USI - EPIC 1.5
One of the most popular upgrades to a snowmobile is a new pair of performance skis. The aftermarket options are endless and you need to ask yourself what are your "needs" in a new ski? Are you looking to loose weight off your machine for a straight line run? Are you looking to turn better? Are you looking for ski float in deep snow? A customers needs vary in the market. If you have been around snowmobiles for a while you may recognize the USI company from years of success with the X2 triple threat ski. A ski that runs deep in the ice racing roots at the SOO 500, where the top 10 sleds in the 2023 race were using them. A true testament to the quality, durability and performance of USI. A handful of years ago USI was acquired by the Pattyn family. A family well known in the snowmobile industry with their iconic company, Stud Boy Traction and years of owning a snocross race team. Soon to follow was the all new EPIC 1.0 and 1.5 family of skis. A ski that was developed for everyone. Mountain riding Trail Riding Racing
"The Short center keel, angled cut rear corners and raised tail allow for aggressive steering with light steering effort while the outer board keels and mini rear center keel help straight line tracking."
"Traction nubs add a no slip platform for any ski mounted riding."
"A Wide ski tip allows great flotation and helps get the ski on plane quickly measuring in at 8 ¼”. While the main body of the ski measures 7 ¼” for a stable platform in all snow conditions."
I set out to do a cross country race in Ironwood, MI near the end of this season. My snowmobile was stock and I knew I would need a little bit of help in the steering and front end to perform on the race track. I had been following the series for the season and I noticed quite a few racers were using a ski that I was not familiar with. Lets face it, as a racer we all know of the C&A brand, but these were not them and I noticed they were on sleds that were at the front of the pack. I did a little research and found out they were USI Epic skis. I got ahold of Ron over at USI/Stud Boy and was asking him about these newer skis and what the low down was. After a bit of chatting he said they really feel these skis are on par with the other brands in racing and you need to see for yourself how good they are at the Ironwood race. So he got me connected with Zach and we got a pair of skis and stud Boy 9" Shaper bars in the mail to go racing with. FYI they have crazy fast shipping, the package was delivered the next day! MI WI
The ski system came in a really nice heavy duty box and all the pieces were packaged well along with clear installation instructions and everyone's favorite when purchasing a new product.. STICKERS! I dove right in, unwrapped everything, and got it all laid out to install. The first thing I noticed when pulling the skis out of the box was how lightweight the ski is. The 2nd thing I noticed was the unique mounting system. An aluminum mount that was fully adjustable for how wide, long or short you want your ski stance. This is something unique to the EPIC ski family.
"The adjustable aluminum mount allows you to widen or narrow the stance of your sled by 1 ¾” from the center position and lengthen or shorten the stance by 1” from the center position to allow you to fine tune and find the exact handling you’re looking for as well as adding durability, strength and a positive feel with precise ski alignment."
Installation was a breeze and I did not have to fight the mounting bolts or ski with extreme force or special tools to get the holes to line up. Definitely one of the easiest aftermarket ski systems I have installed. I used the center/center USI factory drilled mounting locations to be ISR race legal.
On Snow Performance:
It was time to hit the snow and see what the buzz was all about with the USI Epic 1.5 skis. The conditions were PRIME. The area had just received about 3ft total of fresh snow in the last week and about 1.5ft the day before. The course was deep and the sleds were breaking trail and setting up the track base. The first thing I noticed was the lightweight steering effort feel but an extremely pointed sled. The front end feel was so far superb on the sight lap. As I got to driving the course and the berms in the turns were building up, I threw the sled up into the berm to see how it would slide or flow in and out of the corner. The sled stuck into the berm and the sled swung around through the berm with ease. The sled rotated and rocketed out the exit apex, everything I could ask for out of my snowmobile at this time. To my surprise I did not make any adjustments to my snowmobile as I really felt at home with the setup of the new skis instantly.
Throughout the race, and still as I type this, I think about how well the skis performed and the word planted really sticks in my head. The snowmobile would go wherever I wanted it to go. It would stick, turn, and feel confidant. I even dipped off course in a corner and I thought OH BOY here we go... off trail was easily waist/chest deep. BUT to my surprise the right ski did not just bury itself into the powder. I stayed afloat and was able to rebound and get back on trail without much effort and not get sucked into the deep snow. Overall throughout both of the moto's I raced, the skis performed A+ from the smooth opening sight lap to the snocross like extreme whooped out race course of moto 2. The front end of my sled never skipped a beat and I felt confident approaching corners and rough sections. I was able to get a few miles of just plain "riding" on hard pack, non race track. Although it was not many miles, I was able to get the same effortless steering and happy to say the sled did not "dart" all over the place. It was stable and confident in its feel, everything you can ask for in a performance ski. I am excited to get some higher trail miles on these skis next season and also get them out on the snocross track to see how they perform. It's 80* today and I miss the snow and riding!
I was able to get a few words from Parker Krumm who uses the USI Epic skis in the Semi-Pro class. Parker won the season finale in 2022 using USI and he said he has been running them for a while now and really enjoys them. I asked Parker to describe the Epics in 2 words. "If I had to only use 2 words it would be planted and forgiving. The skis are so in tune to the snow but also at the same time forgiving when you are pushing the limits. The ski is perfect across a broad spectrum."
Impressions:
If you are in the market for a new set of performance skis you need to think about adding the USI Epic ski to your list of options.
usiskis.com
Phone: 231-853-2500