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La Sportiva's Hang5
Product: La Sportiva's Hang5
Length Tested: 178cm
Turn Radius: 23/30/23m
side cut: 145/117/135
camber: 7.7mm
Tip rocker: 425mmcamber: 7.7mm
Tail rocker:
0
Running length: 1510mm
Weight: per skis: 1900g / 4lb. 3oz.
Running length: 1510mm
Weight: per skis: 1900g / 4lb. 3oz.
Binding: Dynfit Radical Speed toe TLT Speed heel
Mount point: Mounted @ La Sportiva's suggested line
Ski weight with bindings: 5lb even per ski
Environmental Conditions: early and late Spring skiing
Ski weight with bindings: 5lb even per ski
Environmental Conditions: early and late Spring skiing
Location of Test: Crystal Mountain Washington
Number of Runs: 15+days of spring skiing,
Snow Conditions: Early and late Spring skiing conditions ice to slush
Demo or Own: own
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: FUSION SIDEWALL - 70% Camber / 30% Rocker
SIDEWALL MATERIAL: ABS Thermoplastic
TOP SHEET: 0.5 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210) - Glossy
CORE: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood
LAMINATE LAYER 1: Tri-Directional Fiberglass
LAMINATE LAYER 2: Bi-Directional Carbon/Fiberglass mat
SPECIAL MATERIALS: Fiberglass Veil
REINFORCEMENTS PLATES: Under bindings
TIP AND TAIL REINFORCEMENTS: Rubber
BASE MATERIAL: P-Tex 2000 factory hand waxed
EDGE MATERIAL: 1,8 mm steel + rubber laminate
FEATURES: Tip and tail attachment holes, flat/notched tail
SIZES: 178, & 188
COLOR: 99H Yellow
PRICE: $825 USD
CONSTRUCTION TYPE: FUSION SIDEWALL - 70% Camber / 30% Rocker
SIDEWALL MATERIAL: ABS Thermoplastic
TOP SHEET: 0.5 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210) - Glossy
CORE: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood
LAMINATE LAYER 1: Tri-Directional Fiberglass
LAMINATE LAYER 2: Bi-Directional Carbon/Fiberglass mat
SPECIAL MATERIALS: Fiberglass Veil
REINFORCEMENTS PLATES: Under bindings
TIP AND TAIL REINFORCEMENTS: Rubber
BASE MATERIAL: P-Tex 2000 factory hand waxed
EDGE MATERIAL: 1,8 mm steel + rubber laminate
FEATURES: Tip and tail attachment holes, flat/notched tail
SIZES: 178, & 188
COLOR: 99H Yellow
PRICE: $825 USD
Tester Info:
Height/Weight:
6'1" 190lb
Ski
Days/Season: 30+
Years
Skiing: 30+
Aggressiveness & Moderate
Aggressiveness & Moderate
Current
Quiver: Huascaran, Aspect, GTR, Lo5, Hi5, 112RP, 138, Broad Peak, 112RPC,
138. Praxis GPO and Protest
Home Area: Silver Mtn Idaho, Crystal Mtn
and Alpental WA.
Preferred Terrain: off-piste, trees,
steeps
1 (worst)
to 5 (best) star ratings
Performance:*****
From another fan of the Hang5 earlier in the winter:
"It's a bit of a charger, eh? Good skiers seem to love them. Not so good ones, not so much. You gotta stay on top of them. If you get in the back seat they'll throw you around. It's a way different ski than the Hi5. Is strange, but at 117 underfoot it was really more of an everyday ski for me this past winter. I can ride it inbounds all day and; then take it BC too. Much more versatile than the Hi5 IMO. Yeah, I was surprised at the lack of fanfare for this ski. It's my favorite."
I agreed whole heartily with those observations. Same things I saw. My favorite ski as well of the 4 GTR/Lo5/Hi5/Hang5. Although I now think the GTR is the other unsung ski that should have a cult following. It does with me anyway. Obviously all the la Sportiva skis are intended for different purposes. And I try to make that comparison to each ski in class. GTR fairs well. I put the Hi5 in the same class as the DPS 112. People love them. I am just not a big fan of either after a season on each.
Skiing the Hang5 late this winter and Spring in comparison with the Huascaran (same length), longer DPS RPC, and a Dynastar Cham 107 (184) and my Lo5s. Best comparison was the DPS RPC (192cm). The RPC skied very similar for me in our current spring conditions. Both add huge confidence under foot. Says even more for a 178cm ski I think. I found the Hang5 to be the ski I wanted to be on as we rotated through the day.
That is some dang good company for a 1st year ski.
Funny this: by late Saturday my legs were cooked and was skiing the Dynastar (which has gotten some rave reviews). I was hating them..really hating them. Decided if I skied so badly it was time to wrap it up. I got the Hang5 back on top of the hill and headed home. Much to my surprise, even with worn out legs the Hang5s still skied very well and seemingly made me stone sober.
They certainly make light of some terrible snow conditions, ice crust or boot deep slush.
Enough fluff :) Thought about this a lot over the first week I skied the Hang5s and bought a pair asap in the same 178 size.
Thoughts for the guys who also got a turn at my demo pair.
"I take them out for almost any moderate touring day. I find it to have less of a
new-school slarving personality as it needs to be stepped on to really charge. Lots of energy return and super fun. Makes tight enough turns and is stable at speed."
"uncomfortable, too unbalanced front to back. Always felt like I was on a teeter totter."
"Too heavy and slow in tight conditions, not a ski that is much fun in jump turns"
"Nice ski, could easily be my all mountain ski, all winter ski even at 117 under foot."
My own take was interesting after forcing them off on friends. Most of them ski better than I as well so I value their opinions even if it is not always my own experience.
The Hang5 is not a ski I like skiing in my TLTs. Although Jerry had no problem skiing his TLT Mountains on the Hang5. I much prefer a Dynafit One or the Scarpa Maestrale RS for the Hang5 even in the short 178 version. It is a lot of ski for me at 117mm under foot and 145 at the tip with no real or imaginative foo-foo design work to make it ski shorter or lighter.
That said I don't look for the Hang5 as my "first take" back country ski. It is fine in a skin track and booting as long as I am not doing a lot of either. If so I want a lighter ski. But on the down these things simply rock for me. They are ultimately stable, No teeter totter for me. Likely the one ski in my dozen ski quiver that has a perfect mount point sorted out. And it makes a difference. For me this ski gives a 5 star ride in any conditions, powder to Spring ice and anything in between. I really, really like this ski. Enough so to over look its' weight. Mind you it still weights less than the vast majority of skis of this size and attributes by a fair margin.
The 178 Hang5 is a full pound more per ski @ 4.25# than a 177 Huascaran @ 3.25# . And the weight and ski stiffness/flex relates that as well. The 178cm Hang5 is a 1/4 pound per ski less than the 182cm Praxis GPO @ 4.5#. Good company imo all all three skis.
The Hang5 skis more like the Praxis GPO than the Huascaran or even my 192 RPCs.. No question with numbers like 145mm/117mm/ 135mm the Hang5 is a BIG ski with a rather traditional flat tail, decent side cut and a slightly rockered tip. Nothing here really to give away the performance that I came to really value in the Hang5.
I skied them on the morning ice of a good Spring day and the resulting slush of a warm spring day. I skied them in a few tight rock lined gullies, soft bumps that were huge and everything in between. On typical cold Spring snow with its wash board effect fro a surface I loved them. For me once I had some speed going they were effortless and turned on a dime..exactly where I wanted and when I wanted. No effort involved. Not everyone one liked them 2:2 was the consensus I think. With 3:4 bias in most conditions on the plus side. But some what grudgingly. Even the lone doubter was swayed some by the end of the day.
It is a ski that likes to be driven. If you are comfortable on the ski and willing to work them I think the Hang5 offers a lot of feed back and is super fun. And I don't work any ski very hard. More importantly to me it seems very confidence building and super stable even in the 178 size I first demoed and then bought.
The 177cm Huascaran was the first ski to turn me on to this size of ski (short 177cm and 115+/- under foot). I now have 3 pair of them, the Praxis GPO , the Huascaran and the Hang5. I generally prefer (or thought I did until recently) a 192 or bigger ski. I have and ski on several including a longer 196 Huascaran, 192 DPS 112RPC, the 192 GPO, Protests and DPS 138.
But I don't think I own a more fun ski than the 115+/-mm under foot by 178 cm. The Hang5s just reinforced that idea. Give them even a little bit of room to make a turn on, in any kind of snow, and this ski will rip and put a smile on your face all at the same time.
Of the "big" skis La Sportiva offers I think this is the sleeper of the bunch. By far my favorite ski between the Lo5, Hi5 and Hang5 Series and does everything better than either of the other two imo.
At least two new skis coming from La Sportiva. A more resort driven Lo5 call the Mega 5 and a totally new lwt fatty I am really interested in,. But is weights more than the Hang5 and is only 98mm under foot.
IMO the Hang5 best balanced ski in my own quiver of a dozen or so skis. The mount point is squared away for a very neutral ride in my size 28/29 boots. Others were not so impressed with the ski. Preferring a few of the other offerings I have. I was impressed enough to buy a pair of Hang5s after just a couple of days of skiing on them. For me this is a "any mission ski". I wish it weighted less for packing around or skins. But I can live with the ski's weight . The performance is so high and so very predictable in any snow condition the weight is generally unnoticed unless it needs to be carried or skinning. Typical shite days at the lift when the snow is chopped up and only OK...this is going to be one of my "go to" ski.
I really like this ski. And the color as well :)
Hard to find a decent review on this ski or anyone that has skied it. If 117 under foot sounds like something that might interest you...the Hang5 is more than worth making the effort to try out. Be prepared to open the wallet if you do. I wasn't and had to pry the cash out for these after skiing them.
I'd like to say more. I can't seem to do justice to what I really like about this ski. The Hang5 deserves it in spades. It does quick turns down the fall line easily and big ripping GS turns on any slope with ease for me. Saving a lot of effort in the process by being so stable under foot. And I do find it a stable ski. Enough tip rocker to fillet the crap snow you always run into on-piste and wide enough to slay any sort of pow or crust off-piste. What is not to like. Icy narrow gullies? Have to admit they are not the best ski there. Takes some speed to get them to turn around. But I will willingly ski them there just because they are so stable and forgiving.
One reviewer complained about turning a short Hauscaran at anything less than Mach1!!?? Ha, ha, the short Huascaran is a gully ski for me. And I ski sloooowwwwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyy in the no fall zone..
I really like this ski! Few ski I can really say that about with some conviction. The reward of owning a Hang5 was some of the best Spring runs off a lift and boot packing I had this year. Gotta give credit where it belongs. In this case it goes to the Hang5.
From another fan of the Hang5 earlier in the winter:
"It's a bit of a charger, eh? Good skiers seem to love them. Not so good ones, not so much. You gotta stay on top of them. If you get in the back seat they'll throw you around. It's a way different ski than the Hi5. Is strange, but at 117 underfoot it was really more of an everyday ski for me this past winter. I can ride it inbounds all day and; then take it BC too. Much more versatile than the Hi5 IMO. Yeah, I was surprised at the lack of fanfare for this ski. It's my favorite."
I agreed whole heartily with those observations. Same things I saw. My favorite ski as well of the 4 GTR/Lo5/Hi5/Hang5. Although I now think the GTR is the other unsung ski that should have a cult following. It does with me anyway. Obviously all the la Sportiva skis are intended for different purposes. And I try to make that comparison to each ski in class. GTR fairs well. I put the Hi5 in the same class as the DPS 112. People love them. I am just not a big fan of either after a season on each.
Skiing the Hang5 late this winter and Spring in comparison with the Huascaran (same length), longer DPS RPC, and a Dynastar Cham 107 (184) and my Lo5s. Best comparison was the DPS RPC (192cm). The RPC skied very similar for me in our current spring conditions. Both add huge confidence under foot. Says even more for a 178cm ski I think. I found the Hang5 to be the ski I wanted to be on as we rotated through the day.
That is some dang good company for a 1st year ski.
Funny this: by late Saturday my legs were cooked and was skiing the Dynastar (which has gotten some rave reviews). I was hating them..really hating them. Decided if I skied so badly it was time to wrap it up. I got the Hang5 back on top of the hill and headed home. Much to my surprise, even with worn out legs the Hang5s still skied very well and seemingly made me stone sober.
They certainly make light of some terrible snow conditions, ice crust or boot deep slush.
Enough fluff :) Thought about this a lot over the first week I skied the Hang5s and bought a pair asap in the same 178 size.
Thoughts for the guys who also got a turn at my demo pair.
"I take them out for almost any moderate touring day. I find it to have less of a
new-school slarving personality as it needs to be stepped on to really charge. Lots of energy return and super fun. Makes tight enough turns and is stable at speed."
"uncomfortable, too unbalanced front to back. Always felt like I was on a teeter totter."
"Too heavy and slow in tight conditions, not a ski that is much fun in jump turns"
"Nice ski, could easily be my all mountain ski, all winter ski even at 117 under foot."
My own take was interesting after forcing them off on friends. Most of them ski better than I as well so I value their opinions even if it is not always my own experience.
Scarpa Maestrale RS
The Hang5 is not a ski I like skiing in my TLTs. Although Jerry had no problem skiing his TLT Mountains on the Hang5. I much prefer a Dynafit One or the Scarpa Maestrale RS for the Hang5 even in the short 178 version. It is a lot of ski for me at 117mm under foot and 145 at the tip with no real or imaginative foo-foo design work to make it ski shorter or lighter.
That said I don't look for the Hang5 as my "first take" back country ski. It is fine in a skin track and booting as long as I am not doing a lot of either. If so I want a lighter ski. But on the down these things simply rock for me. They are ultimately stable, No teeter totter for me. Likely the one ski in my dozen ski quiver that has a perfect mount point sorted out. And it makes a difference. For me this ski gives a 5 star ride in any conditions, powder to Spring ice and anything in between. I really, really like this ski. Enough so to over look its' weight. Mind you it still weights less than the vast majority of skis of this size and attributes by a fair margin.
The 178 Hang5 is a full pound more per ski @ 4.25# than a 177 Huascaran @ 3.25# . And the weight and ski stiffness/flex relates that as well. The 178cm Hang5 is a 1/4 pound per ski less than the 182cm Praxis GPO @ 4.5#. Good company imo all all three skis.
The Hang5 skis more like the Praxis GPO than the Huascaran or even my 192 RPCs.. No question with numbers like 145mm/117mm/ 135mm the Hang5 is a BIG ski with a rather traditional flat tail, decent side cut and a slightly rockered tip. Nothing here really to give away the performance that I came to really value in the Hang5.
I skied them on the morning ice of a good Spring day and the resulting slush of a warm spring day. I skied them in a few tight rock lined gullies, soft bumps that were huge and everything in between. On typical cold Spring snow with its wash board effect fro a surface I loved them. For me once I had some speed going they were effortless and turned on a dime..exactly where I wanted and when I wanted. No effort involved. Not everyone one liked them 2:2 was the consensus I think. With 3:4 bias in most conditions on the plus side. But some what grudgingly. Even the lone doubter was swayed some by the end of the day.
It is a ski that likes to be driven. If you are comfortable on the ski and willing to work them I think the Hang5 offers a lot of feed back and is super fun. And I don't work any ski very hard. More importantly to me it seems very confidence building and super stable even in the 178 size I first demoed and then bought.
The 177cm Huascaran was the first ski to turn me on to this size of ski (short 177cm and 115+/- under foot). I now have 3 pair of them, the Praxis GPO , the Huascaran and the Hang5. I generally prefer (or thought I did until recently) a 192 or bigger ski. I have and ski on several including a longer 196 Huascaran, 192 DPS 112RPC, the 192 GPO, Protests and DPS 138.
But I don't think I own a more fun ski than the 115+/-mm under foot by 178 cm. The Hang5s just reinforced that idea. Give them even a little bit of room to make a turn on, in any kind of snow, and this ski will rip and put a smile on your face all at the same time.
Of the "big" skis La Sportiva offers I think this is the sleeper of the bunch. By far my favorite ski between the Lo5, Hi5 and Hang5 Series and does everything better than either of the other two imo.
At least two new skis coming from La Sportiva. A more resort driven Lo5 call the Mega 5 and a totally new lwt fatty I am really interested in,. But is weights more than the Hang5 and is only 98mm under foot.
IMO the Hang5 best balanced ski in my own quiver of a dozen or so skis. The mount point is squared away for a very neutral ride in my size 28/29 boots. Others were not so impressed with the ski. Preferring a few of the other offerings I have. I was impressed enough to buy a pair of Hang5s after just a couple of days of skiing on them. For me this is a "any mission ski". I wish it weighted less for packing around or skins. But I can live with the ski's weight . The performance is so high and so very predictable in any snow condition the weight is generally unnoticed unless it needs to be carried or skinning. Typical shite days at the lift when the snow is chopped up and only OK...this is going to be one of my "go to" ski.
I really like this ski. And the color as well :)
Hard to find a decent review on this ski or anyone that has skied it. If 117 under foot sounds like something that might interest you...the Hang5 is more than worth making the effort to try out. Be prepared to open the wallet if you do. I wasn't and had to pry the cash out for these after skiing them.
I'd like to say more. I can't seem to do justice to what I really like about this ski. The Hang5 deserves it in spades. It does quick turns down the fall line easily and big ripping GS turns on any slope with ease for me. Saving a lot of effort in the process by being so stable under foot. And I do find it a stable ski. Enough tip rocker to fillet the crap snow you always run into on-piste and wide enough to slay any sort of pow or crust off-piste. What is not to like. Icy narrow gullies? Have to admit they are not the best ski there. Takes some speed to get them to turn around. But I will willingly ski them there just because they are so stable and forgiving.
One reviewer complained about turning a short Hauscaran at anything less than Mach1!!?? Ha, ha, the short Huascaran is a gully ski for me. And I ski sloooowwwwwwwwwlllllllllyyyyy in the no fall zone..
I really like this ski! Few ski I can really say that about with some conviction. The reward of owning a Hang5 was some of the best Spring runs off a lift and boot packing I had this year. Gotta give credit where it belongs. In this case it goes to the Hang5.
9 comments:
can you comment more on your boot choice(s) for the Hang5, and why you don't care for the TLTs with them? Thanks and keep 'em comin'. Thom
I ski the TLT P and Mountain..with and with out tongues and power strap. Generally without.
The Hang5 is a big ski @ 117 under foot and super stable. Jerry is an awesome skier and he skied the Hang5 with a TLT mountain no issues but he is also a better skier than me. For my bigger skis (178 and longer or bigger than 115 under foot) I generally like a bigger more supportive boot. I also out weigh Jerry by 40 lbs or more. I can bend a boot he can't easily. But most of it is just the difference in skill set.
The Scarpa RS has a lot of ramp build in. More than I would prefer. The Dynafit One/Mercury/Vulcan less so.
I do ski a 177 Huascaran (112mm under foot) with my TLTs exclusivly and really like that combo. Past that if I have more ski I generally want more boot.
Unfortunately I dont have the disposable income to buy the hang and the huescaran. If you were to choose one which would it be? I know this is your opinion and you are not me, but just wondering.
Much as I really like the Hang5 I use the 177 Huascaran more because I like skiing and carrying it with my TLTS.
Ski choice for me would really depend on what boot I am skiing in.
Bigger boots I would no question want the Hang5.
I apologize for asking another question but I have been looking at the ski and all the shops keep wanting me to go up to the 188. You are taller and a bit heavier and you purchased the 178. What made you choose that over the longer one?
No worries Greg.
I generally ski 188/192s. GPO, Hi5, RPC and Huascarans in 192/188/192 and 196 respectively.
But found that I really like some of the shorter versions as well. 192 RPC is my daily lift ski. Hang5/GPO/Huascaran are all really fun skis in 178/182/177. I ordered the Hang5 wanting to make a direct comparison to the Huascaran in similar sizes. Then the GPO in both a 182 and a 192.
I test and ski and then end up owning a lot of skis in this genre (lwt skimo ski...GPO is an exception I plan on using like the Hang5) that I really like. I don't want a 178 Hi5 (not enough ski for me) and pretty sure I don't 188 Hang5...it is a LOT of ski by comparison to everything else I ski. 196 Huascaran likely falls into that category as well. But going to give it one more season.
I would blow off any opinion on the Hang5 if the comment doesn't come from a Hang5 owner. 188 Hang5 is a BIG and stout 115 underfoot. Certainly a place for the 188 as a charger and big mtn ripper if you are a strong and aggressive skier. Likely a bit beyond me as a daily driver to be honest. Hey, remember I am an old guy! The 178 on the other hand? Huge fun!
Let me know how it turns out for you?!!
Forgot but worth mentioning again. I am skiing the 178cm Hang5 with a Dynafit One or Scarpa Maestrale RS. Not TLTs.
I recon the 178 with a decent boot a quick handling sports car. The 188 with the same boot a warp speed big/all mtn cruiser.
The 178 I'll pack around and do all sorts of things with besides ride a lift. The 188 would be a good lift only ski for me. Not a insult btw as I could and would ski the 188 happily as a full time lift ski.
question for Dane. i own Huascaran 177 i have fallen in love with these. i have maestrale boots (plain maestrale no other letters attached). would the maestrale be enough boot for the hang 5 178's ? i weigh 176 pounds and am in good shape for a 63 y.o. Thank you Dane.
Hi Bill, You have plenty of boot for the Hang5. It turns easier than the Huascaran if that helps. But it is no where near as versatile. I thin you would be disappointed in the Hang5 by comparison. But there are so much better skis available now. Dhaulagiri and Denali (dynafit) are just two that I have used a lot...but the La Sportiva Nano series is exceptional as well. Cho Oyu if you want something even lighter. If you haven't tried the RS boot you should. It will open up the choices for wider skis. I am pretty limited without a stiffer boot at the 115mm size skis. I really liked the RS. The TLT Series just fit me better. We are the same age but looking at your boot choice I'd bet you are a better skier :)
With the RS or the TLT carbon I am able to ski a 148mm skis with ease. Just a thought but I know you didn't ask.
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