There’s every indication that Fischer’s fortunes in the American Alpine ski market are ascending. Given my professional preoccupations, I naturally look at a brand through the prism of its products, like a fortuneteller inspecting tea leaves. I like what I read in Fischer’s leaves.
Race skis aside, Fischer’s current Alpine line consists of three families: The Curv, a coterie of race-bred carvers; the new RC One clan, blending in a bit more tolerance and terrain versatility into the carving equation; and Ranger, a name that now extends into territory previously held by retired Pro Mountain models.
The RC One GT group joins the leading edge of a trend to narrower all-mountain skis, such as the Elan Wingman and Dynastar 4×4. They’re all built to hold on hard snow – the RC One 86 GT is fully cambered and loaded with Titanal – and make better all-mountain skis on hills that are 80% groomed.
The expanded range and improved quality in the 2020 Ranger series bear the fingerprints of Mike Hattrup, a true alpinist knows his way around the backside of the mountain and has had his hand in ski development for decades. There are three new Ranger Ti creations this year, and every one of them cracked our Recommended ranks. It’s notable that two of the new Rangers – the 92 Ti and 99 Ti – are Fischer’s key players in the critical All-Mountain East and All-Mountain West genres.
While Fischer’s market presence in Alpine boots and skis don’t necessarily move on parallel tracks, the two product divisions do coordinate their efforts. It’s no accident that the revitalization of the Ranger ski series overlaps with the proliferation of Fischer’s family of Ranger backcountry boots. Both are trending in the right direction.