I tried the Rossignol Hero Elite ST Ti's (167cm) and Head E-Race Pro's (170cm) this weekend at Tremblant's Super Demo day.
The conditions were far from ideal for both skis - About 5-10cm of fresh heavy snow which caused the runs to soon become filled with random piles of snow and later moguls. With the runs being choppy it was hard to rack up any sort of speed or try longer radius turns. I was able to try short radius turns and was surprised by how smooth / unique the Rossignol's rebound energy is. I have never felt anything like them, they are very playful and responsive to pressure applied throughout turns. They felt very rhythmic and smooth. Not the same smoothness that I have with my Stockli Laser SC's (170cm), but they felt more playful which is to be expected given the 68mm underfoot vs the 72mm for the Laser SC's. The the Hero Elite ST Ti's rebound feels "lighter", as in my feet did not feel as glued to the ground as they do with the Laser SC's. The Laser SC's have a smoother feeling throughout the turn with easier turn initiation and are also better in mixed conditions, but the Rossignol's felt lively coming out of turns as if there were small / plush trampolines on each side of the turns that respond to how hard you push into them, very impressive. Please keep in mind that I only did 1 run with the Rossignol's in far from ideal conditions, yet I was impressed by what I described above.
I did 2 runs with the Head E-Race Pro's and they were my least favorite. I believe they are the stiffest of the three, and their construction did not help. Brushed short radius turns the tail wanted to catch in the heavier snow / bumps. I can tell they have potential to hold an insane edge on hard pack. They did not feel as fluid as the Rossignol's or the Stockli's. I would like to try these again in conditions more suited to the ski.
I'm curious to hear your thoughts / comparison of the 3 skis listed above. In particular the Rossignol's, as I might look into getting a pair at the start of next season.
The conditions were far from ideal for both skis - About 5-10cm of fresh heavy snow which caused the runs to soon become filled with random piles of snow and later moguls. With the runs being choppy it was hard to rack up any sort of speed or try longer radius turns. I was able to try short radius turns and was surprised by how smooth / unique the Rossignol's rebound energy is. I have never felt anything like them, they are very playful and responsive to pressure applied throughout turns. They felt very rhythmic and smooth. Not the same smoothness that I have with my Stockli Laser SC's (170cm), but they felt more playful which is to be expected given the 68mm underfoot vs the 72mm for the Laser SC's. The the Hero Elite ST Ti's rebound feels "lighter", as in my feet did not feel as glued to the ground as they do with the Laser SC's. The Laser SC's have a smoother feeling throughout the turn with easier turn initiation and are also better in mixed conditions, but the Rossignol's felt lively coming out of turns as if there were small / plush trampolines on each side of the turns that respond to how hard you push into them, very impressive. Please keep in mind that I only did 1 run with the Rossignol's in far from ideal conditions, yet I was impressed by what I described above.
I did 2 runs with the Head E-Race Pro's and they were my least favorite. I believe they are the stiffest of the three, and their construction did not help. Brushed short radius turns the tail wanted to catch in the heavier snow / bumps. I can tell they have potential to hold an insane edge on hard pack. They did not feel as fluid as the Rossignol's or the Stockli's. I would like to try these again in conditions more suited to the ski.
I'm curious to hear your thoughts / comparison of the 3 skis listed above. In particular the Rossignol's, as I might look into getting a pair at the start of next season.