Help selecting slalom skis for race training

A snowHead

I need a pair of slalom skis to for race training and general running around on piste. I dont plan to use them on plastic. If i can get good enough would like to take the Test Technique next season. dont mind last years models or second hand as i have broke the bank on new gear for this year. I currently have K2 recons for general all mountain.

I am 6'4" 99KG and aggressive in short turns. I hired a pair of Fischer FIS rated RC4 SL's 165 and found them great on easy gradients but very hard work on steeps and ice. The short length (and my poor technique) caused a lot of chatter, when i got behind them they threw me and my legs tired out. The guy in the shop said most peeps train on a longer and/or softer ski for everyday use and hire/beg a pair of FIS skis for race day. Cant afford two pairs and this will most likely be what i do.

currently favouring Fischer or Elan as i have had good reports on both, dont like head as model numbers are indecipherable and Rossi's not sure will be stiff enough and know nothing about atomics but am open to all suggestions. Current short list is:

RC4 Race SC 175
RC4 WC SC 170
Speedwave 14 176
SLX Fusion Pro 170

If i go for a pure race FIS rated which is better, Elan SLX WC 165 or RC4 SL 165?

Any and all help will be gladly received.

A snowHead

skimottaret, People don't train on different skis to those that they race on.

I wouldn't go above 165cm.

I haven't skied on anything other than my Fischer WC SLs since the current generation of slalom skis came out, but I did get to flex a fair selection of current models in a shop at easter. The Elan SLX WC was torsionally stiffest.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My choice (for you although I haven't seen you ski) would be:

Fischer RC4 WC SC in 165 or my current favorite Head WC iSL RD in 166.

The Head has a sidecut of 12.3 as opposed to the Fischers of 13.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I don't know id you're interested but I just saw some 165 ATOMIC SL11 RACE DIVISION (radius 12.2m) on ebay

Here

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

skimottaret, I was very impressed with the Elan FIS ski at the PSB two seasons ago. But I absolutely love my Nordica Doberman SL-Rs - if you can find a pair with the Vist WC plate. They were online at a reasonable price last time I looked. I find they're great in everything - bumps, powder, etc. Twisted Evil

For the record I'm 5'6", 62kgs, reasonably competent and quite aggressive. I'm not sure the physical stats have a great bearing on this as I know of some much heavier skiers who really like them too.

Err, AFAIK, you won't get a FIS ski in anything longer than a 165cm - and I didn't think you were allowed to go any shorter. Why would you want to anyway? Ruins the performance in powder.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Or there's: Head World Cup SL Race Department Skis + Tyrolia FF 14 Binding

Here

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

skimottaret, in fairness, if your technique is "poor" (?) I'm not sure quite how much of a difference you'd notice between the various FIS skis. Then again, I reckon every ski is very different Happy

You might also like the Atomic SL12 http://www.ski-depot.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=atomicsl1207&Category_Code=1_race&Product_Count=1

Is this helping at all?

Maybe you should just choose the colour. I think the Elans are very, very pretty. And you get funky translucent green bindings too. Awesome.

After all it is free

skimottaret,

I think you might have to learn to cope with the Race ski and it might be kicking you off for a reason...which is a teaching tool itself.

I don't know how they would be all day and I didn't find them anything but good fun and whizzy. I'd look at the Fischers and Elans but maybe a Rossi 9 SL types
would be a good all-dayer and available cheaply

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

all thanks so far 165 is for sure minimum (sorry only) length for racing and would be correct choice. I was thinking lperhaps i should go a bit longer for general use. Up until demoing the RC4 Sl's i had never skied anything less than 174 and i cant say i immediately fell in love with them and was thinking at 99kg i may be too heavy to enjoy such a short length for general on piste skiing.

rjs,

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I'm very happy on my 165 Rossignol Radical 9S. 6' tall and 92kgs so a bit smaller than you skimottaret, but I have worked my way down over the course of the last 3 years from a pair of 180 Atomic C9 via 174 Rossi B2 to the current slaloms.
I think they're fantastic for mucking around on piste, coped in the slush on the 1 day's off piste I tried at the recent EOSB and propelled me to a very good finish in the race so they've seen me right in all conditions so far.

snow reports

skimottaret, I thought that the TT was a GS course or is that the Euro Test?

You know it makes sense.

spyderjon, TT is special slalom, the eurotest is GS

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

FenlandSkier, interesting you have "worked your way down" is that for race times or are they more fun to ski on piste shorter...

A snowHead

skimottaret, as the purpose of these is to take them through a slalom course, definitely go for 165, no shorter and no more that a cm or two longer. Your other skis are for fun, these are for performance. I use a 160 RC4 SC on plastic, and for the two PSBs I used a 160 Stockli Spirit first time and 167 Stockli Laser SC the second. I'm about the same size as FenlandSkier, no problem at all with shortness on piste, but taking the Spirits off piste certainly tested the technique. While the larger radius of the Lasers (they're more a skiercross ski that a full-on slalom ski) was not obvious on the piste, it showed up fairly obviously once I got into a course - the RC4s turned much tighter. You should check whether you need to have FIS compliant skis for TT - if not, going even shorter will make turning easier (AIUI the rule was brought in to slow the guys down by forcing wider turns on them and so reducing the knee pressure...they would go shorter if they could). I know though that you do need 165 skis for racing in the Xscape series, or any SSE races on snow.

I don't think it'll make a huge amount of difference what you go for, as long as it's a slalom ski. Having said that, I tried some Dynamic VR27s which felt great provided you were properly balanced on them, but took no prisoners if you sat back. Personally I didn't get on with the Elans David Murdoch likes so much, but they're getting quite popular on the dry slopes (partly as they're quite cheap). I've never tried the Fischer WCs or SLs. I also tried some really knackered Head iSLs at MK at the ski test last summer and had a ball - best skis of the day for me. Actually ski has a pair of Head iSLs he's been trying to get rid of for a while - they're too stiff for him, particularly as he mainly uses them on plastic (he's only likkle) - but he's now raving about the Dynamic i.Peform 1.2s he has (particularly the very early tip engagement). Not sure what length they are though - may be only 160 or 155. BTW, slalom skis are really too twitchy for GS, so if you need to get serious about GS you'll need a pair of GS skis too Wink

.

A snowHead

I have a pair of Rossignol 9S WC which I use as my general piste ski. I agree with the comments about 'getting used to them' - they took me some time until I felt I was in control of them rather than the other way around. I prefer these to the pair of Head WC slalom skis I had previously. The Rossi skis are a little bit softer longitudinally, but very stiff torsionally which I seem to prefer (although the Heads were 155 and the Rossis are 165). In terms of what length to go for, don't forget that many of the top slalom skiers were on 155 just a few seasons ago when FIS allowed them to be.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

For most things Atomic (and Dynamic; Atomic were so impressed they bought the company) have a look here.

Is you can make it to the north, they'll let you test them at Cas Xscape too.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Mosha Marc, thanks they have a pair of atomic SL11 for £150 same price as on ebay...

rob@rar, are the 9S WC FIS compliant

GrahamN, After all the comments i think it makes sense if training for TT to use 165's and ideally FIS compliant skis. So, looks like the list is shorter now and i better start getting used to stiff 165's Confused

i have never run a gate in my life so this coming season will be interesting, I may also be spending more time at MK so having a good pair of skis in the UK makes sense. The Head iSL's scare me a bit if too stiff for experienced racers

So Atomic SL series, Fischer RC4 SL or Elan SLX WC or ???

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

rob@rar, thanks, to be honest i will most likely buy second hand or on an auction and will probably set up some searches once i have a final short list.

After all it is free

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

skimottaret,

Get your act together.

If you are going to do TT you need world cup standard skis not some other cr-p. Buy a good pair & get used to them. They are probably throwing you about a lot as they are reacting differently to your 'normal' skis. WC skis are not for cruising on they are for performance & going fast Toofy Grin

Also learn how to service them and keep them in 'tip top' condition. If you go for your TT it will probably be on very firm snow/ice not nice easy forgiving soft stuff

so sharp edges are essential.

Not sure if Rob R skied the same stuff as myself last autumn in Tignes but the snow was firm/sheet ice so after 3 runs your edges were nackered Puzzled

If you check BASI courses the skis used generally go;

BASI 3 Anything
BASI 2 Carving skis
BASI 1 World cup skis

So BASI 1 is the top level & people use the best skis to get the best performance.

snow reports

skimottaret, The best way (of course) is to demo. To be clear - on snow I quite like the I:SLs - the lower speeds of plastic that give me trouble (and yes that is technique). Is the TT against the clock ? I don't think (but I may be wrong) that the target time (if there is one) is a huge challenge.

The I:performs have a lovely soft shovel so hook up into the turn really easily (sometimes too easily - straighter is often faster wink

) and have quite a large 'sweet spot' - so I don't get dumped on my back the way I have done on some skis, I'm sure they'd be fun on snow - maybe a little soft. As GrahamN, says - I'm not very big (60kgs)

I've also enjoyed SL9s, the current 9S WC (stiff !), Racetigers and Lab 3Vs.

IMHO the thing to do is demo some, and then practise using them in the conditions they were built for Very Happy

And ditto rob@rar, they need to be loved.

And (another thought) - nothing shows up technique like short skis Laughing

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Mosha Marc, have you skied the atomic S11 ?

If i could demo several pairs side by side that would be fantastic but unless MK has these type of skis to trial I would prefer to get a cheaper pair sooner rather than later and can always trade up to something else in future.

A snowHead

skimottaret, The shop at MK is EB, they don't sell race skis.

If you need to modify your technique anyway then a demo won't tell you much.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

rjs, thanks for the tip about EB, didnt think they would have race skis so demoing will prove problematic for me this summer.

As i said earlier i had skied the Fischer RC4 SL for a day this year and they seem to be the benchmark ski, so will probably start with a pair of them.

I have a bid on Ebay going so fingers crossed...

You need to Login to know who's really who.

skimottaret, Once you have your purchase... It'll do you no harm at all to do a little race training (and maybe a race) on the plastic wink

Could you be ready for 30 June ?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

ski, It might not do him any harm but the skis would probably prefer to stick to snow.

You'll need to Register first of course.

NORDICA 'SLR' R and D

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

SMALLZOOKEEPER, thanks i neglected those and will have a look at them as well, David Murdoch, seems to rate them..

After all it is free

rjs, Possibly - frequent applications of Polar-X seems to avoid the worst of the damage Laughing

ski, i probably wouldnt risk it on plastic and would just use some old gash skis to come to grips with gates in the first instance....

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

skimottaret,

Help!!

Help selecting slalom skis for race training

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Equipment Reviews/Questions