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SkiEssentials

Slashing Turns and Prices
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Nov 13, 2015
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It's here! We are psyched to share the results from our 2nd Annual Ski Test! We really tried to take the test to the next level this year. We tested 149 skis, had 46 testers, and this year the test was increased to a total of about 100,000 words, 145 videos, and about 1,000 supporting images. We hope you enjoy looking through the results. As always, don't hesitate to leave a question or comment either here or on a Ski Test Results Page.
 

Mendieta

Master of Snowplow
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4,903
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As always, don't hesitate to leave a question or comment either here or on a
Ski Test Results Page.
Love the reviews! This year I find them even better than ever with more media, and a very cohesive feel.

Question: how do you handle the tune? Is it factory tune? Do you cape base/side angles as per manufacturer tune? Etc, I might have missed this in the "About" page, or, otherwise, might be something considering for 2020 :D

I don't see any of the skis I demoed this year, but I did spent the season on Head Rally skis. A lot of what you guys said is right inline with what I have said in my long term review. Of all your reviewers, I agree with the general feeling that as soon as you step in, you get that certainty that you are on a wonderfully engineered carving ski. And I agree with Markus (and others pointed out here), that you need to stop on it. Can't be lazy.

Having said that, I want to emphasize what David Wolfgang mentioned, that this is ski does incredibly well in chopped up and variable snow, and I think the reason is that it can only be on edge. But, once on edge, it'll cut through like a knife.

The one thing that wasn't mentioned, but was clearly explained by @Muleski and others to me, as I was shopping for a ski a year ago, is that this ski is relatively forgiving. Not the easiest ski in the planet, not a beginner ski, but it can be pivoted in bumps and overall, taken all over the mountain. I think it was @surfsnowgirl who mentioned ski patrol on her mountain is on Rallies.

The way I see it, is a versatile, relatively forgiving carver.​
 
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TS
SkiEssentials

SkiEssentials

Slashing Turns and Prices
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Joined
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Posts
986
Love the reviews! This year I find them even better than ever with more media, and a very cohesive feel.

Question: how do you handle the tune? Is it factory tune?​

Thanks! We really tried to generate more supporting media this year. Very happy you're enjoying it!

Yup, as @Mike Thomas mentioned, the manufacturers bring their skis and have them tuned how they want them to be tuned. Most are likely still the factory tune.​
 

rufski

Booting up
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Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Posts
3
Didn't see any Stockli skis in this test. Is there going to be a Part 2 with them? As the test had Kastle skis, it should have Stockli, their nearest counterpart.
 
Thread Starter
TS
SkiEssentials

SkiEssentials

Slashing Turns and Prices
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Joined
Nov 13, 2015
Posts
986
Didn't see any Stockli skis in this test. Is there going to be a Part 2 with them? As the test had Kastle skis, it should have Stockli, their nearest counterpart.

We're not currently a Stockli dealer. Every year we sit down and talk about potential brands to add to SkiEssentials.com. Stockli often comes up in those conversations, but so far the planets haven't properly aligned, so to speak.
 

François Pugh

Skiing the powder
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Nov 17, 2015
Posts
7,617
Location
Great White North (Eastern side currently)
Nice reviews. I did demo the 2018 models of the Elan Ripstick 96 and Völkl 100-eight, and your reviews match up well with my experience.

About that 100-eight, which I really liked and would buy in a heart beat if I lived closer to the soft snow, although it does have good torsional rigidity for a 108 mm wide ski it will take a lot more real estate to stop or slow down from speed and will not turn as hard on the hard groomed snow as a more hard-snow oriented ski, but perhaps that goes without saying. Just something to keep in mind when your flying along at ludicrous speed and see someone ahead in the distance.
 

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