La Nina
A case could be made that Nordica has been building the best all-glass (i.e., non-metal) skis on the planet for the past several seasons. Models like the Steadfast, Hell & Back and Patron raked in best-in-show awards in their respective genres since their introduction. Nordica’s La Nina is cloned from the Patron, purloining every aspect of the unisex model but two center channels of its wood core, which La Nina replaces with foam.
Laser SX
When most ski companies modify an existing model, they make some effort to expand its audience by pulling a claw or two. Leave it to Stöckli to tweak the Laser SX so this already spirited ski is even less approachable by skiers of merely advanced ability. The 2017...Latigo
If we were to categorize skis according to their attitude as opposed to their actual dimensions, the Blizzard Latigo wouldn’t even be in the Frontside family. The grandchild of the burly Cochise, the Latigo’s lineage is all about adapting to off-road conditions. That it still connects so well on groomers is testament to the clever inversion of conventional wisdom embodied in Blizzard’s Flip Core.
Hero Elite LT Ti
Like the Völkl Racetiger GS, the Rossignol Hero Elite LT is a muscular ski that obeys turning commands with the obedience and precision of a dressage horse. If groomers are your territory and speed is your best friend, the Hero Elite LT Ti belongs in your ski locker.
There’s an ineffable ease to the Elite LT’s flow down the hill. As Zac Larsen of The Lift House noted, “Easy to ski great,” which is one way to describe what everyone is looking for in a new ski. Larsen added, “Held at speed!” with the exclamation point evidence that a ski so simple to guide shouldn’t be so unbudgeable at ballistic speeds. It’s literally effortless in long radius turns.