DOBERMANN SPITFIRE PRO EDT
DOBERMANN SPITFIRE PRO
124-72-107@170 cm | R 14 | $1,329 w/b
122-70-105@162 cm | R 13 | $1,219 w/b
If you enjoy the incredible lightness of skiing, take a ride on the Spitfire Pro. This butterfly of a ski darts in and out of turns, and if you need to make adjustments to the turn shape, just an easy flick of the feet can make it happen. While bigger boys might find it a bit squirrelly, the lightest tester called it “very exciting on harder surfaces” and rated it his favourite ski in the category. For light guys, incredible.
A true all-terrain vehicle roars with horsepower in the fast lane on the highway, but also smooths out the ride on a rutty back road. The Spitfire Pro is a true ATV, and testers loved being in the driver’s seat. Powder, bumps, hardpack, crud — whatever the surface, the terrain, or the turn shape, the ski adapts to meet the challenge. “A great all-round ski with a little racer kick,” summed up one tester. In other words, like an ATV with a Ferrari engine.
FIREARROW 80
FIREARROW 74
132-80-115@172 cm | R 15 | $1,329 w/b
126-74-109@156 cm | R 12.5 | $999 w/b
A great, all-mountain ski can be like a box of crayons, offering a bouquet of colours to match your mood with the variations of terrain and snow. The FireArrow 80 paints an especially pleasing picture when the slope is wide open and the snow soft, coupled with a look that appears to have drawn from the entire Crayola palette. “An all-purpose toy to keep all-mountain kids of all ages in smiles all day long,” wrote one tester. That’s a pretty picture.
Sometimes, figuring out a ski is a matter of doing the math. On the 156-centimetre length that was tested, the FireArrow 74 tapers 52 millimetres from a 126-millimetre tip to the waist. As a result, it produces a super-tight, 12.5-metre turning radius. Got all that? Maybe it’s simpler to follow the description of one tester, who called it “a lively, short-radius carver.” Add bountiful energy to those zippy numbers, and you’ve got a ski that dances deftly down the hill.
HOT ROD TEMPEST
PHENOM
127-80-111@170 cm | R 15 | $999 w/b
123-76-107@162 cm | R 13.5 | $899 w/b
You know the old expression: It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. The Hot Rod Tempest might be a lightweight, but it still packs a powerful punch. A wiggle of your toes, and the ski will change directions — it’s that easy. Yet as one tester put it, “it likes tough assignments.” Don’t be disconcerted by the hollow sound on hard snow — this dog remains obedient no matter what the surface.
Sometimes you ski like a guy, sometimes you ski like a girl. Sometimes you charge the mountain, just to show the boys who’s boss. At other times, an easy, sweetheart cruise can make your day. The Phenom allows you to be whichever skier you want to be. It can be a gracious, relaxed companion, or a muscular machine when you’ve got to bring your A game. Sweet forgiveness, caffeinated energy and spiffy good looks — a phenomenal combo.
JET FUEL I-CORE
INFINITE
126-84-112@170 cm | R 17 | $1,099 w/b
127-80-111@162 cm | R 13.5 | $999 w/b
Like good people, good skis are never phonies. They don’t pretend to be one thing when clearly they’re something else. The minute you step onto the Jet Fuel, it’s clear what you’re getting — an unpretentious, trustworthy, go-anywhere ski. Despite the name, it’s not a speed demon. Instead, take on any snow, terrain, or turn shape at moderate speeds, and it will perform the job with quiet confidence. “Easy to ski without getting any surprises,” wrote one tester.
Powder skiing isn’t always just about floating on the soft-snow surface. Getting a little kick at the end of one turn to launch into the next can add a little zest to a deep-snow run. Enter the Infinite, a ski that charges through big turns in deep snow and finishes everything with an energetic flourish. That energy also gives it a cool, racy feel when making GS turns on harder snow. A powder ski with a race-ski soul? Now that’s zesty.
DOBERMANN SPITFIRE
CONQUER I-CORE
122-70-105@170 cm | R 14 | $1,049 w/b
126-84-112@162 cm | R 15 | $1,099 w/b Amor omnia vincit is an ancient Latin phrase — love conquers all. Twist that around a little in this case, and here’s what
Skiing can be counterintuitive. Example: to turn right, put most pressure on the left ski. Another example: those who liked the heavy, stiff Dobermann Spitfire most were the two lightest testers. As one wrote, “It’s very demanding, but it gives back all the energy you put into it.” If you’re not on your game, warned another, these skis can be “wild horses.” You don’t have to be a lightweight — bigger testers liked this ski, too — but you’ve got to push hard for crisp, carved turns.
you get: All love the Conquer. The test team was all but tongue-tied in expressing their affection for this dynamic, do-anything powerhouse. “Love, love, love, want, want, want!” effused one enamoured tester, who liked how the combination of fat waist and big sidecut improved the ski’s versatility. This is a ski with no perceptible weaknesses. Put another way, the Conquer conquers all.
FIREARROW 74
FIREFOX
126-74-109@172 cm | R 14.5 | $999 w/b
122-70-105@154 cm | R 12 | $1,049 w/b
The great painter Georges Seurat was the master of pointillism, a technique in which many tiny dots of many different colours come together to form a single, cohesive picture. The FireArrow 74 engendered many differing opinions from testers. For powerful skiers, for gentle skiers. Best for big turns, best for small turns. Soft-flexing, stiff. Often, that’s a result of differing artistic styles — how you ski the ski can determine who it’s best for. Still, most testers thought it was a true work of art.
OK, ladies — put a little pep in your step. The Firefox wants an engaged and energetic partner to dance down the hill with. Listless and tired just won’t cut it. That’s the nature of this beast — a ski aimed at skiers for whom muscular force trumps finesse. Be strong, and the result is, according to one tester, “a great snow connection. The more you put into the ski, the more you get.” Or for some, the more tired you get.
HOT ROD IGNITER TI
DRIVE
123-76-107@170 cm | R 15 | $899 w/b
123-76-107@154 cm | R 12 | $699 w/b
Hit the protein shakes before hitting the Hot Rod Igniter. Smaller testers found that a little extra muscle was required; as one 150-pounder wrote, “To appreciate it, you must have good legs.” But a bigger guy, bringing 194 pounds to the task at hand, commented, “No need to fight with it. Very flexible.” Big guys making big turns at big speeds will come away with big smiles. Little guys — well, there are other skis out there to light your fire.
Think of a modern dancer — a nimble and elegant mover, yet a ripped, toned athlete at the same time. The Drive is a ski that does so many things so well in combining the dichotomies of a dancer that one tester gave it perfect 10s across the board. It flows into turns with effortless ease, then holds on with a muscular grit. As one tester commented, “There is nothing soft and fluffy about this dancer.” Cue the music for elegant athleticism.
11 | SkiPress Ski Test’ 11
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