ROSSIGNOLFORZA 70°

Another ‘love me or leave me’ ski with a decisive personality. Most of our testers liked it enormously, although some admitted that the relationship simply did not work. The geometry and construction are intriguing and unconventional; the model is slowly becoming legendary. Comments included: “I feel these skis were designed specifically for me. A perfect match for my style. Ideal carved arcs are their natural habitat.” Another tester wrote: “A broad, chopped-off tip and plenty of width underfoot. They look cumbersome, but do not be afraid – they love to turn. The 70° in the name is there for a reason. These skis feel best at high edge angles and repay you with surprisingly dynamic arcs. Grip is good, and their width means the piste does not need to be perfect. Comfort lasts all day and in every condition.” We also heard: “Excellent carved turn tracking and strong rebound. They deliver masses of pleasure.” This was followed by: “They adapt well to piste conditions and to the skier’s preferred style. Irregularities are absorbed smoothly. Skidded turns on steep pitches create no difficulty. They track securely even in softened snow. In optimal conditions you can drop the hip very low and send the legs far from the body. The small drawback is a relatively slow edge change. Versatile skis.” The grumblers added: “They exhausted me. Every turn was drawn out too long. They feel better in longer arcs, lack rebound and chatter at the tips when running straight.”

The longest and widest skis in the group did not place near the top on points. The written reviews tell a completely different story, however, and are mostly enthusiastic. The reason is simple: these outstanding skis do not fit the race-inspired hybrid category at all. Listen to this: “What fun! The biggest bulldozers of the group. Far more dynamic than expected. You can generate huge edge angles on them – exactly what carving tigers love most. Their length makes them exceptionally secure. Thanks to the geometry, they will work all day and in virtually any conditions. They initiate superbly, although they move from turn to turn a little slowly.” Another tester wrote: “Skis without a weakness. They work in every kind of turn, retaining stability and smoothness, initiating quickly and tracking arcs superbly. Poorer snow conditions do not trouble them. They cope on both hard and soft snow. Perhaps I will finally buy them?” We also heard: “Outstanding! Very dynamic, with excellent grip in difficult terrain. Even at 181 cm they will make short turns. Supremely stable and confidence-inspiring.” This was followed by: “Now that is a surprise! Long, yet their initiation, turn tracking and stability are all above average. Take a few turns to discover what they can do and you like them immediately. Do not be intimidated by the length. Only beyond a certain, very high speed do they become less stable.” There were a few dissenters: “These skis did not suit me at all. Too long and too light in relation to their radius, so they lack rebound. Apart from being easy to turn, these great shovels gave me neither pleasure nor much scope to play.”