CT8s are great for carving…

Bindings: Bomber Elites

Conditions: Groomed artificial, ice, chop, small amount of artificial “powder”

The Loken CT8 at one time held the title of widest skiboard design until RVL8 and Spruce upstaged it. At 15cm wide, however, it still is quite impressive compared to many other models. It is also one of, if not the, stiffest skiboard that I’ve ever ridden. This has it’s ups and downs.

Groomers: The CT8’s are great for carving on nice groomers with a decent turning radius and very stable handling. The width is actually not all that noticeable, and I’ve often used these boards to introduce newbies to the sport if they’re on the bigger side. The edge grip is quite good, and I had no problem keeping them under control going over PA ice. The stiff flex makes them very stable at higher speeds, but it also means that bumps are not very pleasant. I happened to get a chance to ride the CT8’s in some very choppy conditions, and my legs were begging for mercy after a few runs. Instead of absorbing the imperfections in the snow, they transmit everything directly to your body. This is not nearly as bad at lower speeds, but I like speed, so I really noticed it. At high speeds on a perfect groomer these things are great, but once the going gets rough they can be quite a bit of work.

Park: I’m not big in the park, but I found the CT8’s to be very easy to use. On boxes, they are nice and stable, and for basic sliding they work very well. The stiffness of course means that any moves requiring flexing of the boards don’t work too well however. On jumps, I personally liked the solid feel. I felt as though they helped to keep me stable on landings, and would keep me from going backseat as I sometimes do. Landing 180’s in particular seemed very easy with the CT8’s.

Powder: I’ve never ridden the CT8’s in proper powder, but I did get a chance to run them through some machine-made powder. The width means that there is plenty of float available, but the stiffness means that the tips don’t flex up over the snow. Instead, they have a tendency to want to dive down, so sitting back is a must. Also, again, any imperfections in the “powder” were directly felt through the boards.

Bumps: I never had a chance to take the CT8’s through moguls, so I can’t say for sure how they’d do. If I had to guess though, I’d say they’d suffer from the stiff flex.

Quality: The CT8’s are a very solid design. Mine were beat when I got them, and I’ve beat on them even more. They aren’t pretty, but they’ve held up quite well. Your legs will probably give out before the CT8’s do.

Overall: The CT8’s are a decent design overall, and for a heavier rider with access to nice groomed runs they’d be a great choice. They’d also do well for someone looking for a good pair of park boards to beat around on. If, however, you tend to have choppy conditions, or if you’re fairly light weight, then I’d suggest going with something else.