The Dictator 4.0 isn’t the lightest ski in the category, but it feels exceptionally feathery on the snow. With a square tail that’s an endangered species among Powder skis, the Dictator 4.0 stays connected to the turn until it’s pulled off the assignment. This gives it a sense of connectedness on-trail that eludes others of the Powder persuasion.
One way to encapsulate the i.Titan’s personality is as “combi carver,” a ski with the stability at speed of a GS race ski and the quick reflexes of a slalom. It would take an avalanche to knock it off edge yet it can make serpentine S’s in an unending spool. What we wrote about the i.Titan last season still pertains: “This is what a perfectly balanced ski is all about, absolute power with fingertip control. It’s exhilarating to let the i.Titan run, leaning into the belly of big, bodacious arcs, feeling as carefree as riding first class.”
The i.Rally is dying to demonstrate proper carving technique. Just tip it on edge and it immediately gets the hint, settling into an arc with the ease of cat curling up on a sofa. If you want a tighter arc, all you have to do is ask by adding a measure of edge angle to the otherwise effortless process. The ski seems to gain energy as it accelerates, so the faster you go, the quicker the i.Rally responds. As long as the terrain is groomed, the i.Rally drives with precision, energy and confidence-building stability at speed.
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.
The central concept behind the new Kore series is that fat skis built along traditional lines, like the Monster 108, weigh a ton, thanks to all the extra material they lug around. The trick to pulling off a crash diet is to strip away ounces without paring away all power and personality. The Kore 105’s Graphene, Koroyd and Karuba construction kicks butt yet weighs as much as an egg carton filled with butterflies.