Mission Ridge Ski Demo 2024 Recap
Written by: Jan Zarella

When: January 30, 2024
Where: Mission Ridge Ski Resort, Wenatchee, WA
Who: Mountain Shop product testing team

Despite less than ideal weather, the 2024 Mission Ridge on-Snow ski demo was still a great time!  Dressing appropriately is all about that base (layer!).  Prepared with BlackStrap Therma Hooded top and Therma bottoms as my inner layer, LeBent Genepi Wool Insulated Hybrid jacket as a mid-layer, Flylow Sphinx insulated bibs, and a waterproof ski jacket on the outside, I was determined to stay warm and dry. All of that coupled with LeBent Ultra light ski socks, Dakine Sequoia GTX gloves with liners, a BlackStrap Expedition hood, Mountain Shop custom beanie, and Smith helmet on my head, I was ready to take on whatever the weather threw at me.


The fit

The snow was soft and mushy, and the sky intermittently broke open with bursts of light rain and drizzle, but none of that prevented me from having fun.  Most important, I stayed warm and dry all day long!


Perfect PNW testing weather.


Drizzly selfie

Although the snow seemed to be melting more with every lift ride I took up the hill, I enjoyed every descent. I tried skis ranging in width from 93-110 mm under foot.  All of the skis were great, but the stars of the day were the Atomic Bent Chetler 110 and the Maven 93C.  The Bent 110’s outperformed all other skis on a day where a lot of people were wishing to have the widest skis possible attached to their feet! Their float on the dense snow, turnability and level of forgiving control was greatly appreciated! 

Team Mountain Shop got to eat lunch together in the cafeteria and, thanks to our matching BlackStrap base layers, I even made some new friends!


The Mountain Shop Testing Crew - Heidi, Mike, Steve, Jan and Rob


Twinsies!

I rode the Maven 93C for my last run of the day and they more than exceeded my expectations! Given the non-stellar snow conditions, I had considered calling it a day, but I was still warm, dry and having fun, so I decided to get one more run in before the rain really started! The flexibility of the Maven 93C made these skis a smooth ride, they held their edge in the slop and were able to stay afloat on the warm, dense, mushy snow. The Maven 93C would be a great choice for any beginner to intermediate skier.


Heidi and Jan at the end of a long demo day


Steve on the Blizzard Anomaly 94 - his pick for fave ski!


More favorite ski picks from our product testing team: 

-- Heidi's top picks were the Atomic Maven and the Atomic Backlands. She also really liked the party at Pit Viper! Who wouldn't. 
-- Mike's favorite ski from the demo was the Blizzard Anomaly 94. It's a new ski from Blizzard that replacing their Bonafide/Brahma line. The Anomaly is just as chargeable as the Bonafide but more fun and versatile.
-- Steve's favorite of the 7 skis he got to demo was the Blizzard Anomaly 94. It was a solid carver, but light enough to be able to throw around and do quick turns.
-- Rob's favorite was also the Blizzard Anomaly 94 in the 182 length. This is a solid, stable, dependable ski that is surprisingly playful, while still being reliable and somewhat predictable.