Rossignol S3 2011

Overall

Although I have not skied on very many skis to be honest, I have to say this is the best ski I have ever tried.  While the flex could be a bit better, the ski is perfect for powder and then the odd day there is no new snow at the mountain, you can use it for the park, or just having fun on groomers.  It is a stable, sturdy, shredding ski that is fit for any skier wanting something playful to handle any conditions thrown at them.
- Ben

Performance

Rossignol claims this ski to be able to shred groomers and powder alike, and they have done just that creating a rocker/camber hybrid.  Skiing at Sunshine Village, where it dumps the majority of the season, I found the ski awesome to shred on.  In pow, the ski just floats, effortlessly, thanks to its 98mm underfoot, 127mm tip and 118mm tail.  In groomers, the camber portion of the ski really helps in making the turns stick, allowing for easy carving and making the problem of rockers chattering on crud non-existent.  Due to its 9mm difference in tip and tail, it is a bit tricky skiing switch, probably just because I can't ski switch very well myself.

Design

The thing I love about the look of the ski is that it doesn't try to stand out with fluorescent orange or bright red and blue.  It is entirely black with the Rossi logo at the tip in a nice green and to be honest, I don't know what for the rest.  But that is what makes it fun, every time you are on the chair you try to figure out what it is they drew, and every time it is something different.  The ski is discreet, and that is what is so great about it.

Value

The ski costs around $650, or at least that was the price when I got mine.  In my opinion it is not a rip off whatsoever, nor is it a steal.  The price, albeit a bit expensive it definitely worth it if you are looking for a solid, all mountain ski that shreds.

Fit

I got the 178's, and being around six feet (180cm tall), the skis work perfectly.  I know people who like the skis taller than themselves but for me, having the skis just around the eyebrows when they are standing fits just right.  I don't think I ever felt the need for longer skis, they were solid on everything and that was perfect for me.

Characteristics

While I love every single thing about this ski, the floatiness in pow, the solidity on crud, the sick carves on groomers, this is its one and only downfall.  Around the mid-season, I saw a video of I believe Chris Benchetler doing some butters, and I thought to myself I have got to try that.  So the next time I went up to my local mountain, I tried one, only to find that my skis weren't as flexy as I believed them to be.  They do allow for some flex, and they do pop a bit, but the reason for the problem, in my opinion is that they are just too sturdy.  I believe that since the ski is designed to handle practically anything, they added more materials to make it a very strong ski, making it wonderful in every sense but flex.

Durability

After having skied an entire season with them in Banff I can say they are pretty durable.  While I ended up needing a minor core shot, it was due to my own stupidity skiing in an area with seemingly unreal amounts of fresh snow, but no base underneath. Needless to say I was practically skiing on the rocks themselves.  That was the only incident I encountered where I needed repairs on my skis, which makes me believe these skis can hold up pretty well in any conditions.  I recommend waxing them every 5-6 ski days just to keep them fast and protected.

• Terrain
  Park
  Pow
• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Flex
  Soft
  Stiff
• Camber
  Cambered
  Rockered
• Pop
  No Pop
  Poppy
• Stability
  Jittery
  Stable