Review: Moment Countach 110

• Length Skied: 182 cm
• Weight: 2099 g
• Stated Dimensions: 140-110-130 mm
• Stated Sidecut: 19.5 m
• Recommended Mount Point: -8 cm

The Moment Countach 110 is available now.

Intro

When Moment rejiggered their line last year, we saw a bunch of classic favorites return, as well as some slight restructuring. The Deathwish and Wildcat lines stayed (mostly) the same, the more directional Commander line changed entirely, and then a new wildcard ski popped up, the Countach.

The Countach isn’t a Commander. It’s not quite as directional as the Commander series, and it doesn’t have any metal in it. But it’s not a Deathwish (no triple camber) and it’s not a Wildcat either, and it’s not a limited edition “Reserve” ski. Instead it’s its own thing.

That demarcation is really interesting. Moment has done a pretty good job of dividing their skis into families that share a personality, which simplifies the choices for prospective buyers. Any ski that makes it into their permanent line but doesn’t fall into one of those families deserves a second glance. So I’ve been stoked to spend a fair bit of time on it, and it’s time to talk about what the Countach actually is.

Length and Mount Point

Moment sells the Countach in four lengths from 176 cm to 194 cm. They don’t make a “women’s” version of the Countach, and they don’t offer it in a mid-160 length like their unisex touring skis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a shorter Countach hit the market though, since I think a lot of shorter skiers will get along well with this ski.

I skied the 182 cm Countach. I probably could have had a great time on the 188 cm version, but I tend to reach for shorter directional skis, and that’s proved to be a good choice with the Countach. If I lived somewhere with more open terrain and more consistent light, I’d probably reach for the 188 cm version, but for my tighter runs, flat light, and bad knees, the 182 cm Countach delivers a great blend of maneuverability and stability.

The Countach has a fairly traditional and directional recommended mount point of -8 cm from center, and that’s where I’ve been skiing it. Could you mount it a few centimeters forward and have a good time? Probably, but if that’s your intention why not buy a Wildcat or Deathwish?

Where does the Countach 110 shine?

Moment doesn’t flat out say this anywhere in their product description of the Countach, but the more I skied it, the more convinced I became that this is their quiver-killer ski. It’s a really solid “leave it in the back of the truck” ski. That’s because it adapts well to both a wide range of conditions, and a wide range of skiing styles. Want to go fast and rage? The Countach isn’t the most absolutely chargey ski out there, but it’s got great suspension and holds up well at speed. Want to pick your way down something tight and chunky? The Countach is impressively maneuverable.

I always come to reviews of directional skis like the Countach with a little bit of playful ski bias. For a long time, if a ski didn’t have a twinned tail, I wasn’t super interested in it. I want to be able to spin, swivel, and slash my skis around the hill. But the Countach does those things pretty dang well. No, it’s not as loose and playful as a Deathwish, but it’s fairly easy to break the tails loose, get sideways, and generally goof off on. In deep snow it planes fairly well for its width and gets the job done. It’s not as fun to play on in powder as a Deathwish or Wildcat, but it’s completely serviceable. And when that snow invariably gets skied out, the Countach is very high on the list of skis I want to be on. Resort “powder” days are really good on the Countach, from the first untracked laps to the last cruddy ones.

Maybe I’m just a cautious old person, but the longer I ski and write about skis, the more firmly I believe that a ski’s speed limit isn’t just a product of how unflappable it is at high speeds, but also how easily you can shut those speeds down. I’ve been on plenty of skis with the stiffness and stability needed to go way faster than is tenable at most resorts. As a result, you end up skiing them tentatively and carefully most of the time, aware that if they get out of hand you’re endangering ligaments and small children. They’re fast skis, but they’re scary to go fast on.

The Countach is a great antidote to that. I found myself skiing faster than I usually would on it because it both handles higher speeds in bad snow well, and is really, really easy to throw sideways and shut down, or simply redirect quickly when a previously invisible obstacle makes itself known. That’s a fun combo–in a lot of ways, it allows you to go fast without taking as many chances.

So if you want to ski fast and plow through variable snow, the Countach is up to the challenge, but won’t leave you hanging when you run out of talent. And, if you’re off your game, or if you’re a less aggressive skier, it’s an easy ski to keep a handle on, and have fun on even when you’re not pushing yourself. That’s why it’s been my ski of choice this less-than-stellar winter - it’s easy to get along with no matter the conditions or the vibe.

Where does the Countach 110 make some compromises?

On groomers the Countach is entirely serviceable, but not inspiring. This is not a ski that wants to bounce back and forth between tight arcs. Instead it’s happier laying longer radius tracks. In my experience at least, the Deathwish’s triple camber does a better job of making me feel like a superhero on groomers than the Countach does. But if groomers are your priority, you probably shouldn’t be shopping for a 110 mm underfoot ski.

Finally, I touched on this above: I think the Countach is a pretty compelling package for a lot of skiers to whom it’s not actually available. There are plenty of folks who want skis shorter than 176 cm and would probably get along really well with a Countach. And, similarly, I think there’s a Countach Tour-shaped hole in Moment’s line right now. It’s a little more directional, a little more traditional than the rest of their touring skis, and while I’m really happy on a Deathwish or Wildcat Tour, I think there’s a large segment of the market that would be stoked to walk uphill with the Countach’s flatter tails behind them.

What would a perfect day on the Countach 110 look like?

It snowed a few inches, and you’re headed up to see if the snow report inflated that number or not. Regardless, you’re confident you’ll have a good time, since you’ve got the Countach in your rack.