2008 Ski Review vol.2

2008 SKI REVIEW

Prior
Prior
Based out of Whistler, Prior started life as a snowboard manufacturer before introducing its ski line in 2003. The company’s line-up features wood-core sandwich construction with aspen and maple as the primary ingredients. Prior lets you choose base color and topsheet art when you order online. It’s a cool option, and one we wish more manufacturers offered.

Overlord
L: 183, 193 D:144-118-130 @ 193
$: 850 Stoke: 7.5
The Overlord has a relatively normal sidecut and camber, but the massive tip will elicit plenty of comments in the lift line. Designed for powder days, the Overlord can be a bit “jumpy in crud” but “floats and turns like magic” in deeper snow. This ski was a great surprise from Prior and is a good option for a powder-day-only ski if you are looking to add something unique to your quiver.

Original
L: 165, 171, 181, 188, 193 D: 127-98-115 @ 188
$: 850 Stoke: 6.5
Prior has slowly been overcoming testers’ skepticism about its product. Due to poor showings from Prior in the past, testers have tended to shy away. That is a mistake, because the company put the time in this year and the results prove that Prior makes decent skis. The Prior Original is “good for charging crud” and has “solid performance.” Still it will take a while to win our testers’ confidence back.

Rossignol
Rossignol
Rossignol maintains its ever-recognizable “Scratch” name in nearly all of its freeride skis this year. The line, however, has experienced a full overhaul, complete with new and improved graphics to stand out in a crowd. And with a team full of the likes of Treadway, Sage and Candide – to name a few – who’s to doubt that Rossignol is still at the top of the game?

Bandit B104 Squad
L: 189, 194 D: 130-104-117
$980 Stoke: 8
The B104 is a serious big-mountain tool. The ski (in both lengths) “busts through everything” and “simply hauls ass.” But be forewarned, the 194 is for the strongest skiers only. “Too much for me,” commented one tester who felt that “the 189 was much better for my smaller size.” It’s true that the ’89 is “a bit easier to ski in all conditions” but don’t be fooled. It’s still designed for experts who know how to ski fast.

Bandit B100-Quad
L: 154, 164, 174, 184 D: 130-100-120
$930 Stoke: 8.5
While the biggest and meanest guys on the hill will want to ride the B104, the rest of us will be more than happy with the B100-Quad. More
forgiving, more fun and more versatile than the 104, the 100 “handles well in broken snow” and “is stable at speed on groomed runs.” “Powerful and commanding, the ski is a blast” and “is really mobile in tight terrain.” This is Rossi’s go everywhere big-mountain tool.

Bandit B94
L: 158, 168, 178, 185 D: 122-94-112
$880 Stoke: N/A
Unfortunately our testers were so caught up skiing on the 104 and B100 that this ski didn’t get a stoke rating. That shouldn’t turn off fans of easy turning, predicable skis that can hold an edge at speed and cruise through powder. A few years ago we’d be calling any ski that clocked in at 94 underfoot fat, but times have changed. This is a ski for those who spend more time in-bounds than out, but who still like to poach private pow stashes on deep days.

Scratch Steeze
L: 174, 185 D: 140-110-133
$850 Stoke: 9.5
“An awesome ski, with the perfect flex for its width” and “really stable and fun, especially in the pow” describe the Steeze, which is Rossi’s top-of-theline backcountry jib offering for 2008. The Steeze
features Rossi’s WRS (weight reduction system). The result is a ski that weighs less (800 grams in the case of the Steeze) and has more pop for kickers. It’s a serious ski that is seriously fun, making it one of our editor’s picks.

Scratch Brigade
L: 171, 178, 185 D: 128-98-121
$750 Stoke: 6
The Brigade sits in the grey area between a pure park offering and a backcountry jib ski. What that means for you is that this ski does everything fairly well, but true big-mountain skiers will quickly discover the Brigade’s shortcomings. Bigger, heavier testers found that the ski was “hard to turn in deep snow” and “got bounced around in the chop.” Lighter athletes liked how the ski was “easy to turn” and “was nice and soft, which I like.” How you will like this ski will depend on how hard you ski, and how much you weigh.

Scratch Girl BC
L: 140, 150, 160, 170 D: 120-90-113
$550 Stoke: 8.5
One of the top women’s skis available for 2008, the Scratch Girl BC is built around Rossi’s F.I.T core. This women-specific core combines two types of wood wrapped in a special fiberglass torsion box. The flex of the ski gets softer in shorter lengths. In addition, the core is exceptionally light, meaning the ski is easier to turn and more fun. Does it work? Our testers think so. “A great all-mountain ski” and “lively and responsive” are two of the accolades.

Roxy
Roxy
If you attended any competitions this season and didn’t see at least two girls per comp on Roxy skis, we’re going to guess you had a seeing eye dog with you. Roxy reps have been scouring the country and signing up girls left and right, from the grassroots level up to Sarah Burke herself. As far as the company’s product goes, Roxy has stepped it up from last year with a full line of competition worthy twin tips, highlighted by the park specific Broomstix and big-mountain oriented Black Magic. Ladies, enjoy.

Black Magic
L: 166, 176 D: 124-92-114
$: 730 Stoke: 8
The Black Magic from Roxy reflects the huge strides the company has made in improving its 2007 line. The ski is loaded with lots of pop thanks to the Spring Blade construction it employs. According to our lighter skiers, the Black Magic is an “easy, fun ski.” This is a do-it-all tool, great for all-mountain and park skiing. Definitely a step in the right direction for Roxy.

Phoenix
L: 150, 160, 168, 176 D: 120-83-110
$: 960 Stoke: 7.5
Testers found that the Phoenix suffers from a lack of beefiness. “Could be stiffer” and “a bit too soft” were two comments. But the ski does score well in variable conditions. “Much better in variable snow than I thought it would be” and “powered through broken up snow” were two comments. The Phoenix is “very turny.” That trait, combined with the softer flex make it a good choice for lighter riders who like to turn.

Salomon
Salomon
With its move to Ogden, Utah, Salomon will be at the epicenter of ski manufacturing in North America, not to mention have access to some of the best testing – and proving – grounds in the industry. In addition to the new location, the company has some of the most dominant athletes of any freeride team from which to draw feedback. No doubt Salomon will continue to push the envelope.

X-Wing Lab
L: 198 D: 140*-107-120
$: 1,115 Stoke: 8
For some testers the Lab is “close to the one ski I’d ever need.” For others, it is a monster. “Way too big for me,” was one comment. It’s true that the Lab is “a lot of ski” but if you can handle this beast, you’ll be riding a tool that’s “great in wide open powder” and that skis “shorter than its length. As one tester aptly states: “It’s a great ski for big kids, but be prepared.”

XW Sandstorm
L: 173, 180, 187 D: 135-99-125 @ 180
$: 915 Stoke: 7.5
The Sandstorm is a rocket that “loves speed” and “takes some muscle to ski.” Not for the weak, you have to be aggressive on this ski. “It’s not a short radius turner” and “likes to make GS turns everywhere, no matter the terrain or the conditions.” “When you get it working, man, it works!” enthused one tester, who liked the “stiff and tight feeling” of the Sandstorm.

Rocker
L: 192 D: 147-127-137
$: 1,155 Stoke: 9
Yet another in a long list of new-shape skis that are appearing everywhere, the Rocker is Salomon’s contribution to this phenomenon with a reverse camber offering. With plenty of powder to ski at Solitude, testers loved it. “Hands down the best specialty ski on the shop rack,” raved one, who said that the Rocker “turned very quickly” and was “fat and fun.” On powder days it’s an ideal tool being “fun, floaty and incredibly turny for a big ski.”

Gun
L: 164, 174, 181, 188 D: 130-96-124 @ 174
$: 925 Stoke: 8
There is little doubt in our mind that the Gun will, like the ski that spawned it (Salomon’s Pocket Rocket), be extremely popular. This is an
everyday tool that “makes skiing fun and easy.” “I didn’t break a sweat,” said one tester who loved the fact that the Gun is a “great do-everything tool.” The Gun is “good in all conditions” and is “a great all-around ski.” If you only can buy one ski, ski everywhere on the mountain and want something that puts a smile on your face every day, start packing the Gun.

Scarlet
L: 164, 174, 181 D: 130-96-124 @ 174
$: 925 Stoke: N/A
The Scarlet is essentially the Gun with the standard graphic change to appeal to women. Like the Gun, the Scarlet will be a great one-ski product that will shred all conditions. With a 96 mm waist, the Scarlet will take you all over the mountain and under some ropes to boot. We recommend this ski to the girl who keeps up with the boys and
maybe even beats them down a tree run or two on an epic powder day.

Scott
Scott
Scott continues its tradition of introducing a small quiver of wood-core skis with exclusive technology like Energy Transfer Platform (ETP), which increases torsional stiffness without affecting longitudinal flex. The P4’s graphics have been updated for ’08, but the line essentially remains the same as 2007’s offerings, with the exception of the Punisher.

P4
L: 171, 181, 191 D: 134-108-128 @ 181
$: 675 Stoke: 8.5
With two sheets of titanal and a wood core, the P4 is definitely for aggressive skiers who ski fast. “A great all mountain ski,” commented one tester. “Just soft enough but still really solid, a true one ski quiver.” In the wrong hands, the P4 can feel “sluggish” and you “have to get the ski moving to really enjoy it.”

Punisher
L: 162, 172, 182, 191 D: 128-89-115 @ 182
$: 600 Stoke: 8
The Punisher is essentially a twin-tip version of the Mission, meaning Scott intended this baby to be able to transition from all-mountain to park with the greatest of ease. In reality it didn’t quite meet the mark. That’s not to say the ski wasn’t liked — it received high marks in the all-mountain category and slayed the powder — but wasn’t a friend to the pipe skier and its heavy, unbalanced swing weight made spinning anything over a 540 a bit of a challenge. The overall consensus amongst our testers was this ski could punish the backcountry and punish you if you tried to leave it.

Stockli
Stockli
Based in Switzerland, Stockli isn’t a major player in the US market, and the company’s skis can be hard to find. Manufactured with the same
attention to detail as the heralded Swiss watches, Stockli’s skis are built with a sandwich construction, with both wood and synthetic cores, and the company isn’t afraid to tap into outside expertise to help design the freeride line. Both Scot Schmidt and Dominique Perret have left their mark on the company’s big-mountain tools. With three new park and pipe offerings, Stockli is bringing the durability and toughness of their big-mountain line to jibbers. Unfortunately we did not get the company’s 2008 product to test, so stoke meter ratings are N/A.

Stormrider DP Pro
L: 174, 184, 193, 201 D: 125-94-111
$: 1,050 Stoke: N/A
Legendary French big-mountain athlete Dominique Perret designed this wood-core ski with a sandwich construction. The ski features an asymmetric tail with polyamide inserts that allows the skis to be swapped from right to left to change their performance. When the polyamide inserts are on the inside of the ski, the DP Pro is, according to Stockli, torsionally softer, for a surfy ride in powder. Swap the skis from right to left (with the inserts on the outside edge) and the ski performs better on hard snow conditions.

Stormrider Scot Schmidt
L: 178, 188 D: 122-89-112
$: 1,040 Stoke: N/A
Scot Schmidt’s pro model, the Stormrider Scot Schmidt, returns unchanged for 2008. In past years, Freeskier staffers have found that this ski likes to go fast and straight. Available only in North America, the Scot Schmidt features a wood core, sandwich construction and is relatively beefy. Only the strong need apply.

Stormrider XXXL
L: 164, 178, 188 D: 122-89-112
$: 1,040 Stoke: N/A
The XXXL is billed as Stockli’s big-mountain, off-piste ski. At just under 90 mm at the waist, some skiers will find this ski a bit narrow. However, there’s no doubt that the relatively stiff, directional, wood-core XXXL can handle speed and — given the ski’s footprint — make long radius turns. Skiers who like the feeling of a race ski, and who tend to carve their turns no matter what the snow conditions should enjoy the XXXL.

Surface
Surface
Surface was started three years ago by a few collaborators looking for some fun and a couple of skis they could all enjoy. After the first season completed with just six skis in production, Surface was able to hook up with an Austrian manufacturer and start a full blown production cycle. With three models available ranging from a true park ski to big-mountain twin, Surface offers something for everyone.

Live Life
L: 179 D: 142-112-138
$: 580 Stoke: N/A
Surface’s Live Life is a backcountry freeride ski that’s beefy enough for bigger lines and kickers like Chad’s Gap. The Live Life has Surface’s S1 Carbon wood core to reduce weight and ABS sidewalls for strength and durability. With a fairly large footprint, the Live Life can handle the rigors of backcountry jibbing like riding switch into choppy snow. And the directional twin shape means you don’t give up

Switch
Switch
Switch is a small Colorado manufacturer that builds skis featuring full-width wood cores with a triaxial fiberglass laminate for durability. The company essentially builds one ski, but each length has a different shape: the longer the ski, the fatter it is. Switch can also build skis to your own specs, a welcome offering in a world where it’s hard to find individually tailored products built for specific needs.

Unity
Unity
Colorado-based snowboard company Unity has been making skis for special friends and clients for three years. Increased word of mouth demand led to the company’s decision to add skis to its snowboard line for 2008. Unity has four offerings for next year that all boast a two-year warranty and full-length maple cores. We tested two: the HiattTwin, designed by pro athlete Trevor Hiatt, and the 181 cm PowSki.

HiattTwin
L: 190 D: 155-140-155
$: 800 Stoke: 7.5
These skis are massive at 190 cm long and 140 mm under foot. The design lends itself to use in powder and soft snow conditions. Testers found them “easy, easy, easy” to ski in the fresh stuff and liked the “super-surfy” feel. But make no mistakes. This ski is not a carver. Like the other Unity ski we tried, the ski — due to its girth — feels more like a snowboard underfoot than a ski. Testers said that “it likes to pivot” underfoot, making it a real machine in tight trees and new snow, where you can get up to speed — and shut ‘er down — very quickly.

PowSki
L: 181 D: 132-102-120
$: 725 Stoke: 6
With a full-length maple core, Aramid fiber damping in the tip and tail and Durasurf sintered bases, Unity’s PowSki rides a bit differently than the offerings from other companies. Unity is a snowboard company first and foremost and this ski borrows characteristics you’d expect from a single plank. “Pivots easily” and “a very smeary ski” were two comments. If you like to skid and smear your turns, you’ll like these skis. But the PowSki’s inability to hook up and carve railroad tracks on the groomers cost it stoke points with testers.

Volkl
Volkl
Drawing upon its rich racing heritage and constant R&D, Volkl holds its standards high when it comes to attention to detail and the time and effort put into its ski design. Consequently, Volkl always produces some of the best skis on the market and plenty of its skis are ranked high on our stoke meter this year. Highlights for 2008 include dual layer wood cores in many models, which make for lighter skis that flex more consistently, and Volkl’s new “armed edge” technology, which adds strength and durability for when you hit rocks or bonk rails.

Sumo
L: 175, 190 D: 150-125-142
$1,000 Stoke: 7.5
The Sumo shouldn’t be your daily driver, it’s much too big and fat for that. The Sumo is for those special deep days where it “gets up to speed likea bat out of Hell” and “effortlessly turns on any kind of terrain.” If you are looking for a pow ski to add to your quiver and have the cash, you can’t go wrong with the Sumo.

Katana
L: 168, 176, 183, 190, 197 D: 140-111-130
$975 Stoke: 9
New for 2008, this ski is billed by Volkl as a “powder-only weapon.” It is true that the ski “rules powder like an ancient warrior!” but the Katana is, according to testers, much more than a pure pow ride. “The most stable and responsive big mountain ski ever,” raved one. “These things are SICK,” said another, “I skied them in nasty wind crust and they even made that fun.” If you are a big-mountain aficionado, the Katana is one of the best offerings out there.

Gotama
L: 168, 176, 183, 190 D: 133-105-124
$795 Stoke: 8
With Volkl’s dual-layer sensorwood core for lightness and consistent flex, the Gotama is one of the most versatile and fun skis for 2008. This is a ski that “works well everywhere” and is “fast and lively.” At 105 mm under foot, it’s “big enough to stomp your landings” yet still “supple through tight trees.” If you ski everywhere and want a one-ski quiver, this is a very solid choice for 2008.

Mantra
L: 170, 177, 184, 191 D: 133-96-116
$795 Stoke: 7.5
If you live on the East Coast but take a trip or two out West each season, the Mantra could be your ski. The ski is “fast and solid on groomers” and “handles hardpack and rough chop with ease.” The footprint of the ski is “fat enough for pow and crud” but also makes the ski “very quick from edge to edge.” It’s a solid offering from Volkl.

Aura
L: 156, 163, 170, 177 D: 130-94-113
$795 Stoke: 8.5
With two sheets of titanium and a full sensor wood core, this is one of the beefiest – if not the beefiest – women-specific ski in the freeride big-mountain category for 2008. Needless to say, our testers loved it. “Holds an edge everywhere and can handle everything,” raved one. “Rad on the steeps and in the crud,” and “for a ripping chick who likes to blow the boys off the mountain” were a few comments from testers. If you are an expert skier and you want the best tool for the trade, the Aura is it.