At the 2013 Outdoor Retailer All Mountain Demo, we got to try out a pair of the much coveted Salomon Rocker2 108 skis. For 2013/14, the skis will remain the same expect for new topsheet graphics. Despite the lack of changes to the line next season, I was excited to click my boots into a pair and take them for a ride at Solitude.
Conditions were a bit grim for a powder-loving, backcountry skier like myself, but they were perfect for racer-types and groomer-heads. As such, the snow was a true test of what the Salomon Rocker 2 108s were capable of, because if they could kick ass when it hasn’t snowed in 2 weeks, then they can ski just about anything.
Getting off the Eagle Express lift and skiing into the bumps off the main run above Sunshine Bowl, I immediately thought the skis felt slippery. In fact, the first left turn I made, my right ski slid out to the side. Ah ha… so they’re that kind of ski – the kind that will punish you if you get lazy and don’t direct them. Plus I’m not used to rockered tails, and I tried to finish my turn with the whole length of the ski. Lesson learned.
Knowing this and changing my technique, I found the Solomon Rocker 2 108 just killed it while ripping groomers. As long as I concentrated on my turns, the skis were super responsive and quick. In the choppy and hard stuff, I appreciated the much-touted swing weight which made them fun, even in hard bumps.
Overall, I’d put the Salomon Rocker 2 108 up there with the best all-mountain, “one-ski-quiver” planks on the market, and I’d love to try them out on a deep powder day to see how well they perform in the kind of snow they’re meant to shred.
The Salomon Rocker2 108 dimensions are 132/108/125. For more, check out www.salomon.com