Forza 70o V-Ti
You have to give Rossignol credit for persistence. The French brand has been trying to re-kindle Americans interest in carving skis for several product cycles, with about the same success as someone trying to feed a cat broccoli. I doubt one American skier in a thousand could name the product family the Forza series replaced. (Rossignol employees don’t count in this calculation.) This speculation isn’t a comment on Rossi’s competence – its fantastic (and deep) Hero collection demonstrates total mastery in how to blend finesse and power in world-class racing machines – but on the entrenched indifference of its target audience.
For the sake of all concerned, I’d love to see the Forza 70o V-Ti ignite a renaissance in American’s collective ability to carve a turn, but I’m not holding my breath. For starters, the name of the new Forza flagship might as well be in Morse code as far the mainstream U.S. skier is concerned. The “70o” reference is to edge angle, or the degree to which the ski will be tilted at the apex of the turn. I have no data to support my assertion, but I’d hazard a guess that 98% of homegrown Americans who aren’t recent graduates of a racing academy couldn’t get themselves into the position required to execute a single such turn, regardless of the inducements offered.
Okay, enough with the negativity. On the upside, the 70-degree reference turns out to be more an aspirational essence than a skills requirement. Unlike some of the power-obsessed avatars of the Carving clan that dominate the Technical and Frontside Power rankings, the Forza 70o V-Ti has a refreshingly open mind about turn radius. True, it’s 14m sidecut is made to cut a tidy corner when laid on edge, but a deeper dive into its sidecut dimensions reveals how its shape enhances the skier’s perception of its versatility.
Anomaly 84
When Blizzard completely overhauled its All-Mountain collection this year, the Brahma 82 had already carved out a spot for the Anomaly 84. Having learned from the Brahma experience to keep the performance standard high, the Anomaly 84 uses the same FluxForm construction as its three beefier brethren. The key to FlexForm’s magic lies in how it deploys its Titanal elements up, down and across its chassis. What would normally be a single, .4mm Ti laminate on top is replaced with a .6mm central Ti plate that is independent of two end-to-end Ti ribbons positioned over the edges. A .4mm bottom Ti laminate runs wall-to-wall, giving the Anomaly the strength to grip early-morning groomers. The multi-part top dose of metal allows the ski to flex under less pressure, giving the Anomaly 84 a smooth transition from turn to turn.
Even though the Anomaly 84 is manifestly the tightest turner in its family, it’s still a long-turn lover at heart. It is also perforce the quickest Anomaly edge-to-edge, although tiny, C-shaped carves aren’t naturally in its repertoire. The Anomaly 84 feels right at home motoring along on well-compacted boulevards, despite a baseline that begs to be taken off-road. In other words, the Anomaly 84 lives up to its name, displaying a bundle of anomalous behaviors.
All of its anomalous virtues notwithstanding, if what you’re looking for is an off-trail aficionado, why get an 84 when there are so many wider options better suited to the assignment? The question is perfectly valid, but it’s looking at the issue through the wrong lens. What the Anomaly 84 provides is an on-trail ski that isn’t fixated on short turns, buried edges and slingshot exits. Its off-trail DNA is always available to draw on if you care to dabble in the crud at the edge of the trail, but it doesn’t need new snow to calm it down or give it a sense of purpose.
Stance 84
The Stance 84’s most stunning achievement isn’t its podium finish among our Finesse Favorites, or even its elite, on-trail performance; the headline story about Salomon’s Stance 84 is its off-the-charts value. The Stance 84 is slotted to sell at $499; there’s a slew of models slated to retail at $699 or more that can’t hold a candle to it.
There’s always a reason why a modestly priced model punches above its weight. In the case of the Stance 84, it’s because Salomon trimmed its most expensive elements without eliminating them altogether. The Stance 84 retains a single topsheet of Titanal, with the distinctive Stance cut-out in its forebody filled with carbon instead of Salomon’s signature super-fiber, C/FX. It turns out to be more than enough to keep the Stance 84 calm on edge when it’s rocking the groomed terrain it prefers.
We weren’t able to test the Stance 84 in off-trail conditions, but there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t do well. As a practical matter, the typical Stance 84 customer doesn’t ski off trail unless he gets lost. He’s more likely to need help mastering the basics on-trail, where the Stance 84 proves to be that rarest of gems, a true bargain. Every brand will tell you that its $549 model skis amazingly well – for its price. The Stance 84 skis amazingly well, period.
Experience 82 Basalt
Because the Frontside category comprises the most complete price/ability range in the ski market, its membership includes models meant for both end of the skills spectrum. In other words, some models are made to assist the uninitiated along the path to conscious competence, while others serve those who’ve already achieved total carving awareness.
The Rossignol Experience 82 Basalt is the rare bird that can serve both initiates taking the next step along their journey and those who’ve already arrived at their destination. Skiers who have endured the indignities of rentals and/or tattered hand-me-downs will find salvation in the EXP 82 Basalt. In the lower speed range inhabited by the less talented, it’s mindlessly simple to steer. It’s a classic confidence-builder for someone climbing the ability ladder.
With a sidecut made for carving but a baseline inclined to drift, the EXP 82 Basalt tries to accentuate the positive and disarm the negatives. As a learning vehicle, it’s more into gentle encouragement than demanding strict adherence to carving principles. As a long-term companion, it will be reliable as long as you keep your ambitions in check. For someone who is skiing more for social reasons – say, to hang with the grand-kids – the EXP 82 Basalt is just what the ski doctor ordered. Note that the $850 MSRP includes a binding.