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Philpug

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Fischer RC One GT 86
Dimensions: 130-86-116
Radius: 17m@175cm
Sizes: 161, 168, 175, 182
Size tested: 175
Design: All New

The Fischer RC One GT 86 has a mouthful of a name; an accomplished skier could make it down the better part of some ski trails before saying the whole thing. There is no question that we have been impressed with Fischer's offerings of the past few years, especially those that say "RC" on them. These are some of the best-finished skis in both appearance and construction, and the new GT 86 is no exception. From the textured topskin to the jeweler-like precision of the bevel, this ski stands out on the rack and on the slopes.

Okay, so this all-new Fisher has a pretty face. There are a lot of pretty faces, but how does it ski? The first chance I had on it was in Big Sky at the Gathering. Unfortunately, that pair wasn't mine because my skis were sitting in the shipping/receiving department at Pugski’s worldwide headquarters, aka they arrived while we were at the Gathering. I didn’t ski the Fischer at Copper, Mammoth, or Snowbasin, and I can be only so patient. I couldn’t wait another week, so I tried them at Big Sky. If you saw the pics from the Gathering, you saw that we got some really good snow, and the RC One GT 86 just killed it. It thrived in the bumps and trees, and it was especially confidence-inspiring in the milk-bottle visibility up high.​
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Now I am home and on my own test pair. The first day out was at Squaw Valley in some of the best wind buff we have experienced north of Mammoth. Such stellar conditions can mask the weaknesses of a ski, so how do you discern if it’s the ski or the conditions? Well, you start pushing the ski to find the limits. I took the RC One from KT to Headwall to Silverado to Immigrant to Granite Chief to Shirley Lake back to Headwall for a full day of skiing. This Squaw exploration was a mixture of wind buff, bumps, steeps, and groomers. The Fischer handled all conditions as if they were the same; nothing fazed it, it was solid and powerful in every aspect.

The hard-snow-biased system ski category is a crowded one for this coming season, with a lot of strong options. Fischer moved away from its Pro MTN collection with this new shape. The 175cm has a 17m triple radius sidecut; the tail has some nice taper that will follow the tip through the turn but also can be worked into different shapes. If you are looking for an 85-ish system ski (the wider end of the category), the Fischer with its strength and precision should be one on your short list. This ski will run fast and strong yet can still be worked in soft bumps. It is an "all-mountain ski” in the truest sense of the term.​
  • Who is it for? A better skier will get the most out of the ski. If you thought the Pro MTN 86 was hooky, you will probably like this.
  • Who is it not for? Someone who expects a ski to make the turn for them. These require input; they want a 50-50 relationship with the skier.
  • Insider tip: The GT 86 likes to charge. If you are looking for a ski to trust and not let you down, here ya go.
 

ScottB

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Erik, Have you been on yours yet?

I am very interested to learn more about this ski.
 

Scotty I.

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@Philpug I have the Pro Mtn 86ti which are being relegated to rock ski status this year. I am on the 182's. Based on your testing and if you were going to buy them for yourself, would you buy the 175 or 182 for all mountain use (we are similar height/weight)? Would be skied 80% at Copper, 20% Snowmass.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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@Philpug I have the Pro Mtn 86ti which are being relegated to rock ski status this year. I am on the 182's. Based on your testing and if you were going to buy them for yourself, would you buy the 175 or 182 for all mountain use (we are similar height/weight)? Would be skied 80% at Copper, 20% Snowmass.
I skied this in the 175 and thats is what I would buy. @Erik Timmerman has also spent some time on the skis too and I would like him to chime in.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I got mine on Wednesday, so I have 4 days on them now. I skied the PM86 in 182, but after demoing the 175 a few times, I felt that it is the right size for me in the RC One. Here’s a picture of it lined up with it’s siblings the Curv GT and the PM86.
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2EC55ED6-5F88-4A0E-9978-B3E06AAD45E6.jpeg
 

James

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What is wrong with Fischer and their tip protectors lately? Looks like shop class.
 

Erik Timmerman

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Tip protector seems fine to me. I like when a product manager actually listens to people. I told him a year or two ago that people kept asking me what brand the PM86 was. Look at that picture, you can barely tell with the Fischer logo in grey on black. Problem solved. What's more important is that I have finally had these skis in bumps and they are every bit as good as the PM86 was. Skied it in all kinds of funky snow the last two days and they've been great.
 

Tom K.

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Looks like a great ski. I've got two Fischers in the current rotation, and love them both (Motive 95 and Ranger 115).

My (perhaps somewhat ridiculous) question is whether this is a carving ski that is also good at all mountain duty, or an all mountain ski that also carves pretty well.

Kind of looks like the former.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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Is this replacing the Curve GT 84?
There wasn't a GT 84...but a GT which was 80mm underfoot and it is still in the line.
 

Erik Timmerman

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@Philpug @Erik Timmerman I’d love to hear how the GT 86 compares/contrasts to the PM 86. I’m sure there are some differences based on Erik going down 1 size. What prompted that?

A couple of the big differences are the construction and I think the tip shape/rocker profile. The PM 86 has the Air Tec cutouts and carbon tip.Air Tec is gone and I don't think that the RC One GT86 has the carbon in the tip either. My 186 PM86s have 16 DIN Attack bindings and even so they weigh substantially less than the RC Ones do. For whoever made the suggestion, the RC One is the carving ski that is really good at skiing off-piste, the PM is the all mountain ski that carves really well. The first twi times I demoed the RC One it was really all about carving, and they just felt great, they brought me back to the magic I first felt demoing the Motive series skis. Now over the last three days we've had a huge dump of snow and tons of wind which has made for all kinds of crazy conditions including massive wind drifts/moguls and it hasn't lost a step there. The PM86 is good for all of this too, it's hard to say what is better I think the RC One just feels more racey and the Pro Mountain is more relaxed.
 

Tom K.

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For whoever made the suggestion, the RC One is the carving ski that is really good at skiing off-piste, the PM is the all mountain ski that carves really well.

Twas me. Thanks for the categorization!

Also, personally glad to hear they've taken away a bit of the PM's lightness. ;)
 

Shawn C.

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@Erik Timmerman So an apt comparison for the new RC One GT86 would be the older Motive 86?

@Tom K. I can totally see where the Air Tec and carbon tips would NOT work on this type of ski. The old Motives (I also ski the 95) have a decent heft to them.

This new ski is intriguing. I want a ski that is more of a pure carver than the Motive 95Ti, but don't know if I want to commit to a ski that is totally useless off-trail, like I imagine the Dynastar Speed Zone or the RC 4 The Curv GT to be.
 

Josh Matta

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This ski is actually fantastic and actually works really well in a ton of different bumps. It also had great edge grip on groom that was pretty choppy and slowed down really well. I was going to get a pair before I bought my Brahmas but I just wasnt sure when I would have been able to get them. I think the Brahmas are slightly better at Gnar IE really shitty off piste skiing, but the RC one is a better carver for sure, and arguable better in hard bumps.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I only skied the Motive 86 once at a demo, so can't say too much, it just reminds me of the feeling I got from my Motive 95s. Obviously a different ski, but the overall feel is similar. I'd like to see a cage match with the MX84. I think it compares very well for much, much less money.
 

Noodler

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Fischer 2019-20 Catalog

At the A-Basin gathering I got in some time on the new 2020 RC One 86 GT ski and I have to say that this ski is phenomenal. The RC One series replaces the Pro Mountain series, but doesn't go quite as wide, so the 86 GT is the "big boy" in the series. I have had an eye out for a mid-80's ski to replace what my old Scott Neo does in my quiver. I haven't demo'd or ridden any Fischer skis in at least 7 years, so I had great interest to see where Fischer had gone with this new series. Note that I did not like some of the older Fischer skis I had tested as they were not smooth or damp enough for my taste (I don't recall which models they were).

I have been on the lookout for a ski that gives up almost nothing in its hard snow performance (carving), but still can handle "light" off-piste duties. That is the 86 GT in a nutshell. My favorite feature is that this 86 GT ski finally has tip rocker done right. The tips don’t flap! It's smoother and more powerful than any Fischer I had previously tested and has absolutely unrelenting edge grip. The tip shape works really well for me (unlike the Head Supershape Rally/Titan that flares out much more aggressively). Turn initiation was breezy easy and they were able to pop off much tighter turns than you would think from a 17m stated sidecut radius. What really came through though was the incredibly strong pull across the slope from that tip shape. What I liked was that it skied very predictably; analog not digital. The radius could be tightened smoothly and progressively through increased tipping.

For my kind of skiing, Fischer has a winner with this ski. I got on a bunch of skis for testing, but this is the one that goes to the top of my buy list (above the Blossom White Out and the Augment AM77). The 86 GT is wider than the those two skis, thus is more capable off-piste, but gives up nothing in its carving performance. The fact that I finally found a ski with tip rocker that doesn't flap is the "Coup de gras" for my continued ski search (for this particular quiver spot).

Interesting factoid I learned from the linked video below. The rise in the tip starts where the Fischer logo “triangle” is pointing to the right. I didn’t look at the ski profile or hand flex them before I skied them. Looking back, I think that might have “muddied” my first impressions had I known how stiff the forebody/tip was and how early the tip rise started.

BTW - They also ripped down the zipper line. ;)

 

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