Gear Review: The Function, by Deviation

As I mentioned in my review of the Modes, Deviation is an up and coming boutique ski company out of Oregon. They build all of their skis in-house in their factory on the East Side of Portland. I met up with Matt and Tim, two of the company's founders a couple weeks ago at Mt. Bachelor, and had a chance to ride a few of their skis. Today I'm reviewing the Function, Deviation's big mountain offering.

While I enjoyed the playfulness of the Modes, the Functions better fit my skiing style. They are stiff, damp, and are best operated at speed. However, with ample tip rocker, the skis float well in deep snow. While the Function is definitely more at home in the open mountain, they are respectably responsive in the trees, and in tighter terrain.

The Function, 132-108-122

Gear Review: The Mode, by Deviation

Deviation is a boutique ski company specializing in hand-made-in-Oregon skis and snowboards. Though they're only two years old, they already have a respectable and ever-growing line-up. I met up with founders Matt and Tim at Mt. Bachelor over the weekend and got a chance to test some of their boards. Test conditions were classic Oregon: around 18 inches of high-density, warm, wet cement. Call me crazy, but I love Cascade Cement, and I found those conditions to be prime for ski testing.

The Mode was one of the first models Devation began producing, and it is designed to be your daily driver. The ski has a low-profile rockered tip and tail, and ample sidecut. It also has a wood core of  ash, basswood, and locust, which seemed to provide an even and energetic flex. In other words, The Mode is a ski that can handle powder, crud, and groomers alike.

The Mode 143-112-132 (168, 178, 188)