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Dueling duals
Dual keel skis on the Nytro are definitely a great option.
Last winter we also tested Yamaha’s Tuner dual keel skis on our sled and found it to be a dramatically better ski for the Nytro than the 8HV. But due to part unavailability, we were only able to test a couple carbide combinations on Yamaha’s new Tuner ski. We used two 2-inch carbides on both skis on the Tuner ski and found it near perfect, but not as aggressive as the Split Rail. As we tested them, side by side, the Split Rail was the best option for aggressive riders. If we had more options of carbides we think the Tuner would be very close and we plan to have the Tuner ski again to test this coming year and will report our results with that as soon as we can.
One more thing, even with our endorsement, it is important to remember that the Split Rail skis are expensive, in the $800 ballpark. But unlocking the full trail potential of your Nytro may be worth it. On the other hand you could spend around $200 for the Yamaha Tuner dual keel skis and be confident that you will be upgrading significantly from the standard 8HV stock skis.
Finally, we’ve heard and read people saying that they don’t ever think aftermarket skis are worth paying for. But we have to ask, would you always wait until an OEM came out with a technology to adopt it? Hmmm… the aftermarket developed plastic skis before the OEMs, and had more advanced runners before the OEMs. Right?
Aftermarket firms deserve a lot of credit for creating many new and forward thinking products, like Split Rail.
What this all comes down too is how much you’re willing to pay and how aggressive you want to be.