Goode Nano One XT Review

The Goode Nano One XT is already a classic. The XT, along with the original Nano One, have been reissued by Goode because skiers demanded it. Both of the Nano One models are not only hugely successful in terms of skis sold but also in terms of tournaments won.

General Feel: Considering the small size of the ski, you might expect the XT to feel quirky. It is just the opposite. At 180 pounds, I find the 65.25 XT to be extremely stable and predictable.

The ski's relatively small size means that the skier has the ability to manipulate the ski more than on traditionally sized skis.Perhaps a better way to explain this is that the ski goes where the skier's feet naturally go much more readily than with most other high end skis. The skier has more leverage over the ski. When the rope get short and the skier starts to panic is where this attribute becomes most apparent. The result is that the ski is supremely forgiving when the skier is at their limit.

Toe Side (Off Side) Turn: Off side turns on the XT feel more like a fast pivot than an arc. The front of the ski offers noticeable support before and after the apex of the turn. This gives the skier confidence to move forward approaching the ball and provides stability exiting the turn.

Heel Side (On Side) Turn: On side turns on the XT are nearly foolproof. The skier can approach onside in any number of ways and exit the ball with angle. As with the off side turns, the on side turn is fast and sharp. If a skier is in trouble, he or she can throw caution to the wind and make up a lot of ground on this side.

From Ball to Second Wake: The XT holds substantial angle from the ball to the second wake. While many other high end skis will punish skiers for adding too much load between the ball and the wakes, the XT will allow the skier to push hard if needed.

One of the perceived negatives of this ski is that it requires more strength from the ball to the wakes than many other high end skis. The XT makes plenty of speed but the skier has to work for it. This is partly do to how fast the ski turns. More arcing turns will put less load on the skier and sharper turns will require a more strength.

From Second Wake to Ball: Typically skis that require more strength also require the skier to have superior technical skills to get wide at the ball. The XT does not fit this stereotype. The ski easily makes space and width on both side of the course even with less than perfect skier technique. This is yet another example of the ski’s extremely forgiving performance attributes.

Quirk: The XT is more setting and water temperature sensitive than most high end skis on the market. At the beginning of the test period the test ski was set exactly to stock and worked extremely well. As the water cooled off by 10 -15 degrees the performance of the ski dropped off noticeably and the fin had to be adjusted.

Conclusion:
This ski was especially hard to review. Because the XT is unusually forgiving it was challenging to define what the ski does and does not do. I owe thanks to a number of skiers who took my calls last month and talked to me about what I was feeling.

I increased my all time tournament BP by one ball on my third ride on the XT. Clearly, I am a fan of the XT.