The signature feature of the Legend X 96 is called Powerdrive, a multilayer sidewall that uses TPU, Paulownia and ABS in a vertical sandwich. The reinforced sidewall remains separate from the laminates in the central core, which can move more easily in relationship to one another. This allows the forebody to follow terrain rather than banging off of it, creating a sense of connection that is, in the words of Sturtevant’s of Sun Valley’s Peter Nestor, “predictable, comfortable and confidence inspiring.”
At Realskiers, we contend that one definition of a great ski is how well it performs in conditions for which it was not intended. The Vantage 95 C is ostensibly an off-trail ski with plenty of flotation for forays into two feet of fluff. Yet it’s scorecard suggests a ski with a high hard-snow IQ, able to stay connected to the snow at any edge angle. It can make slow, short turns or long, fast ones, take your pick.
If there’s one word that captures the Dictator 2.0’s personality it’s “combi.” It feels quick edge to edge like a slalom, yet as you increase turn radius and speed, it morphs into a GS ski. No matter how you like to ski, you don’t have to change to love the Dictator 2.0. You can just go ski. Bob Gleason of Boot Doctors pinpoints the Dictator 2.0’s profile: “A bit more traditional in feel than other Faction models. Smooth and substantial. Strong at speed. Powerfully predictable yet not overbearing.”
When you examine a pair of Black Crows Daemon’s base-to-base, you can’t help but notice the baseline is so rockered it could be marketed as “endless rocker.” How can a ski with so little snow contact manage to earn a solid overall score and high Power rating? The Daemon’s secret is its pre-bent shape means it’s arcing before you are. As long as the snow isn’t bulletproof, the full curve underfoot grips the snow from just behind the shovel to the very end.
The key components that allow the Vantage 100 CTi to feel less like a barge and more like a broad missile are its Titanium Backbone, a whittled-down vertebra of metal that aids damping in the jolt-inducing terrain that prevails off-trail, and Carbon Tank Mesh, a carbon fiber matrix that improves the strength of the entire structure with minimal weight. Like an XXL-size dancer blessed with agility and grace, the Vantage 100 CTi makes sinuous moves that belie its broad-beam dimensions.
