The Friend "Cascade - Ryan Schmies x J Collab"
Questions? Contact Us
Gallery
View Gallery
Overview
Specs & Construction| Model: | The Friend |
|---|---|
| Graphic: | Cascade - Ryan Schmies x J Collab |
| Total Made: | 300 Pair |
| Dimensions: | 143-117-133 (Tip - Waist - Tail) |
| Public Release: |
The Friend™ "Cascade - Ryan Schmies x J Collab" Graphic
I've waited over 15 years to work with Ryan Schmies on a ski graphic!
Over a decade ago, Ryan created K2's legendary "Public Enemy" ski graphic. At the time, he pioneered a new, revolutionary style of covering the entire ski with artwork. The rest of the ski industry quickly followed his lead, however I unfortunately was never able to work with him, as obviously he was with another ski company. Now that he and I are independent, it only took one phone call!
Ryan grew up skiing a small hill called Cascade in Wisconsin and today he lives in Washington state skiing the Cascade Range, so the name for this graphic came easy. He used good ol' fashioned pencil and ink from his prized assortment of cheap pens while watching replays of 'Ride the Lightning' and 'Back Street Boys' videos to create this masterpiece.
Follow Ryan and see more of his artwork at Schmiesdesigns
The Friend™ Model Info
The Friend™
143-117-133I designed “The Friend” ski in collaboration with athlete Giray Dadali to surf pow, stomp landings and charge harder with less effort than ever before…. so you don’t have to be a pro to ski like one! Its long, gentle rocker and 117mm waist keep you effortlessly floating, slashing and popping even on the deepest days. When the pow’s gone you’ll be able to count on its solid maple wood core and high energy carbon fiber to help you blast through chunder with an unprecedented smooth and reliable feel. The real surprise comes from its tight sidecut, enabling you to have fun gripping and ripping firm snow for versatility like none other. The Friend is a rare breed of powder ski earning it more awards than any other in its class. Float, surf, slash and butter in the deep pow until it gets tracked out, then have equal fun charging endless top to bottom chunder and groomer laps. This is a powder skier’s dream one ski quiver! #JFriendSki
The Friend™ Ski Specs
| Lengths Available (cm): | 177, 183, 189cm |
|---|---|
| Ski Length (cm): | 183cm |
| 5 Sidecut Avg. (m): | 18.5m |
| Tip / Waist / Tail (mm): | 143 / 117 / 133mm |
| Boot from Tail (mm): | 835mm |
| Boot From Center (cm): | n/a cm |
| Camber (mm) | 3mm |
|---|---|
| Tip / Tail Height (mm): | 75 / 40mm |
| Rocker Height Tip / Tail (mm): | 9 / 3mm |
| Rocker Length Tip / Tail (mm): | 325 / 90 mm |
| Weight per ski (g): | 2,280g |
Rocker Matching Sidecut™
Unlike other rockered skis, we carefully match our rocker geometry with our sidecut geometry. To accomplish this perfect match, we blend multiple size radii into one smooth parabolic curve from the end of the camber to the very tip, like a surfboard.
This creates a much smoother tip shape that has no abrupt kinks, flat spots or awkward changes for the best of both worlds! The rockered tips effortlessly surf and float in powder, while the edge length in contact with snow is dramatically increased to improve grip and reduce tip chatter and bounce. You won’t believe how precise and effortless your skis feel from the hard pack to the pow!
The Friend™ Construction
I’ve spent over two decades designing, developing, and continually refining the industries most innovative and award winning skis ever created. Now that I’m selling skis directly to you, I’m able to invest more money into using the most expensive, highest quality materials possible, sparing no expense like never before in the name of premium ski performance & durability. You’ll literally feel the difference the moment you make your first turn and still be stoked, years later like it was still your first day on them! This is why I confidently back all my skis with a money back 100% satisfaction guarantee. Learn more about this ski’s construction below…
Play Video
Carbon Fiber
Lighter with more energy & pop than fiberglass
Just like fiberglass carbon needs to be fully stretched like a guitar string to give you the most pop. Unlike other brands of skis with wavy black carbon, not stretched, thus you’re not getting the energy out of it, we use pre-cured, pre-stretched carbon fiber laminates. This means the carbon is pre-stretched & cured under perfect conditions at the carbon fiber production facility prior to us receiving it. This pre-cured carbon laminate is twice the cost but also gives you many more times the performance. You’ll feel it!
Maple Wood Core
Highest quality wood for a lively energetic feel & long life
The factory is located in Quebec Canada, so we got Maple, eh! Maple is a very expensive high quality hard wood, thus the reason it’s used to build floors and furniture in your house that lasts a lifetime. Maple absorbs impact, and has a ton of energy for a very ski feel and long life. We run 4 – 20mm wide Maple laminates the entire length of the core, plus 100% under your foot for unprecedented energy, durability & binding screw retention. At the tips of my skis you’ll see more of the light colored Aspen witch is incredibly lightweight with plenty strong when laminated alongside Maple for reduced swing weight at the tips.
Full Height Sidewalls
Maximum impact resistant & vibration dampening
We’re using super durable, high impact absorbing Ultra High Molecular Weight (UHMW) polyethylene for our sidewalls. This is the same material we use on our ski's bases. It’s very impact resistant and since it’s full height, it also absorbs more vibration like using a longer spring in your car’s suspension. Take a metal pipe and hit it against a rock, then do the same with a piece of plastic. The metal vibrates through to your bones & the plastic absorbs the vibration for you. That’s the difference of having full height plastic shock absorbing sidewalls over your edges or not. We’re cutting the isdes of the sidewalls to a 10* angle, with a nice step at the bottom for easy tuning like race skis.
Thickest Edge
The thickest, most durable edge in the industry
We use the thickest hardened steel edges in the industry 2.2mm x 2.5mm. More metal = more durable. Whether you’re accidentally hitting a rock or purposely sliding a rail, you’re edges will live a much longer life. You’ll also be able to re-tune many more times or file them round to slide rails longer.
Sintered Base
The fastest, thickest, most durable base material
I don’t match my clothes, but I always match my base & edge. We use the thickest edge so I also use the thickest base in the industry 1.8mm. I use sintered Ultra High Molecular Weight (UHMW) Polyethylene, the highest quality base material available. It absorbs wax better, slides faster, and is more durable than any other base material. Basically it’s super hard & fast, like your _______ likes it.
Rubber Laminate
Absorbs vibration and dramatically reduces risk of delam
Think of a ski’s construction like a magazine, each page = layers of material in the ski. Then bend your magazine you’ll see every page slide against each other, this is “shear”. This shear force trys to separate, thus delaminate all the layers in your ski every time it’s flexed or the tips are slapped down on a jump landing. This is why I run a layer of thin rubber around the full perimeter of the ski over the entire edge, plus the full width of across the tip and tail. The rubber acts as an insulator so that the edge and other materials can slide against each other when flexing without delaminating. This dramatically improves durability & reduces vibration.
Quasitropic Fiberglass
Fibers run in 4 directions to maximize energy & strength
Fiberglass works like a guitar string, when it is flexed it wants to spring back, that’s the energy or pop you feel in a ski. However this energy can only be applied in the direction the actual fiberglass is run. This means the more directions of fiberglass, the more energy, pop & responsiveness. Industry standard “Triaxial” fiberglass runs in only three directions, we use a Quasi Isotropic fiberglass configuration, same as the aerospace industry to maximize energy & strength in as many directions as possible, 4 different axis 0, 90, +45, -45. It costs more, but it’s worth the performance.
High Definition Digital Printing
You already know I put a lot of value in graphics! So instead of traditional silk screening with low resolution image quality, you’ve seen the dots! I’m using a state of the art, Fuji UV Flat bed printer, a $170,000 machine that enables me to print high resolution from my computer directly to the plastic top & base. The resolution is unbelievable photo-real so you’ll be one of few skiers in the world with skis looking this good on your feet.
The Friend™ Awards
Backcountry Mag Gear Guide Select 2020 - Friend
"Aptly named for its powder-day loyalty, The Friend is designed as a lofty tool for time spent descending into the white room. An 18.5m turning radius and mild rocker combine with a stout maple core to balance playfulness, float and stability. Carbon stringers add stiffness without a substantial weight penalty."
Freeskier Mag Editors' Pick 2020 - Friend
"The Friend, from master ski-shaper Jason Levinthal, is an amazingly versatile, functional work of art. It utilizes a gentle, extended rocker in the tip and tail for effortless deep snow skiing… you know, the kind of pivoting and plundering you see in the movies. Where this ski surprised our testers most, however, was its hardpack abilities; despite its significant width underfoot, it performed notably well on-piste."
Powder Magazine Ski of the Year 2020 - Friend
"The Friend is the kind of ski I'd take on the trip of a lifetime without considering bringing a backup. It's strong, but playful. It almost sounds too simple when I describe it, but maybe that's why I love it. It's PB&J exactly when you need it, and Dad made it."
Blister Recommended 19/20 - Friend
"The current Friend takes many of the previous version's best traits, then significantly ramps up the stability. It retains a playful shape and moderate flex pattern, but is a lot more stable than the previous iteration. The Friend is a great option for anyone who wants to ski fast in variable snow and throw a trick or two along the way, all without sacrificing too much low-speed maneuverability and forgiveness."
Freeskier Mag Editors' Pick 2019 - Friend
"This ski is literally my new best friend! Super fun and playful in pow and crud but will rail the groomers back to the lift as fast as you want, it truly rides the line of playfulness and stability."
SKI Mag Best in Test 2019 - Friend
"Recently, both indie and mainstream brands’ powder skis have gotten skinnier and more versatile while sacrificing deep-day performance - The Friend takes the opposite approach and remains just as versatile as any powder ski. Testers loved zooming The Friend around on fresh snow, groomed, and everything in between."
Backcountry Mag Gear Guide Select 2019 - Friend
"Fun and turny in the pow—pivoty and playful in the untracked. This is a very entertaining and playful ski to be on in deep, fresh conditions."
Powder Magazine Ski of the Year 2019 - Friend
"The Friend was made to be a playful, big-mountain ski and delivers. It's good at speed and yet you can smear it around like a playful ski thanks to the gradual rocker. The Friend has amazing floatation and is very maneuverable."
Blister Recommended 17/18 - Friend
The Friend is soft and playful, it is very easy to slash, press, and pivot through turns. If you're looking for a ski the prioritizes playfulness and jib-ability, along with pop and deep snow performance, take a look at The Friend.
Ski Mag Best in Test 2018 - Friend
Playfullness, Versatility, and Stability at Speed received high marks, and testers called this fatty "super forgiving, but powerful" and "predictable, with good energy." Carbon stringers and a maple core provide the guts to "slay pow and carve up the frontside." Put simply: "A powder ski that does it all."
Freeskier Mag Editors' Pick 2018 - Friend
"Testers awarded The Friend with its highest marks in the versatility category as a ski to straddle the line between deep powder performance and frontside destruction. "This is my favorite fat ski on hardpack, ever," said one tester. Rigid maple wood for torsional stability and powder; carbon fiber for added strength without sacrificing weight."
Powder Magazine Skier's Choice 2018 - Friend
"By pairing a layer of rubber laminate with carbon fiber stringers this ski is a high-energy buddy that gravitates towards the deep, wide open. The Friend is big enough to be an exceptional powder ski, but where it really shines is how friendly it gets when everything is tracked out."The Friend™ Reviews
Share Your Shred
These skiers ride The Friend™. Tag your photos #JFriendSki on Instagram.
"Cascade - Ryan Schmies x J Collab" Limited Edition Owners
Where are you?
Buy With Confidence
J skis are exclusively sold here, factory direct to you!
GET EARLY ACCESS NOW