A Stubai Story… (click on some faces above for individual test reports below - more being added soon)

Once again I was lucky enough to be included on the Ellis Brigham annual ski test. Every year a few employees, guests and some members of the press drive, or fly out, to the Stubai Glacier near Innsbruck to try out next years skis. This gives a very good base of knowledge of the new skis to the shops, and helps the ski departments in all the EB stores to better match a particular ski to a type of skier. So, on the 2nd June 2006, I set my alarm for 4 o’clock (a time I thought only existed in the afternoon) and got on a coach to Heathrow. With a family wedding to attend on the day after the test, I could not spend the 18 hours or so in the minivans driving down to Austria and back with all the gear, as I would have missed the wedding. Flying seemed like a great option. I had arranged to meet Martin (Aviemore) in the departures section of Heathrow. Coming from so far north of the border, Martin had elected to fly, so we had arranged to meet up and take the same flights and trains. As I was queuing at the flight check-in, my phone rang and we tried to locate each other. The fact we were about 8 metres apart and couldn’t see each other does make me wonder how people used to cope before the advent of mobile phone technology. One flight, 2 trains, a pizza, a kebab, 3 coffees and a coach trip later, we walked from the coach stop to the hotel. The coach stop coming up from Innsbruck is a convenient 150 yards away from the Almhof, easily manageable even with full gear. One of the minibuses had arrived a few minutes before us, although I preferred my 4am start to their start of the evening before. In fact I couldn’t believe how easy the trip had been door to door. Anyway, on to the testing.

At 8 am on the Sunday (day 1), various forms of transport left the hotel for the lift up to the glacier. Our number now included Gavin and Bruno from Elan, who were heading back to the ferry and on to the UK. They had kindly agreed to stop over with us for a day or two so we could make the most of the test skis they were carrying, before heading home. With something like 75 pairs of skis to transport up the mountain, we got cracking relatively early – using fragmented German to enlist the help of the lifties. A few minutes later and a foot and a half of snow was cleared from the decking, and the EZ-up tent was installed with the skis racked up and ready to be tested. Looking up the mountain at the gentle snow and not so gentle wind, I armed myself with a fat pair of Scott skis and jumped on the lift. I should point out that I went to the Alps twice in January to try and get good early cold fresh snow, and ended up with stunning skies and spring conditions. It was therefore a bit of a shock to get off the lift and find that the snow was nothing short of Perfect: a good base, a little fresh powder on the top of the piste, and 2 feet or more of fresh, light powder off the side of the piste. Heaven!

After the first 2 or 3 pairs tested, it was time for a coffee and some note writing, so off to the restaurant. A few people from Ellis Brigham were there, with a distinct buzz of conversation in the air. The subject? The amazing quality of the snow, and some favourite skis already starting to be talked about. Was this really the first week of June? Was it really work? Chris, Robin, and Jamie (our guest pro rider) had traversed from the top of the highest lift, and used the unusually good snow conditions to get a long run in the powder down a side valley to mid station. While trying to keep up with Jamie over a cliff drop that has been described variously as 6ft, 8ft and 50ft, Chris nearly cut his week very short, but thanks to some deep snow and not-too-pointy rocks, he survived the fall, and after a big lunch and some coffee, made a full recovery. Chris had also brought along an A300 GPS unit, specifically designed with features useful to skiers. A few of the more adrenaline fuelled members of the team strapped it on to see what speed could be attained on our pleasant ‘blue’ slope. Chris managed somewhere in the region of 87 km/h. Pretty good for day 1 and bad lad! We had also been lent some demo boots by Atomic, Fisher and Nordica, so I made it my mission over the next couple of days to try each for shape and fit. Some startling differences in them, and some pleasant surprises too. If you want to know more, call me in the Bristol store! At 3.30pm the moving of the skis into night storage started, followed by the stunning drive back down the valley. Arriving at the hotel, we gathered for a group chat led by Steve, about testing skis and what to look for, and how to get the best out of them. A quick dip in the hot tub (purely to relax the muscles after a hard day on the piste), then off to the hotel for food, with the legendary salad bar and a gala dinner.

Day 2 started with similar weather, and most people continuing to test the fatter powder skis while the conditions were good. Ryan (Tamworth) was making amazing progress under the watchful eyes of Paul (Kensington) and Ali from New Generation Ski School, with every run he did looking more confident and controlled. The discovery of a perfectly positioned wind-lip with an outstanding runout led to some airborne skiing from Rob, Rhys, Chris, Jamie and others, and some great photos. Cooler magazine came out for a photo shoot, providing some amusement at some of the setups the photographer came up with.

Day 3 saw some of the powder to the side of the piste getting tracked out a little, with less fresh falling. That meant more people decided to go for all-mountain and all-mountain carver skis. Some of the skis had a queue waiting for them, but there were still plenty to go round. Visibility was variable, so speeds came down slightly, but the conditions were still amazing for June, and would have been good even in March. By this time I was in to a routine of testing 3 pairs, then coffee and a snack, and writing reports while in the restaurant. Each group of 3 skis tested were in the same performance or end user bracket, to give me the best comparison between manufacturers and models. The sun came out on the morning of day 4, prompting Martin and myself to get the cameras out. Plan A was to film Martin from the lift, coordinating using the 2-way radios we had on trial. Back at base, having missed each other completely, we came up with plan B. This involved me following Martin down, filming as we went. The results were less than perfect, with Martins skis making a brief appearance in the upper part of the screen, and the rest being of the snow and my K2 Public Enemys. Practise needed. The afternoon was spent trying some women’s specific hardware, and huge fun was had on the lighter, softer and shorter skis. The Salomon Temptress was a laugh from the top of the hill to the bottom, and really felt playful on the snow. The Rossignol Scratch BC-w was also impressive, for the float and smooth ride in what remained of the slightly choppy off piste.

So the testing continued apace on day 5. The snow had held out for us right until the last day of bright sunshine, the food had been awesome all week, and the training in the evening informative and very useful. The evenings had been filled with much work and a considerable quantity of play. One table in the restaurant had managed to keep at least 5 drinking games going at once! [The participants names have thankfully been forgotten, but a late night biological incident may have been the direct result of confusion about who was a Cardinal and who pointed at something.]

The speed testing had also continued, with the top speed being recorded on the last day by Paul, at a scary 118 km/h (on a blue run with rapidly deteriorating snow!). As far as I know, the only real injury of the week occurred when Justyna (Kensington), dressed in highly technical underwear, climbed over some rocks to take some photos of a waterfall, slipped on bare feet, and broke a toe. As it was the last afternoon, and all was packed in to the vans ready for the trip home, it didn’t slow her down at all. I’ve not seen the photos, but I’m sure it was worth it.

Because of the wedding I was due to attend on the following day, Martin and myself left early to get back to Munich for an evening flight. Everything went like clockwork and by the time the minibuses were loaded and on the road in Austria, I was back in my own bed in Bristol. Flying is definitely the way to go, but I felt I had missed out on a part of the whole Brigham’s Ski Test experience. 18+ hours in a minibus, a 2am ferry, and motorway service station food. I think I’ll get over it…

STUBAI '06 REVIEWS
(in no particular order)

Name: Steve Wells
Age: 32
Height: 6ft
Weight: 180llbs

Ability: Can ski most things, rarely with style
Number of Years Skiing: 19
Ski Style: see above

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Has to be the Fischer RX skis. The 9 is an amazing ski, so stable at all speeds, yet it initiates so easily and smoothly. Personally I prefer the 8, it’s a little bit more versatile and forgiving.
The Salomon Streetracers have improved hugely, and the K2 Crossfire is still such a good ski to use.

All Mountain
The K2 5Com was the one that impressed me the most, brilliant value for money. It’s stable, easy to use and has plenty of life, I’d highly recommend this ski to all sorts of skiers.
I’m still a huge fan of the Eliminator as well, it just inspires confidence everywhere I ski. It’s encouraging and rewarding on piste, stable in bad snow, nimble and lively through bumps and trees, and supple in fresh snow. Awesome all-mountain choice for intermediate and advanced skiers.
The Recon deserves a mention too as it’s still the performance all-mountain ski to beat. It’s got a solid reassuring personality, it grips on piste and feels way better to use than its 78mm waist would suggest, and it’s powerful enough to charge everything on the mountain – crud, glades, slush, powder… beware!

Freeride
Easy question, SCOTT MISSION!!! What a good ski. I’ve used it a few times now and think it is well worthy of any titles it wins this year. It’s well-made, good value, outstanding in powder, very capable of getting around the piste easily, and super simple to manoeuvre, so inspires confidence whatever the situation. It really is the epitome of a Freeride ski. Very well done Scott.
Got to mention how fun the Dynastar 8800 is though not really my ski, and as for the Pro Rider… I’ve tried earlier this year and it is most definitely a beast to get turning.

Freestyle
Dynastar Troublemaker because it’s lively and agile, making it so much fun to use. Green’s a pretty sick colour too.

Park
K2 Fujative. First time I wasn’t sure about it, but after trying it a few times since I love it. It feels so playful with its soft tip and tail, you just want to jib everything in front of you. Doesn’t carve the hardpack but it isn’t meant to, and it’s this lack of sidecut that gives the ski a brilliant feel away from the piste and makes it super stable in the park.

What was your favourite ski overall?
It’s between the Eliminator, Mission, RX8 and 5Com. Drum roll… And it’s the Eliminator, suits me everywhere.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
Big improvements with Salomon, everyone was impressed. The edge hold of the Streetracer 10 and the versatility of the X Wing 8 got my attention.
Loads of great women’s skis – I especially liked the Exclusive Powder (lively for a fat ski), the Exclusive Carve (loads of zip in the turn, and a cinch to use), Scratch BC W (stable and easy, looks pretty good too), K2 Phat Luv (powder skiing made easy; it’s fat, stable and incredibly good fun).
There’s nothing there I don’t like, I’d say the testers have done a VERY thorough job.

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Name: Justyna
Age: 26, just :)
Height: 169-170 cm (seems Justyna has the ability to change height)
Weight: 65kg

Ability: no problems generally
Number of Years Skiing: 21
Ski Style: more & more off-piste orientated

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Fischer RX9 - and how easy they were to ski! For something that advanced they didn’t feel intimidating at all. You won’t out-ski them ever though!

All Mountain
K2 Recon - my annual favourite? and Salomon Temptress, my new love!

Freeride
Scott Rosa - (check my favourite ski overall). Dynastar 8000 and 8800 - I’ve never ski that fast in my whole life!!!

Freestyle
MissDemeanor - already have a pair, cannot get enough of that ski!

Backcountry
Dynastar Big Trouble, for the name!

Park
Not my category

What was your favourite ski overall?
Scott Rosa - the ultimate skis for all snow conditions, all terrain and all my moods!

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
Why don’t we stock ELAN again? :p

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Name: Rhys Jones
Age: 23
Height: 5ft 9
Weight: 11st

Ability: Intermediate
Number of Years Skiing: 8
Ski Style: Relaxed/ technical

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Has to be the Apache Crossfire. It’s got everything: lively, exciting, stable, easy, and good value too. Has to be the best overall ski available.

All Mountain
For me the Eliminator was the best all-rounder. It’s so easy to get on with and really inspires confidence. Was so smooth on piste and really felt good through the powder too. This is sure to be a popular ski.

Freeride
Scott Mission, this is the only ski I didn’t want to put back. If you closed your eyes you would think you’re on a piste ski. But it was so good in the powder as well. Guaranteed to be liked by anyone who wants to hunt out the powder but still enjoys the piste

Freestyle
Public Enemy. Has everything you would want from a twin tip. It’s wide, carves well, looks amazing, great across the whole mountain and a great laugh to ski on.

Backcountry
The Big Trouble. Just awesome. So good to ski on and made me want to push myself harder. Probably the best graphics on the shelf too.

Park
4FRNT STL. Didn’t actually ski this one but I just really like the look of it so it’s my favourite!

What was your favourite ski overall?
Scott Mission – I had so many skis I could put here, but if I was going on holiday tomorrow this would be the one I would take. It got such a nice radius for piste but the 89mm waist means it’s awesome in the powder too.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
The range is really clear and simple this year. It’s impossible to get confused as the skis are all individual so it’s easy to find one model to suit any style. The best thing for me is how good every ski is. I don’t think I skied one ski I didn’t like, and there are so many I would happily own.

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Name: Miles Barrington
Age: 42 - Height: 6’2” - Weight: 14st 10lb
Ability: Lazily advanced
Number of Years Skiing: 33
Ski Style: Owd Skool

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All-Mountain Carve
The RX9 suited my lazy style very well. Slightly longer turn radius, awesome edge control, really fast. The Crossfire was also really impressive for its versatility, skiddy turns or hard carving, always felt stable and solid under foot.

All-Mountain
As last year, the Nordica Nitrous would be my ski of choice for a season (if I was only allowed one pair). Any condition, powder, piste etc, love it!

Freeride
What a choice! The Mission (Scott) and the Legend 8000 were simply awesome. For a bit more piste compatibility I think I’ll go for the Scott. You just would not think it was that wide on the piste.

Freestyle
Hmmm. A bit of a surprise to me on this one. Even though my ‘style’ is based around going in a forward direction, skis firmly on the ground, I had an absolute hoot on the Salomon Temptress, even trying to ski switch after watching Jamie give tips to Chris and Robin. I even liked the look of it… PINK!!!

Backcountry
Even though its changed a bit, the Volkl Karma (my favourite ski from 2 years ago) still has the edge hold, flex and feel that appeals to me. I’d still face forward though. Most of the time

What was your favourite ski overall?
It has to be the Nordica Nitrous for the second year running. The Mission would be a close second though. The Nordica just speaks to me. We know what we’re doing and both want the same thing. Call it feedback, call it what you will, I just got on with it really really well!

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
I’m very pleased to say that Salomon surprised me in the best possible way with the X-Wing 8. I tried the shorter one, and found it to be controlled, edgy and fast to turn. It didn’t let go in quick turns, it did exactly what it said on the tin. I tried the slightly longer one too, and found even more stability at speed, and just a little more of a dynamic personality, maybe due to my weight and my daily attack on the salad bar. Great ski for people starting to carve, or getting quicker on black runs, even venturing on to moguls.

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NAME: Rob Evans
AGE: 29 - HEIGHT: 6’3” - WEIGHT: 13 st.
ABILITY: Advanced/expert
NO. OF YEARS SKIING: 23
SKI STYLE: Backcountry/Powder hound.

What skis impressed you most in the different categories?

All-Mountain carve
Fischer RX9 – stiff and grippy. You can push it as fast as you can and then some.

All-Mountain
Hotrod Nitrous – excellent all over the hill; fat for floatation, good sidecut for easy turns and a stiff wood core gives this ski great stability.

Freeride
Legend 8800 – the dogs, really fun and loads of power.

Freestyle
Troublemaker – great fun with loads of pop, felt very light underfoot with a great swing weight.

Backcountry
ARV – just as much at home doing switch pow-pow as regular powder skiing (or in the air with my face grinding rock).

Park
Fujative – cracking ski that’s easy to use and great value for money.

Favourite skis overall?
Legend 8800 – for the second year running this is the ski to beat. Great flotation, super stable and effortless turns. Wicked

Any other comments on the range or individual skis?
Nice to see Nordica extending the Hotrod range, with the Overdrive slotting in under the Eliminator and Nitrous. All will sell out fast, so buy early!

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Name: Chris Rigg
Age: 30
Height: 181
Weight: 88kg
Ability: Advanced/Expert
Years Skiing: 23
Ski Style: Powder Hound/Piste Charger depending on the conditions. Style based more on brute force that subtle technique!

What impressed me most in the following categories?
All-Mountain Carve
Great to see further development on the Fischer offering; RX9 is a great ski for people who want a GS style ski that will ski very fast and hold a great edge. The RX8 remains one of the best skis for varying turn radius on piste.
Women’s offering was great; Exclusive Carve is a fantastic ski for technical ladies who want to lively piste ski to ski fast on. Good to see an improvement in Salomon skis in this category – the Street racers are much more versatile and the Rush 8 is fantastic value.

All-Mountain
I was most impressed by the low/middle end of this range. Some truly great value ski’s that are also loads of fun and can be pushed hard. Salomon X Wing skis are really exciting and the 5 and 4 COM from K2 are extremely well made and can be skied by an absolute beginner upwards.
At the other end, it’s good to see the K2 Recon and Rossi B2 in there proper category – both are great All-Mountain skis for good skiers who just want one ski. Nordica Eliminator and Nitrous remain the best truly All-Mountain ski’s in range.

Freeride
My favorite category and great to get an opportunity to really test these in the conditions they were designed for. There’s not one ski in this section I would not want to take out on a powder day. Legend 8800 remains my ski of choice as it is so stable and smooth – ski it in a long length and longer turn radius to get the best out of it. Shame the Pro Rider was not available to compare it with. The Santiago Mission stood out as the best ski in this category if you’re looking for something that also performs on piste. Great sidecut and easy turning for a ski of this width – would make a great touring set up as well.
On the ladies side the Santiago Rosa mirrors the performance of the Santiago Mission very well and the K2 Phat Luv, would really suit ladies who want a great powder ski that can hold it’s own on piste.

Freestyle
Again not my area of specialty, but the Trouble Maker was the most fun and performed the best. The K2 silencer was also strong and real value for money. Disappointed by the Public Enemy – really a question of love them or hate them with that ski. The K2 MisDemeanor for the girls was a great all round ski that’ll suit seasonaires and park rats.

Backcountry
As a heavier rider the Made’N AK was a favorite. Lighter riders would prefer softer flex in Seth Vicious and the ARV. Graphics look great on the Made’N but nothing was really outstanding in this category for me – however, I don’t like to ride switch off backcountry booters! Big Trouble and MSP not available to test. The ladies Scratch BC is by far the best looking ski on test and also ski’s really well – one for the seasonaire who wants to stand out from the crowd!

Park
Only had the Fujative to try on test – skied ok.

Favorite Ski….
Without a doubt the Dynastar Legend 8800 – an absolutely awesome freeride ski. Very stable due to excellent construction and just seems easy to turn – probably due to softness in the tail. Wants to be skied fast in powder and would also make a reasonable touring ski. Last year I liked it in the 178 – this year I used the 188 and found it even better – you do need to be fit and technical to turn it in smaller radius turns when you have to. Only disappointment was that the Pro Rider was not available to compare it to.

Other Comments…..
Great to see Salomon really getting back in there with some improved ski offerings. X Wing series are the only Salomon skis to excite me in last 3 years. There is not one ski in this range that I would not want to ski on – that’s quite a feat considering the range of abilities and styles catered for. Tighter range than last year and the re-categorisation will make it easier for customer and staff alike.

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Name: Ryan Hooper
Age: 25 - Height: 6ft - Weight: 11½ st
Ability: Beginner (advanced snowboarder)
Number of Years Skiing: 0/1
Ski Style: All Mountain

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve: X-Wing 8 – really good all rounder and very stable. (Ryan – we ended up putting this is in all-mountain, but seeing as you got on so well with it, it can stay here!)

All Mountain: 5 Com – One of the best of the whole test, really stable and good fun to chuck around, good for all abilities.

Freeride: K2 Phat Luv – Perfect in powder, could cruise all day long on this bad boy (Girl!).
Scott Rosa – Can float over pow pow till you cant stand up anymore and looks stunning.

Freestyle: K2 Silencer – So much fun everywhere, easy to use and graphics make u feel like you’ve got an assassin’s set of skis on!

Backcountry: I wasn’t skiing the fat skis.

Park: K2 Fujative – Looks great, handles any terrain well and feels really lively.

What was your favourite ski overall?
Rossi B2 – Gave me a smile from the start of the run to the end, which was exactly what I wanted from a ski!

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
Very strong range this year; from performance to ski construction to graphics. Rack appeal is much better than last year. The women’s skis were amazing too, preferred more women’s skis to men’s!!

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NAME: David Casey
AGE: 27
HEIGHT: 5’7”
WEIGHT: 9.5 st.
ABILITY: Dead good
NO. OF YEARS SKIING: 24
SKI STYLE: Aggressive piste and aspiring freestyle.

What skis impressed you most in the different categories?
All mountain carve
Fischer RX8 – very solid feeling. Almost as dynamic as Streetracer 10 edge-to-edge but felt much more stable in longer turns at speed. The graphics look the part too!

All mountain
Hotrod Nitrous – performs remarkably well on piste at all speeds for a ski that is this wide underfoot but that width gives it plenty of float off-piste.

Freeride
Scott Mission – the unique shape helped this ski cut through all types of off-piste without “hooking up”. Felt very light and manoeuvrable- glides very well.

Freestyle
Troublemaker – plenty of pop for jibbing and hence felt very lively. Just the right stiffness to still perform well on-piste.

Backcountry
Didn’t try enough for me to be objective.

Park
Didn’t try enough to make an objective decision.

Favourite skis overall?
It’s a fight between the Nitrous and Eliminators, the Nitrous probably just about wins out because it’s almost as good on piste as the Eliminator but has the extra width underfoot to make it great off piste. See my comment for all-mountain.

Any other comments on the range or individual skis?
Loved the RX8 but they were a bit too dedicated to put down as an overall favourite

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Name: Martin Bell
Age: 37 - Height: 6ft - Weight: 85kg
Ability: I enjoy red runs mostly
Number of Years Skiing: 10ish
Ski Style: Individualistic

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Fischer RX8. This ski was so light and lively and had tons to offer. It was awesome at speed, handled like a dream, yet was so easy to use. It knew when you wanted to turn.

All Mountain
K2 5Com. What a solid ski this was. At £300 this has got to be the choice ski if you are on a budget. It skis well beyond its price point. Ultra easy to use, super stable, does exactly what you want it to and must have been one of the most skied skis on the test!!

Freeride
Nordica Hot Rod Eliminator. Great on-piste, great off-piste. This kicks the B2`s butt. It just felt much more responsive and fun to ski on. It cut through the choppy stuff with ease, floated through the heavy stuff and made me keep my confidence (which usually takes a battering when venturing off piste), and I felt very much in control on piste.

Freestyle
K2 Public Enemy. This is a powerful ski, I just have memories of it wanting to do big turns faster than I particularly wanted to but it was stable enough whilst doing them.

Backcountry
I`m an on piste all mountain dude I`m afraid

Park
I didn’t ski many park skis, I do remember the K2 Silencer being floppy as a big floppy thing on piste, but that’s not what it’s designed for, so I dare say it would be great for what it’s made for.

What was your favourite ski overall?
Overall – Both Fischers RX8 & RX9 – both ultra light & lively, I could ski them both a lot faster than I could normally ski, yet enjoyed every second of it!! The RX9 just loved to let you rip through a big turn and you just wanted to keep going. RX8 as before.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
Best value ski – K2 5 Com – Customers need to know that this was originally bought as a £350 ski & can now get it for £300!!
Best wms ski – K2 Burning Luv – Skied short this thing powered through turns, cut through any crap that came along, went like a steam train & put a huge smile on my face.

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Name: Paul Healy
Age: 24
Height: 6ft 5
Weight: 90kg

Ability: Advanced
Number of Years Skiing: 21
Ski Style: Mixed

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
The Fischer Rx8 was such a versatile ski, short turns medium turns, fast or slow, no problems. Its forgiving when it needs to be but will grip on the iciest of terrain. I loved it last year and I still love it this year.

All Mountain
Nordica Hotrod Nitrous, great dimensions. It is stiff enough it grips but the extra width comes in handy when you decide to head off.

Freeride
Scott Mission was the biggest surprise for me this year, it will truly ski everywhere. With its unique dimension it meant that on piste it felt grippy and precise, off piste it just got better the steeper and deeper the snow got.

Freestyle
The Trouble Maker with its poppy tale is so much fun. It has been beefed up under the foot this year with an extra layer of metal. The trouble maker skies all over the mountain wich is great if don’t spend all the time inn the park.

Backcountry
The 8800 was great, it ploughed through all the snow conditions, heavy snow included.

Park
I’m not a park skier but the Fugitive is great to play around and so cheap.

What was your favourite ski overall?
Easy. The mission for all its qualities and striking good looks.

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Name: Tim Parker
Age: 35 - Height: 5’10’’ - Weight: 12.75st
Ability: Advanced
Number of Years Skiing: 20
Ski Style: Powder/High speed piste

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Fischer RX9

All Mountain
Nordica Nitrous

Freeride
Scott Mission

Freestyle
K2 Seth Pistol

Backcountry
K2 Made’N AK

Park
Armada AR6

What was your favourite ski overall?
K2 Seth Pistol – performed surprisingly well on piste given its width and sidecut and obviously rocked off piste. Has the balance and smooth ride typical of K2 and feels solid underfoot. For the money this ski costs it’s a winner in my book.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
K2 and Nordica scored highly throughout their range, Salomon skis were much improved. A wider selection of Fischer skis would be nice and if they’re anywhere near as good as the RX they’d be a useful addition to the range.

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Name: Dave Lawless
Age: 20 - Height: 6’ - Weight: 74kg
Ability: Advanced
Number of Years Skiing: 17
Ski Style: Feet together!!!

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Fischer RX 9.Very fast and stable but at the same time not a strain at all to cruise at slow speeds and surprisingly good in the deep stuff.

All Mountain
Salomon X-Wing 8. It did wonders for my technique. A very flattering ski, handles itself in any conditions.

Freeride
K2 Apache Outlaw. Considering the width of the ski it feels light and turns with minimum effort. Seems it just wants to plough through anything you put in front of it, be it waist deep powder or ice.

Freestyle
Salomon Teneighty Foil. Easy to use and has a great sidecut for a variety of turns. Very bouncy even in deep powder, which makes for a really good fun ski.

Backcountry
K2 Seth Vicious. Just perfect at ripping huge turns through powder; also great for landing big airs, as it’s always super stable whatever you do.

Park
K2 Fujative. Good all round ski. Feels very lively and not too demanding, nice pop on the tail. You can’t go wrong for £300!

What was your favourite ski overall?
I know it’s a women’s ski but I loved the K2 T-Nine Lotta Luv. I felt it performed the best all-round in all-conditions and it was as easy to use as any of the lower end skis. This ski would appeal to anyone from the cautious intermediate woman looking to explore the mountain a bit more, to the expert wanting a ski for the lazier days.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
I was very impressed with the range this year. I don’t remember getting off a pair of skis and thinking ‘I really didn’t like those’. What I was also surprised by is how versatile all of the skis were. Backcountry skis weren’t hard work on the hardpack and some all mountain carvers ripped up the powder as well as any fat skis.

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Name: Jon Leyland
Age: 25
Height: 5’11
Weight: 75Kg

Ability: progressing intermediate, beginner off piste
Number of Years Skiing: 3 years
Ski Style: powder bound soon but piste at moment

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
RX9 was the best in this category for me because of its agility on the piste and its stability off piste. Very smooth and lots of power if needed from the tail. A little advanced for me perhaps but it offers fun times for those progressing on with their skiing.

All Mountain
Has to be the X Wing 6 because of its easy to use nature: Very forgiving over bumps, stable off-piste, nice and lightweight. This will be a great ski for the market it is aimed at.

Freeride
Scott Mission, excellent ski both on piste and especially off-piste. They weren’t too stiff and just felt comfortable. A nice smooth glide down the mountain.

Freestyle
The AR6 is a fun ski play on, hit a bit harder in thick snow, and even on piste you can perform nice carves on it.

Backcountry
Phat Luvs because they are lightweight, stable, and in my mind are going to offer women a decent fat ski that can be used for a bit of BC when needed. Looks cool too!

Park
The Fujative impressed me because of its light agility. Built for having fun.

What was your favourite ski overall?
My favourite ski overall was the X Wing 6. This is going to open up the market for people who have just learnt to ski want to go all-mountain immediately. It provides stability, flexibility and nice carves. Is fairly light too so will be easier going on the progressing skier.

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Name: Kevin Bradshaw
Age:26 - Height: 172cm - Weight:65kg
Ability:intermediate
Number of Years Skiing:5
Ski Style: n/a

What ski impressed you most in the following categories?
All Mountain Carve
Fischer RX9 – stability personified, superbly balanced, encourages high speed, perfect radius.

All Mountain
Nordica Eliminator – Excellent balance of on and off piste skiability.

Freeride
Scott Mission – You don’t realise this ski’s width on the piste until you look down.

Freestyle
Salomon Foil – it’s a shame about the graphics!

Back Country
Volkl Karma

Park
K2 fujative

What was your favourite ski overall?
Mission, truly god’s work. Performed excellently off piste as expected and managed to punch way above its width on the groomers.

Any other comments on the range and / or individual skis
Luved also the burnin’ luv.

Other comments: Thank you for helping to make the 2006 the best EB Ski test to date! Your input is very much appreciated and helps start the next winter season on the right foot!

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