volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The Tester: 190+ lbs, 5'5", 42 Years old, PSIA Level II, Platinum/Gold level Nastar and 2x/week league racer. I prefer stiffer skis with lots of pop that can handle my preference for high speed ripping.
The Conditions: Started with 2-6" heavy, wet, packy freshies over a groomed "slush puppy" base (like well-packed drier spring corn). As the day wore on, the freshies either piled up into huge moguls or packed down into very slippery wet hardpack or soft ice.
The Test Runs: 1 run down a long mild blue groomer making high speed carves of various turn radii. 1 run down a steeper blue/black making medium and high speed carves through piled up glop and cut up powder. 1 run down a black starting with slow speed smeary turns and ending with medium speed carves through cut up crud.
The Skis (in waist width order):
Nordica Firefox 154cm (120-70-103, 12m): Sweeeeeet! This ski just rocked! I never found a speed limit or had any issues with stability even at this short length. It was nimble and well balanced, and remained well mannered even in the deep crud. The tip got knocked around a bit but it remained totally solid under foot no matter how ugly the conditions got or how fast I was going. This is a high energy ski suitable for intermediate to expert skiers who stay mainly on the groomed but like to venture into nastiness on occasion. Rebound, Long Turns, Crud, Powder 4. All Else 5.
Volkl Attiva Fuego 161cm (121-73-105, 12.9m): Wow, wow, and wow!! This was a Tigger ski for me.....bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!!! It was equally comfortable skidding through the ickiness as it was carving high speed arcs on the groomed. It happily made turns of all shapes and sizes. It lacked only a teeniest bit of the Firefox's confidence and stability but more than made up for it in rebound and fun factor. This ski will motor around quietly if needed, but loves to be pushed...longer, harder, faster! This is another high energy ski suitable for intermediate to expert skiers who stay mainly on the groomed but like to venture into nastiness on occasion. Long Turns and Powder 4. All Else 5.
Volkl Attiva Fuego 154cm (121-73-105, 11.6m): What a difference a few centimeters in length makes in the feel of a ski
. At this length the ski felt squirlly and unstable to me. It was just way to short for my weight and skiing style. This length would probably be a winner for lighter weight or less agressive skiers who prefer slower speeds. Stability, Powder, Crud 3. Long Turns, Forgiveness, Ice 4. All Else 5.
Volkl Tigershark 12ft Power Switch 168cm (124-79-108, 15.5m): What a powerhouse!! Make no mistake....with the switch set to "on", this is a full-on race ski. The switch is NOT a gimmick - it totally changes the feel of the ski when changed from "off" to "on". Either way this is a high energy ski for the strongest skiers and highest speeds only. Hubby and I both tried this one and were in almost total agreement in our impressions and ratings (although he loved it - me, not so much). Its forte was medium to long turns on the groomers....as fast as you could possibly want to go! Short Turns and Foregiveness suffered one grade with the switch on but Long Turns and Crud performance jumped up a grade. The 10ft is step down from this and should be more forgiving while the Fuego is the women's version of the 10ft.
In a Nutshell: What a great bunch of skis. Each had its own very distinct personality. My choices out of this bunch are the Firefox and Fuego for versatility, stability, ease of turn initiation, and just general fun factor. Choose the Fuego if bouncy and fun is your thing, or the Firefox if you like a more refined and solid feel underfoot. Either should make accomplished female skiers grin from ear-to-ear!!
Special Thanks to: the guys at Nub's Nob Technology Center and Mike at Pro Sports Enterprises at Schuss Mountain - without whose unending patience, time, and attention all this would not have been possible.
The Conditions: Started with 2-6" heavy, wet, packy freshies over a groomed "slush puppy" base (like well-packed drier spring corn). As the day wore on, the freshies either piled up into huge moguls or packed down into very slippery wet hardpack or soft ice.
The Test Runs: 1 run down a long mild blue groomer making high speed carves of various turn radii. 1 run down a steeper blue/black making medium and high speed carves through piled up glop and cut up powder. 1 run down a black starting with slow speed smeary turns and ending with medium speed carves through cut up crud.
The Skis (in waist width order):
Nordica Firefox 154cm (120-70-103, 12m): Sweeeeeet! This ski just rocked! I never found a speed limit or had any issues with stability even at this short length. It was nimble and well balanced, and remained well mannered even in the deep crud. The tip got knocked around a bit but it remained totally solid under foot no matter how ugly the conditions got or how fast I was going. This is a high energy ski suitable for intermediate to expert skiers who stay mainly on the groomed but like to venture into nastiness on occasion. Rebound, Long Turns, Crud, Powder 4. All Else 5.
Volkl Attiva Fuego 161cm (121-73-105, 12.9m): Wow, wow, and wow!! This was a Tigger ski for me.....bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!!! It was equally comfortable skidding through the ickiness as it was carving high speed arcs on the groomed. It happily made turns of all shapes and sizes. It lacked only a teeniest bit of the Firefox's confidence and stability but more than made up for it in rebound and fun factor. This ski will motor around quietly if needed, but loves to be pushed...longer, harder, faster! This is another high energy ski suitable for intermediate to expert skiers who stay mainly on the groomed but like to venture into nastiness on occasion. Long Turns and Powder 4. All Else 5.
Volkl Attiva Fuego 154cm (121-73-105, 11.6m): What a difference a few centimeters in length makes in the feel of a ski
. At this length the ski felt squirlly and unstable to me. It was just way to short for my weight and skiing style. This length would probably be a winner for lighter weight or less agressive skiers who prefer slower speeds. Stability, Powder, Crud 3. Long Turns, Forgiveness, Ice 4. All Else 5.Volkl Tigershark 12ft Power Switch 168cm (124-79-108, 15.5m): What a powerhouse!! Make no mistake....with the switch set to "on", this is a full-on race ski. The switch is NOT a gimmick - it totally changes the feel of the ski when changed from "off" to "on". Either way this is a high energy ski for the strongest skiers and highest speeds only. Hubby and I both tried this one and were in almost total agreement in our impressions and ratings (although he loved it - me, not so much). Its forte was medium to long turns on the groomers....as fast as you could possibly want to go! Short Turns and Foregiveness suffered one grade with the switch on but Long Turns and Crud performance jumped up a grade. The 10ft is step down from this and should be more forgiving while the Fuego is the women's version of the 10ft.
In a Nutshell: What a great bunch of skis. Each had its own very distinct personality. My choices out of this bunch are the Firefox and Fuego for versatility, stability, ease of turn initiation, and just general fun factor. Choose the Fuego if bouncy and fun is your thing, or the Firefox if you like a more refined and solid feel underfoot. Either should make accomplished female skiers grin from ear-to-ear!!
Special Thanks to: the guys at Nub's Nob Technology Center and Mike at Pro Sports Enterprises at Schuss Mountain - without whose unending patience, time, and attention all this would not have been possible.
