What Fischer retains from its racing heritage is how to optimize the union of wood, Titanal and fiberglass. This combo provides the power to keep the skis tracking cleanly in broken snow or etching grooves into hardpack. The influence of the Lighter is Better movement is apparent in the Air Tec Ti core, an intricate whittling-away of much of the ski’s center material, and the selective use of Titanal to deliver the optimal vibration dampening that is metal’s métier.
For Fischer fans who follow the brand’s fortunes, The Curv GT will bring back memories of the early Progressors. Fischer has a long-standing commitment to the Carving category, going back to the days when the brand first embraced the concept of shaped skis. Its experimentation with deep sidecuts has resulted in mastery of World Cup slalom construction, knowledge that always bleeds into consumer products at some point. The triple radius sidecut that dictates the skis’ on-edge trajectory is a product of years of experience making skis that turn fast at high speed without spinning out.
Fischer puts all its top-shelf technology into the new Ranger 115 XTi: Air Tec Ti, an intricately milled-out wood core with Titanium reinforcement; Carbon Nose, a carbon fiber weave up front that lessens swingweight; and Aeroshape, the dome-shaped top that helps the ski slash sideways in deep snow. Despite all the weight-saving tech, the Ranger XTi remains a granite-solid ski predisposed to big turns, behaving like a GS ski on PED’s.
It’s not necessary to have competed alongside The Curv’s designers, all World Cup veterans, to appreciate The Curv DTX, but it’s fair to say it favors those with some race training on their resume. The best Technical skis recreate the sensations of racing without the complications imposed by FIS-sanctioned shapes and World-Cup-level flexes. The Curv DTX makes it easy to carve like a champ: the triple radius sidecut pulls the skier into the arc on autopilot, and its softer flex allows it to be decambered by someone who doesn’t train every day.