For 2021, Fischer has a new product story without any actual new products. The story is simply told: all 2021 Fischer women’s skis are identical to their unisex counterparts, save for a change in color and extended size selection at the short end of the scale. What new women’s skis there are, such as the RC One 82 GT WS and the Ranger 94 WS, still hew to this guideline as they are all escorted into the line with a male model by her side.
Fischer’s rationale is also simple: as far as the skis can tell, advanced women and men of equal size and ability feel the same to them, so what’s to change? A delightful side benefit to this philosophy in action is that men can choose a 191cm Ranger FR 102 in blazing, flamingo pink. (I think the shade was flamingo; my retinas are still recovering from the impact.)
Other changes to 2021 Fischer collection occurred in categories Americans rarely consider. The carve-centric Curv series was given a decent if poorly attended interment and 3 new Non-FIS Race models that bear the timeless RC4 imprint have been nudged a step closer to true World Cup performance. The headliner is the RC4 Worldcup CT, with a svelte 113-65-98 figure that can arc turns of any shape at speeds that will warp your perception of time.
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.