buellski
New member
Nordica demoed their 2011/2012 skis at Sunapee this past weekend and I have to say I was impressed with everything I tried. After the foot+ storm on Friday, conditions on Saturday were nearly perfect with soft snow all over the mountain and patches of untouched still to be found in the trees. I tried three different models: the Fire Arrow 80, the Steadfast, and the Soul Rider. I didn't check the lengths of any of these skis, but they were all around 180 in length. For reference, I'm 44, 6' and 220#, and I normally ski a Volkl P60 SC in a 165.
First, I wanted to try an all-mountain ski. I was looking to try out the Jet Fuel, but the one pair they had was out, so I ended up on the Fire Arrow 80. I was not disappointed. This was one of the easiest turning skis I have ever used. They held well on the steeper trails where the new snow was skied off, they blasted through the chop, and were surprisingly quick edge-to-edge in the bumps. About the only thing they didn't do well was handle the powder in the trees. Given that they are "narrow" skis, that didn't surprise me. The one thing they did do exceptionally well was carving big turns through the chop. The skis were very stable and felt like they would blast through just about anything. I would say this is definitely a good choice for an eastern, one-ski quiver. I just wish I could have tried the Jet Fuel.
Next, I tried the Steadfast. This is part of Nordica's "Sidecountry" line of skis intended for skiers who occasionally venture off-piste. These are 90mm underfoot and have a slight rocker in the tip and tail. Being the first pair of rockered skis I've ever skied on, I was not sure what to expect. Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the versatility of these skis. While these skis did not hold as well on hard snow as the Fire Arrow, they still did surprisingly well. Also, I did not feel these skis were as quick edge-to-edge as the Fire Arrow. They felt much more comfortable making big, carved turns. Where these skis did shine was in powder. The skis seemed to take on a whole other personality and were much easier to maneuver.
Finally, the winner of the bunch was the Soul Rider. This is an all-mountain twin tip that is also slightly rockered in the tip and tail. This was another first for me as I had never skied twin tips before. The one word I can best use to describe this ski is "FUN!" Even with its width, this ski initiated turns with ease. Get them up on edge, and they tracked like they were on rails blasting through the soft snow with ease and stability. They held an edge reasonably well on hard snow and slid through the bumps as easily as the Fire Arrows. By the time I got them in the trees, the snow was pretty much all chopped up, but again, they handled these conditions with ease. Although I can't believe I'm saying this, this ski, or one very much like them, may be my next pair. These skis really made me feel like I could do just about anything on them. If I do decide to purchase twin tips, I promise to refrain from using phrases like "shred the gnar" and "huck some cliffs" or purchase ski clothing I could use to safely direct traffic or hunt deer
First, I wanted to try an all-mountain ski. I was looking to try out the Jet Fuel, but the one pair they had was out, so I ended up on the Fire Arrow 80. I was not disappointed. This was one of the easiest turning skis I have ever used. They held well on the steeper trails where the new snow was skied off, they blasted through the chop, and were surprisingly quick edge-to-edge in the bumps. About the only thing they didn't do well was handle the powder in the trees. Given that they are "narrow" skis, that didn't surprise me. The one thing they did do exceptionally well was carving big turns through the chop. The skis were very stable and felt like they would blast through just about anything. I would say this is definitely a good choice for an eastern, one-ski quiver. I just wish I could have tried the Jet Fuel.
Next, I tried the Steadfast. This is part of Nordica's "Sidecountry" line of skis intended for skiers who occasionally venture off-piste. These are 90mm underfoot and have a slight rocker in the tip and tail. Being the first pair of rockered skis I've ever skied on, I was not sure what to expect. Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the versatility of these skis. While these skis did not hold as well on hard snow as the Fire Arrow, they still did surprisingly well. Also, I did not feel these skis were as quick edge-to-edge as the Fire Arrow. They felt much more comfortable making big, carved turns. Where these skis did shine was in powder. The skis seemed to take on a whole other personality and were much easier to maneuver.
Finally, the winner of the bunch was the Soul Rider. This is an all-mountain twin tip that is also slightly rockered in the tip and tail. This was another first for me as I had never skied twin tips before. The one word I can best use to describe this ski is "FUN!" Even with its width, this ski initiated turns with ease. Get them up on edge, and they tracked like they were on rails blasting through the soft snow with ease and stability. They held an edge reasonably well on hard snow and slid through the bumps as easily as the Fire Arrows. By the time I got them in the trees, the snow was pretty much all chopped up, but again, they handled these conditions with ease. Although I can't believe I'm saying this, this ski, or one very much like them, may be my next pair. These skis really made me feel like I could do just about anything on them. If I do decide to purchase twin tips, I promise to refrain from using phrases like "shred the gnar" and "huck some cliffs" or purchase ski clothing I could use to safely direct traffic or hunt deer
