freecarve models. I started out just standing over the center of the Pilot and tipping it into some mellow turns just using my ankles and knees. The board initiated turns well and was very forgiving- could feel the nose and tail flexing even in slower speed mellow turns.

When I turned up the volume and started to apply higher edge angles and earlier pressure in the turn, the board remained responsive and predictable, but I could already feel it was not quite as snappy as the freecarve. This fact was borne out when I went on some steeper firm pitches- got the nose to twist away and wash out in very hard sharp turns at a point where the FC would have held on. Additionally, in really dynamic high energy cross under type turns, the board did not have the energy return- the "pop" when I released the edge- and I would occasionally get caught too far inside the turn waiting for the board to travel back under me. Neither of these facts is too surprising as the board was not designed to be flogged that hard. I was really trying to find the performance limits of the board, and was riding it in a manner that most entry level alpine riders would not be doing. For comparison's sake I also put a friend of mine who is another experienced alpine rider on the deck for a few runs and his feedback matched up very closely with mine.

In crusty chop and crud, the Pilot did not feel overly damp, so if that is your cup of tea I would look for something more beefy and sure-footed like an Axis or 4X4. It was light enough and soft enough flexing, however that it floated pretty easily over anything I rode in and handled powder and bumps pretty well.

The bottom line with the Pilot is that if you are an experienced rider looking to go to the next level, this is not your tool- simply does not have enough energy or stiffness built into it. If however you are an aspiring entry level racer or someone trading in your skis or softies for alpine gear, this is the ticket. Finally, when you consider the price of $375, I think Sean has done a commendable job of building a confidence building deck that is easy to ride, pretty forgiving and can appeal to a broad range of riders.

-Sean

[Bordy]

Nice reveiw Sean.

What Boot size, type and angles were you rocking? And what type of bindings?

[Jack M]

Thanks, nice job. When you get a chance it would be nice to have that here:

http://www.bomberonline.com/reviews/boards.htm

Did you get a chance to have any of your students try the board?

My hat is off to Donek for building a budget-friendly entry-level board. I hope it sticks around.

[oldkey]

We all appreciate you having taken the time to create this review.

My guess is that the Pilot should be fine for my 95lb 14 year old. We ordered one last Thursday.....Patrick can't wait to get riding on the board.

Thanks again

Matt

[trailertrash]

Oldkey, did they give you an idea of the lead time?

Thanks

[Sean]

Billy,

Good point. I was using AF 600, size 26.0. Running 55/55 on TD2's with the yellow soft rings. Flat disc on the front and 3 degrees of pure lift (no cant) on the rear. (Have found I like flat/flat on the all mountain decks and 0/3 on the FC/race boards.)

Jack,

Thanks- never crossed my mind. Just submitted it in the new product link in the review page. I couldn't post a full review though- assume it has to be accepted into the list first?

Next stop- FC 171 Olympic. Sean sent me a demo and I have kept it under wraps until we got some decent coverage. Chucking down in the hills presently so I'll get on that one as soon as I get some more time off for good behavior.

[oldkey]

...and Sean said that the board would be made on Friday (one day to build). We are going to be at Keystone late Thursday night so we are going to pick up the board at Bomber on Friday. (Sean had shipments to make to Bomber anyway). So....lead time is minimal it seems.

[Sean]

Thanks, nice job. When you get a chance it would be nice to have that here:

http://www.bomberonline.com/reviews/boards.htm

Did you get a chance to have any of your students try the board?

Forgot about that one- had two students on them. 14 yr old boy and 16 yr old girl, both around 135lbs, had SBX experience in local series, very athletically talented and were getting on plates for the first time. Both ended up buying the deck and are currently racing on them, so I'll be keeping an eye on how they do.

[oldkey]

My son Patrick (14, 95 lbs, 5'6") picked up his 168 Pilot last Thursday. We had the board tuned by Jared at Keystone(1/3, structured, edges dug out to allow a true 3 on the side, 2 coats of low flouro day 1, 2 additional coats low fouro day two). Jared noted that the board was very "true" and straight.....very well made and easy to structure. He was amazed at the price....though he noted the softness. The tune was probably the best we have ever had on a board.

Patrick rode the board for 4 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday....absolutely loved the board. Patrick normally rides Burton Speeds and commented that they seemed somewhat stiffer. For Patrick's weight, the board was light and responsive. Not until the second day when he was charging a steep run did he notice more flex than he would have liked. He overloaded the board a couple of times and dug the nose in pretty good.....hooked it a couple of times. But, overall, in the soft, "hero snow" conditions of this weekend the board rode well. In fact, I would say that Patrick has never ridden as well.

Only time will tell how the board holds up in an icy, rutted course.

Other than the possibility that a rider might outgrow the stiffness level of the board, I only noted one other possible issue: the metal edge does not wrap around the bottom of the board. I am worried that in the craziness of the lift line the board may get smacked in the back. But....Keystone was packed this weekend and no such occurence. We'll see. Also take note of the board's specs....the narrow width may not work for someone with big feet.

All and all....Patrick is ecstatic with his purchase. We honestly believe that we received every penny of value that we paid for....and of course, buying from Sean is so easy and pleasant. The board was made in a day and he was kind enough to deliver it to Bomber in Silverthorne.We highly recommend this board for the correct rider as noted by Sean earlier.

Matt

[Yard Sale]

Do the edges need work before you can ride it, or were you just personalizing your board to your tastes?

[Donek]

We provide the board with a stone flat base and a fine linear structure. The edges are flat to the base and there is no side bevel. Some people choose to ride the board this way and other set different edge bevels. It is very much of a personal preference. As We are new to stone grinding and have been working closely with Mike Desantis at PTC in developing procedures for grinding, we are not ready to provide a race ready tune on the board. When we ship the board it is definitely rideable, but for optimum performance in a course you should get the base structured by a skilled shop and set the bevels based on your preferences of what your coach thinks is best.

[oldkey]

....but I would at least wax the board a few times. As Patrick races, he needed a more agrressive structure and wanted edges to match his coach's preference (1/3). In our world, a "race tune" seems appropriate for a new board. Since we tuned the board before it was ridden, I can't tell you how it would ride without the tune.

Patrick is arguing now with himself about which board he likes better....his Donek Pilot or his soft Prior WCR. :)

I'm still bumming that I will no longer be buying his boards on Ebay.

[Yard Sale]

I got the 167 Pilot, which Sean recommended for my height (5' 7"), weight (180 lbs.), and (in)experience. It's the model with the widest waist, 20 cm.

I just started riding alpine boards and hardboots this season, with little success. I've ridden hardboots on a Nale Speedball 157, Rad-Air Reto Lamm 164, Sims Premium 167, Prior 4WD 169, and Swoard 175. Toe-side carves are no problem, even if my technique is lacking, and heel-side carves are very sketchy and entirely devoid of technique. So I guess I'm the ideal target customer for the Pilot, a struggling beginner carver.

Before riding it, I used Zoom Renew graphite base prep followed by graphite all-temp wax. I didn't touch the edges. I mounted my TrenchDigger step-ins on 3-degree cant discs at 54 degrees front and 45 rear.

This morning, I stuck to the intermediate runs at Mt. Rose (Tahoe), which had firm, day-old snow. The Pilot took to toe-side turns effortlessly, but seemed to generate more speed than I expected. Of course I had trouble with my heel-side carves, but I found that more speed and a more aggressive initiation of the turn seemed to help me carve the Pilot on its heel side. I made my best heel-side carves so far on this board.

My biggest fear of the 167 Pilot was that it would be exactly like a wider version of my Sims Premium 167, due to their similar sidecuts and effective edges. In fact, it is more like the Sims than the other boards I've ridden, but it is different enough to be worth the purchase. The Sims will sometimes lose its edge hold and skid or chatter down the hill for reasons I can't comprehend, especially on my heel side. The Donek always felt like it was on rails (or rather, a single rail) on my toe side and gave out on my heel side twice: once when I freaked out about an intersecting skier, and once when I got completely lazy in the turn. This was in snow conditions that had an expert carver washing out and crashing his 203 cm Donek left and right.

Because it generated more speed than I expected, I couldn't link turns down the slightly steeper and much narrower Lower Ramsey's trail. And on the wider Kit Carson trail I found myself just riding out a bunch of carves uphill instead of linking the turns. When I did link turns, I would build up such a head of steam I was forced to slow down back to my comfort level.

So, with just a few hours on it, I'm satisfied that it's the right board to help me develop my carving skills. I'll post updates later as needed.

Now about that topsheet... :(