Yakima Fat Cat 4 Ski / Snowboard rack.

In Whistler it seems like we think about biking for six months and skiing for the other six months, well it could be the other way around since the were skiing here years before biking came around. Getting your gear to the hill would seem simple, but with boots, poles, skis, gloves & helmet anything that you can get to simplify the process is competely welcomed.

Yakima Fat Cat 4 in action.

So for the winter half of the year I needed something to haul my snowboard or skis to hill as not to get the inside of my Subaru too messy.  Enter the Yakima Fat Cat 4.  The Fat Cat is a completely new rack designed by the crew down in Oregon that is absolutely amazing.  First off they took everything that they had learned with previous models and integrated it into this one.  A new low, sleek, aerodynamic design with a unique hinge system that has such a low profile it is nearly invisible on my car.

Yakima Fat Cat 4 hidden hinges.

Yakima Fat Cat 4 big red button.

  A large release button adorns the end of the rack and is a snap to operate with gloves on and the Fat Cat has a built in SkiLift to angle the rack up if you have large bindings that need to clear the roof. I found that with my factory cross bars that I didn't have to use the SkiLift, but if you are running baseplates on your skis, or big touring bindings it definately will come in handy.

Yakima Fat Cat 4 in action.

But there are two things that stand out in my mind about the Fat Cat:

1. The new integrated mounting hardware is absolutely brilliant.  It works quite easy, all the hardware is hidden and is completely adjustable for different rooflines, and they fit most factory crossbars right out of the box.
2. The racks came preassembled.  No messing around with extra setup pages trying to figure out how it goes together. I just pulled them out of the box, loosened four screws on each one to attach the mounting hardware, then put them on and tightened up the bolts.  Done. Finished. 10 minutes flat.

The Fat Cat 4 can hold four pairs of skis, or two snowboards side by each, it will accept the Yakima SKS locks and all the hinges are internal.  Meaning that this rack has been completely thought out and will last for quite some time.

FYI: The Fat Cat is available in a wider model if you need to hold six pairs of skis or four snowboards for the family trip to the hill.

Opinion: If you are in the market for a new ski rack for your car you would be insulting yourself by not choosing the Fat Cat series from Yakima.

Plus: Simple, great quality, very well designed.
Minus: none.
MSRP: $275
Website: http://www.yakima.com/
Rating: 5/5