The Stormrider 100 Motion doesn’t like to wait. It’s as eager as every other Stöckli to show its owner what happens when a nation of watchmakers applies its fetish for precision to building a performance ski. It aims its prow into powder with the enthusiasm of a kid rope-swinging into a pond. It exudes an all-in attitude that inspires aerial entries.
Crud skiing requires courage. The herky-jerky gait of slow-speed struggles through the slop doesn’t auger well for ramping up the aggression. Yet stomping on the accelerator is the only way to make manky crud manageable. Some skis fold like a lawn chair under this stress. The Stormrider 100 Motion lives for it.
If you think of the Soul Rider 97 as a skinnier Patron, it’s appearance among our Recommended models for the all-mountain Finesse skier should come as no surprise. Its twin-tip design, a rarity among our Recommended models, descends directly from the double-rocker DNA of the Patron. The turned-up tail isn’t an invitation to ski backwards – the Soul Rider 97 is a directional ski – as much as a silent plea to be taken off-piste, where this poppy, playful ski is in its element.
“Light and agile for 100mm underfoot,” notes the perspicacious Matt from Footloose. “It carves like it’s narrow, but has a big platform for versatility in soft snow.” One reason this 100 skis like a more petite model is that, despite the obligatory front rocker, it hooks up early as long as the skier is in an aggressive, forward-pressing stance. Several testers noted the need to stay forward in order to get the most of the Vantage 100 CTI’s potential.
It’s not an exaggeration to say the Vantage 95 C isn’t just the best value in the All-Mountain West genre; it’s 2017’s best ski for the buck, period, end of story.
Or, as in this review, the beginning. For the Vantage 95 C is so good, it earned its podium position among our Finesse models on technical merit, not the come-hither appeal of a price point. The technology that elevates the 95 C above its presumed peers is called Carbon Tank Mesh, a grid of carbon strands that covers the entire ski and contributes considerably to its grip, stability and pop.
Once upon a time, Secret deodorant’s slogan was, “Strong enough for a man… but made for a woman.” The same could be said about the Rossignol Temptation 100 Ti, a poplar and Titanal powerhouse that demands to be driven at high edge angles and higher revs.
An examination of the Temptation 100 Ti’s shape reveals its predisposition to carve on firm snow. The sidecut extends all the way into the Air Tip, allowing edge contact to commence as soon as the ski is tipped. Edge hold in the belly of the turn is all but assured by two Titanal laminates. The tail is shaped to hold on or let go, according to the pilot’s bidding.
