Rossignol Hero Elite LT TI

[tomahawkins]

Shopping around for a sub 75mm, long radius ski and came across this with an R22 plate. Thoughts on this ski? It's not mentioned much here. I'm eyeing the 177 w/ 17m radius (I'm 6'1", 170 lbs). Would I like this as much as my Hero Athlete SL? Application is chalky steeps and bump lines.

 

[anders_nor]

I have a pair in 182, I find them a bit demanding and you need to bring your A game, I've been sent flying on them a few times. they are great on ice, but the tails like to catch and give you some "input" when coming to a stop, or scubbing speed

I dont like them as much as my hero SL

 

[Tony S]

Shopping around for a sub 75mm, long radius ski and came across this with an R22 plate. Thoughts on this ski? It's not mentioned much here. I'm eyeing the 177 w/ 17m radius (I'm 6'1", 170 lbs). Would I like this as much as my Hero Athlete SL? Application is chalky steeps and bump lines.

A friend has a pair and likes them a lot. He's an excellent technician but not a bump skier due to physiological issues. I haven't tried them, although I do have a lovely Rossi GS ski that makes me inclined to believe they're good.

Personally I can't imagine buying a ski like this for steeps and bumps. Its happy place is skiing arc to arc on hard snow. For most mortals that means blue runs, maybe easy blacks. Nothing I would call "steeps." If you're a strong accomplished racer, that's different, but in that case you probably wouldn't be asking hacks like us.

If the snow is nice enough for me to be interested in skiing bumps and steeps I'm going to be on something a little wider and significantly more forgiving. Admittedly local snow conditions might play a role here.

 

[tomahawkins]

After 80 inches of snow last week, Baker had a rain event that shutdown the mountain Tuesday and Wednesday. This often happens mid winter. Usually when the rains stops the temperature drops and everything turns to coral reef. Fortunately this time it stayed in the 40s, so when the lifts started back up today, the rain gave us Corn Snow in January! Rain is awesome -- sometimes.

Perfect conditions to try out my new Rossignol Hero Elite LT Ti: 177cm, 71mm underfoot, 18m radius, R22 plate with SPX Rockerace 15s.

Wow! These skis are fun! Flexing side by side with my Hero Athlete SLs, they felt perhaps a little stiffer and I was concerned this LT would be too long in the turn. Maybe it's their longer reach enabling more bend, because carving various turn shapes was comfortable and controllable. Of course they take a bit more speed to come online, but nothing scary and they were quite easy to release sideways to apply the brakes. Brushed short turns where enjoyable too.

I wanted to get these in the bumps, but everything today that was not groomed was heavy, a few inches deep, and super tail grabby. I ventured onto Honkers once, but embarrassed myself: the snow latched on to my right ski and wouldn't let go. I ejected and tumbled a few feet.

I haven't had my SLs out this year, but I think these suit my personality better: longer turns at a little higher speed. Then again, maybe I'm using the added stability of the longer length as a crutch. I need to spend more time on both of these narrow Rossi race skis. But it's hard when your home mountain snows 80 inches a week.

 

[tomahawkins]

Had a chance to compare my SLs with the Hero Elite LTs today. Conditions were a soft groomed layer over ice. Anything off the groomed trails was refrozen mank from the previous rain cycle. The soft snow quickly got scraped off and pushed to the sides leaving piles among flat sheets of ice. I spent the first couple hours on the SLs then switched over. My for skiing style and skill level, I definitely prefer the LTs over the SLs. I find the LTs more stable and I could easily modulate between short brushed turns and medium to long carved turns. In these conditions the SL were getting bounced around a lot; first by the 3" of reprocessed snow and then by the accumulating piles -- but this trouble is likely due to missing skill sets on my part. As the day progressed, soft moguls formed in a few places that were a hoot on the LTs: mini zipper lines, bouncing around, some mid air turns, launching from one bump, landing on the next. They are probably not ideal for large moguls, as I did notice the tails getting hung up on occasion, but I have no doubt these skis will make me a better bump skier (and groomer skier, and steeps skier, and race skier, ...).

Mt Shuksan under a glooming PNW sky today. Can't you just feel the ice scraping by under foot?