Loading...
Loading...
PTO Review
We skied them. Here's how they stack up.
These skis span 2 categories (Carving, All-Mountain). Scores reflect each ski's intended use — direct comparison across all dimensions may be misleading.
SL-JR PRO — a junior racer who is already training and entering slalom gates, and who has the strength and technique to load a metal race ski. H-Power 78 — skiers who spend most of the day on piste but keep drifting off it - groomers into fresh snow, a few side hits, cut-up afternoon snow - and who want race feel without committing to a race ski. Check the radar chart below to see where each one wins.
Each row compares all skis on one dimension. 🏆 marks the highest score.
| Dimension | SL-JR PRO | H-Power 78 |
|---|---|---|
| Carving | 10🏆 | 8 |
| Park | 1🏆 | 1🏆 |
| Playfulness | 2 | 4🏆 |
| Forgiveness | 2 | 5🏆 |
| Stability | 6 | 8🏆 |
| Powder | 1 | 3🏆 |
A junior racer who is already training and entering slalom gates, and who has the strength and technique to load a metal race ski. It suits a family that wants the SL WORLD CUP's core recipe — ash-poplar, double Titanal, Marcel Hirscher's factory tune — in a build engineered around a kid's weight and boot rather than shrunk down from an adult ski, and that would rather buy a system already resolved (plate mounted, binding named by the plate maker) than assemble junior race hardware piece by piece. The racer's release value has to fit inside the Marker COMP 10 TCX, DIN 3-10, which is the build PTO stocks.
A child who isn't racing gates. Van Deer's junior lineup for 26/27 is this ski and the GS-JR PRO, both race-only, so there is no recreational or all-mountain junior model here to trade down to — a kid who skis for fun is better served by another brand entirely, and we will say so at the counter. It is also the wrong ski for a racer who doesn't yet have the strength and technique to bend a metal race build; nothing in Van Deer's language for it — explosive power, high speed, the podium — is written for someone still learning to link turns. A racer who needs a release value above DIN 10 is outside PTO's stocked build (the COMP 12 GW, DIN 4-12, is a special order). A GS racer wants the GS-JR PRO, and PTO has stocked no length of it. And a family hoping one ski survives two or three growth spurts should know what it is buying: each plate has a fixed boot-sole-length window, and the four lengths are separate radius-tuned tools (8, 10, 11 and 11 m), not one shape stretched taller — at $830, growing out of it in a season is the real risk here.
Skiers who spend most of the day on piste but keep drifting off it - groomers into fresh snow, a few side hits, cut-up afternoon snow - and who want race feel without committing to a race ski. An ambitious intermediate has room to grow into it; a skier who already carves well still finds ceiling above them. Pick the length by turn shape: 159 or 167 cm for quick, tight arcs, 175 or 183 cm for speed and space.
Beginners: the H-Power 78 is firm and race-derived, and it will not make the turn for you. If you never leave the hardpack, do not buy it - the narrower H-Power 68 grips harder and changes edge quicker, and you would be paying for ten millimetres you never use. If you chase deep snow or spend real time off-piste, 78 mm is not enough ski; go to the H-Power 89 or the Freeride line. And a racer chasing maximum rebound should buy an actual race ski - the SL, the GS or the PRO - not the friendly middle of the H-Power line.
The SL-JR PRO is best for a junior racer who is already training and entering slalom gates, and who has the strength and technique to load a. The H-Power 78 is best for skiers who spend most of the day on piste but keep drifting off it - groomers into fresh snow, a few side hits, cut-up. The right choice depends on your primary terrain, ability level, and riding style.
The Van Deer H-Power 78 scores highest in Stability at 8/10, making it the strongest all-mountain option. It handles groomers, chop, and variable conditions without losing composure, so it's the best single-ski choice for skiers who want one pair for the whole mountain.
The Van Deer SL-JR PRO leads in Carving with a PTO score of 10/10. Its edge grip on hard snow and groomed runs is the strongest in this comparison.
The Van Deer H-Power 78 is the most forgiving option with a Forgiveness score of 5/10. It doesn't punish imperfect technique, making it the easiest ski to progress on among these.
Not sure? Ask us.