Libtech UFO 105 VS. Moment Wildcat 108

Emma_Watson

Emma_Watson

Active member
Hi NS.

cw: gear head has too many skis, wants more and whines about it

I've been pacing through my basement looking at my quiver and thinking of whats missing - calling all my ski tech and gear head friends looking for their opinion - but i'm pretty jammed up on this 1

I'm hopping in my buddy's van in a few weeks to hit some destinations including but not limited to: New Hampshire, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California...

So I'm looking for a west coast 40% resort / 60% touring daily driver that will be able to handle most terrain in those states. I've narrowed my decision down to Libtech UFO 105 @178cm and the Moment Wildcat 108 @179cm

I have a pair or shifts that I'm gonna mount on them. I'm riding on a pair of Lange Freetours and RX130.

i'm 5'8 and 150lb.

In the van i'll be bringing a pair of 2014 K2 Recoil 180cm (90mm) for street / park days and a pair of Armada Magic J 180cm (127cm) with shifts for the xtra deep days so i need something to fill the gap in my quiver..

I'm a fairly aggressive and charging skier. Previously i had been skiing on Black Crow Camox, Blizzard Bonafide, On3p Wrenegade as my resort/tour ski. I'm worried that the UFO will be too narrow and may bottom out on the deeper days. But also worried that the Wildcats may be not jibby enough and too stiff.

What has your experience been with these two skis? Should I drop it and shoot for the wider UFO 115 or just the straight up Wildcat (112mm)?

Peace n luv

**This thread was edited on Jan 5th 2021 at 7:28:10pm

**This thread was edited on Jan 5th 2021 at 7:30:30pm

**This thread was edited on Jan 5th 2021 at 7:31:50pm
 
Either ski will be a good choice. Yeah, not super helpful - so a bit more detail:

I have not been on the latest iteration of UFOs - I've only been on the original 100 and 115s - but have been on a lot of Libs over the years. I would expect the UFOs to be slightly more approachable and softer, the Wildcats to be slightly stiffer if still playful - especially in deeper/fresh snow. Both are a lot more approachable than Wrens. I did not like the original UFO115 - too soft and too soft snow spesific - but the UFO100 was a very capable and enjoyable ski. As such I would have zero concerns about getting on the 105, where the current 115 supposedly is a bit stiffer than the OG.

I skied a lot on Wildcat108s last year and found them to be really fun and not overly demanding. They do require skill and speed to really come alive though. They are not soft jib sticks - their playful charger moniker is well deserved.

You could also consider Wildcat108 tours if you are planning to go skinning 60% of the time, or get a pair of 181 ON3P Jeffrey 108 tours. Both are fine skis, jibby but with lots of potency. The tour versions are a fair bit lighter, but still very capable skis. You will def appreciate the lower weight on big days out touring.

Wrt to going for the wider model - it depends if you want something that is super versatile and is in the snow (wrt deeper snow) - as mid 100s skis are - or a more dedicated pow design that are more on top. Based on your quiver I think the 10xs skis makes the most sense - 105-108mm skis with a lot of rocker/splay do soft snow very well, especially if you are an aggressive skier who skis fast.

Last but not least - personally I would go up a size if I were you, especially if you live somewhere that gets a fair bit of snow and you are an aggressive skier. I am 175cm/66kg w/o gear and would not even consider Libs or Moments in 17x lengths.
 
14223195:kid-kapow said:
Either ski will be a good choice. Yeah, not super helpful - so a bit more detail:

I have not been on the latest iteration of UFOs - I've only been on the original 100 and 115s - but have been on a lot of Libs over the years. I would expect the UFOs to be slightly more approachable and softer, the Wildcats to be slightly stiffer if still playful - especially in deeper/fresh snow. Both are a lot more approachable than Wrens. I did not like the original UFO115 - too soft and too soft snow spesific - but the UFO100 was a very capable and enjoyable ski. As such I would have zero concerns about getting on the 105, where the current 115 supposedly is a bit stiffer than the OG.

I skied a lot on Wildcat108s last year and found them to be really fun and not overly demanding. They do require skill and speed to really come alive though. They are not soft jib sticks - their playful charger moniker is well deserved.

You could also consider Wildcat108 tours if you are planning to go skinning 60% of the time, or get a pair of 181 ON3P Jeffrey 108 tours. Both are fine skis, jibby but with lots of potency. The tour versions are a fair bit lighter, but still very capable skis. You will def appreciate the lower weight on big days out touring.

Wrt to going for the wider model - it depends if you want something that is super versatile and is in the snow (wrt deeper snow) - as mid 100s skis are - or a more dedicated pow design that are more on top. Based on your quiver I think the 10xs skis makes the most sense - 105-108mm skis with a lot of rocker/splay do soft snow very well, especially if you are an aggressive skier who skis fast.

Last but not least - personally I would go up a size if I were you, especially if you live somewhere that gets a fair bit of snow and you are an aggressive skier. I am 175cm/66kg w/o gear and would not even consider Libs or Moments in 17x lengths.
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thanks for the super helpful response.

I ended up pulling the trigger on the UFO 105 in 178cm. My thought is that i'm just more excited for a softer, jibbier, and snappier ski (18m vs Moment's 21m turn radius). Maybe i'll regret it when i'm washing out on some more demanding terrain - but just thinking of jumping in off and around shit inbounds on the UFO's made me pull out the credit card..

Thanks again - and if you're parting ways with any of your old skis hmu :) (:
 
Hey man would love to hear your thoughts on the UFOs after buying them, is there any doubt you went with the wrong skis? I'm currently struggling with the same decision
 
Hey OP, im 5050 a pair of UFO 105s with shifts and I haven't had any issues with float, which is awesome considering they're probably a bit on the small side at 185cms and me being 6 foot 220 lbs
 
14248340:nice-tube70 said:
Hey man would love to hear your thoughts on the UFOs after buying them, is there any doubt you went with the wrong skis? I'm currently struggling with the same decision
Click to expand...

Late response -

UFOs are a dumb playful ski. Magna traction rips and really holds an edge. Make sure to take a gummy stone to them before riding them - no need for a tune either, they're perfect outta the factory. First day or two I def got thrown / pulled by the edges.

After 10-15 days the edges did start to bust. I was pretty light on them in the park (maybe 2-3 days of park riding) and pretty low impact. Unsure if it was a defect, it was a bit worrying to see edges busting that quickly - but nonetheless Libtech got me on a warranty pair for the next season and we're very helpful / understanding.

They're super soft on the nose, and they tend to have some turbulence if you're not putting them on edge- so if you're a fast charging skier may not be the one for you. I was chasing some friends around at Big Sky and could not keep up to those with stiffer skis. However, they're incredibly playful on fresh snow.

The bases seemed softer than other skis I've ridden. More base damage / a few core shots faster than what I'm used to.

In short, less durable than what I thought, but a way fun ski.

I'm 5'8 and 150. If I were to purchase again I'd probably size up to 185.

PM me if you have any questions!
 
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