Rossi Demo time left me Uninspired!

[SnowHot]

I love it when I'm at the local hill and find a demo tent.
Saturday it was Rossingal. Eager to demo, I approached the gentleman and told him I'd like to demo two things, a race ski and a mid fat.

He had a race ski with him but said he didn't want to demo it because of the crowded conditions and the expense of the ski.

So he put me on the Attraction IV(WS)
It was very similar to an atomic metron with the extreme sidecut, but was light weight and got very nervous at speed. The turn initiation was instant, and the edge held a carve very nicely. Still, if I were interested in this side cut (74mm at the waist) I would prefer the properties offered by the metrons.

The second ski he put me on was the Bandit B2(WS)
I really hate being grim about a demo review but I can't tell you how totally uninspired this ski left me! It was like two planks with a pretty blue topsheet.
I have never been on a ski that I wanted to give back more than this one.:(

Next he put me on the Z9(unisex)
Again, the ski was very similar to the metron but without the metron excitment. Huh!

I don't know if I am just a skier who can't appreciate the properties offered by Rossi, but I left the demo feeling like I won't miss out if I don't get on another Rossi.

 

[volklgirl]

Did you also feel they were "dead"? That's been my experience with all the Rossi until I demo'd the Z9. Even that was damp, damp, damp.

It's hard to get excited by that after the liveliness of the Volkls and the Nordicas, isn't it?? :p

 

[SnowHot]

Did you also feel they were "dead"? That's been my experience with all the Rossi until I demo'd the Z9. Even that was damp, damp, damp.

It's hard to get excited by that after the liveliness of the Volkls and the Nordicas, isn't it?? :p

Dead is a good word
Heluvaskier said "dead fish". I'd have to agree. I think the volkl's have more 'pop' and nordicas have more drive.

The rossi's were, ..............blah.

 

[Pequenita]

Interesting. I was skiing the Attraxion IIIs this weekend and couldn't tell if it was the conditions turning uber soft, operator error/lack of conditioning, or the ski that was making me feel sluggish as I neared the bottom 1/4 of every run.

 

[Jilly]

Well I'm a Rossi fan. But the women's skis leave alot to be desired. I ski the Z5, found the 9 too stiff. The the attraxion series was horrible compared to other things out there - Nordica being one. I found them not stable at high speeds and damp, dead what ever you want to call it. You should have tried the 9S oversize. That I think you would have liked. But I don't think there is much out there that can compare to the Metrons. Those babies are so stable, but too heavy to cart around.

 

[num]

Snowhot, Volklgirl, is there a big demo day coming up over there anytime soon? I'm gonna make a weekend trip out to try some Michigan skiing, and if there's a demo day coming up, I'd try to make it that weekend.

 

[volklgirl]

Crystal is having the Women's Winter Tour this weekend with demos, otherwise, their demo choices are rather limited.

If you head up to Nub's Nob, though, they have a huge demo fleet available every day that are kept really well tuned, info here:
https://www.nubsnob.com/demprogram.html

Directly across the street is Boyne Highlands also offering demos - their info is here:

Boyne Highlands & Boyne Mountain offer Demos

Ski Lines
Rossignol
Salomon
K2
Volkl

Price $50.00 try before you buy. If you purchase a pair of skis this year you may use your demo fee towards you purchase.
please call with any questions on models and lengths we have to offer.

231-526-3006 Boyne Highlands ski shop
231-549-6006 Boyne Mountain ski shop

Let us know when you're coming up so we can arrange to have a mid-west Diva day!

 

[num]

Wish I'd asked earlier, this weekend is too soon. Nubs seems to have lots of stuff to try, but I couldn't find a price listed.

I'll put something in the meet on the hill section when I've got my dates figured out. A midwest diva day is in order

 

[altagirl]

I haven't tried Rossi's women's skis in several years - but I think that was pretty much verbatim of my review of the B3W a few years ago. Dead, dead, dead. And not particularly good at anything.

I tried the regular B3 this year, and didn't like all that much either (though not nearly as dead as the women's version as far as I can recall). Kindof chattery, sidecut felt grabby, and they just weren't particularly stable or confidence inspiring. B4s were a lot better - more stable. I also demoed Head im88s and Volkl Mantras, which I LOVED - absolutely rock solid, carve when you want them to, smear on command... I was hoping to demo Auras, but they only had a 160 or something mounted up, which wouldn't do me much good. So I bought the im88s. Love 'em!!

Sorry I got a little off topic there! But I just thought it was interesting that apparently Rossi's women's skis haven't changed much over the years...

 

[volklgirl]

Num,

A full day demo at Nub's is $45, a 1/2 day is $20 or $25. If I remember, I'll stop by the shop in Traverse City and pick up a demo voucher....I think it gets you $20 off the demo rate. I'll let you know for sure when I get it.

 

[Captain]

I haven't tried Rossi's women's skis in several years - but I think that was pretty much verbatim of my review of the B3W a few years ago. Dead, dead, dead. And not particularly good at anything.

I tried the regular B3 this year, and didn't like all that much either (though not nearly as dead as the women's version as far as I can recall). Kindof chattery, sidecut felt grabby, and they just weren't particularly stable or confidence inspiring. B4s were a lot better - more stable.

Sorry I got a little off topic there! But I just thought it was interesting that apparently Rossi's women's skis haven't changed much over the years...

I agree - have tried the Bandit line three/four times - first time four years ago, most recently this year and the feeling I have is the same. Unstable at speed, and not fun!

 

[Captain]

I also demoed Head im88s and Volkl Mantras, which I LOVED - absolutely rock solid, carve when you want them to, smear on command... I was hoping to demo Auras, but they only had a 160 or something mounted up, which wouldn't do me much good. So I bought the im88s. Love 'em!!

I'm curious about the Mantras. Someone said the were a "whole differnet animal" than all mountain skis. Did you find that? How did they compare to the Head im88s and other skis?

Thanks in advance!

 

[altagirl]

I'm curious about the Mantras. Someone said the were a "whole differnet animal" than all mountain skis. Did you find that? How did they compare to the Head im88s and other skis?

Thanks in advance!

I thought they were very similar to the im88s actually. I would have been very torn deciding which to buy, but I already have Gotamas, and I felt like the wider Mantra was too much overlap with the Gotamas, wheras the im88 rounded out the quiver better.

I'm not sure what the "whole different animal" means for sure, but basically, they're shockingly versatile and responsive for a fatter ski. Very stable at speed. I worried before trying them that they'd be too stiff, but I didn't feel that at all skiing them. Basically my ideal all mountain ski is something that can handle crud well, is stable on high speed runouts, and holds a nice carve on high speed groomers. At the same time, it's very important to me that it doesn't catch/hook when I want it to break loose and slide when I need to scrub speed or I want to smear turns between trees/rocks or in bumps. And I want it to initiate turns easily in cruddy, unpredictable snow and be pretty easy to throw around in tight spots. I guess I used to figure I needed to pick a few of these things and sacrifice others, but quite honestly the im88 and Mantra fit the bill for all of the above. Their only shortcoming is true powder (well, and probably real EC ice, but we don't get that...). And I don't mind having a dedicated powder ski.

 

[haylmom]

Maybe it depends on where you're skiing, but I've had good luck so far with my Attraxion IIIs... then again I'm not super excellent, and haven't really tried other skis. I'd be scared to demo a different pair - it may spark a shopping trip.

 

[Jilly]

Well we're suppose to have a Rossi demo night on Wednesday. Things are a little damp around here, so I wouldn't be surprised if it gets cancelled. But I've skied alot of their stuff and do ski the Z5. I'm not impressed yet with anything other than the Attraxion 9. And I'm not paying the big bucks for those arms!! I know there are few on the Rossi women's stuff and I'm glad that you like it. It's just not for me.

 

[alta_gal83]

Well, it seems as though Rossignol's carving line has been thoroughly discussed here as well as the Bandits and B's. But nothing on the freeride/backcountry line ...

This year I'm skiing on the Rossi Women's BC Scratch and I'm having a lot of fun on them. I've been skiing Salomon Guns (164s) for the past 3 years (which are a fun ski everywhere I've taken them) but those, alas, after last year's ridiculous conditions, needed to be retired.

So far, in the 3 weekends I've had the BC Scratch out, I've found them to be very responsive in pow, lotsa pow and the groomers. They are obviously a softer ski since they are women-specific -- but I haven't found them to be "dead." Also, when I bought this ski, I downsized a slight bit (to 160s) and I was worried that they wouldn't be enough ski for me -- but I'm not feeling that way anymore.

Overall, I think these skis were made for the unpredictable Utah snow!

 

[Melissa77]

I also demoed the B2W last week. While it was a pretty blue ski I also hated it. While I have never demoed before and do not know the best terms to use I knew that I did not like that ski. Your plank description is perfect! I have no other way to describe them. They just felt really heavy and I immediately exchanged them for another ski.

 

[SnownyNorth]

WOW!! I am so relieved that my own bad experience with the Bandit B2W is validated here, it really can be the ski's problem!!!

 

[Kano]

Considering that demo for me is pick a ski up at the bottom of the mountain, and play for the day an hour away -- no exchanges when they aren't fun -- I think I'll pass on the Bandit when I demo this winter!


Kano

 

[SnowHot]

And this is why I use Volklgirls demo report card when I demo skis.
What I don't like, another person may really enjoy.
The key is to notice the properties of a ski and review based on that so, someone who likes a damp ski(REALLY DAMP) may like the rossi. Not this girl!
I like a ski that talks to me.:D