Review: Carv 2 Digital Ski Coach

WIRED first came across the digital ski coach Carv back in 2016, when it broke records on Kickstarter, raising $275,196. Since then, they’ve raised millions, tracked 567,751,662 turns, sold in excess of 45,000 units, and made this journalist a much better skier.

But no product is perfect, usually doubly so if it hails from Kickstarter, so with the launch of Carv 2 the company has dramatically altered the hardware, redesigned the app, and (of course) embraced AI. Given the overwhelmingly positive reviews and seemingly happy customer base it feels like a huge risk, so WIRED headed to the Alps to see if Carv's gamble paid off.

To recap, the original Carv combined a smart battery unit with a sensor-packed ski-boot insole to measure 72 pressure and motion metrics while you skied. This data was then crunched in real time and you were given a performance score, or “Ski:IQ” (the average skier will score around 100, intermediates 110–125, experts 125–140, and professionals 140+). It would then provide live tuition through your earbuds as you sit on the lift, including tips and training drills to help you improve your score.

Sole Searching

The big news for Carv 2.0 is that the company has ditched the pressure-sensing insole completely. This is wise as fitting the sensor pad was undoubtedly a barrier to entry for new users. Now, instead of having to remove your ski-boot liner and stick the insoles down with gaffer tape (yes, really), now you simply clip the small battery-powered devices onto each boot and you’re ready to go. Installation used to be a physical struggle, but now, assuming you’ve downloaded the Carv app and opened an account, the whole process takes around 30 seconds.

Removing the insole has streamlined the setup, making it a significantly nicer experience for anyone hiring ski boots. It also makes it much easier for other skiers to try the system. But what it no longer does is measure the pressure of your turns, which was fundamental to the original training process.

Despite this gaping hole in the metrics, the team behind Carv claim the new insole-free system, one that leans heavily on machine learning, is actually around 6 percent more accurate than before. It’s also cheaper; can now track different types of terrain, not just groomed slopes; and the app offers more training and tuition modes.

And yes, it does sound too good to be true. When asked about it, founder and CEO Jamie Grant admitted he was as surprised by the improvements, and had initially expected the sensor’s accuracy to take a hit. They were prepared to lose a few percentage points because the boost in usability from not having insoles was worth the sacrifice.

What they discovered, however, was that despite now measuring 10 skiing metrics instead of 13, and losing the ability to track pressure, their new Motion AI algorithm was able to gather different data from your carving. Instead of pressure, the sensor can track early forward movement and midturn balance much more accurately, while a completely new metric is now able to measure vertical acceleration at transition, and, importantly, can adapt its findings across different terrain including powder conditions.

As you ski, every turn is logged and compared to the brand's now significant data set. As well as using the half-billion turns they’ve already logged, along with the new machine learning algorithm, they have a series of professional ski instructors who have trawled through more than 11,000 videos of Carv skiers (something you can contribute to with a friend using the app) to double check that Ski:IQ levels correspond to actual ability.

Learn to Turn

As someone returning to skiing after a lengthy hiatus, the original Carv was a revelation. My technique improved incredibly quickly thanks to the combination of my own pig-headedness, and the app’s ability to get me to focus on key areas. It actually made me like skiing, and as a lifelong snowboarder this feeling did not come naturally.

Carv 2.0 continues to offer the same excellent levels of tuition. If you ski for a minimum of eight turns the system logs your performance, and when you stop it will give you your Ski:IQ for that section. You’ll then get coaching advice when it senses you’re on the ski lift, which is still a standout feature even if the AI voices remain oddly robotic.

There is also a range of targeted training modes, designed to get you focusing on a specific thing, such as your ski edge angle or how parallel your skis are. In some cases the ski angle or a percentage score is read out in real time—so you can see where your weakness is—but in other modes you’ll hear a “ping” that signifies a good carve. Personally, I relish the dopamine hit of this gamified positive reinforcement, but be warned, they are exhausting and should only be used in short bursts.

Follow the advice on offer and no matter whether you’re just getting the hang of parallel turns or a seasoned old pro, the advice will be pertinent to you. But if you’re a current Carv user, you could be in for a shock as most existing IQs have been downgraded to reflect the system's supposed improvements. I went from an IQ of 137 to 131, and my ego felt it.

Yes, it’s just a number, and my skiing ability hasn’t actually changed, but I imagine there’s more than a few disgruntled Carv devotees out there who hit a new PB last season, only to see themselves slide down the rankings.

On this brand-hosted trip, I wasn’t able to improve my overall Ski IQ—the conditions were icy and my body rusty. But over the three days my technique did improve, even if my ego remained bruised.

Carv 2 can now track slope gradient and snow conditions, and offer specific advice on tackling different terrain. Being November in Austria, there wasn’t much snow, let alone powder conditions, but I was able to try the system out on some moguls. As someone who had never skied bumps, I was a mess, but the system correctly guessed I was flailing, was no longer on a groomed piste, and adjusted its advice. Sadly, that advice wasn’t “stop for a beer.”

If you consider skiing as a way to fill the time between a long lunch and après, Carv isn’t for you, but if you like to challenge yourself, and actively want to improve your technique, you will love it.

All-New App

The app has also been overhauled, with a simplified interface making it easier to interact with the sometimes overwhelming amount of data, and find the information that’s useful to you.

They’ve added a new feature that illustrates each turn as a heatmap, which is a clever way of identifying weaknesses in your technique. It’s one of many sources of information that give you the chance to scrutinize every aspect of your skiing performance. And if your buddies also use Carv you can create a group, and track and message each other across the mountain.

There’s an abundance of training videos, too. It’s beyond comprehensive, and, in truth, after a while I get snow blind to inside-edge-angle data deep dives. But, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys dissecting and agonizing over these things, you should be satisfied.

What a Carv Up

What parent company Motion Metrics has achieved with Carv is impressive, and with their large data set, they’re seemingly leagues ahead of the ski-wearable competition. In fact, for now, there appears to be no significant competition.

What the brand is looking to compete with is traditional ski tuition, especially considering you can easily spend $1,000 a day on private lessons in some US resorts. However, Carv says it appreciates that it can’t replace the need for good instructors. In fact, it partners with a range of ski schools across the US, Canada, and Europe, where Carv is used in tandem with traditional methods.

But given the sky-high cost of everything associated with skiing, at $249 (£199) including the sensors and a year’s subscription to the app (which thankfully activates when you start skiing, not when you download it), Carv 2 feels exceptionally good value. Existing subscribers will also be sent free sensors when they renew their membership, which should keep their fanbase happy.

Despite taking the gamble on losing pressure sensors, Carv 2 works superbly—and ditching the cumbersome insoles for the new clip-ons makes life easier for everyone. The price is low enough that well-heeled skiers won’t think twice about giving it a try. And most impressive of all, when they do, they’ll be rewarded with a highly effective system that, despite being devilishly complicated on the backend, makes it child's play for you to become a better skier.