Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORES
64 BUYER’S GUIDE 2008
VÖLKL • AC Motion
PRICE: $675 WITH 3-MOTION 11.0 TC
LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 149, 156, 163, 170, 177
How high can you fl y? The AC Motion
soared into the stratosphere of test
scoring, earning almost exclusively
9s and 10s from our testers. No
other men’s ski tested in any category
earned such consistently high marks.
If one thing wowed Ski Press testers
most, it was the stability and edge
grip provided by such an easy and
forgiving ski. “Stable, trustworthy,
solid — a great ski for an intermediate
ready to move up,” wrote one tester.
Here’s a ship to carry you into the
advanced skier’s stratosphere.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 9.50
EZ TO INITIATE 9.33
EDGE GRIP 9.50
FORGIVENESS 9.00
ENERGY 9.33
SHORT RADIUS 9.50
LONG RADIUS 9.33
VERSATILITY 9.17
RATING
SALOMON • X-Wing 8
PRICE: $775 WITH 711 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 158, 166, 174
For more winning skis, look for the Online Ski Finder MySki, only at skipressworld.com
89.68
A SKI THIS GOOD AT THIS PRICE? YA GOTTA BE KIDDING.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 117-72-103 • RADIUS 15.4
NORDICA • Hot Rod Modified
PRICE: CDN$1,049.95 WITH 3-12 TI XB (ONLY DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA)
LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 178
Ahhhh. . . . The only thing more
relaxing than skiing the Hot Rod
Modified is sinking into the hottub
at day’s end. Big, lazy turns
are best, but don’t think this is a
ski lacking zip. “Ski it slow and it’s
comfortable,” wrote one tester. “But
drop the hammer and it accelerates
like a race car.” Drive it like a limo,
drive it like a Ferarri — no big diff.
The Hot Rod Modified absolutely
fl ows through turns. Kick back and
say, “Ahhhhh. . . .”
BEST BUY
STABILITY 9.50
EZ TO INITIATE 9.00
EDGE GRIP 9.00
FORGIVENESS 9.00
ENERGY 9.00
SHORT RADIUS 8.50
LONG RADIUS 9.17
VERSATILITY 9.17
RATING
86.91
LIGHT AND LIVELY WAS NEVER SO SMOOTH AND EASY.
STEERING strong • WEIGHT light • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 119-74-104 • RADIUS 16
ELAN • Magfire 8
PRICE: $700 WITH EL 10.0 F • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 152, 160, 168, 176
Surf’s up! The top of the Magfi re 8
echoes a nice set of swells building
offshore, but that’s just the unique
look of Elan’s Wavefl ex technology.
The basic idea: a ski easy to fl ex
without losing edge adhesion on
hard snow. For the most part, testers
thought it worked, especially
in short-turn surfi ng. “A light, lively,
strong and sophisticated ski,” was
how one tester put it. And ever so
easy, it fl oats on the snow surface
as smoothly as a surfboard cutting
across the face of a wave.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.67
EZ TO INITIATE 9.33
EDGE GRIP 9.17
FORGIVENESS 8.67
ENERGY 8.83
SHORT RADIUS 9.17
LONG RADIUS 8.83
VERSATILITY 9.00
RATING
85.32
WAVEFLEX MEANS SOFTER OVERALL FLEX BUT STIFFER TORSIONAL RIGIDITY.
STEERING average • WEIGHT light • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 168 • DIMENSIONS 123-73-104 • RADIUS 14.1
Multi-Condition GAME IMPROVEMENT
Top Top 88
SKI PRESS SKI TEST '08 08
TOP 5 ALSO BEST BUYS
BEST BUY SALOMON ATOMIC FISCHER ROSSIGNOL K2
STABILITY 8.57 8.86 9.00 8.71 8.83
EZ TO INITIATE 9.29 9.14 8.83 9.00 8.67
EDGE GRIP 8.57 9.29 9.17 8.43 8.67
FORGIVENESS 8.86 8.57 8.50 8.43 9.00
ENERGY 8.71 9.29 8.33 8.43 9.00
SHORT RADIUS 9.14 8.71 8.67 8.57 8.83
LONG RADIUS 8.57 8.71 8.67 8.43 8.83
VERSATILITY 8.71 8.71 8.33 8.71 8.67
RATING 84.71 83.84 83.59 83.20 82.87
Zip! Zap! Zing! Like Zorro etching quick, elegant lines with the tip of his
sword, the X-Wing 8 makes its quick and decisive mark on the snow with
a fl ourish. Here’s a ride that loves being on edge in tight places — a good
ski in long turns… a wonderful ski in articulating quick, fall-line squiggles
with no effort at all. “A peppy, energized tool,” wrote one tester, while still
adding, “Ski these all day and still have energy for après-ski.” Zowie!
MONOCOQUE LITE CONSTRUCTION MAKES QUICK TURNS LIGHT AND EASY.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 166 • DIMENSIONS 118-73-101 • RADIUS 14.9
ATOMIC • Highnoon
PRICE: $935 WITH 4TIX 412 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 150, 157, 164, 171, 178
If this were a tire tread on asphalt, you’d smell burning rubber. But no — it’s
a ski edge on ice, gripping as if it were burning a groove in the snow. And
if this were a car, it would be a sporty roadster, combining great cornering
with a classy look. “Tons of energy in and out of each turn,” wrote one
tester. Burn, baby, burn!
TESTER COMMENT: “NICE COSMETIC THAT REFLECTS THE PERSONALITY OF THE SKI.”
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium to soft
TESTED LENGTH 171 • DIMENSIONS 119-76-103 • RADIUS 16.5
FISCHER • RX Red Heat RF SP
PRICE: N/A • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 160, 165, 170, 175
Nothing kills confi dence more quickly than losing an edge on hard snow. So
let your anxieties roll away in the transition from slick to soft and back — the
Red Heat handles the hard stuff as if it were early-morning corduroy. Couple
that confi dence with the ski’s calming demeanor, and here’s what you get: “An
amazingly comfortable ski — extremely stable and super easy to initiate.”
HARD-SNOW SKIING MADE INCREDIBLY EASY.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX soft to medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 117-74-103 • RADIUS 17
ROSSIGNOL • Zenith Z5
PRICE: $899.99 WITH AXIUM 110 TPI • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 154, 162, 170, 176
Like an experienced tightrope walker, the Zenith Z5 is perfectly balanced, a
versatile ski that can be equally energetic and forgiving and equally adept at
high or low speed. That’s why one tester summed it up as “an excellent goanywhere
ski.” This is what Rossi does best — making skiing easy without
wimping out on performance. It’s an impressive balancing act.
EASY DOES IT — A FAMILIAR ROSSI MANDATE.
STEERING average • WEIGHT medium • FLEX soft to medium
TESTED LENGTH 170 • DIMENSIONS 121-72-100 • RADIUS 14.8
K2 • Apache Raider
PRICE: $840 WITH MARKER M2 11.0 TC • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 153, 160, 167, 174
Put a harness on this one and hang on tight — you’re in for a power-packed
ride. One tester called it dynamic, another called it fast, and a third
summed it up more evocatively, calling the Raider “wild like a mustang.”
It’s a bronc that’s relatively easy to tame, but if you want to experience
real thrills, go fast and hard. And hang on tight.
FORGIVING ENOUGH TO ALLOW AGGRO SKIING WITHOUT PENALTY.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX soft to medium
TESTED LENGTH 167 • DIMENSIONS 119-78-105 • RADIUS 17