2010/2011 Salomon El Dictator- The ski for skiers

[lemmycaution]

I am going to hold out for the 2011 Salomon "Despot"- I heard it is awesome.

[Long duc dong]

. Kaj seems pretty small, and he seems to manage them fine.

.

True, but Kaj would be considered a bit of an outlier.

[NBD87]

Alka I am stoked on these skis I have been skiing them In Crested Butte for the past 4 weeks and they kill it. Even on the massive ice bumps that have formed due to no snow. Unfortunately now backcountry because there was now way i was going to put the dukes on them.

[D(C)]

I got to try it today in spring conditions with a bit of wet accumulation on top. Here are my impressions:

This is ski is good at one thing - pointing it. They have a light feel on edge and are quite easy to bend into a carve and throw around while billygoating. I found they either like to slide sideways or be engaged into a long-radius carve, but small snappy turns are difficult. They have a smooth, damp feel and really come alive at speed in open spaces, but without the heavy, metal racy feel often associated with this genre of ski. Edge grip is solid but not crushing like a XXL or RC 112. They would be great for lighter people who want to make big turns. For my style, I found they lacked turn initiation, having a railroad tracky feeling, and would have liked more ability to be feathered into tighter, snappier turns and more responsiveness to short impulses in those situations. It feels like the energy is lost. These would be right at home demolishing big faces in Alaska but for resort with ugly entrances and bumped snow, they're too one-dimensional.

[D(C)]

To me I think this is the best comparison. They felt like a lighter RC112 to me, but I skied the both of them in very different conditions and I was also on the 189 RC112. But I really suspect the performance would be comparable.

okbye

I own the 188 RC 112 and tried the Dictators today. The dicators feel longer, softer, smoother and cruisier. The RC 112s feel shorter, stiffer, more responsive, more rockered and more jarring when hitting obstacles.

[The Dad]

Finally saw this now. Sick looking ski, Alka. Ver ver niiiiceee. <tm Borat>

[pow314]

how does the flex compare to say a moment m1?

[garyfromterrace]

Who cares - until salomon does right toward Dalton, no one should buy anything they, or the parent company Amer Sports, makes. Boycott!

[Vitamin I]

In April 2010, I handflexed and skied a mounted pair, and posted a review here. They handflexed like a stiff charger.

Yesterday, I handflexed an undrilled pair in Porters Truckee, and I could swear they handflexed WAY softer than before. Like medium. Hmmm... The graphics looked basically unchanged to me, but I didn't pay close attention to any possible graphics differences (so maybe they weren't 2010/2011 model?). I was sober both times, so maybe that's my problem...

.

[klauss]

Look like sick skis. I have yet to see a pair on our local mogul.

Brand new pair with sth 16s just went for a nice price on ebay. Thought I was going to walk away with them for a second.

[robnow]

In April 2010, I handflexed and skied a mounted pair, and posted a review here. They handflexed like a stiff charger.

Yesterday, I handflexed an undrilled pair in Porters Truckee, and I could swear they handflexed WAY softer than before. Like medium. Hmmm... The graphics looked basically unchanged to me, but I didn't pay close attention to any possible graphics differences (so maybe they weren't 2010/2011 model?). I was sober both times, so maybe that's my problem...

.

The local Salmon athletes I know who are all on the Dictator from last spring do not have the tip rocker it has now as well.

[klauss]

The local Salmon athletes I know who are all on the Dictator from last spring do not have the tip rocker it has now as well.

Alka did say that 50 or so of the first pairs came off the press sans rocker. Said they wer non-production, but did not say anything about the production versions being softer.

[powder11]

I'm looking at a pair of these that don't look very rockered at the tip. Is it really sublte rocker or should I notice a significant early rise? Maybe these are a sans rocker pair? Will take a photo and share later...

[DerekPersson]

I'm looking at a pair of these that don't look very rockered at the tip. Is it really sublte rocker or should I notice a significant early rise? Maybe these are a sans rocker pair? Will take a photo and share later...

The rocker is super subtle, it's more of a slight early rise for sure.

[altasnowbirdripper]

yep - the rocker is very subtle - the tips pretty much look like standard ski tips - the rocker is more evident when you flex the ski... damn sweet ski though, they motor through anything.... super stable, surfy and burly at the same time....

[dom_1080]

Any more recent thoughts on the ski? Got an opportunity to pick up a demo pair for cheap and have always liked what i heard about them, but after quite a bit of scouring around I have only found a handful of reviews, mostly here in this thread. (I've already sent a request for tip rocker photos to see if they were from the proper production batch).

[Altaholic]

Picked up these skis for $259 a few weeks brand new & got a killer deal on P18s, killer add to my quiver, really excited to shred JH on these. I'm stoked for a 1B charger for days with some pow/mixed conditions to add to my new Bluehouse Shoots 1A charger (days with more pow) I got for dirt cheap/new last spring, along with the rest of my insanely large quiver. Once again, thanks again to everyone who gave me feedback on these skis a few weeks ago.

[Moralkaka]

^^ Killer deal! Where might that be?

[JRainey]

It was at the Teton Village Sports, only one pair unfortunately. Great Deal.

[Altaholic]

Those were the ones I got at TVS, once I got a deal on P18s for $200 shipped, I could not resist. The Rocker2 115 has overthrown 'El Dictator' so it was now or never. I can see the point of Salomon 86ing the ski after two seasons, because you have to be a really good skier & being on point to shred on this ski, like how the XXL had only a four year shelf life. The Rocker2 can be a little more forgiving.

[JRainey]

What always appealed to my about the Dictator was that it was a big straight ski, but it seemed to have a more forgiving flex than others (xxl,squad, etc)

[Altaholic]

I'm stoked for that ski this season, to think that my 194 XXLs have been pushed down #3 in my quiver of my charging skis. Now if can just dump this winter so I can use my new Bluehouse Shoots & Salomon El Dictators all winter long. El Dictators were 86ed, so I knew was now or never.

[Altaholic]

After skiing these the past couple weeks in Teton Village, I love them. They are a great everyday charger for a place like Jackson Hole Mtn Resort from hardpack, to powder. My big stiff & flat tail rocker ski is my 191 Bluehouse Shoots (191 cm, 146-128-133mm) that I have rocked a few pairs since '08-'09, the El Dictator (194 cm, 139-114-124mm) is good everything else with very modest rocker & flat tail. I love the BH Shoots, sometimes they are a massively huge sledgehammer, the El Dictators are a medium size sledgehammer.

Don't wanna make this sound like spam, the El Dictator is no longer being made, get them now before they are gone forever. Cody Townsend/Alkasquawlik you designed a bad ass baller ski.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Didn't read this whole thing.
Please tell me someone has ripped the Dictator Chutes with these.

[rip]

To continue the 3yr old thread drift..

Are all these "charger" skis extinct now?

Dictators - done
RC 112 - done
XXL - done
Mothership - done
Movement Goliath - done

Looks like the ski companies have moved on, dirtbags who like these type of skis arent buying full pop from Christies on Mtn ski shop..

I think I remember Alka writing somewhere that he doesnt even ski his own model anymore..

I, like many other I am sure, have been feasting on these type of skis that you can pick up for a song in gearswap or a secondhand store.. but havent really been paying attention to whats currently replacing these skis.

I guess Kastle has the mx108, but off the top of my head I dont really know any others.

Funny to read in the old thread that I compared the Dictators to motherships, stirrin the pot i guess

What are you all skiing on now? Have you moved on to shorter and rockery-er? or still riding longboards?