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Equipment Editor Chris Exall puts his sunglasses on and tries out the season’s top models
Ski testing can be a useful process but anyone who tells you that it’s science, carried out by a group of white coated Tefal men with clipboards and pens in their pockets, is delusional. Ski testing doesn’t give you a precise snapshot of a ski; instead ski reviews are a sketch, an impressionist painting, not a photograph.
And, just to avoid confusion, all the skis here are for skiers. They’re not for professional racers (although some here would do the job) as real racers have their own preferences and, more importantly, their own brand sponsors. And they’re not for beginners. Hire gear is generally of a good standard these days, so rent a pair.
Instead, let’s look at the sort of skis that you might actually buy, skis which have something that sets them apart from the pack. These skis are our best of the best – they all have something unique that sets them apart from the rest, and they suit differing levels of skier. Have a look – then take them for a test drive yourself.
WHO ARE YOU?
I ski quickly, powerfully all over the mountain. I tend to ski more on the groomed than off.
Rossignol Radical 9S worldcup oversize.
The oversize name is important. Rossi offers this deep sidecut trenchcutter in two widths. The race spec’ I box version is fabulous on the groomed but if you venture into the deep you’ll need to buy a snorkel before you sink. An extra few mm underfoot means that the oversize still makes zippy quick arcs but with a bit of extra floatation and stability it’s a great all rounder for a serious skier.
Salomon X Wing Tornado Ti
Though it’s a tad wider than the Rossi oversize the X wing doesn’t feel it. A high taper angle [the front is wider than the tail] means that you’re sucked straight into the turn. With a deep sidecut and a 75mm platform underfoot it’s wide enough to keep you on top of untracked snow but it’s still turn shaped so you can cut ski instructor trenches at low speeds.
K2 Apache Crossfire
K2 skis have always been just that little bit out of leftfield, recognising extreme skiing and extreme skiers before anyone had even thought of the idea. They have also always used slightly unusual constructions, from being a pioneer of the torsion box technology to using electronic dampening. With a 70mm waist and an unusual split fore construction the Apache Crossfire is an extreme skier’s dream. It’s stable, quick, and grippy on hardpack due in part to external dampening weights on the ski’s topskin. In my view it skis a little long for its length so beware of the 184cm model unless you are heavier than a cathedral!
WHO ARE YOU?
I’m a good skier and I want one ski that goes anywhere. I’m not technically perfect, but I can hold my own in most conditions
Dynastar Contact Groove
Another Dynastar with a classic name, a deep sidecut, a super wide tip and a high taper angle makes the Contact groove just groovy for anyone who wants a quick turner that flows effortlessly from arc to arc.
Salomon X wing 8 AND 10
Another overlap in performance from Salomon. Both of the x wing. These skis use the same footprint so the model you chose depends on your strength and speed. If you like a big breakfast and pressing the shouty pedal then go for the 10, if you prefer granola bars and smooth is your thing then the 8 is your ski. For intermediate and advance skiers these are as close to do a leatherman do anything tool as you’ll find.
Rossignol Zenith Mutix
When the Who sang ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’ they must have had the Rossignol Zenith skis in mind. The Mutix is a tinkerer’s dream. When you buy your skis you’re given a series of clip on arms to allow you to fine tune your ski. For smooth easy arcs clip in the shorter bars. When the sun comes out and you dial in some more speed then use the longer, stiffer arms to press the ski onto the snow. Overlapping performance means that the Z15 model will do just about anything you ask of it; if you don’t need Ferrari performance then the Z11 has more than enough bit for most advanced skiers..#
Atomic Nomad Crimson and Highnoon
They just wander anywhere, however tough the terrain. However great the challenge, that’s what Nomads do. No, not those guys in the desert, I mean Atomic’s Nomad skis. A worth successor to the Metron series. Nomads are wide underfoot for smooth turns, stability and floatation. They’re light and easy to turn and will help any good skier to up their game. Titanium inserts strategically placed mean that whilst the ski is easy to bend into an arc, it’s torsionally stiff for grip. Pick the Crimson if you re fast and strong, and the Highnoon if you want an easier day on the slopes.
WHO ARE YOU?
I like cutting trenches on the groomed
Salomon Aero X and 3V Race
It’s a close run thing if you’re a trench cutter and a Salomon fan. The Aero X with it’s asymmetric carbon fibre lamination is super smooth and unless you’re fast and aggressive it will cut grooves like Gordon Ramsay’s knife. There’s just enough width underfoot for softer snow. If you prefer something with bigger cujones then try the 3v race. It’s a genuine slalom board and if you find its sweet-spot you’ll see your tracks even on the hardest piste, but remember that trench cutting skis are not at their best in the deep.
Decathlon Wed’ze SRX 800
You’ve probably never heard of them, but this ski has snuck into this years test, stealth like under the radar. Wed’ze is the in-house brand of Decathlon, the uber large French sporting goods chain. This laminated ski has a super deep sidecut like a page 3 model. It’s billed as being for intermediate and advanced skiers but it will work for all but the very best on the hill. One other thing, it’s very cheap, perhaps £150 under its money, and might be one of the best value skis you’ll see this year.
Nordica Dobermann Pro SL and Spitfire Pro
Like many companies with broad ranges Nordica skis’ performance overlaps a little. The Pro SL is a ballsy racer, if you are a little lighter or smoother try the spitfire.
Dynastar Speed Omeglass
The Omeglass tag goes back over almost 30 years, and has always been associated with snappy, grippy slalom boards. Though the name is old the technology in the Omeglass is definitely 21st century. It’s a little softer than the race stock version but with its larger sweet spot it’s a winner as an all rounder on the groomed.
WHO ARE YOU?
I hate seeing other skiers. I want to ski on the far side of the ropes and leave tracks. I love the deep and want something completely out of left field, I want bells and whistles!
Salomon Rocker
Not completely off its rocker [I’m sure that Salomon chose this name to allow ski writers to make this predictable pun]. The rocker is a superwide fat boy ski with a huge roll back on the tip and a split tail. That list of features means that it will ride smoothly in just about anything deep. Where other skis sink like the Bismark, the Rocker and it’s more mainstream siblings, the Lord and Czar will float over the soggiest mashed potato snow. Unless you’ve just returned from starring in a ski movie stick with the Lord [as they say on cable TV in the ‘states]. It keeps a high profile tip but mates it with a more manageable 15m sidecut radius. For comparison the Rocker’s sidecut weighs in at an epic 48.5m.
Rossignol Bandit DC 108 and 95
The DC stands for Dual Camber. These skis are tea tray wide for the deep, a unique cable system allows you to flip a switch and pull the tip upwards taking the ski into reverse camber for Marianas trench depths of snow. When the weather and the snow changes flip the switch back and you’ve a ski with a traditional camber. Though they’re versatile and loaded with features these skis are definitely built to be pointed under the ropes for most of the time. If you like fiddling and tweaking but you spend more time on the pisted side of the ropes then the Rossi’s mutix skis will keep you busy.
Volkl Grizzly
Like swearing in front of the Vicar this ski is big and it is clever. It’s also expensive but loaded up with just about every feature in the Volkl toybox so there is a reason for that. Start with adjustable flex to tune the ski for deep or hard pack, throw in a new binding system designed specifically for wide bodied skis, sprinkle with a deep sidecut and you have a tool for the deep that works on the groomed, or vice versa. The 85mm platform underfoot means that it can’t quite offer slalom performance, but if you’re a big mountain skier with a bank balance to match then it’s a recommend.
K2 Hellbent
Don t even think about using this on piste, with a 122mm platform underfoot this ski is not a carver and perish the thought of using it on hardpack, but you’d not use a hammer as a screwdriver. This tool is designed to be used under the ropes and in the deep. A high roll back tip will lift you like an aircraft wing and let you ski in wet cement as if it’s groomed.
