'06/'07 Rossi Scratch BC review - or, skiing east coast groomers on a 98mm waist ski

So I have these 185cm Rossi Scratch BC, (128 tip - 98 waist - 121 tail), freshly mounted at the more rearward line with Salomon S912's sitting in my house mocking me as we have one of the worst winters in a long time. I finally get sick of waiting for deeper snow, so I decide to ski them this past weekend at Loon. I also bring with me my 178cm Dynastar Legend 8000 to ski the next day for comparison. About me: 36yrs, 185lbs, former ski instructor, I'm a Taurus, and like long walks on short piers. I can ski bumps, but don't love them. I would much rather be in the trees somewhere. I like short slalom turns as much as long fast GS turns.

So Saturday at Loon, COLD, windy and fast hardpack conditions. There were no bumps really, no tree skiing, no powder, just fast groomers with some man made stuff around the edges. Not really ideal conditions for this ski. I also felt a little out of place standing in the gondola line with these, and some of the looks I got only confirmed that.

Right off let me say how surprised I was about how well these ski groomers. I mean I was VERY pleasantly surprised at how well these would lay down a carve. I don't usually ski "carving" skis any more, the Legend 8000 is my normal "everyday" ski (20m turn radius). The Scratch's have a 21,5m radius. They were actually very easy to get from edge to edge quickly. I have the bindings mounted up on a Salomon axe+ plate so that probably helped with that. The only real difference I felt between the Scratch's and the Legends was the width overall. The Legends did feel a little more nimble, probably because they are narrower. I began thinking really early on that I could use the Scratch's as my everyday ski and be very happy with it. It is definately the type of ski that you could take out west and it would work no matter what conditions you ended up with. I plan on skiing these more now, they were REALLY fun. You know what they say, "once you go fat you never go back", or something like that...

So look for me, I'll be the guy standing in the lift line at Loon wtih the yellow and white Scratch BC's (or orange and white Legends), green Salomon jacket, black/camo dakine back pack.

Thanks for the review. I have been saying this for a while now - the so called fat or powder skis have become very versatile. The mountain doesn't have to be covered with a foot of snow to break 100mm under foot skis out anymore. They might give up some quickness and edge hold on hard snow and bumps, but they are still a lot of fun. There are many skiers out west that use skis like Gotamas (105mm) and Made'n AK (108mm) every single day, regardless of conditions.

Salomon GUNS.....my every day ski...

Like you said...once you go fat you never go back.

M

I should ad one con to skiing these on groomers. I noticed when coming in fairly fast to a hard stop on really hard snow/ice, they tended to really chatter or "bounce". One time it actually caused one of my skis to come off. I never notice that with any of my other skis, so I think it has something to do with the width. But like I said above, they weren't really meant for that kind of skiing anyhow.

DEVO said:

I should ad one con to skiing these on groomers. I noticed when coming in fairly fast to a hard stop on really hard snow/ice, they tended to really chatter or "bounce". One time it actually caused one of my skis to come off. I never notice that with any of my other skis, so I think it has something to do with the width. But like I said above, they weren't really meant for that kind of skiing anyhow.

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Devo,

I am pretty sure that the chatter is not due as much to width as it is to the flex of the ski. Given that Rossi markets the ski as a powder twin tip, it has a pretty soft tip to help the shovel bend up in soft snow and keep you afloat instead of diving and making you go head first into the soft stuff. I noticed the similar floppiness in my super soft Seth Pistols, turning on hard snow resulted in scrazy chatter.

The float design also applies to camber. Most powder and fat skis have next to no camber, some have zero camber and a couple have reverse camber. Camber makes the tips dive in soft snow, but it is a big help on hard snow as it helps the ski feel lively and quick. Lack of camber is another reason why many fat skis feel "dead" on hard snow.

Tthe chatter I was feeling was more along the entire ski while I was sliding sideways to a hard stop. I didn't feel any tip chatter at straight speeds. These also have about the same camber as any of my other skis, probably another reason they were so good on the groomers. I think Rossi reaslly markets these a more of an "all mountain" back country ski more than a pure powder ski.

DEVO said:

Tthe chatter I was feeling was more along the entire ski while I was sliding sideways to a hard stop. I didn't feel any tip chatter at straight speeds.

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Hmm... maybe that means that they aren't particularly tortionally stiff? I don't know enough about ski tech to say for sure though. I have also noticed some chatter in fat skis during hard snow stops, but never to the point that it caused the binding to release... interesting.

Yeah, it only happened that once. I was coming in really fast and trying to stop on very hard snow/ice.

DEVO said:

Yeah, it only happened that once. I was coming in really fast and trying to stop on very hard snow/ice.

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I know the problem!

Try setting the din to 7 instead of your normal 4, that should really step it up a notch

Jay's Dip Powcher said:

I know the problem!

Try setting the din to 7 instead of your normal 4, that should really step it up a notch

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yeah but I only weigh 110lbs...

just a question...what do you carry in your 'back pack'?? I see people skiing with packs and just cant figure out thats in there, its not like we are in avy country and you need food/shovels etc....I carry a Camelbak from time to time for hydration (esp after a night of libations!!) but the areas around here are easy to get back to the lodge if you need something...just curious....

SKIQUATTRO said:

just a question...what do you carry in your 'back pack'?? I see people skiing with packs and just cant figure out thats in there, its not like we are in avy country and you need food/shovels etc....I carry a Camelbak from time to time for hydration (esp after a night of libations!!) but the areas around here are easy to get back to the lodge if you need something...just curious....

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I wear a small camelback, but its under my jacket. Always get a kick out of the people wearing back packs.

SKIQUATTRO said:

just a question...what do you carry in your 'back pack'?? I see people skiing with packs and just cant figure out thats in there, its not like we are in avy country and you need food/shovels etc....I carry a Camelbak from time to time for hydration (esp after a night of libations!!) but the areas around here are easy to get back to the lodge if you need something...just curious....

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Well I mostly ski with my kids, so for my 7 yr old I carry:

mittens/gloves in case he needs to switch
his headsock in case he gets cold (or if he gets hot he can put in the pack).
snacks!

For me/my wife/daughter or anyone else:

tissues
extra glove liners
small first aid kit
extra pair of gloves
small multi tool
duct tape!!!!!!!
snacks!
sometimes a small thermos with hot chocolate for the kids during gondola rides

For just me I carry:

lightly tinted goggles for when the sun goes in and my normal goggles are too dark and my headsock in case I get cold
sometimes I fill the bladder with water
my seasons pass goes in the shoulder strap pocket
and I usually carry a digital camera.

Carrying a pack has saved me MANY MANY trips back and forth in and out of the lodge to get stuff for the kids, etc. I also will sometimes ski "off piste" at jay and the pack I have (Dakine Heli-pro) has a nice diagonal ski carry feature for when we hike out, and I can't tell you how many times we have been out somewhere and someone has needed a screwdriver/knife/duct tape/bandaid, etc, etc, etc.

I don't care if I am skiing groomers, trees, BC whatever, I won't ski without a pack again. It might sound heavy, but even with water in the bladder it's actually light and once it's on and I am skiing I don't even know it's there.

Hawkshot99 said:

I wear a small camelback, but its under my jacket. Always get a kick out of the people wearing back packs.

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That's cause you have never had to ski with kids " I want my mittens" I want my gloves" "I'm thirsty" "I'm cold" "I'm hungry"

I wouldn't wear one either if that was the case or only skied in bounds and/or in the park. I think it is fairly irresponsible to ski anywhere OB without having a couple of basic tools and a first aid kit (and some basic knowledge of how to use it).

I moved a couple of posts about pack usage to DEVO's new thread; http://forums.alpinezone.com/13267-skiing-pack-resort.html

Lets keep this one on the original topic so we keep everything together

The chatter is not the ski........

Devo: it was how the ski was weighted at the time of the hard stop. I run into this every now and then and it is typically pilot error. It happend this past weekend while skiing the Stelvio Ski Treb, an italian ski for touring (I was on hard pack, as there was not a lot of fresh and at 85 mm it was the widest ski I could rent where I was--Italy--fat ski revolution has not hit the Dolomites yet, everyone on narrow, short carving skis). It was due to me edging the ski much harder than it needed to be edged. I backed off the ski, kept nice smooth arcs rolling and did not drive the tips hard, end of problem.

Glad you liked the 98 mm waist, a lot more eastern skiers would be pleasantly surprised by how well a fat ski works in the east. Have considered the scratch or the sick as my next board, so thanks for the review.

AHM said:

Devo: it was how the ski was weighted at the time of the hard stop. I run into this every now and then and it is typically pilot error. It happend this past weekend while skiing the Stelvio Ski Treb, an italian ski for touring (I was on hard pack, as there was not a lot of fresh and at 85 mm it was the widest ski I could rent where I was--Italy--fat ski revolution has not hit the Dolomites yet, everyone on narrow, short carving skis). It was due to me edging the ski much harder than it needed to be edged. I backed off the ski, kept nice smooth arcs rolling and did not drive the tips hard, end of problem.

Glad you liked the 98 mm waist, a lot more eastern skiers would be pleasantly surprised by how well a fat ski works in the east. Have considered the scratch or the sick as my next board, so thanks for the review.

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I think you misunderstand. The ski never chattered or bounced while turning, only when coming in sideways to a fast stop. Like a hockey style stop. My friend just skied his 90mm waist pocket rockets for the first time and he said they did the same thing.

I agree about the fat skis in the east. I really want ot start skiing these more.

I have 04/05 Scratch BCs (90 mm in the waist) and also tried them out a few times this year in hard pack conditions coz I was eager to get on them. I definitely like my RX9s better for that kind of stuff, but I definitely feel like the Scratches could be my everyday ski and I wouldn't complain. The place where the extra width really bugs me is in the bumps, but even there they are more than manageable.