- Joined
- Mar 5, 2017
- Posts
- 1,280
Philpug
Location: Mt. Rose
Size tested: 175cm
Conditions: Chalky
The outgoing RCOne 86 GT has a great following here on SkiTalk which made we wonder: What were we previewing a few years ago when we were at Fischer's HQ that they were looking to replace it with after basically one design run (with one graphic change)? When I saw images of the new The Curv 85 I was a bit skeptical. Then I saw the ski in person I could understand. When I got on the new ski, I was a believer. You see, the outgoing model with its multipoint tip, taper in the tail, and a multi radius sidecut in the middle was an exceptionally good ski. Unfortunately, exceptionally good does not rise that cream to the top. It takes more than that and I think Fischer realized that. The RCOne GT 86 was a Steadfast of a ski; it was a safe option for every day but never a "I gotta grab the RCOne today" ski. With the new The Curv GT 85, that will not be the case. I will have to look for reasons not to grab the ski, especially because I have other skis I need to ski too.
When I first got my hands on this new 85 mm ski there was something that felt immediately familiar with the shape. It is visually similar to one of our favorite skis of recent memory, the Salomon S/Force Bold. Trust us, that is a very good thing. The Bold was one of our favorite skis when it was offered. Now, while the The Curv shares some similarities with the Salomon, it is its own ski in the on-snow feel department and that also a very good thing. In an era of making skis more accessible (dumbing down, as some afficionados will claim), I think Fischer went away from that trend with the evolution of the The Curve from the RCOne 86. I felt the new incarnation is more purposeful than the old ski and that is good because there is always a cost for compromise. Commitment to a design shows character and, for the third (and last) time, that is a very good thing.
The on-snow feel of the The Curv GT 85 is solid and tenacious on the groomers. In the mixed conditions and bumps there was little loss in confidence. I think this has everything to do with the shape of the new ski. Moving from the tip back, you can see some of the new Ranger in the shape of the tip. It is more square than the old ski which extended the sidecut through the tip. It doesn't get jostled in the mixed snow. The round 15 meter mid body with its 3D radius worked well and the more square tail with less taper followed the rest of the ski nicely through the turn yet didn't get hung up in the moguls.
We are seeing a new plate from Tyrolia on the Fischers (and some other brands for this year). First of all, it is the same hole pattern, so for shops reading this, you will not need a new jig if you ever needed to mount or remount them. But more importantly, looking at the M-Track plate from the side, you will see that it is ramped back to front. That way, no matter what boot sole length the skier has, they will experience the same feel on the ski. This is something that we have been pushing for years. Regarding bindings, since Fischer has a relationship with Tyrolia, you will have a choice of the regular RSW12 binding or the ability to step up to the Protector, like we have done when we can.
Location: Mt. Rose
Size tested: 175
Conditions: cold leftovers from a small storm, scratchy groomers
It's been 4 weeks since I last skied after incurring a broken rib. Feeling good but not up to 100%, I got on the CURV GT 85 with every notion of taking it easy. That lasted about 100 yards. On the firm packed manmade with a dash of Ma Nature snow, the CURV GT is a blast. The tip shape draws you into a turn, but doesn't yank you. The fairly substantial camber keeps the tip and tail planted...unless you want to let go and slip some. The ski is quiet as the snow turns to scraped of hard Styrofoam, but doesn't lose grip.
I didn't head into bumps today but will eventually. After a morning of zipping around on the CURV, I'm impressed with this wide narrow ski at 85 underfoot. It is stable at the speeds I took it to and it is quite apparent the top end is still a way away.
Location: Mt. Rose
Size tested: 175cm
Conditions: Chalky
The outgoing RCOne 86 GT has a great following here on SkiTalk which made we wonder: What were we previewing a few years ago when we were at Fischer's HQ that they were looking to replace it with after basically one design run (with one graphic change)? When I saw images of the new The Curv 85 I was a bit skeptical. Then I saw the ski in person I could understand. When I got on the new ski, I was a believer. You see, the outgoing model with its multipoint tip, taper in the tail, and a multi radius sidecut in the middle was an exceptionally good ski. Unfortunately, exceptionally good does not rise that cream to the top. It takes more than that and I think Fischer realized that. The RCOne GT 86 was a Steadfast of a ski; it was a safe option for every day but never a "I gotta grab the RCOne today" ski. With the new The Curv GT 85, that will not be the case. I will have to look for reasons not to grab the ski, especially because I have other skis I need to ski too.
When I first got my hands on this new 85 mm ski there was something that felt immediately familiar with the shape. It is visually similar to one of our favorite skis of recent memory, the Salomon S/Force Bold. Trust us, that is a very good thing. The Bold was one of our favorite skis when it was offered. Now, while the The Curv shares some similarities with the Salomon, it is its own ski in the on-snow feel department and that also a very good thing. In an era of making skis more accessible (dumbing down, as some afficionados will claim), I think Fischer went away from that trend with the evolution of the The Curve from the RCOne 86. I felt the new incarnation is more purposeful than the old ski and that is good because there is always a cost for compromise. Commitment to a design shows character and, for the third (and last) time, that is a very good thing.
The on-snow feel of the The Curv GT 85 is solid and tenacious on the groomers. In the mixed conditions and bumps there was little loss in confidence. I think this has everything to do with the shape of the new ski. Moving from the tip back, you can see some of the new Ranger in the shape of the tip. It is more square than the old ski which extended the sidecut through the tip. It doesn't get jostled in the mixed snow. The round 15 meter mid body with its 3D radius worked well and the more square tail with less taper followed the rest of the ski nicely through the turn yet didn't get hung up in the moguls.
We are seeing a new plate from Tyrolia on the Fischers (and some other brands for this year). First of all, it is the same hole pattern, so for shops reading this, you will not need a new jig if you ever needed to mount or remount them. But more importantly, looking at the M-Track plate from the side, you will see that it is ramped back to front. That way, no matter what boot sole length the skier has, they will experience the same feel on the ski. This is something that we have been pushing for years. Regarding bindings, since Fischer has a relationship with Tyrolia, you will have a choice of the regular RSW12 binding or the ability to step up to the Protector, like we have done when we can.
- Insider tip 1: Like the other skis, just get the Protector.
- Insider tip 2: We will have these in out long term fleet, so expect updates throughout the season.
Location: Mt. Rose
Size tested: 175
Conditions: cold leftovers from a small storm, scratchy groomers
It's been 4 weeks since I last skied after incurring a broken rib. Feeling good but not up to 100%, I got on the CURV GT 85 with every notion of taking it easy. That lasted about 100 yards. On the firm packed manmade with a dash of Ma Nature snow, the CURV GT is a blast. The tip shape draws you into a turn, but doesn't yank you. The fairly substantial camber keeps the tip and tail planted...unless you want to let go and slip some. The ski is quiet as the snow turns to scraped of hard Styrofoam, but doesn't lose grip.
I didn't head into bumps today but will eventually. After a morning of zipping around on the CURV, I'm impressed with this wide narrow ski at 85 underfoot. It is stable at the speeds I took it to and it is quite apparent the top end is still a way away.
- Awards
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- Who is it for?
- Skiers who felt the RCOne was just too Midwest nice: "No, after you..." The resort skier looking for an 80-20 ski that has the chops to lay trenches when called upon but can just chug along when needed.
- Who is it not for?
- Those looking for a widebody frontside specific 85, the The Curv will dance off piste too ... but it wants to lead, so be ready to tango. If you don't like or haven't reached carving, you'll be missing out on the best part of this ski.
- Skier ability
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- Advanced
- Expert
- Ski category
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- Frontside
- All Mountain
- Ski attributes
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- Groomers
- Moguls
- Off Piste
- Trees
- Segment
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- Men
Specifications
- Available sizes
- 161, 168, 175, 182
- Dimensions
- 133-85-118
- Radius
- 15m@175cm
- Rocker profile
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- Camber with tip rocker
- Size Scaling
-
- Dimensions
- Construction design
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- All new
- Binding options
-
- System
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