User Reviews

Have skied these about 10 times (the 07/08 gold ones) several times in 2'+ of fresh snow and generally like them.  They handle a variety of turn radius's without much fuss (I ski Steamboat trees so they clearly can turn on a dime) and have enough stability for me when going faster/straighter through open crud areas.  They also maneuver through soft bumps (that be Mary Jane bumps) very well as long as you stay over the ski, angulate and drive them through each turn.

 

While definitely a very good deeper snow ski, they are not as floaty as the width might indicate (I find myself having to unweight the tips at times to get them from diving, though this is very subtle and only a problem in tight trees - hence my concern).  Also, while very forgiving, they are not necessarily willing to respond to all techniques.  Definitely prefers a more advanced, highly angulated technique (with constant pressure applied through the turn even in deep snow) vs. a more easy-going swiveling/smearing technique.  This could be due to the 176cm length under a 130lb skier (I'd recommend the 168cm size to someone less technicallly proficient), though I prefer the stability and float of this longer length and am willing to apply the technique it prefers.  OTOH the 176cm ski is actually only 171cm long and with it's upturned tail skis closer in length to many other high 160cm skis, so it is not a long ski.

 

Otherwise, nearly perfect as an in-bounds soft snow ski (deep powder noto really) with an uncanny ability to rail on groomers back to the lift (as long as the snow is soft). 

This Buddha "Goat" is the funnest ski I ever owned.  I am an old "powder hound" from Jackson Hole days and specialized in off piste in search of fresh tracks, pow steep and the deep and found the ultimate bottomless many times with over 800 days on my belt.  This ski is so smooth in the powder, like silk, cushions very well and turns anytime you want them to with great accuracy in every carve pow or pack.  What I found to enjoy with them in the deep pow, you can let your upper body freely flex to the flow of the terrain in your turns and over rises and the skis keep their track on coarse and then when you need to tighten up your carve they coil right into place quickly and smoothly.  They have no unexpected faults, One describes this; "Definitely prefers a more advanced, highly angulated technique with constant pressure applied through the turn."  I would agree.  But this is how I trained to use skis and is what one needs to overcome as an all mountain expert skier anyway.  I got to ski up to my elbows in them in the Cali dump last week and they were so wonderfully perfect.  I just enjoy them tremendously.  I am sure there are other great skis some of you are on, but I love this pair and will keep them a long time.  Super fun skis.  They rip in trees!

This ski is brand new for the 09-10 season.  I have been a Goatama follower ever since i moved to Colorado in 2002.  Why change it?  That is my one question.  This ski at 105mm underfoot was one of the few powder skis that could handle whatever you threw at it in bounds or out of bounds.  It's overall stiffer flex gave it an edge on high speed groomers while racing your buddies to the bar and its overall width really floated the ski.

After demoing this ski last March in both a backcountry experience as well as a few runs at keystone i have come up with one thing.  They shouldn't have changed it.  In the Deep stuff the ski was fun maybe even a little more than it used to be.  The new Rocker built into the ski really helped it surface on a knee deep day.  Jumping off cliffs and bouncing through pillows took little to no effort to stick the landings.  Unfortunatley the rocker shape leaves no camber underfoot to make a turn on anything that wasn't a foot deep.  There are many other skis out there with both rocker and camber which makes them a much better pick for a more versitale ski. 

If Pow is all your in search for and you could careless about the other 50% of the time you ski this is the ski for you.  If your like me and enjoy a day of searching for pow and riding the rest of your local mountain in between your secret stash runs rethink the 2010 Goat.

Still looking for the perfect ski to replace my old Volkl explosives. Mantra was too turny in the deep.
Gotama not as solid as the explosive. Maybe I'm just getting too old:)

I raced for several years when I was younger (Far West up to 2nd year J2), and became a very strong skier in the process. I had held out for several years and continued to use my old race skis because the newer mainstream skis seemed too soft. After about 300 too many days skiing powder in GS skis from 1999, I would like to think I learned a lot of technique, but I also finally decided I had to jump on the fat bandwagon. So I did my research, talked to every skier I know, and ultimately settled on the Gotama. Best ski I’ve ever owned for sure.

Add me to the list of Gotama lovers.  I've had em for two years and they are my daily skis @ Tahoe.  I would add two cautions; get em longer cause they ski short and don't mount the bindings all they way back (split the difference in the mounting points for all mountain use).

And "arewolf" one of the reasons your new skis feel stiffer is because they went to ABS sidewalls for 09.

This is really a great every day ski for people who ride out West.  I have the 183 and am 185 lbs.  I could've gone longer b/c it does ski short.  If you ski lots of soft snow and hit groomers of soft bumps on days when there's no freshies to be found...thes are the perfect ski.  I would probably use a wider ski for super deep days but these still do great.  I'm suprised at how nimble they are for a fairly wide ski. 

  Simply Fantastic

 This is a big, versatile, stable ski that skis like a GS board on hardpack and a fatty in powder. Shockingly good in short turns too. Contender for one ski western quiver.  Do a search in gear reviews for more detailed info. 

One of the best skis I have ever owned.

 

Rails everything on the mountain from hardpack to powder. An amazing all-mountain performer. Great 1 ski-quiver for the west-coaster. (I live on the east and because of its versatility, the Goat is becoming my #1ski in ALL conditions)

 

Go long and you won't regret it!!!!! I'm 185-190lbs and 6'2". Got the 183 first (HUGE MISTAKE) and later went back for a 190 (07/08) The gold's rock!!!

 

Durability of the topsheets is a problem on the 08/09's.

Have a bout 26 days on the Gotamas and they are my go to everyday ski.  I love the skis ability to ski most any condition.  They really handle the crud and softsnow conditions well as would be expected with a 105mm waist. 

 

I purchased these in a 190cm and got an incredible deal.  My only complaint so far with the ski has been the durability of the top sheets.  The top sheets are being cut up pretty bad by my edges and is coming off in strips.  This does not affect the performance of the ski.

 

I would highly recommend this ski as a one ski quiver.  There are better powder skis out there and better carving skis; however, this is a great ski that will do both well.  I have been able let these skis run and they handle high speed turns great, and they will let you slow it down and make the quick turns in the trees as well. 

 

I'm not sure this is even worth writing, as I'm just adding to the hype of a ski that's barely 5 years old and is already a classic. But here goes.

 

These were my first "fat" skis and my first twins.

Before these I was skiing on a pair of late 90's 200cm Kastle Speed Machines (I missed about 10 seasons and got back into it in 2007).

Considering I'm a lightweight the Kastle's weren't working out very well.

 

I spent the summer researching gear and got hipped to a lot of new technology and ended up going for the 176 Gotama. From the very first turn I took in the woods (a few inches of fresh) I was in another world. Skiing had forever changed for me and I'm now addicted more than ever. By the end of the season I really felt good on these things. 

 

Playing around in the woods and hitting fresh snow in the trees is their sweet spot. But they also handle soft moguls surprisingly well. They're noticeably stable on landings when taking air off smaller (5-15 foot) cliffs if compared to something skinnier.

 

Towards the end of the season when I became more confident I started letting them run more and more. They really rail nice hard carves if you get on them. I just bought a pair of 183's for next season for a bit more overall stability. I'm not sure if it's because I skied a full season on the 176's, but they are complete noodles compared to the 183's which feel much stiffer.

 

In the early season I hit multiple rocks and the skis suffered minor p-tex scraping, but no edge damage which impressed me. In February I smoked a rock very hard and mildly compressed an inside edge but it hasn't affected performance in any way. My top sheets are fairly scratched up but no delaminating.
 

For reference: I skied mostly at Stowe, Jay Peak, Killington, and Mt. Sunapee last season.

This was my first full season since the mid 90's.

Male, 26 years old, 130 pounds.