In the fat ski genres where Americans buy the vast majority of their skis, Blizzard is riding a decade-long hot streak. If you only look at skis over 85mm at the waist, it seems like Blizzard hasn’t missed a beat since the launch of its Flipcore baseline. But if you take a step back and look at the world market, there’s a category or two of carvers, skis meant to execute perfect, technical turns on hard snow, where Blizzard is all but invisible, at least in the U.S. For whatever reasons, its Quattro series never captured the imagination of the American carving public. The only way Blizzard was able to penetrate the Frontside segment stateside was with a tiny-waisted, off-trail model (Brahma 82), which is sort of like entering the category via the service entrance.
Consider the problem solved. The Thunderbird R15 WB, introduced three seasons ago and given a modest upgrade last year, doesn’t try to mask its racing pedigree with a carbon overdose; the communication with the angled edge is crisp and clear. The Thunderbird’s snow feel is like HDTV compared to the Quattro’s low-def reception. One reason the T-bird R15 WB feels so sublimely connected is its TrueBlend core has been modified to fit the hard-snow environment. By re-positioning tendrils of high-density beech within strata of lighter poplar, TrueBlend creates a perfectly balanced flex for each size. This may sound like esoterica only an expert can feel, but it’s palpable, and it’s wonderful.
Complementing TrueBlend is a carbon platform underfoot to help muffle shocks without losing the precision of the ski/snow connection. With this combination of wood and carbon, Blizzard has finally found a way to make a carver that is both quiet on the edge and explosive off it. And boy, is it fun to drive.
The Stance 84’s most stunning achievement isn’t its podium finish among our Finesse Favorites, or even its elite, on-trail performance; the headline story about Salomon’s Stance 84 is its off-the-charts value. The Stance 84 is slotted to sell at $499; there’s a slew of models slated to retail at $699 or more that can’t hold a candle to it.
There’s always a reason why a modestly priced model punches above its weight. In the case of the Stance 84, it’s because Salomon trimmed its most expensive elements without eliminating them altogether. The Stance 84 retains a single topsheet of Titanal, with the distinctive Stance cut-out in its forebody filled with carbon instead of Salomon’s signature super-fiber, C/FX. It turns out to be more than enough to keep the Stance 84 calm on edge when it’s rocking the groomed terrain it prefers.
We weren’t able to test the Stance 84 in off-trail conditions, but there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t do well. As a practical matter, the typical Stance 84 customer doesn’t ski off trail unless he gets lost. He’s more likely to need help mastering the basics on-trail, where the Stance 84 proves to be that rarest of gems, a true bargain. Every brand will tell you that its $549 model skis amazingly well – for its price. The Stance 84 skis amazingly well, period.
Because the Frontside category comprises the most complete price/ability range in the ski market, its membership includes models meant for both end of the skills spectrum. In other words, some models are made to assist the uninitiated along the path to conscious competence, while others serve those who’ve already achieved total carving awareness.
The Rossignol Experience 82 Basalt is the rare bird that can serve both initiates taking the next step along their journey and those who’ve already arrived at their destination. Skiers who have endured the indignities of rentals and/or tattered hand-me-downs will find salvation in the EXP 82 Basalt. In the lower speed range inhabited by the less talented, it’s mindlessly simple to steer. It’s a classic confidence-builder for someone climbing the ability ladder.
With a sidecut made for carving but a baseline inclined to drift, the EXP 82 Basalt tries to accentuate the positive and disarm the negatives. As a learning vehicle, it’s more into gentle encouragement than demanding strict adherence to carving principles. As a long-term companion, it will be reliable as long as you keep your ambitions in check. For someone who is skiing more for social reasons – say, to hang with the grand-kids – the EXP 82 Basalt is just what the ski doctor ordered. Note that the $850 MSRP includes a binding.
Realskiers hasn’t reviewed a Technical ski for a few seasons, a reflection of the category’s general invisibility on the American market. I’d love for this to be a review of Atomic’s Redster X9S, an exceptional roadster that feels like you’re driving a low-slung sports car with a racing suspension. But precious few retailers stock them, and as goes the U.S. retailer community, so goes the country’s demo fleets.
I provide this prelude because while the Redster Q9.8 is worthy of your consideration – for reasons I will shortly present – it isn’t the ultimate expression of Atomic’s capabilities. If you don’t just ski groomers but attack them, you’ll like the way the narrower Redster X9S can cut a short turn with the sudden ferocity of a race slalom, but it’s Multi-Radius Sidecut allows the skier to mix in a liquid GS arc at will. Stability is assured in turns of all sizes by Atomic’s signature shock-absorption tech, Revoshock S, which uses floating steel plates arrayed along the forebody to keep the Redster X9S pinned to the slope.
The Q9.8 headlines a family of Redster spin-offs that adapt the Redster’s race-oriented tech to make it more suitable for occasional forays off-piste. The Redster Q9.8 is substantially wider (84.5mm underfoot @ 173cm) than the 65.5mm-waisted Redster X9S, but it retains a very tidy 14.4m sidecut radius. The Redster Q9.8 is assuredly more tolerant of off-trail conditions than the purebred racers, but it shouldn’t be mistaken for an all-mountain model. Once crispy corduroy is converted to sodden slush piles, the Redster Q9.8 is out of its element.
