Review: 10/11 Rossignol S3, 186cm (unchanged for 11/12)

**JFE24** · 10-12-2011, 08:13 PM

I get asked a lot about this ski, so figured it was time to consolidate some thoughts.

Maybe the most significant thing happening in this review is the discussion of why I think it is really misleading to call the S3 a "narrower" or "mini" S7.

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-re...ignol-s3-186cm

This TGR thread goes into a decent amount of discussion between the MOMENT PB&J & the Rossi S3, so if that's your main interest, I say more about the PB&J in the thread below than in the review above.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...PB-amp-J-188cm

**klauss** · 10-12-2011, 10:04 PM

Nice review. And I can see your point about there being more differences than width b/w the S3 and S7 with all that extra tapered tail on the S7. Haven't skied either though.

**D(C)** · 10-12-2011, 10:43 PM

Good review, and pretty accurate. What wowed me most about them was the groomer performance. However, one day in trackset PNW snow had me sending them out the door. They really perform poorly in hard chop, which for me is essential for a ski of that width. I should note that they work very well in tracked-snow in places with lighter, colder snow (I had them at Jay Peak and they were frickin awesome). If I lived more inland, I definitely would have kept them. But for Whistler they didn't do the job.

Have you skied the 4FRNT Turbo at all? I picked some up over the summer without knowing much about them but would love to see a review. I've tried them on some suncups and corn and they feel great so far.

**JFE24** · 10-13-2011, 01:08 AM

Hey, D(C)

Funny you ask - I spent one day this past spring on the 11/12 Turbo, 182cm...and it was the worst ski I skied all season. It was so bad, I'm really inclined to think that there was something wrong with the ski. They almost refused to turn, like they were overly cambered. Overall, I'd heard good things about them, and my review wasn't going to offer anything constructive. I'm sure I'll get on them again this season and this time, do a proper review. But something was off, and I chose instead to start testing another ski. It was all just really strange, and hopefully, an anomaly.

Glad to hear that your first impressions are really good.

**verbier61** · 10-13-2011, 02:16 AM

did you ever tried the scimitar? I'm just curious about this "narrower" S6...........

**JFE24** · 10-13-2011, 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by verbier61

did you ever tried the scimitar? I'm just curious about this "narrower" S6...........

I skied the old S5 last season (decent, conventional ski), but not the new S5 / Scimitar. But yes, in this case, I believe we can more safely claim a "narrower" S6. We ought to have a review of the Scimitar ready in the next 3-4 weeks.

**bean** · 10-13-2011, 11:43 AM

Solid review, exactly how I see them.

Now if I could figure out what role in my quiver they'll fill this year I could relax a little bit.

**Wunderkind** · 10-14-2011, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by D(C)

Have you skied the 4FRNT Turbo at all? I picked some up over the summer without knowing much about them but would love to see a review. I've tried them on some suncups and corn and they feel great so far.

I'm surprised to hear that JFE didn't like the Turbos. I love mine. I keep them up in Park City - so they rarely see bottomless Little Cottonwood days - but they are great for hard snow, excellent for chop, and they will float fine. My old VCTs, which were not the turbo, sank like boat anchors in pow. I also think I got an off version. Evidently the ski came out much less rockered than planned and that is why they popped up on all of the closeout sites last year. Still, I found that the great VCT shape combined with less camber and just a few mm of early rise worked great for me. I will try to put up a full review this year.

**JFE24** · 10-14-2011, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Wunderkind

I'm surprised to hear that JFE didn't like the Turbos. I love mine. I keep them up in Park City - so they rarely see bottomless Little Cottonwood days - but they are great for hard snow, excellent for chop, and they will float fine. My old VCTs, which were not the turbo, sank like boat anchors in pow. I also think I got an off version. Evidently the ski came out much less rockered than planned and that is why they popped up on all of the closeout sites last year. Still, I found that the great VCT shape combined with less camber and just a few mm of early rise worked great for me. I will try to put up a full review this year.

Yeah, and just to be really clear - I really think something was off the with the pair I was on. (They were a pair of 11/12 Turbos, not the older VCTs.) That's why I hadn't written anything about them. I'll definitely follow up this season.