Usually with new equipment there’s a learning curve – a period of feeling frustrated and awkward. So, I was actually pretty surprised at how immediately comfortable I felt on the Coalition SOS Women’s All Mountain Skis! I loved them from the moment my boots clicked into the bindings.
For their debut day I headed up to Grand Targhee Resort, located in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains. Eight inches of pow covered bullet-proof crust. I found the Coalition SOS skis to be ideally suited to these conditions. They had enough float to sail through the fresh while still being able to hold an edge.
One aspect of the skis that did take some getting used to was their stiffness. These are burly boards that happen to have a gorgeous façade.
Coalition is a ski and snowboard company designed for women and run by women. It’s clear that they have a deep and personal understanding of the fact that females can shred. Heck, their hash tag is #sisterhoodofshred.
And here’s an excerpt from their about page ... Our mission is to put an end to the "shrink it and pink it" paradigm that has plagued the snow sports industry for far too long. Simply stated, we believe that women's skis and snowboards shouldn't suck.
Because the Coalition SOS skis are stiff, I got bounced around quite a bit during my first few runs. However, once I shifted my weight forward and started riding more aggressively they were AMAZING! I easily initiated my turns and cut through crud.
I’ve been testing the Coalition SOS skis for just over a month. In that time I’ve experienced dust on crust, bottomless powder, perfect groomers and spring slush. I’ve also followed my 5-year-old into some toboggan-type runs definitely not designed for adults (so I can say with too much experience that the Coalition SOS skis do turn well in tight trees!)
Coalition bills the SOS as your one-quiver ski, and that’s exactly what this is. It rides all types of conditions pretty dang well. No doubt, a true powder board will have more float when there’s two feet of fresh and there are other skis out there that hook better on groomers (I did find myself occasionally catching an edge on my SOS skis).
But honestly even as someone who has an out-of-control ski quiver (I provide the picture below of our garage as evidence), the SOS is the pair I’ll be bringing to the resort, every single day, no matter the conditions. I feel good on them and like who I am when riding them.
I’d even go so far as to say I have an emotional connection to them. I felt genuinely sad for my skis when they got drilled while being mounted – and then had a sort of philosophical revelation about how sometimes you have to go through pain to reach your full potential. But I digress ...
Here’s what you need to know about the Colation SOS skis:
- It has rocker in the tip and tail and traditional camber underfoot
- The multiple radius sidecut design appears much more pronounced in pictures/ videos than in person
- It’s made with a full birch wood core and an ABS sidewall, which adds to the burliness
A note on sizing:
I'm 5'7" and weigh 140 pounds. I ski 2-3 days per week and am comfortable in all terrain and conditions, except cliffs. My three other pairs of skis are 165, 168 and 167 (backcountry, tele and my old downhill setup, respectively). Coalition recommended I go with the 173 because the significant tip and tail rocker on the SOS makes the effective edge similar to my other skis. I’m glad I went that route – the 173s fit me perfectly.
Bottom line:
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these skis to a friend! They are among the best women’s all mountain skis. And, I look forward to many more days on them that look like this ...
***Coalition is currently running a Kicstarter campaign to launch a line of youth skis. Getting girls out in the mountains on good equipment has such incredibly power to build self-confidence and instill a zest for life. Please check and support out this campaign! ***
