Testers:
Kris: 57 year old heavyweight who prefers finesse and technique over power and has a love of high speeds and junky snow. Ex-PSIA level 2 instructor, League and Nastar racer.
I have been kind of shopping for a replacement for my aging Volkl Shiros, especially since their 184 length will likely be too long for me by the time my weight stabilizes. That’s why I spent so much time on the chubby skis this year.
Chet: 61 year old heavyweight who skis with power and speed. League and Nastar racer.
Conditions:
Solidly frozen groomers in the morning, breaking down into deep sugar over an ice base within the first hour. The piles of sugar got deeper and heavier throughout the day. Cloudy and spitting light snow all day.
Skis listed in the order tested
I got on this ski first thing in the morning and it put a silly grin on my face from the moment I got off the lift. It stayed absolutely calm on the ice/sugar surface and blasted through the crud at eye-watering speeds. Yet, it was also perfectly happy to mosey along and skid on the flats, too. The 166 cm length felt too short for me, although not drastically so. This ski is just a ton of fun!! This was one of two surprises for the day.
Chet got on this one in the early morning, while everything was still crusted over and he loved it in those conditions. It earned 5s in every category except short turns, crud, and forgiveness, which isn’t at all surprising given that it’s basically a full-on race ski. This one is not for the faint of heart, but a technically proficient skier will be able to make it sing.
Atomic Redster Q7, 173 cm, 134-84.5-118, R=14.4 m:
This is the men’s/unisex version of the Cloud Q12, and it was equally fun. The 173 was definitely the right length for me and the difference was noticeable. The Q7 was light and well balanced, but got a little tossed around as the sugar got heavier and deeper. While it is best for advanced and expert skiers who can access its best characteristics, it remains accessible even for intermediates. Chet and I had very similar scores and thoughts on this one - it’s just a really fun and super versatile ski, even in crap conditions.
I really expected to like the Bent series, but I just didn’t. Especially with the deep sugar, their light weight and soft nature required deliberate and excessive tip pressure to keep them from getting totally bounced around. Without the tip pressure, the tips never really stayed glued to the ground, and they made the skis bounce out of the turn before it even got started. I’m just not sure if they need stiffer tips or a more forward mount point but they definitely needed something. I gave them scores of 3-4 in general - Chet liked them even less, with scores of 2-3. I was quite surprised that he was equally disappointed.
Atomic Bent 110, 180 cm, 133-110-124, R=18 m:
Interestingly, we both disliked this one even more. I found the tips to be really soft and floppy, breaking loose and taking me for an uncontrolled ride across the biggest, deepest pile of sugar. Chet said he kept looking for some kind of response or feedback but got nothing. As a powder ski for someone with a quiver, or as a daily driver in the softer snow in the West, it may be a winner.
The Sender Free is the “in between” ski of the Sender and Black Ops lines now. A stiff, burly ski, the tips kept locking into the turn with even the slightest forward pressure. The tails then powered up, making the ski feel really “hooky”. I found myself rocking back on my heels a bit to keep them steady - it really felt like the bindings needed to be moved back at least 1-2 cm. The hookiness was a really disconcerting feeling that even had me checking the edges for burrs before giving them back and forcing me to give them a 2 in forgiveness and stability.
Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, 178 cm, 138-104-128, R=18:
With measurements identical to the original Black Ops Sender Ti, this remains a great, versatile ski! It ripped off surprisingly short turns given its 18 m turn radius and easily held an edge on the ice under the sugar. The Sender was one of the few skis that didn’t get bounced around in the deepest sugar piles. Where Chet tends to blast through the glop, I’m more comfortable dancing around it, yet we loved this ski equally, giving it scores of 4s and 5s.
The dimensions of the 118 made it the most direct replacement for my Shiros in the demo tents, so I was hoping to really like it. While I didn’t hate it, I felt like it got really tossed around in the thickest glop and Chet agreed. The 25 meter turn radius was really obvious - it excelled at big and bigger turns at high speeds, but could be coaxed into smaller turns with patience and fierce determination. The Black Ops is surprisingly light, forgiving, nimble, and poppy for a ski this big.
Rossignol Forza:
Chet got on this one, but never gave me demo card for it. I got on the Essential, instead. Unfortunately, I can't give any dimensions or review on it.
The Essential is Rossi’s attempt to keep skis out of the landfill. It’s made of 72% recycled material, and is 77% recyclable. Buyers are asked to fill out contact info and to return the skis back to Rossi at the end of their life. The top skin is really cool, with a naked wood “lumber yard” look.
This was my last ski for the day and I was skeptical about riding a skinny little slalom race ski on tired legs in the increasingly deteriorating conditions, but Chet said I HAD to try it. I’m SO glad I did!! It was the surprise winner of the day for both of us. I found it to be a zippy yet relaxed short turn specialist with fantastic grip and an easy going nature. It earned almost all 5s from me, with a 4 for medium turns and a 3 in long turns - not surprising given its dimensions. The biggest surprise was that it was the only ski we rode in the afternoon that was absolutely unaffected by the piles of glop. It simply asked to be rolled up on edge and given a touch of tip pressure, then it just cruised through the deep sugar like it wasn’t even there.
This one earned Best in Test from several of us in the demo group. If you get a chance to try it, you simply MUST.
No comments:
Post a Comment