ELAN SLX FIS WORLD CUP PLATE vs. ROSSI HERO FIS SL

[Vicmoto]

Dear all,

I have been struggling for a couple of years with the Rossi Hero FIS SL. I believe that it is too much ski for my skills. I have problems managing the (normal) reaction of the skis when I move into the backseat. I moved the bindings ½ inch forward and the problem has partially solved, but I still have a feeling of unease at the back of my mind.

The obvious answer is “don’t go into the backseat” Believe me, I’m actively working on this too…

I tested my wife’s Atomic S9 FIS (157cm) and I felt more comfortable. Actually, I even managed to score a good result in our beer league with them. For reference, the gates in the beer league where we race are set quite close. We share the course with U14/U16 and for the daddies like me (I’m 51) it is not rare to get a bib beyond #200….

I’ve found a good offer for the ELAN SLX FIS WORLD CUP PLATE. I tested the FUSION non-FIS model some time ago and I found them quite playful. Surely not a rocket as the Rossi but quite nice.

I’m seriously considering changing my Rossi HERO FIS for the ELAN FIS World Cup Plate. The idea is to have something a bit more forgiving for those moments when I need to recover line and stance in a SL course.

All in all I believe that the change could cost me a couple of hundred bucks. Any comments/ideas/experience?

I’m also thinking to get the same model (in 157cm) for my 15 years daughter. She turns 16 in October and needs to move from her current “ROSSI SL Junior” skis to adult skis. I fear that that gap between her current junior skis and the women FIS may be too big. Her current SL juniors are very light and bend like chewing gum. Maybe that the ELAN will allow her to progress more gradually…?

I know that there are many other ski brands out there but we don’t have the possibility to try them out so I prefer to reduce the options.

Comments and advice are welcome!

Thanks for reading

 

[François Pugh]

I would try it.

 

[ejj]

For your daughter—consider the Fischer FIS 155. It’s one of the softer adult skis.

 

[ScotsSkier]

ma

.........

I tested my wife’s Atomic S9 FIS (157cm) and I felt more comfortable. Actually, I even managed to score a good result in our beer league with them. For reference, the gates in the beer league where we race are set quite close. We share the course with U14/U16 and for the daddies like me (I’m 51) it is not rare to get a bib beyond #200….

.........

Comments and advice are welcome!

Thanks for reading

you struggle with your 165 but you were more comfortable with your wife's 157........I think the answer is pretty clear, you are asking the wrong question! think about length, not brand........

 

[Vicmoto]

you struggle with your 165 but you were more comfortable with your wife's 157........I think the answer is pretty clear, you are asking the wrong question! think about length, not brand........

You're right. I thought that the brand (=stiffness and build) was more important than the size. For some strange reason, I felt "compelled" to use the FIS size for men. Since there are no rules about size in this league I should consider downsizing.

Actually one of my fellow competitors in the local beer league is now on Fischer SL in women size. Maybe that's the right move. Since all races have been cancelled this season I will have to wait for the next one to check if that's working for him.

Thanks for the advice

 

[bbbradley]

I ski on "women's length" FIS SL skis for our beer league (held on a *very* small hill!), and they work well, though I do plan to upsize in the near term. For the record i am 85kg and 1.85m and a former collegiate racer that thinks he can still turn 'em.

 

[ScotsSkier]

It is pretty common for older (55+) and smaller masters racers to be on the 157/158 fis slalom ski (the ski doesn’t know or care which of the 59 sexes you identify as). and when strong racers like pepi Neubauer with several masters FIS globes are on the 157 you can be assured that the ski is more than capable. Personally despite my advancing years I still prefer the 165 because for me it makes the recovery a little bit easier if I get thrown back. I have alienated back and fore several times in the past with the 157 but came back to the 165. But, I do plan to test again on the 157 next season.

 

[bbbradley]

Personally despite my advancing years I still prefer the 165 because for me it makes the recovery a little bit easier if I get thrown back.

These are a couple (lousy) screen grab sequences from a few years back, but one is back seat on 158s the other is back seat on 165s. Guess which run I kept the skis underneath me all the way to the finish?

 

[Vicmoto]

These are a couple (lousy) screen grab sequences from a few years back, but one is back seat on 158s the other is back seat on 165s. Guess which run I kept the skis underneath me all the way to the finish?

From the pictures, it seems that the 165s behaved more nicely than the 158s.
But then, what's the gain in having shorter skis? Obviously that they are more agile at the gates but if they are more difficult to handle when you're thrown back... all the gain is lost. Unless you're good enough to maintain the stance throughout the course, in which case maybe that the 165s are the right choice
Going back to the question that opened the thread, what about the option of "less demanding" skis such as the Fischer or the ELAN?
Maybe that the right choice for a no-so-good-skier-who-goes-in-the-back-seat-from-time-to-time is to get these less demanding skis in women length?!

 

[ScotsSkier]

From the pictures, it seems that the 165s behaved more nicely than the 158s.
But then, what's the gain in having shorter skis? Obviously that they are more agile at the gates but if they are more difficult to handle when you're thrown back... all the gain is lost. Unless you're good enough to maintain the stance throughout the course, in which case maybe that the 165s are the right choice
Going back to the question that opened the thread, what about the option of "less demanding" skis such as the Fischer or the ELAN?
Maybe that the right choice for a no-so-good-skier-who-goes-in-the-back-seat-from-time-to-time is to get these less demanding skis in women length?!

While the pictures are a good example of what can happen, note that these are taken in a dual slalom/beer league course that looks like it is set at probably 15-16m with a reasonable;le bit of swing so @bbbradley is carrying a fair bit more speed than a racer at this level would in a slalom course. You also mentioned that the slalom course you are racing are shared with U14/16s so i suspect they are set down around 9-11m. For reference USSA Masters slalom sets are 10-13m and I will typically set at 11-12. Where the 165 is definitely a bit more fun is for free-skiing. However if your primary objective for these skis is to improve your slalom skiing in gates I suspect the 157 would be a better bet, especially if as you say your running down around bib#200!! The 157 will be a bit easier to navigate trough the ruts at this stage. one caveat though, you have not told us your height/weight which may also influence the decision (and even the brand) .

 

[Vicmoto]

While the pictures are a good example of what can happen, note that these are taken in a dual slalom/beer league course that looks like it is set at probably 15-16m with a reasonable;le bit of swing so @bbbradley is carrying a fair bit more speed than a racer at this level would in a slalom course. You also mentioned that the slalom course you are racing are shared with U14/16s so i suspect they are set down around 9-11m. For reference USSA Masters slalom sets are 10-13m and I will typically set at 11-12. Where the 165 is definitely a bit more fun is for free-skiing. However if your primary objective for these skis is to improve your slalom skiing in gates I suspect the 157 would be a better bet, especially if as you say your running down around bib#200!! The 157 will be a bit easier to navigate trough the ruts at this stage. one caveat though, you have not told us your height/weight which may also influence the decision (and even the brand) .

Sounds very convincing!!! It's true that the gates in our courses look tighter than the one seen in @bbbradley's race. I have uploaded a video with the typical set for our SL races below. As you can see the snow is not top quality and the racer only wears bib#66. By the time it was my turn (bib #144) the course looked like a mogul run.
My objective with these skis is indeed to improve my slalom in gates. For free-skiing I prefer my cheaters GS (Rossi Hero 19m)
For reference my height/weight is 1.72cm/76kg (5.7/167)... yes, I know, I have to lose some pounds
Thanks to all for your advice. It is very useful.

 

[anders_nor]

we have quite a few men here skiiing "womens" ski lengths for misc non official racing stuff, both sl and gs.

 

[Vicmoto]

Thanks a lot for your comments and advice. In the end, I will give it a try with the FISCHER RC4 WORLDCUP SL M/O-PLATE in 158cm for me and 155 for my daughter. They are around 800$. It may not be the cheapest option but they are the only ones in my area where you can choose stiffness (standard/medium/stiff). I will go for the softer ones. In case they were too soft for me, although I doubt it, I can pass them on to my wife and take her Atomics S9 FIS 157cm. She might appreciate the change.
I will come back to the thread in December to report the outcome (or in July if I manage to get to Tignes as I did last year

 

[Swede]

It's not a bad idea to go short in SL. Don't think Elan is necceserily easier going than a Rossi, different feel for sure. For 200 dollars ... you can probably afford it. Why not? Try it..
For your daughter, is she on the U16 150 cm Hero FIS now with the big plate? If not that is a nice stepping stone towards the 155 cm, wich is the normal women's FIS length. A few manufacturers added 157 and/or 158 to the confusion, but 155 is the "normal" women's length