Archive for Product Reviews

Oakley Holbrook Sunglasses Review

Black (Matte Black / Warm Grey)
OO9102-01


MSRP : $120.00 US

Polarized : This pair is not polarized although polarized versions are available.
Asian Fit : I believe Asian Fit versions are available, although I went with the regular fit version and they fit my Asian head/face just fine.

The winter ski season has come to a close at most mountains, which means I don’t have to look at friend’s Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram posts about skiing and snowboarding anymore! I broke my leg in February so it’s been a tough winter season not being able to do the one thing I look forward to every year. So I thought I’d make myself feel better by buying a nice pair of sunglasses to go with all the cheap ones I tend to buy while on vacation.

The Bad : I couldn’t make my mind up about the color. I originally wanted something kinda flashy (If I’m spending over $100 on sunglasses, I want everyone to notice them, right?), but then asked myself, “Why do you need something flashy? You’re in your 30s.” In the end, I decided that I wanted a nice neutral color that I could grab for any situation. I am tempted, though, to get a second pair in a neon color. Hey, maybe that’s how they getcha.

The Good : Another pair of Oakley’s that I considered were the Frogskins, but I like that the Holbrook frames are a little larger and that the lenses are a little more square (relatively). Comparing these frames to the wayfarer style sunglasses that I see while on vacation along beaches for $15-$20, there really is no comparison. The cheap knockoffs tend to fall apart around the hinges, and I’ve had lenses fall out and frames crack

for no apparent reason. I probably buy at least one pair every time I’m on vacation and have likely gone through at least 3 or 4 of them in the last two years.

I worried that the ‘warm grey’ lens might be a little too light, based on the images I see online. But they’re actually darker than I expected.

This isn’t my first pair of Oakleys. I own a pair of Twenty’s from 2002 that are holding up great. I wear those mostly for sporty activities since they tend to wrap around my face a little better, keeping wind out of my eyes. The Holbrook’s will be perfect for driving and lounging at the park or beach.

Avoid buying knockoffs : I noticed that these sunglasses have the word “Holbrook” imprinted on the end piece that goes to your left ear, as well as the model number printed on the same side. So if you’re in the market for some Oakley’s, look out for the warning signs.

Link to the Oakley Holbrook in Matte Black / Warm Grey

Link to all Oakley sunglasses

Reviewer Information
Jin L. – Raised in the Pacific Northwest. Snowboards 40 to 50 days a season. Spends a lot of free time in Ashford, WA at the base of Mt Rainier, while also residing in Issaquah, WA.

Height : 5’6″ Weight : 160 lbs
Favorite Sports : Snowboarding, tennis, hiking, rock climbing, watching football / baseball / basketball.
Favorite Brands that Sturtevants Carries : Burton, Ride, DC, K2, ThirtyTwo, Wilson Tennis, Nike

2012 / 2013 K2 Pettitor Ski Review

2012 / 2013 K2 Pettitor

Construction: TwinTech Sidewall with Triaxial Braided Fir/Aspen Core
Dimensions: 147/120/141
Radius: 22m @ 179
Rocker line: K2 Powder Rocker tip and Tail, camber underfoot
Skier Type: Intermediate to Sean Pettit

BUY THIS SKI IF: You want a powder ski that doesn’t require the deepest days to be fun. You like to play off every little piece

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of natural terrain.
DON’T BUY THIS SKI IF: You don’t like dark a little bit angry graphics, and don’t

care to ever go backwards.

K2 changes up there standard line up this next season when it does away with the Obsethed and “replaces” it with the Pettitor. As ski legend Seth Morrison gets more and more into big mountain touring adventures it gave K2 a perfect opportunity to put their biggest new athlete Sean Pettit on a pro model of his very own. And so it is…The Pettitor is born, the Obsethed is no longer and Seth Morrison will have the all new SideSeth (more on that later).

The Pettitor is a true pro model and built to ski like Pettit does. Playful and nimble yet still powerful enough to ratchet up the speed and send it off something big. 120mm under foot, The Pettitor feels far narrower on the hard pack than the numbers show. The tip and tail tapers back in keeping the swing weight low perfect for spins and tight trees. The rocker profile puts K2’s Powder Rocker in the tip and tail and a ton of camber underfoot making the Pettitor ultra lively and still fun to play around on the hard snow. The graphics appear to be all Pettit, with a deep dark red and black.

Tons of pop this is the pow ski for someone who wants to play on every little piece of terrain like their private park. But unlike some skis in this category the Pettitor still has enough stiffness and beef (the stiffest ski in the K2 Factory line) to it to really crank up the speed. Over all I had a ton of fun on this ski and think it’s a big improvement over the Obsethed, which is saying a lot!

2012 / 2013 Blizzard Gunsmoke Ski Review

 2012 / 2013 Blizzard Gunsmoke

Construction:  Sandwich construction with carbon laminates
Dimensions:  140/114/130mm
Radius:  23.0 m @ 186cm
Rocker line:
  FlipCore design with rocker tip and tail and camber underfoot
Skier Type: Intermediate to expert

BUY THIS SKI: You want a light playful powder ski that loves tight trees but still feels solid and doesn’t cringe when you crank up the speed.
DON’T BUY THIS SKI: You are looking for a one ski quiver

Coming off an extremely successful first season with FlipCore technology Blizzard adds a few more skis to the lineup for 2013. Sliding in between the award winning Cochise and the big burly Bodacious is the new Blizzard Gunsmoke. The new ski is 114mm underfoot and true twin tip. While it seems like it would sit awkwardly close to Cochise territory it is a completely different beast.

Unlike the Bodacious and Cochise the Gunsmoke has carbon fiber in place of metal laminates, giving it an extremely lively feel and keeps the weight down. It has a 23 meter turn radius and similar FlipCore properties with its rocker tip and tail but a bit more camber underfoot. After having quite a few employees ride on it at Mission Ridge the past few days it appears to be a resounding thumbs up.

Surprisingly quick and great edge grip on the hard pack the ski felt really solid. Despite all the rocker, the tips do not flap around and feels pretty solid at speed, certainly more than just “getting back to the lift” capabilities. While it performed better than we expected on hard snow, you don’t get the urge to go ripping big open turns at high speed like the Bonafide and Cochise. But you don’t buy a 114mm wide ski for hard pack glory, so we took a little

hike to find some soft stuff. In a few inches of fluff the Gunsmoke was really a ton of fun, the weight and shape makes it the easiest ski for tight trees in Blizzard’s Free Mountain line. Open it up in the crud and it is still nice and stable like the rest of the FlipCore skis.

Graphics look sharp, the bull looks mean but not over the top. The 112-120mm category has some fierce competition with proven performers like the S7, Armada JJ, and Atomic Bent Chetler but look for the Gunsmoke to put some pressure with its even more versatile design.

Salomon Guardian 16 Backcountry Binding

Salomon Guardian Touring Binding

Bottom line: Skis like an STH…..and it can tour.
Buy it if: You are looking for a burly binding that you can still tour on. You don’t like how the Duke/Baron engages/disengages from its touring mode or crave your bindings close to the ski.
Don’t Buy If: You are looking for a light weight alternative to the Duke/Baron.
DIN: 7 – 16

Pay close enough attention to the ski movies this fall and you might have noticed some of the new Salomon skiers on a fancy blue binding. Athlete tested for the past few season the all new Guardian 16 binding is a joint project of Salomon and Atomic and their entrance into side/backcountry binders. Look for the Atomic Tracker 16 this fall as well. Same binding, same price, different color scheme and an Atomic logo.

After a week of Northwest storms I had a chance to take some turns on the new binding last weekend. The story with the Guardian is wider, lower and stiffer. Clearly taking aim at

the Marker Duke the Guardian has an 80 mm

wide mounting point and sits really low to the ski compared to other touring capable bindings. The metal rails through the middle keep it pretty solid both while skiing and hiking.

The heel is right off the STH so a proven design with no surprises there. First glance at the toe piece has you quickly thinking Duke/Baron. But as the guys at Salomon will tell you, it’s simply the only shape that will allow full 90 degree angle rotation when in touring mode. The only downside to the binding is while it does have adjustable toe height, Salomon says it is not designed to accept a full vibram touring sole. That means all alpine soles including the Salomon Quest series, Atomic Tracker, Tecnica Cochise ect. will work great but full AT boots from Garmont, Scarpa, Dynafit are a no go. At least not advised.

Salomon really focuses on the downhill ski ability so expect weights to be right in there with the Duke and Baron, its clear main competitors. The place that the Guardian really sets itself apart though is the “Hike and Ride” switch. In order to kick it over to hike mode, simply reach back with your pole and click it, and flip the heel lifter up, no need to take off your ski. To reengage the skiing mode, just flip down the lifter and step back down. Excited to finally have another option in the category and one that competition will help progress both sides in the coming years.

Ronix Capella CGA Life Vest Review 2011

Ronix’s new Capella CGA Vest

Ronix Capella CGA Life Vest

Over the past few seasons police and coast guard have really started to crack down on people riding with non Coast Guard Approved vests. Putting pressure on watersports companies to find a way to make a CGA vest that can compete with the hoards of non CGA vests available. Just last season, on Lake Washington, I was pulled over by Mercer Island’s finest for surfing with a non CGA or “impact vest” as they are technically named. People are also starting to realize they are really not to fond of struggling to keep their mouth above water after a fall and before deepwater starts, whether you are on a wakeboard or a slalom ski. This has led Ronix / Radar to put a bit more thought into the Coast Guard Approved vest and what they came up with is a bute’. To put it blunt, it just flat out more comfortable. At 139$ its not the cheapest out there but still right in there with most other high end vests and still less than you will pay at the pump to fill the boat.

Ronix Capella CGA Life Vest

Ronix Capella CGA Life Vest side panels

The Ronix Capella CGA or Radar X-CGA (different graphics but essentially same jacket) is the first new Coast Guard Approved design since the O’neill Law was released many years ago so the shape is truly different. You notice this right when you pick it up, its longer and it won’t even lay flat. Large side panels allow the vest to wrap around you allow for the front panels to be a bit thinner and give you some rib protection for big spills. 5 panel design with nice big arm holes creates allows for lots of mobility, especially

when reaching across your body. While it is still not nearly as thin or mobile as most of the non coasty approved vests out there you will be surprised just how comfortable it is. If you are looking for something to keep you legal we think the fit of the Capella CGA / X-CGA is pretty tough to top.

Have any questions or comments about the jacket? Post a comment, we would love to hear from you!

Find the Ronix Capella CGA or the Radar X-CGA in store or online at Sturtevants.com

Radar X-CGA Life Vest

Radar's version the X-CGA Life Vest

2012 Blizzard Cochise Ski Review

Construction: Sandwich, metal laminates, “Flip-Core Tech”
Dimensions: 135/108/123mm
Radius: 28.5 m @ 185cm
Rocker line: Low profile rocker tip to tail
Skier Type: Advanced

BUY THIS SKI: You like a big mountain ski that wont balk and you getting after it. You probably live in the Pacific Northwest, or Tahoe where your “everyday ski” better be able to handle the pow everyday.
DON’T BUY THIS SKI: You’re a beginner, don’t like to venture off the hard pack much or are looking for a big playful powder ski.

A lot of buzz has been surrounding the 2012 Blizzard Cochise this spring, and after an April powder day at Crystal Mountain I can see why. The Cochise has been an instant shop favorite, we think it’s flat one of the most fun skis available for 2012.

The Blizzard Cochise is the brand new 108mm waisted big mountain ski from their new Freemountain line up. Partially designed by the late Arne Backstrom, the Cochise features their new Flip-Core technology which naturally gives the ski rocker as opposed to forcing or bending it in. It’s constructed as a full sandwich ski with metal laminates and a low profile rocker that goes from tip to tail. Don’t let the full rocker scare you die hards, its subtle and still rips on the groom.

The ski is pretty stiff yet and really excels in new snow and skied out crud. The part that really surprised us was how well it skied on hard snow, impressing some of our harshest big ski critics. The low profile rocker allows the ski to float really well, and the stiff tip just blasts through crud as well as any ski I have ever been on. Making it a prime pick if you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow. As a true big mountain ski the Cochise likes you get after it in the deep stuff but what makes it unique is while you are making turns you can still blow off speed with a big “surfy” pow turn then go

back to ripping.

On the hard pack the Cochise continues to surprise. Because the rocker profile is very gradual you don’t have to tip it far

to engage the entire edge and once you do it rips like very few 105+ skis out there can. The ski is also pretty lively on the groom for being fully rockered and doesn’t feel “planky” at all like some skis in this category.

The Cochise really makes the perfect Pacific North West go to ski. Where in between big dumps you can take advantage of a few inches here and there or the remains of the last storm. With this ski you will really have the right boards on your feet most of the season. Works awesome as a one ski quiver for the powder hungry or to compliment a hard snow carver in your quiver. We think Blizzard really killed it with this ski so if you get a chance to demo it let us know what you think! If you have an more questions about the ski give Sturte

If you live in the Seattle area Sturtevant’s in Bellevue has the 2012 ready for demo for the rest of this season and all next year! So get out and give it a try.


Blizzard Cochise Graphics at tip

Tip Rocker Profile