Skippress - Index

Skippress - US_2007_2008 - Index

TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORES
SKI PRESS SKI TEST '08 08
HEAD • Mojo 90
PRICE: $810 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 166, 176, 186, 193
Love is a many-splendured thing.
Testers fell head over heels for the
Mojo 90 — one gave it a perfect
score across the board — because
it is capable of so many things. A
true all-mountain master, it’s especially
effective when on edge. Stiff
enough for stable on-piste carving,
it’s light enough to get decent fl otation
in powder. “Its stiffness allows
for fast skiing in steep lines, and
the width underfoot allows for some
fl otation,” wrote one tester. Or as
another wrote: “Simply lovely.”
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.47
EZ TO INITIATE 8.35
EDGE GRIP 8.59
FORGIVENESS 8.35
ENERGY 8.47
SHORT RADIUS 8.06
LONG RADIUS 8.35
VERSATILITY 8.76
FLOTATION 7.82
RATING
84.39
A POWER SKI THAT CAN STILL BE FINESSED.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium
FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 186 • DIMENSIONS 125-90-118 • RADIUS 22.4
NORDICA • Enforcer
PRICE: $715 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 169, 177, 185
Make sure your seat belt is fastened
and your helmet is buckled on tight.
The Enforcer is ready to take you for
a wild ride. Big, fast turns in big,
deep snow is its forte, although it’s
not afraid to sink its teeth into the
hard stuff when necessary. “True
muscle-car performance with bigturn
power,” wrote one tester. It’s
also a winner for big-mountain boys
who like getting tricky — going airborne,
landing switch, that sort of
stuff. Buckle up and let ’er rip.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.82
EZ TO INITIATE 8.29
EDGE GRIP 8.82
FORGIVENESS 7.94
ENERGY 8.59
SHORT RADIUS 7.53
LONG RADIUS 8.94
VERSATILITY 8.29
FLOTATION 8.94
RATING
84.23
A SUPERCHARGER FOR BIG-MOUNTAIN POWDER.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 185 • DIMENSIONS 135-98-125 • RADIUS 21
FISCHER • Misfit
PRICE: N/A • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 177, 182, 186
On its report card, the Misfi t, the
wannabe bad boy, turns out to be
a teacher’s pet, an A student all
the way. On-piste carving? Got that
covered. Big-mountain powder? You
betcha. Occasional visits to the terrain
park? Why not? “Very strong,
stable all-rounder — no chatter, no
fuss, no worries,” wrote one tester of
a ski that scored high in every facet
of the game. But the name? Forget
about it. This ski is a perfect fi t
for an all-mountain skier who likes
added twintip versatility.
BEST BUY
STABILITY 8.56
EZ TO INITIATE 8.25
EDGE GRIP 8.31
FORGIVENESS 8.13
ENERGY 8.31
SHORT RADIUS 8.06
LONG RADIUS 8.69
VERSATILITY 8.25
FLOTATION 8.50
RATING
83.17
LOWEST OVERALL SCORE CAME FROM THE BIGGEST (200-POUND) TESTER.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 186 • DIMENSIONS 129-96-119 • RADIUS 22
TOP 5 ALSO BEST BUYS
Top Top 88
Freestyle FAT TWIN (W/B)
BEST BUY SCOTT VÖLKL K2 DYNASTAR SALOMON
STABILITY 8.00 8.25 8.63 8.13 7.82
EZ TO INITIATE 8.86 7.69 8.06 8.19 8.24
EDGE GRIP 8.14 8.13 7.75 8.13 7.53
FORGIVENESS 8.50 7.44 7.75 7.75 8.06
ENERGY 7.79 8.06 7.63 7.69 7.94
SHORT RADIUS 8.57 7.69 7.25 7.75 7.88
LONG RADIUS 7.79 8.31 8.50 7.94 8.12
VERSATILITY 8.50 7.88 8.00 7.88 7.94
FLOTATION 8.07 7.81 8.69 7.56 8.76
RATING 82.14 82.10 81.86 80.97 80.38
SCOTT • Punisher
PRICE: $600 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 162, 172, 182, 191
Punisher? Nah — this gentle sweetheart glides from turn to turn with the
greatest of ease. What one tester calls its “nice, even fl ex” also makes it
a good choice for guys who dabble in the park but who still want to take
on the whole mountain. The big surprise: For a ski that’s 89 millimeters
underfoot, it’s unusually quick edge-to-edge. That’s sweet punishment.
THIS SKI AT THIS PRICE? AMAZING.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 182 • DIMENSIONS 128-89-115 • RADIUS 16
VÖLKL • Bridge
PRICE: $675 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 161, 169, 177, 185
The key to skiing happiness is often about fi nding the sweet spot. Miss it
with the Bridge, and you might fi nd yourself working harder than you want.
Find it, and the ski provides a sumptuous, all-mountain ride. Super-deep
snow? Maybe not. But the Bridge otherwise spans the rest of the skiing
gamut. “The bridge between powder performance and groomer glory,” is
how one tester described it.
EXTRA WORK EARNS BIG REWARDS.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium to stiff
TESTED LENGTH 185 • DIMENSIONS 133-96-112 • RADIUS 22
K2 • Seth
PRICE: $775 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 169, 179, 189
Dear diary: Woke up and it was puking snow. Thigh-deep in the driveway.
Went to the garage and pulled out the Seths. What else are you gonna take
on a day like this? Seth’s shining attributes are great fl otation and stability
for big pow in big spaces or for straightlining narrow slots. “You want to go
big? Take a ride with Seth,” wrote one tester.
OUR BIG TESTER (205 POUNDS) HAD BIG SMILES.
STEERING average to strong • WEIGHT medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 189 • DIMENSIONS 130-98-118 • RADIUS 23
DYNASTAR • Big Trouble
PRICE: $749 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 166, 176, 186
The phone is ringing in the Dynastar offi ce. Caller ID: Eastern jibber. Urgent
request: Send me Big Trouble on the double. Stable for landing park tricks or
riding switch, the ski shines on groomers and powers through crud. The only
trouble for Trouble: bottomless pow. “More of an all-mountain/park ride than
a powder ski,” wrote one tester. That’s an assessment that rings true.
ESPECIALLY ON GROOMERS, THE BIG TROUBLE IS NO TROUBLE AT ALL.
STEERING average • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 186 • DIMENSIONS 124-92-114 • RADIUS 23
SALOMON • Gun
PRICE: $925 • LENGTHS AVAILABLE: 164, 174, 181, 188
To you, skiing powder should be no more demanding than taking a bubble
bath. Attack isn’t your style; you just like to settle in and enjoy the fl oaty
feeling. Testers compared skiing the Gun to waterskiing on smooth water...
as long as you don’t crank the speed too high. “A playful, fat ski for the intermediate
skier,” is how one skier summed up the Gun. Bring on the bubbly.
NICE AND LIGHT MEANS NICE AND EASY TURN INITIATION.
STEERING average • WEIGHT light to medium • FLEX medium
TESTED LENGTH 188 • DIMENSIONS 135-101-126 • RADIUS 22.2
For more winning skis, look for the Online Ski Finder MySki, only at skipressworld.com BUYER’S GUIDE 2008 69