Redster X9 WB
The “WB” in this Redster’s name stands for Wide Body, but by today’s standards its 75mm waist looks painfully corseted. Its sidecut radius is only 13.5m in a 168cm, roughly the dimensions of a World Cup slalom. If the pilot tilts it to a high edge angle, it will tuck into a short-radius turn with the eagerness of a cutting horse cornering a calf. (Note that it earns a 9.0 for short-radius turns, one of the best scores in the category for this bellwether feature.) As long as it isn’t subjected to FIS-level speeds, its fully cambered baseline stays plastered to the snow. If the pilot gives it a little poke in the tail just for grins, it responds with a jolt of energy that carries you weightlessly into the next turn.
Well, weightlessly may be a stretch. The Redster X9 WB is hauling around a lot of Titanal in its pudgy frame, enough to keep its SL shape from getting too skittish at GS speeds. Surprisingly easy to ski, the X9 WB feels geared down to accommodate a skilled skier who may no longer be in tip-top race condition.
‘I didn’t know Atomic made a Redster in a recreational ski,” muses Theron Lee. “Great at slower speeds. Its width makes the ski easy to maneuver at lower edge angles without hurting its carving accuracy at higher angles.”
S/Force Bold
The S/Force Bold is an unapologetic Frontside carver. If you want to find out how deep a new snowfall is, take a run on the S/Force Bold and you’re almost certain to find the bottom. Any ski this stable can make its way through off-trail porridge, but it will send out the occasional reminder that you’re running against its grain. The reason the S/Force Bold is laden with dampening agents and associated avoirdupois is to maximize edging power and stability on hard snow, which is its happy place.
When it’s running fast and loose in its element, the S/Force Bold is “damp, stable, with very strong edge hold,” says Bobo’s Pat Parraguirre, identifying its dominant traits. “If you like speed and grip – this ski is for you! Great high-speed carver.” Note that Pat didn’t mention short, slow turns on his list of likes, for the S/Force Bold shows its disdain for their ilk by ignoring them entirely.
Longtime fans of Salomon skis will remember the Enduro, its last Frontside series to make bombproof long turns. The S/Force Bold represents a return to this type of damp, dedicated carver after several generations of lighter weight solutions. In a laid-over, big-bellied arc it’s as secure and comfortable as riding in the back of a limo.
RC One 82 GT
The new RC One 82 GT doesn’t get quite as large a dose of Titanal as its running mate, the All-Mountain East RC One 86 GT, but it’s hardly a delicate flower. A Titanal sheath rolls over the top of its Air Carbon Ti core, and another TI laminate gives it race-caliber grip underfoot. In the shovel and tail, the Ti is replaced with Bafatex®, Fischer’s own shock-absorbing synthetic. The RC One 82 GT uses the same triple-radius (short-long-short) as The Curv, so the softer zones on the ski curl more easily while the middle delivers unshakeable support.
Given its origins and substantial construction, you’d expect the RC One 82 GT to be “a blast at speed as much as mellow cruising,” as Ward Pyles of Peter Glenn discovered. “Super quick edge to edge,” he adds. “Fast, quick, rips everything,” concurs a Jan’s tester, whose boss, Jack Walzer managed to be even more succinct. Walzer’s one-word review: “Money.”