Magic J questions. +++K

Newschool_Pope

Newschool_Pope

Active member
been looking to get a new stiffer powder ski. got my hellbents but they feel very heavy and dead when not in perfect pow.

i was sort of set on the AK JJ but the Magic J seems very nice too.

where is the difference between the JJ and the magic J?

is it just the lengths and a little more symetric? or does the magic j have more/less rocker? how does it compare to the AK JJ and who has ridden it?

any help is appreciated.
 
As far as I am aware the changes in the MagicJ are:

-Contact point moved up the ski, resulting in a longer turn radius (20m) @191

-Less Taper ie. toned down elf shoe tech, increasing the stability

-Fatter, 127 underfoot @191

-Stiffer

The are probably a few more minor tweaks but I think i covered all the major points.

 
The AK JJ only comes in a 195. The AK JJ was designed to be a stiffer, longer radius "charging" version of the JJ, although it's still unstable at speed compared to a true charging stick like a 4frnt renegade or volkl katana. They lengthened the radius on the AK from around 14 in the 185 JJ to 18m in the AK, which is still on the shorter end of things. They also bumped the waist up to 120mm. The Magic J, however is 127mm in the waist. The flex is similar to a 192 bent chetler in the 190 size (that's the only one I've fondled personally), and I believe it will be coming in a 170 and 180 as well as the 190. The amount of rocker tip and tail is similar on the magic and the AK, the magic may have a slightly longer rocker profile, but not by much. The magic J is also targeted as a more dedicated BC version of the JJ which can handle itself at high speeds without as much hooking as the JJ. However, the radius is still 19m I believe, which is on the shorter end of things. What I would consider a true non-hooking, "charging" type radius would be up in the high 20 to 30+m radius range. The radius on both the Magic and the AK is similar to something like a bent chetler, which can haul ass, but not really in the same way that a renegade or katana can. Just food for thought. Both will be better at speed and in variable conditions than a standard 185 JJ, but neither will be a true charging stick.-Isak
 
Full cap construction I think. And the cap profile is really pronounced - looks like there won't be a lot of edge reinforcement, which was what really turned me off of them.
 
No it's still their ar50 half sidewall, but it's definitely a lot thinner strip of ABS than their other skis. But you're right about the really pronounced cap, in that the topsheet is noticeably narrower than the base, so the edges are just kinda out there by themselves.
 
Search for videos made by skigeartv on YouTube. There aren't many reviews of them but ere are a few. From what I understand, the Magic J isn't much like the JJ in terms of how it skis. Nevertheless, it is shaping up to be a hit for Armada I'm sure. I also want to try the Norwalk which there no info on in terms of reviews.
 
feels much more substantial and stable at speed than a jj. light and easy to turn for how big it is. definitely floaty.
 
I got a chance to ride them in the slush and in those conditions they are a bit of a handful... But for that much ski to even be manageable on shallow slush (last day of the season litterally) is a testament to its versatility for its size! I rode the jj alot an loved it... I demo'd the bubbas and loved them...so I'm thinking the magic j is going to be super sick in pow but offer a bit more stability than the jj when charging but offer a bit more groomer versatility than the bubba! It's one issue I had with them was for some reason I had an easier time finding the sweet spot of the jj's but I chalk that up too the snow and inexperience with them!
 
id say if you want ski to charge harder and be less jibby and soft then id say go for it. im replacing my hellbents with the magic js too. swing weight wise i think it will be alot easier to throw around on tricks on bc booters and stomp them, since the tails wont wash out so easily.
 
yea i mean i had the EP's out here in Europe where the pow was fluffy and super dry. But im moving back to WA in a week, and sometimes those ep's can wash out really bad.
 
Anybody have any more thoughts on these skis?

I hand flexed them today and they seem pretty soft - softer than the 183 Bent Chetlers. They may actually not be softer, but the flex doesn't seem as smooth. Seems to be concentrated more to one point in the tip and tail.

I like softer skis, but I don't want these to absolutely suck in anything but two feet of blower. Worried I might overpower them at 180lbs.
 
the tip and tail are soft. but they are stiff underfoot and through the camber. i skied them on a pnw mashed potato day and they did great. u are a bit heavier than me, but my friend who is your size also liked them and bought a pair this year.
 
The stiffness underfoot is probably why the tips and tail feel so soft compared the Bents then. The bents probably flex better through the whole ski while the Magic J stop when it gets to the camber.
 
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