Ski technology company Carv has recently launched a new version of its product, both the hardware and the software that runs it, with major updates in the algorithm and new features to improve the overall user experience of the product.
InTheSnow Gear Editor Rob Stewart heads out to Austria’s Stubai Glacier at the end of November to test it out.
The last time I tried Carv was during the 2022 season when inserts were needed inside the ski boots for the data to read the movements. Whilst the product worked well, the inserts, especially in a low volume ski boot, did impact the feeling through to the ski. But no more; the clever people at Carv have reinvented the product, removing the need for the inserts and also changing its algorithm to help it adapt to different snow conditions and terrain and provide a more balanced result.
I was on the Stubai Glacier at the start of the 2024-25 winter season and it was snowing heavily with white out conditions – not the easiest start to the season but a real test for Carv all the same. Linking Carv with the app on the phone is very easy, quick and now, it’s a matter of simply clipping the hardware onto the strap of the ski boot. This is done in a matter of minutes.
Carv has several layers of active coaching that work with ear phones and we used Apple Air Pods that seamlessly connect with the app. Having this function does make it easier to gauge what is happening with your turns, but if you don’t want to have instructions when actually skiing that’s fine, the voice programme will just update you with a score once you have stopped. This first level is known as the Free Skiing mode and you get what is known as your Ski IQ, delivered to you by the AI voice generated instructor. I start with this level, hitting a few blue and easy red runs in Stubai as heavy snow falls and visibility is very limited.
The Ski IQ is a number that ranks you from 50 (lowest level) to 150+. The highest IQ skier so far this season has scored 171.
Then there’s the Ski IQ and Tips option. This kicks in the instructor voice that encourages me to do certain things through the turn – apply more pressure, use more edge, be more active at certain points through the turn, all based on its data that’s constantly recording my movements through the sensors on the boot. The system also recognises when I hop onto a ski lift, delivering further tips for the next run – always encouraging, never criticising.
After that, the Monitor level actively provides live instructions including what my IQ ski level is through each turn. It’s quite an intense experience and personally I preferred having the delivery of information after I have stopped skiing rather than at the same time, but I’m sure there’s plenty of people that would enjoy the real time feedback.
But you can also up the ante, switching to training mode that sets targets and fills you in with a series of positive and negative signals depending on how well you are hitting those targets.
Whist the IQ is the heart of Carv’s system, there’s a huge amount of other data and functionality available including looking at your runs separately over the day – it tracked every metre of skiing I did, looking at the turn shape, edge angle, forward balance and ski pressure.
And whilst the old set up couldn’t differentiate between a groomed slope, powder or moguls, Carv 2 can. It doesn’t seem logical that two senses on each boot could record ski movements better than a footbed could, but I can see that is even more accurate than before. This is also down to the algorithm changes the Carv team has made.
Previously there were a few little hacks that could improve a skiers IQ score, but these have been ironed out. My best score was on my second run of the day, it makes sense, I had warmed up but I had plenty of energy in my legs.
In total that day I made 1,650 turns, skied 16.8 miles with 16,141 vertical feet of descent, mostly in storm like conditions. By the end of the day, I was struggling to get IQ scores over 120 and the very last run, exhausted by a whole day of trying to make the perfect turn, I was relegated to an IQ of just over 100.
But what was my top score? Only way to find that out is to join the party and get onto that leaderboard, there’s over 7,500 skiers on there from this season alone already – perhaps you can even reach the heights of the great Ted Ligety (IQ 171), although he’s currently in overall 4th place on the global leaderboard; what a slacker.
An initial yearly subscription to Carv 2 costs £199 including all the hardware. After that, users have the choice to fully renew or take a 6 day non-consecutive pass for £99. Carv App is available on both iPhone and Android.
For more information, visit getcarv.com
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