Review: WNDR Alpine Intention 108

• Size skied: 182cm Reverse Camber
• Lengths available: 164cm, 170cm, 176cm, 182cm, 188cm, 192cm
• Sidecut: 137mm - 108mm - 128mm
• Radius: 20m (in 182cm)
• Profile: Full reverse camber
• Weight: 1900g (in 182cm)

Shape, Flex and Construction:

The WNDR Intention 108 is uniquely available in both cambered and reverse cambered profiles. They both share the same sidecut shape and a similar flex pattern. Having been a huge fan of reverse camber touring skis like the 4FRNT Raven and Hoji, or the older Völkl 100Eights, I was psyched to hop aboard a pair of WNDR’s reverse-cambered Intentions.

Inside, the ski relies on WNDR’s Algal Core and Sidewall construction. It’s super cool to see a brand thinking directly about sustainability, and what’s even cooler is that the material is pretty much indistinguishable from traditional resins and ABS plastics on snow. The algal core is quite damp, and feels almost like a softer-flexing metal ski. The algal sidewalls actually feel a bit different than traditional hard-plastic ABS sidewalls–they’re damper, offering a bit of extra shock absorption, and thus grip. WNDR also mentions this in theory should increase the ski’s longevity, as edges are less likely to crack or break on impacts. I haven’t tested these skis for long enough to tell, but I have owned a personal pair of WNDR’s Reason 120 skis with the same tech that have lasted for four years without incident.

The ski’s reverse camber profile is relatively subtle, with long, low rocker lines extending from underfoot to the tips and tails. Despite it being a directional ski, the tail is almost a true twin tip, with a lot of kick and similar taper as the tip. I mounted the ski with an ATK Freeraider EVO 15 binding at the manufacturer’s recommended mark, and found there was no need to mess with the mount point.

On-Snow Performance:

If I were to sum up the performance of the ski into one word, it would be “smooth.” The algae construction does a remarkable job of reducing chatter and damping vibrations to provide a really predictable and smooth ride, without feeling like you need to stay in the front of your boots the whole time. Despite only weighing 1800 grams (not the lightest, but certainly not heavy), it rides like a much heavier ski with tons of metal and heavy wood core inside–except the Intention lacks both of those things.

I wouldn’t consider most backcountry skis particularly good at ripping variable snow conditions, crud, or leftover pow. Those skis tend to get tossed around. The Intention 108 simply doesn’t. I tested the ski in the Tetons, during early-season backcountry and resort conditions that included everything from hardpack, to 10 inches of fresh powder, to the chopped-up leftovers two days after the 10-inch storm.

What stood out the most was how easy it was to stay centered on and drive the ski in weird conditions. The tips don’t necessarily punch through old tracks the way a more aggressive ski would, but staying relaxed and letting the ski do its thing returns a very similar end result: you can smoothly plow through cut up snow at high speeds. That smooth crud-eating stability is balanced by the reverse camber and soft tips and tails that enable quick slashes and ollies in three-dimensional snow. “Blow up that next powder pile, I dare you,” it begs.

In steeper terrain where more precise edge work was required, the reverse camber profile saw its limits. Sure, it’s easier to quickly pivot a reverse camber ski, but there’s just a lot less edge touching the snow, which makes it harder to make precise hop turns and control speed when it matters. Consequently, I’d recommend these more as a soft-snow tool, and this is the ski I’d grab for most days of ski touring where the goal is to ride pow.

Comparisons:

For the past few seasons, I spent most of my days touring in the Tetons aboard the Faction La Machine 3, which shares a similar waist width and shape (though the Factions are cambered). The Intention 108 is hands-down a better option for skiing variable snow, and feels easier and more friendly to ski overall. However, the Faction weighs almost 300 grams less, which is super noticeable on the uphill and in deep, light powder–I personally love the feeling of a light and floaty ski in bottomless fluff. WNDR’s ski is a better all-rounder, but if you’re looking for a pure powder touring machine, the La Machine 3 might be a better option.

Another comparison worth noting is to the Völkl Blaze 104, which falls into the same “crossover” category as the Intention 108. With similar weights and shapes, these actually feel very much the same on snow, but the Intention has slightly more oomph to it–making it a better option for those who ski in heavier, wetter snowpacks more often.

What type of skier is the WNDR Intention 108 best for?

Unlike a lot of skis out there, the WNDR Intention 108 will truly make a lot of skiers happy. In fact, we’d go ahead and give it the “most versatile” award here at POWDER if we had one of those. While mostly marketed as a backcountry touring ski, it’s a phenomenal one-ski quiver that would excel both inbounds and in the backcountry. It’s playful, it’s fun, and it’s really cool to see WNDR continuing to think outside the box when it comes to sustainable ski production.