Kessler skis anyone?

[icecoaster]

Has anyone ridden or even heard of Kessler skis? These guys own the snowboard racing market but I've heard great things about their skis, especially for front-side carving. Expensive though - 1,100-1,500 Euros.

I'm taking a trip to Europe this year and thought I might bag a pair and bring them home. Thought I'd tap into any experience here first.

http://www.kessler-swiss.com/

[ExoticSkis]

I have skied the Palmer-branded Kessler for a couple seasons now...a most excellent frontside carving tool.

I met and talked with Hansjürg Kessler at the ISPO show two seasons ago...he knows his geometry for carving turns and his skis (especially the custom versions with more glass or metal for mega-carving freaks) are highly respected in Europe. Excellent quality. Licensed by Head for their Palmer-brand in the USA. Not sure if any are coming into North America for this season or not.

Definitely try to hook up with a demo pair in Yurp if you want a very effective frontside ski that does not take olympic-level effort to ride.

Review and some pics:

http://www.exoticskis.com/forum/Defa...x?g=posts&t=79
and
http://www.exoticskis.com/forum/Defa...x?g=posts&t=12

[jerr]

I chatted to a shop guy this week who said these guys actually introduced rocker? This goes against everything I know and love about the inception of rocker/reverse camber skis. Is there any truth to these claims?

[ExoticSkis]

The Kessler "FLF" (Feels Like Flying) KST (Kestler Shape Technology) design has an "early rise" and traditional-nearly flat camber underfoot, and is a piste carver, so it's not really as pronounced as today's "rockered" skis with flat or reverse camber.....but it's gotta be one of the first skis I ever saw with a slightly "bent" tip behind the shovel. I remember the first time I skied it and looked down and saw spray coming from a few centimeters back from the shovel in a turn on the groomers and though "that's odd". I think Kessler is definitely one of the pioneers in rockered or early rise skis...but who knows if they really introduced it....bottom line is he makes some ki.cking skis for carving that give me a wicked grin every time I get back on them. Brilliant design and excellent quality, and a really nice guy who knows his snowboard and ski geometry inside and out.

[MnO_____]

Bogner skis of Switzerland was really early with tip rocker. If I remember it right they had it in their line allready 03/04. 04/05 they for sure had it. However it was on narrow pist skis up to almost midfat 75-85 mm skis. Since Kessler also is a Swiss company, maybe they have something in common.

[Kim Jong-un]

I'm not sure who invented rocker but I do know this:

1. Al Gore invented the internet
2. I slammed into a mogul field in the mid 90's with a pair of GS skis and rockered them pretty good. Unfortunately I never patented them.
3. Piste carving is for guys from CT and Metro NYC that wear coordinated Spyder outfits with fake sponsor patches on them.

[marshalolson]

The Kessler "FLF" (Feels Like Flying) KST (Kestler Shape Technology) design has an "early rise" and traditional-nearly flat camber underfoot

^^^ this was developed in 2005^^^

so it might be one of the first application of the concept to carving skis.