by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
[Fischer’s Ranger women’s models are identical to their unisex counterparts. It’s in this spirit that we reprise our unisex review of the Ranger 90, whose every word is as applicable to its “women’s” version.]
Fischer spent several seasons behind the R&D curtain re-imagining its entire Ranger collection of off-trail models. The result was a family of hybrids that blended the two branches of the previous Ranger clan, the surfy FR series and the more connected Ti models. All the new Rangers got a dose of .5mm-thick Titanal underfoot married to a fairly loose tip and tail. As befits the family name, they all possessed a decidedly off-trail bias.
Fans of earlier Rangers will find the new series are more closely related behaviorally to the easy-to-smear FR models of yore than to the metal-laden Ti fraternity. The lighter weight (all poplar) core of the Ranger 90 suggests it might be a good option for living a double life as an in-resort/backcountry, all-purpose partner-in-climb. Its Aeroshape exterior further enables foot steering by reducing resistance when rotating a flat ski.
Skiers who want a more substantial ski under them (in the Ranger series) should step up to either the Ranger 96 or Ranger 102, both of which mix denser beech into the otherwise poplar core. When choosing which Ranger to ride, bear in mind that Fischer draws no distinction, other than color and size range, between men’s and women’s models.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
The Experience 86 Basalt W from Rossignol is part of a petite minority of Women’s All-Mountain East models that headlines a mostly Frontside collection. Rossi has completely re-imagined its Experience series, long the mainstay of its core recreational models, to fit what it perceives as a new skier type, the “All-Resort” skier. Skiing is still an important part of the overall resort experience, but it’s not the whole ball of wax for this resort visitor. While this person is an avid skier, she’s not going to go wandering out of bounds intentionally and whatever powder she essays will be on the side of the trail. She’ll find something else to do when the weather is lousy, and she’s not going to push too hard on the performance envelope.
In commercial terms, the EXP 86 Basalt W is a “step-up” model, most likely a first-time purchase for a skier who has survived until now on rentals and second-hand fare. Its “all-trail sidecut” will engage at the top of the turn and hold firm through the finish, encouraging skills development without insisting on it. If the skier applies a little tip pressure, its supple forebody transfers energy with gentle insistence, coaching the skier up on an edge that feels confidence-building underfoot.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
Like a fairy tale princess, the Salomon QST Lux 92 was born in humble circumstances, endured an awkward adolescence and gradually transformed into a raving beauty. You see, the first edition of the Lux 92 was clearly intended for intermediates, first-time buyers and bargain hunters, as it sold for $499 and didn’t share much of the high-tech construction of its wider siblings, the Lumen and Stella. The current Lux 92 has top-of-the-line features, including a full-length allotment of C/FX, the carbon and flax amalgam that provides the principal structural support for all the QST’s. Also onboard is a Titanal plate underfoot that improves stability throughout its mid-section.
The QST series is a unisex family, so the Lux 92 receives the same bundle of upgrades as the “men’s” QST 92. Part of the most recent package of enhancements is a segment of injected ABS underfoot that boosts edge pressure in this critical zone. The combined effect of these embellishments is an elevation in performance that makes the latest Lux 92 one of the top performers in the genre. It isn’t $499 anymore, but it’s still only $599 – one of the best deals in the sport – with a performance range that runs from the basement to the penthouse.
The 2025 QST Lux 92 is now so substantial that it can be skied in shorter lengths – its size range goes down to a 152cm – with no loss of stability. Sized properly, it won’t overpower a skier still learning the ropes, with a docile personality that doesn’t object to drifting.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
No one can accuse the Head Total Joy of being a copycat model. Sixteen years ago, it debuted as the centerpiece of new series of women’s skis built from scratch, without reference to any unisex model. It was also the first time Head industrialized Graphene in a ski, a bold experiment that has paid off in spades. At this stage of the Total Joy’s evolution, Head engineers have figured out how to optimize this unique material, blending it with classic features like an all wood (Karuba-Ash) core, fiberglass and carbon laminates. It’s a heady blend: the wood gives it great snow feel, fiberglass gives it liveliness and snap, the carbon and Graphene keep the weight in check and its piezo-electric EMC damping system maintains snow contact with the same security as much stouter models.
The most obvious change from the Total Joys of yore is a new tip shape that shaves away 6mm, trimming the forebody and diminishing its propensity for digging in hard at the top of a turn. The Total Joy remains the most carve-centric model in the All-Mountain East pantheon, but the narrower profile improves its handling in off-trail conditions. Its slimmer silhouette opens up its sidecut radius, which in turn makes it easier to maneuver in deep snow.
Also new across the Joy collection (as of 23/24) is a softer-flexing mid-section that evenly distributes pressure along the full length of the ski. This adaptation alone is worth the price of admission if you’re an AARP member who prizes energy conservation. While the change in forebody geometry has a profound effect on performance, the most significant change in the 2023 Joy series is in the plate that connects it to its integrated Tyrolia binding.
The binding perched atop the new plate is from Tyrolia’s Protector series that includes a separate adjustment for lateral release at the heel. Given the inherently heightened exposure of a woman’s knee to twisting forces, riding on a Protector binding offers an extra measure of protection.
by Jackson Hogen | Sep 3, 2024
Little Liberty first popped up on my radar when they introduced a stellar new technology I hadn’t seen before: instead of using flat sheets of Titanal in the horizontal plane, Liberty inserted a vertical aluminum spine running the length of the ski. The year was 2018, the same year Rossi launched Line Control Technology and Blizzard introduced Carbon Spine, both of which also featured a central, vertical strut. Liberty’s Vertical Metal Technology (VMT) embarrassed the big boys, keeping the 3 V-Series models that used it pinned to the snow. It was a stunning debut.
This year, VMT as we knew it is gone, replaced with Variable Metal Technology in a new, 3-model series, the Radian 92 and 100 for men and a women’s model, the Horizon 92. The new VMT consists of a single, horizontal laminate that is tapered at both ends, so the tip and tail are looser and therefore better suited to irregular, off-trail conditions. (That was one of the problems with Vertical Metal Tech; it was too good at nailing the full length of the ski to the snow surface.)
Liberty calls the niche category to which the Radians and Horizon belong, “Precision-Guided Directional Freeride,” which sounds a bit contrived, but it’s actually a succinct summation of their essential character. These aren’t goofy twin-tips or loosey-goosey barges, but they are meant for Freeride terrain, i.e., anything but groomers. It’s what skiers with refined Frontside skills would prefer to take off-trail. They’re able to translate technical skills into effortless off-road skiing by constructing an off-trail shape and baseline and filling it with on-trail innards.
Jim Schaffner, whose knowledge of the state of the art in ski technology borders on the encyclopedic, calls the Radian 100, “An impressive entry in the 100mm-waist width category. This ski has a very stuck to the snow feel that is confidence-inducing in terms of speed control and resisting the earth’s gravitational pull while turning. Very predictable and at the same time versatile in turn shape and speeds.”
