G3 Ticket Ski

New ski brands are fairly uncommon these days, what with consolidation being the name of the game. It’s even more unusual for the entire line to receive nearly universal praise from testers. And when one of the models brings a new concept to the market, SNEWS® takes note.

The G3 Ticket is the first freeheel ski with an asymmetric sidecut to help initiate turns. The outside (pinkie toe) edge has a tighter radius than the inner (big toe) edge, which gives the ski a somewhat lopsided look to the tip and tail. Asymmetric skis were tried by the alpine world in the past, but that was before the modern era of shaped all-mountain skis.

Appearances aside, the Ticket takes all of a half dozen turns to figure out — they turn easily and predictably. Unlike the truly radical, telemark-only Scotty Bob skis, the Ticket is equally adept at parallel and telemark turns. While the Scotty Bob’s take a while to get used to and may require an alteration of technique, the Ticket has no learning curve and is fun right off the bat.

With a tip 120 mm wide and an 81 mm underfoot, the Ticket is considered a modern mid-fat ski that is remarkably versatile. At speed on groomed trails, the ski is stable, resists chatter, and is reasonably quick edge-to-edge. In soft conditions, the Ticket handles like any other performance-oriented ski.

Like the rest of the G3 ski line, the Ticket features a poplar wood core that is vertically laminated with dual fiberglass torsion box construction. This should make for a durable ski that resists flattening. At 3,700 grams, these are reasonably lightweight as well. Although the lack of binding inserts is lamentable, G3 does the next best thing by providing boot-size-specific mounting locations for both telemark and alpine touring bindings.

Our sample came with flat bases (no railed edges) and a good tune. It may be built in northern Africa (Tunisia to be precise) but you’d never know it without being told.

Overall, we’ve been quite impressed by the Ticket — it’s a high performance ski that isn’t too radical. This is probably more ski than a beginner wants, but it is a great choice for advanced skiers and gives intermediates growing room. Since it only comes in 174 and 182 cm, it’s certainly intended for larger, more aggressive skiers.

At the current price of $620, the Ticket is already on the high side of the telemark market. At next season’s suggested retail of $675 — considerably more than other brands — the price becomes a little tougher to swallow. But we are convinced that those who bite will be immensely pleased…these skis rip!

SNEWS® Applause Meter: 5 hands clapping (1 to 5 hands clapping possible, with 5 clapping hands representing functional and design perfection)

Suggested Retail: $620

For more information:www.genuineguidegear.com