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Skis tested at the National Snow Industries Association Trade Show
Why, oh why, did you only test Slalom Skis?
Short answer... Time and personal preferences.
Think of it this way... Tremblant is primarily a "slalom” Mountain
in the sense that picturing the typical Tremblant trail, it will be
between 10 to 30 meters wide. Some are narrower like Banzai,
some are wider, like portions of Nansen or Beauchemin.
The point is, most of the "Trails" at Ski Resorts on the East coast
are more sited to short radius turns, either carved or skidded,
than the open snow fields of above the tree-line skiing of Europe’s
Alps or the North American Rockies.
This is no more than a dimensional reality, so when you are choosing
a modern shaped ski that has as its main benefit, the ability to carve
cleanly along its edge, why would you choose any turning radius
that was longer than what you could use on a practical, everyday basis?
Major Point:
Putting it another way, if you choose an 18 or 20 meter turning radius,
which for some reason many do, to carve that ski at Tremblant will
often take you outside the dimensional limits of the trails you have,
meaning that you will have to skid turns in an "old school" parallel,
sideways sliding technique. It is physically impossible to carve an
18 meter ski on Tremblant's "Alpine" trail that is only 12 to 15 meters
wide, for example.
Then there is the safety issue as well. To carve an 18 to 20 meter ski
here at Tremblant will mean that you are most likely exceeding the
safe speed that is appropriate for the traffic and surface conditions.
Putting it a third way... on a winding road (read: typical ski resort trail)
which would you much rather drive, a long wheelbase limo, or a short
wheelbase sports car?
Then there is time... with only so much time, and the necessity of
testing for long enough to fully asses skis that you are not "used to”,
so to speak, you can only do so much. Without unlimited time, this
reviewer chooses to work with product that he can relate to most easily.
http://www.Tremblant360.com welcomes anyone with expertise
and/or preference in any other areas of Ski design to review any of
the new product offerings found at this years show. We also want to
emphasize that the product range at this years show is truly impressive,
and as the show is geared to retail suppliers, a full range of designs,
disciplines and styles to suit the needs of any Alpine Skier are available.
The Atomic "Double Deck" SL Slalom at 160 cm
- Atomic Double Deck Race SL Slalom Ski @ 160 cm
- Atomic Race SL.jpg (29.47 KiB) Viewed 4182 times
The Atomic “D-2 SL” pictured above is a very nimble, yet very
well dampened ski that can crank off unlimited short radius
turns, but retains a very high level of stability without the
“nervousness” typical of so many slalom skis. It has a level
of solid and responsive handling that in our opinion, sets it
apart from many of the common entries in this category.
A bit on the heavy side, but they track with incredible tenacity,
and their lateral grip through the arch of a carved turn is astounding.
Each of these Skis is an excellent product in its own way. They have
different personalities and ultimately, personal preferences may/should/will
influence your buying decision, but in the "High Performance" zone, you
could never make a mistake choosing either of these premium, super
responsive Slalom Skis!
The Dynastar "Groove" Sl Slalom at 165 cm
- Dynastar "Groove" SL Slalom Ski @ 165 cm
- IMG_2547_2.jpg (63.87 KiB) Viewed 4183 times
This above is a more typical slalom ski in the traditional sense.
It feels lighter, and maybe a bit quicker to react to surfaces.
In our opinion, it would be well suited to those aspiring
high performance skiers who are not afraid to commit
continuous energetic input. Born to turn, and at high speed!
Both of these skis are exceptionally fine carving instruments.
In the final analysis it may come down to a personal test
to determine which one suits your style or skills best.
Neither of them are “Easy” or “Relaxed”, but for those
who appreciate the highest levels of controlled high
speed turning energy, you can find that in spades with
both of these samples.
When it comes to choosing a new ski, even within the parameters
of of "turning radius" there are further considerations such as
"Flex Pattern" or the stiffness of the ski in terms of how easily
will it bend when it is skied through turns or riding over terrain.
As an experienced skier, this tester has chosen a level below full
out race stiffness because the energy required to stay on top of a
full out race ski is not practically sustainable for a multi-day visit
to Tremblant, yet we want to be able to work with the power,
control and energy that only a "high performance" ski can deliver
to an athletic user who wants a vigorous, high quality workout and
enjoys the precise control that comes with this level of product.
Bottom line for this tester, given the "Winding Road" that most
of our trails here at Tremblant represent, I'll choose the "Hot Rod”
"Sports Car" style ski any day for its responsive, precise ability to
be able to carve more often, with a higher degree of control.
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