Wow.  Every once in a while, we run into a ski that changes how we view what is possible on the mountain. This is one of those skis.  Last season we had an opportunity to get an advance feel for the new Salomon Rocker. These things make skiing in deep and variable conditions so easy, it's ridiculous.  We are VERY excited to be implementing a fleet of these as our primary guide ski for 2009. If you want to carves some huge floating turns at high speed in deep snow, these are the skis for you.

Here are the basics that really turn us on about this ski:

Rocker dimensions: 

Length: 192cm (one size) 

Sidecut: 147/127/137 

Design/performance notes: 

Rockered tip for early planing 

Non-rockered tail, with a little sidecut and camber for versatility and stability. 

Incredible floatation, power, stability at speed, versatility, and solid landings (no wheelie effect compared with other reverse-cambered skis). 

 

 

The Salomon STH16 Binding

We've always loved Salomon bindings.  They are versitile, fairly bullet proof (We definitely put our skis and bindings through a significant beating in a season, so this is important.), and are easy to get into in deep snow and on steep pitches.  This year, we'll be outfitting our Rockers with the Salomon STH16 binding.    They've got the durable security and performance that we've come to expect from Salomon without the extra weight of a race binding.  They have a DIN range of  9 - 16, making them an appropriate choice for most of our guides.

The Salomon Czar

This ski is quite possibly the easiest ski we've ever seen in deep variable snow. It has a wood core, a 620 mm rocker in the tip an it still has camber in the tail. What does this mean to you? It means you get great floatation in the powder due to the rockered tips without having to lean back, but it's still stable in the rear so you can get after it when you want to. It's soft enough to really relax and have fun i the off piste environment but still enough to take to the resort and lean on it.

 

 

Ski Performance:
Intermediate-Advanced
Tip Dimensions: 128mm (174cm)
Waist Dimensions: 108mm (174cm)
Tail Dimensions: 118mm (174cm)
Turning Radius: 38.3/40.0/44.7

Sizes: 166, 174, 182

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JACKETS

This jacket has proven to be exceptionally tough and water proof.  One of the problems we tend to run into with jackets is that our packs rub through the water protective barriers pretty quickly.  Not wit hthis one.  We've put these things through quite a bit of punishment and are ready to go another season with them. 

GLOVES

These guys are taking the glove world by storm.  We started using Hestra Guide Gloves and Hestra Heli-Ski gloves for our guides last year and have been very impressed.  They have proven to be warm, flexible and super commfortable.  With extra reinforcement at the pinch points and quick drying liner, this is the first glove we've had that stands up to the beating we dish out.

Check 'em out.