Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORES
56 BUYER’S GUIDE 2008
SKI PRESS SKI TEST '08 08
ROSSIGNOL • Radical 9S Oversize
PRICE: $1,249.99 WITH AXIAL 120 TPI 2 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 158, 165, 173
Some skis are so easy underfoot that
they seem to have an intuitive connection
with the skier. The Radical
9S turns with so little effort that
all you have to do is think “turn”
and the ski jumps into action. Your
mistakes are instantly forgiven. And
in a category where versatility isn’t
always a high point, The Radical
9S never balks, no matter where
you take it. “The most forgiving ski
I ever skied,” gushed one instructor.
Go to the head of the class, 9S.
ATOMIC • SL12
PRICE: $1,175 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 155, 160, 165
The SL12 is a slalom racehorse
in search of a starting gate. Quick
turns snap together with thoroughbred
energy, combining edge grip
and stability to reach the fi nish with
speed and fl uidity. Laziness is not
permitted — this is a ski that just
wants to keep on turning. Long, phat
arcs? Not bad, but not what this
stallion was really bred for. Instead,
jump into the saddle and go for the
ride of your life on what one tester
called the “incredible acceleration”
of perfect slalom turns.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.89
EZ TO INITIATE 8.78
EDGE GRIP 8.89
FORGIVENESS 8.00
ENERGY 9.11
SHORT RADIUS 9.33
LONG RADIUS 8.44
VERSATILITY 8.22
RATING
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.71
EZ TO INITIATE 9.43
EDGE GRIP 9.14
FORGIVENESS 9.00
ENERGY 8.71
SHORT RADIUS 9.00
LONG RADIUS 8.57
VERSATILITY 9.14
RATING 89.22
TURN INITIATION HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 118-66.5-104 • RADIUS 12.6
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87.07
A MUSCULAR SKI LOOKING FOR A FORCEFUL MASTER.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium to heavy • FLEX stiff
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 120-65-104 • RADIUS 12
VÖLKL • Racetiger SL Racing Motion
PRICE: $1,200 WITH IPT R 14,0 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 155, 160, 165, 170
For a rare few skis, ice can be nice.
The Racetiger SL can make pavementhard
snow feel like soft, satiny corduroy.
“Like a sharp knife, this ski
cuts through anything,” wrote one
tester. This is also a ski that likes
being pushed — “that makes you ski
aggressively.” The Racetiger is forgiving
enough that laid-back skiers
can get their jollies, but the real
thrills come when the action is hot
and heavy. The harder you push, the
more the ski responds, adhering to
the snow surface with tiger claws.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.63
EZ TO INITIATE 8.75
EDGE GRIP 9.00
FORGIVENESS 8.25
ENERGY 8.63
SHORT RADIUS 9.13
LONG RADIUS 8.25
VERSATILITY 8.38
RATING
Top Top 88
86.92
VÖLKL’S CLASSIC WOODCORE CONSTRUCTION FACILITATES THE BEST
EDGE GRIP IN THE BUSINESS.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 119-66-102 • RADIUS 12.8
Groo mers HIGH-PERFORMANCE SL
TOP 5 ALSO BEST BUYS
BEST BUY NORDICA HEAD DYNASTAR ELAN FISCHER
STABILITY 9.00 8.71 8.71 8.56 8.25
EZ TO INITIATE 9.00 8.71 8.86 8.56 8.13
EDGE GRIP 9.00 8.43 8.86 8.22 9.00
FORGIVENESS 8.86 8.29 7.71 8.56 7.38
ENERGY 9.14 8.57 8.71 8.33 8.88
SHORT RADIUS 9.14 8.71 8.43 8.67 8.75
LONG RADIUS 8.29 7.71 8.14 7.67 7.38
VERSATILITY 8.14 8.00 8.00 7.89 7.75
RATING 86.77 85.77 84.18 83.04 82.53
NORDICA • Dobermann Pro SL
PRICE: CDN$1,399.95 WITH 5-14 XBi (ONLY DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA)
LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 155, 165, 170
While you might have to be forceful in keeping the Dobermann Pro SL in
line, it is mightily rewarding when you do. This is a slalom-turn specialist
that enters a turn with surprising ease, then exits as if rocket-launched.
One tester summed it up: “The more you push, the more it holds the road.
A good slalom ski to use with force.”
A HIGH-ENERGY CHARGER FIRED UP FOR AGGRESSIVE ACTION.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 120-67-103 • RADIUS 13
HEAD • iSupershape
PRICE: $960 WITH CP 13 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 155, 160, 165, 170, 175
“If you want to be a knuckle-dragger, these skis are for you,” wrote one tester.
In other words — to turn the skis high up on edge, brush the snow with your
inside hip, and feel the g-forces of dynamic, snappy turns, this is the ski for
you. Quick carving, taking full advantage of the slalom sidecut, is where you’ll
feel the love, but this slalom sweetheart is less forthcoming in longer turns.
STICK TO THE PRESCRIBED SLALOM TURN SHAPE, AND THE SKI WILL DO ALL THE WORK.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 121-66-106 • RADIUS 11.4
DYNASTAR • Omeglass
PRICE: CDN$1,100 WITH PX 12 (ONLY DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA) • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 155, 165
Explosive is the name of the Omeglass game. It’s easy enough to get turns started,
but after that, hold on — the ski is bursting with energy that, if you aren’t fully
centered, might blow up on you. Bring that energy under control, and what you
get is a stable, speedy ride that can handle racecourse-hard snow. As one tester
wrote: “You need to be awake to ski them because these skis don’t sleep.”
A BARGAIN PRICE FOR A SKI OF THIS CALIBER.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 116-64-100 • RADIUS 12
ELAN • SLX Race Green Fusion Pro
PRICE: $1,150 WITH ELD FP • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 155, 160, 165, 170
“A carving machine — a very specifi c toy,” is how one Ski Press tester
described the Pro. If you’ve got a case of all-mountain wanderlust, this might
not be the ski for you. But if you’re into snapping off one slalom turn after
another with the uniformity of copies from a copying machine, then hello Pro.
Don’t be afraid to stomp on the accelerator — the Pro can handle the gas.
THE HEAVIEST TESTER GAVE IT THE HIGHEST OVERALL SCORE.
STEERING average • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 116-66-106 • RADIUS 12
FISCHER • RC4 Worldcup SC Flowflex
PRICE: $1,350 WITH Z 13 FLOWFLEX • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 155, 160, 165, 170
Wimps, stay away. This is a demanding ski for demanding skiers — a stiff
board with the energy of a pogo stick under the command of an aggressive
athlete. “The more you want, the more you’ll get. But it doesn’t pardon mistakes,”
wrote one tester. The more you want, that is, as long as short turns
are atop your wish list. If you want a big-turning ski, shop elsewhere.
FULL OF RACY ENERGY, A SKI ITCHING TO GET IN THE STARTING GATE.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX stiff
TESTED LENGTH 165 • DIMENSIONS 118-66-99 • RADIUS 13