What's the M/O mean?
What's the M/O mean?
I agree, the new Curv GT is much more traditional than the previous one and I agree "more" is a good word to compare it to some of the more commonly referred skis in the class. Ours has a 1*/2* tune and I imagine this ski woudl step up another level with a 1* or even .5* and 3* tune. Hmmmm, maybe I will drop it by Smoothrides for a freshening for a roung two of testing since the Curv GT will carry over to 2023 unchanged.Note that the Curv series was way over toward the race ski side of things. So this renewed series, although "detuned" a bit, are still "more" than many other similar skis.
To clarify, does your review apply to the 21/22 (new) or the 20/21 (previous series)?I agree, the new Curv GT is much more traditional than the previous one and I agree "more" is a good word to compare it to some of the more commonly referred skis in the class. Ours has a 1*/2* tune and I imagine this ski woudl step up another level with a 1* or even .5* and 3* tune. Hmmmm, maybe I will drop it by Smoothrides for a freshening for a roung two of testing since the Curv GT will carry over to 2023 unchanged.
Andy, what lengths were you on in these two skis? I'm asking because I've now been on both - only a couple runs each, and months apart - and I would have swapped your descriptions. My perception of the Curv GT was more in line with the ones Phil and Noodler have further down the thread - a serious ski that likes speed and longer turns. Stable but not nimble. Close to a race ski. The Blossom seemed like a great groomer ski that was very precise but not especially demanding. I was able to bend it with a little speed and to keep ahead of it easily. The Fischer I honestly found challenging and had to make a concerted effort to stay on top of things. (Could have been the conditions. Or my condition that day.) I was on the AM 77 @ 170cm and the Curv @ 168.Long Term Update: I took the The Curv (??) to Mt. Rose today for a few runs on some firm groomers that softened yesterday and froze a bit last night. There was enough wind to blow some fresh around on the surface and pile it a bit in spots. I also dropped off the edge into the unknown, which turned out to be fairly compacted deep powder that softened, froze, and had some wind effect "crust" on it. Throw in some small bumps and that made for half a dozen runs. The The Curv (??) handled everything quite well. On the groomers it held well, though transitions were a bit slower edge to edge than I anticipated probably due to the bit of tip rise that helps the ski work well in other conditions besides groomers; it doesn't pull you in as quickly as some other 76mm skis. However, pick up the speed and lay it over and you'll lay a respectable set of tracks. The RC4 makes for a very capable jack-of-all trades when conditions are starting to get skied out and there's not a lot of fresh deep to be had.
Not an official cage match, but I have the SkiTalk Sideral AM77. The dimensions are fairly close with the AM77 being a bit wider in the tip by 4mm, 1mm in the waist, and 1mm in the tail. The biggest difference is the AM77 skis every bit its length; there is no rise until the obligatory tip. The RC4 starts rising about an inch further back. It's not much but it's noticeable. Interestingly, the RC4's tail runs flat almost to the very end, with a little "flip" in the last inch and very little rounding on the sides. The AM77 has a little more tail rise and rounder edges coming into the tail. The Blossom has noticeably more camber and I'm also skiing the Vist Speedlock Pro plate on them. The AM77, IMHO, is more groomer oriented with some limited capabilities in other conditions, at least at my level/skill set. The RC4 is not as strong/powerful on the groomers but has a wider bandwidth across the frontside. Mounted flat without a plate, the Blossom's personality may be entirely different. I haven't skied it without the plate so I have no reference there. All in all, two different machines with different purposes that, while they overlap some, are different enough to have both in your quiver.
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Matchy matchy!
I was on my AM77 in 177 and the The Curv in 175. I'm also quite a bit heavier than you so that may play into the way the Fischer felt. I can bend it just by standing on it!Andy, what lengths were you on in these two skis? I'm asking because I've now been on both - only a couple runs each, and months apart - and I would have swapped your descriptions. My perception of the Curv GT was more in line with the ones Phil and Noodler have further down the thread - a serious ski that likes speed and longer turns. Stable but not nimble. Close to a race ski. The Blossom seemed like a great groomer ski that was very precise but not especially demanding. I was able to bend it with a little speed and to keep ahead of it easily. The Fischer I honestly found challenging and had to make a concerted effort to stay on top of things. (Could have been the conditions. Or my condition that day.) I was on the AM 77 @ 170cm and the Curv @ 168.
I am SO out of phase with some of these impressions on Fischer frontside models. One of the Ski Essentials reviewers said,The SkiEssentials review of the 2022 Curv GT seems to align with what is written here.
Huh? I skied both skis on the same day in the same length. I found exactly the opposite of what this person reported. Makes me wonder if s/he spent too much time reading the catalog and not enough time skiing.I found the 86 GT to be a heavier, more solid ski--mostly due to the thicker metal, while the Curv was quicker edge to edge, with a lighter feel and performance.
I am SO out of phase with some of these impressions on Fischer frontside models. One of the Ski Essentials reviewers said,
Huh? I skied both skis on the same day in the same length. I found exactly the opposite of what this person reported. Makes me wonder if s/he spent too much time reading the catalog and not enough time skiing.
To be clear, Ski Essentials has done well by me. And I thought both of the Fischer skis were very good and well tuned. But the Curv is WAY more ski than the 86 GT
The Curv has been a collection, GT, DTS ... .So I guess they reduced the waist width of The Curv for 2022? The previous model was 74 mm. That’s the one I found at the shop that is new but either 19/20 or 20/21.
So I guess they reduced the waist width of The Curv for 2022? The previous model was 74 mm. That’s the one I found at the shop that is new but either 19/20 or 20/21.
Right. I was referring to the 2017-2021 "RC4 The Curv (Booster)", which Blister reviewed here. That had a 74 mm waist. My impression was that the 2022 RC4 The Curv M/O is the replacement for that ski, but it has a 70 mm waist. So that's what I meant by "they reduced the waist width to 70 mm".
Wow. Talk about a perfect cruiser run.The Curv GT has fast become my favorite <85mm waist ski ever. It is my preferred tool for CO if I'm mostly skiing groomers. It has power and precision and just begs for more as you load it up.
This is the 2021 version in action. Come along for the ride and enjoy a beautiful CO morning...