Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORES
60 BUYER’S GUIDE 2008
SKI PRESS SKI TEST '08 08
NORDICA • Speedmachine Mach 2XBi
PRICE: $1,045 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 178
Just point your tips in the right
direction. Zip! The Speedmachine
immediately jumps into a turn, with
less effort than any other ski in this
category. Turn shape makes no difference,
but Speedmachine might
not be the best name for this ski.
Pedal-to-the-metal bombers may
have better luck elsewhere. But if
you like a ski that seems to know,
almost intuitively, when to turn, this
is where you want to be.
VÖLKL • Tiger Tiger 10
PRICE: $910 WITH 3 MOTION 11.0 TC • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 161, 168, 175
Think of the mountain as an autobahn
— smooth as fresh pavement
with no speed limit to hold
you back. If hitting the passing
lane is something you just can’t
resist, the Tiger 10 is the ski for
you. That’s something of a surprise
from a fairly light ski. Lightness
comes with benefits: easy steering
at any speed and an ability to
handle quick, short turns with the
same facility as long, fast turns.
“You want action?” summed up one
tester. “Hold on tight.”
BEST BUY
STABILITY 9.17
EZ TO INITIATE 9.00
EDGE GRIP 9.00
FORGIVENESS 8.67
ENERGY 8.67
SHORT RADIUS 9.00
LONG RADIUS 9.00
VERSATILITY 8.67
RATING
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.80
EZ TO INITIATE 9.60
EDGE GRIP 9.20
FORGIVENESS 9.20
ENERGY 9.00
SHORT RADIUS 9.40
LONG RADIUS 9.40
VERSATILITY 9.20
RATING
For more winning skis, look for the Online Ski Finder MySki, only at skipressworld.com
90.29
STARTING A TURN GETS NO EASIER THAN THIS.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 116-70-102 • RADIUS 15.4
ATOMIC • SX 9
PRICE: CDN$899.99 WITH 4TIX 412 (ONLY DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA)
LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 146, 154, 162, 170, 178
Consistency. Dependability. Trust. The
things you might look for in a good
business employee are what you’ll
fi nd in the SX 9. This is the kind of
ski that does exactly what you expect,
when you expect it — no quarrels
or questioning. “It listens very well
to every command you give,” wrote
one tester. It even listens well outside
of its prescribed environment
— groomers — so you can be confi -
dent when in bumps or on icy steeps.
A great, all-round partner for taking
on the business of skiing.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 9.00
EZ TO INITIATE 9.00
EDGE GRIP 9.20
FORGIVENESS 8.80
ENERGY 9.00
SHORT RADIUS 9.20
LONG RADIUS 9.00
VERSATILITY 9.00
RATING
88.43
EASY DOES IT ON A DO-EVERYTHING SKI.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 112-67-97 • RADIUS 16
90.94
LOOKS LIKE A TIGER AND SKIS LIKE A MIGHTY BEAST.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT light • FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 168 • DIMENSIONS 114-68-99 • RADIUS 15
Top Top 88
TOP 5 ALSO BEST BUYS
Groo mers GAME IMPROVEMENT
BEST BUY SALOMON HEAD K2 BLIZZARD FISCHER
STABILITY 8.75 8.83 8.80 9.00 8.57
EZ TO INITIATE 8.75 9.00 8.40 8.83 8.71
EDGE GRIP 8.50 9.00 8.60 8.67 8.57
FORGIVENESS 8.75 8.83 8.60 8.50 8.71
ENERGY 9.25 8.33 8.60 8.67 8.14
SHORT RADIUS 8.50 8.67 8.80 8.67 8.43
LONG RADIUS 9.50 8.67 8.80 8.83 8.43
VERSATILITY 8.50 8.83 8.60 7.33 8.57
RATING 86.89 85.94 84.20 83.37 82.84
SALOMON • Typhoon
PRICE: $975 WITH Z10 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 178
You’re interested only in max vertical, in logging 25,000 feet or more in a
day. You need a ski that does most of the work for you, that almost jumps
into turns on its own, then holds a long, smooth arc. The Typhoon is an
all-day cruiser, a superlative long-turn superstar. “An excellent performer
that will make anyone a better skier,” wrote one tester.
A LIGHT SKI EASILY MANEUVERED BY LIGHT SKIERS.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 117-68-100 • RADIUS 14.8
HEAD • iXRC 800
PRICE: $800 WITH RF • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 149, 156, 163, 170, 177
East Coast intermediates, listen up: You want a ski that does everything
competently, but what you really want is a ski that won’t wash out when
the going gets hard. Good edge hold inspires confi dence, meaning, as one
tester wrote, “The ski gives you the impression of being a better skier.” Don’t
expect the energy of a wild mustang; instead, just gently roll the ski on edge
and let the sidecut do the work.
IN THIS CATEGORY, MAJOR BANG FOR THE BUCK.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX soft to medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 118-68-104 • RADIUS 13.2
K2 • Apache Ranger
PRICE: $675 WITH MARKER M2 10.0 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 153, 160, 167, 174
Stepping from a rocking boat onto the unshakable stability of a dock
— that’s the feeling you get with the Apache Ranger. Stability is its numberone
virtue, giving you the security and trust that allow fl uid transitions from
long turns to short turns and back. A no-worries kind of ski and a solid,
all-round performer — solid as a dock.
GET LIGHT — THE HEAVIEST TESTER WAS LEAST ENAMOURED.
STEERING average • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 167 • DIMENSIONS 119-72-103 • RADIUS 14
BLIZZARD • CMX 11 IQ
PRICE: $875 WITH IQ 4.12TC • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 152, 159, 166, 173
Your prime objective: Get to the bottom of the mountain. Fast. The CMX
11 IQ, on the heavy side for this category, has one thing on its mind: Go
fast or go home. Sure, it can handle the occasional venture into moguls
or away from the groomed, but you can almost feel the ski sigh with relief
when it returns to turning big and fast on groomed surfaces.
BE STRONG, GO FAST, GO LONG.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 166 • DIMENSIONS 119-70-98 • RADIUS 14.6
FISCHER • RX8 Fire FTI
PRICE: $995 WITH FX 12 RAILFLEX • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 155, 160, 165, 170, 175
You’re a guy who steers clear of fancy restaurants serving foo-foo food that
leaves you still hungry when the meal is done. You just want something
fl avorful and fi lling — a cheeseburger or a tasty plate of pasta. The RX8 is
cheeseburger heaven — no nouvelle-cuisine gimmicks to muck up solid,
dependable performance. Easy, forgiving and versatile, it’s good for breakfast,
good for lunch and a good-looker on the deck for après-ski.
HOT ORANGE LOOK TO GO WITH RED-HOT ACTION.
STEERING average • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 116-65-98 • RADIUS 14