Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORES
62 BUYER’S GUIDE 2008
SKI PRESS SKI TEST ''08
ATOMIC • Metron 9
PRICE: $885 WITH 4TIX 412 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 157, 164, 171, 178
Ski on the Metron 9 and you’re
climbing a stairway to heaven. Start
out easy, at slow speed on gentle terrain,
and the ski is a smooth operator.
Then you start stepping it up, increasing
the speed and the challenge, and
guess what? Still a smooth operator.
That’s what makes the Metron 9 a
great ski for anyone aspiring to higher
performance levels — it’s a ski able
to do it all, easy or hard. “Reliable,
versatile, lively and energetic,” is the
way one tester described it. Now that
sounds heavenly.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.77
EZ TO INITIATE 8.69
EDGE GRIP 8.85
FORGIVENESS 8.54
ENERGY 8.85
SHORT RADIUS 8.77
LONG RADIUS 8.77
VERSATILITY 8.62
RATING
HEAD • Xenon Xi 9.0
PRICE: $720 WITH RF • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 149, 156, 163, 170, 177
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87.18
SMOOTH AND RELIABLE, A SKI THAT NEVER MISBEHAVES.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 171 • DIMENSIONS 126-74-110 • RADIUS 13.5
VÖLKL • Unlimited AC20
PRICE: $910 WITH 3 MOTION 11.0 TC • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 156, 163, 170, 177
You see “Völkl,” and the fi rst thing
you think is edge grip. Ski the
Unlimited AC20, and the first
thing you discover is — no surprise
— edge grip, especially at higher
speeds. An edgy ski is sometimes a
squirrelly ski, but not this one; given
the kind of racy power it generates,
it’s surprisingly predictable and
easygoing. “Is it possible to ask for a
miracle? With this ski, it’s possible,”
wrote one tester about the ski’s rare
ability to handle all speeds, all turn
shapes and all skiing styles.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 9.00
EZ TO INITIATE 8.83
EDGE GRIP 8.92
FORGIVENESS 8.50
ENERGY 8.67
SHORT RADIUS 8.83
LONG RADIUS 8.92
VERSATILITY 8.67
RATING
86.75
EASY TO SKI, BUT CAN HANDLE SPEED AND POWER WHEN NECESSARY.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 118-74-103 • RADIUS 16.1
NORDICA • Speedmachine Mach 3 XBi
PRICE: $1,275 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 178
Eastern skiers, listen up! You know
what you want: a ski that maneuvers
in tight spaces, holds well on
hard snow, inspires plenty of confidence
and goes about its business
with uncomplaining ease. The
Mach 3 certainly has the versatility
for a variety of conditions, but it’s
in performing short turns on hard
snow that the ski really comes into
its own. “The ski felt agile and lively
in quick, fall-line turns,” wrote one
tester. “An all-day fun ski.” Especially
for Eastern skiers.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.42
EZ TO INITIATE 8.42
EDGE GRIP 8.58
FORGIVENESS 8.33
ENERGY 8.17
SHORT RADIUS 8.67
LONG RADIUS 8.50
VERSATILITY 8.58
RATING
84.59
A REAL SMOOTHIE IN ALL FACETS OF THE SKIING GAME.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 119-72-104 • RADIUS 15
Multi-Condition PERFORMANCE
Top Top 88
TOP 5 ALSO BEST BUYS
BEST BUY HEAD ROSSIGNOL SALOMON FISCHER K2
STABILITY 8.50 8.25 8.54 8.18 8.15
EZ TO INITIATE 8.64 8.75 8.15 8.18 8.08
EDGE GRIP 8.50 8.42 8.69 8.36 8.23
FORGIVENESS 8.36 8.58 8.23 7.82 7.85
ENERGY 8.36 8.25 8.23 8.18 7.77
SHORT RADIUS 8.21 8.33 7.92 7.91 7.69
LONG RADIUS 8.57 8.50 9.00 8.27 8.23
VERSATILITY 8.43 8.42 7.92 7.64 8.15
RATING 83.85 83.81 81.95 80.80 79.22
Skiing the Xenon Xi 9.0 is like going to a buffet table so laden with tasty treats
that it’s hard to decide what you like most. Listen to what various testers wrote:
“I fl ew like a bird in short turns” “more comfortable in long-radius turns”
“good ski for light weight” “a heavyweight would be best suited for this ski.”
Get the picture? Something for everyone. A real, lip-smacking smorgasbord.
THIS KIND OF PERFORMANCE AT THIS KIND OF PRICE — A STEAL.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light • FLEX soft to medium
TESTED LENGTH 177 • DIMENSIONS 128-76-113 • RADIUS 13.9
ROSSIGNOL • Zenith Z9
PRICE: $1,099 WITH AXIAL 120 TPI 2 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 176
Skiing the Zenith Z9 is fl ying fi rst class instead of coach. Everything is relaxed
and comfy, with no sense of fear or urgency. Whatever your needs, they are
taken care of in a calm and effi cient way. “This ski wants to make friends
with you,” wrote one tester of the ease with which the Zenith Z9 fl owed from
one turn to another. It’s a fi rst-class ticket to all-mountain fun.
ZENITH — MEANING THE TOP OF THE HEAP IN TURN INITIATION.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 126-74-105 • RADIUS 14.8
SALOMON • X-Wing 10
PRICE: $925 WITH Z10 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 158, 166, 174
Your buddies call you Big-Turn Brutus. Little slalom squiggles at moderate
speed don’t interest you. You’re all about maching wide, round arcs. There’s
nothing dainty about your skiing, and you want nothing dainty about your
skis. The X-Wing 10 is your kind of ride — a strong-willed operator that
demands room to move. Power isn’t required, but it sure helps.
A LONG-TURNING BRUISER THAT RESPONDS TO A STRONG COMMANDER.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 174 • DIMENSIONS 118-74-102 • RADIUS 16.9
FISCHER • RX Cool Heat Flowflex
PRICE: N/A • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 165, 170, 175, 180
Skis in this category are often a bit light, making them easy to turn but
sometimes less than stable. For those who like the feel of something beefi er
underfoot, there is the RX Cool Heat. Beefi er means better for hard snow
and long turns; short turns in soft snow — not so nice. Ride the sidecut
through long arcs, and you’ll discover what makes the Cool Heat hot.
THE TWO HEAVIEST TESTERS WERE ENAMORED.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 117-76-103 • RADIUS 16
K2 • Stryker
PRICE: $1,025 WITH MARKER M1 12.0 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 153, 160, 167, 174, 181
Combine a soft tip for easy turn initiation and a stable mid-section for good edge
grip underfoot, and voila! — the K2 Stryker. The tip might be too soft for really
high speeds, and the ski lacks the zip to spring from one short turn to another.
Otherwise, it’s a predictable, trustworthy friend. “The Stryker is a coffee break
— if you want to ski and relax, this is the ski for you,” wrote one tester.
RED MAKES THE STRYKER STAND OUT IN K2’S APACHE SERIES.
STEERING average • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 167 • DIMENSIONS 118-74-103 • RADIUS 16