While the S3 W felt solid enough to stand on and hold a fast GS turn, they were also incredibly responsive. This could be attributed to their wood core and softer, pin-shaped tail. The ski was poppy and fun, allowing me to make quick transitions with little lag. Since it is softer, I could really bend the ski in my turns and generate momentum on the flatter sections.
And when suddenly cut off by some reckless skier, I could quickly throw them sideways and scrub my speed. I ended my first day on the S3 W with a big smile, excited to see what else the ski had to offer in other conditions.
The next time I skied on the Rossi S3 W, the snow conditions were not as ideal. Still early season, the runs were groomed and soft with a dusting of snow; by mid-day it was pretty choppy with some soft bumps. While it is hard to find a ski that performs exceptionally in these conditions, I felt pretty uncomfortable in the chop. In medium to high speeds the stiffness and stability I had felt on the groomers was completely gone and the skis were floppy. I had to slow things way down. They skied okay at slower speeds, but I definitely would have liked them to be stiffer for these conditions.
Hopefully in the next month or so I will have the opportunity to ski the S3 W in some powder. I can see it skiing well in powder if it is not skied super aggressively. For these conditions though, I would probably want a longer length for more stability, especially since the actual tip-tail length is 164.7cm. And though its powder performance may be great, it is also important to remember that unless it is a bottomless day, which is certainly not every powder day, the ski should also be able to handle the inevitable choppy snow once the mountain has been tracked out. The S3 W can handle that, just not at medium to high speeds.
I was able to duck into the trees for a run, and though I only got a brief taste, the skis were really fun in the woods. They maneuvered well and were easy to execute short jump turns when needed.
It seems to me that the S3 W would be an ideal ski for an intermediate to advanced skier who isn’t going to charge too hard. However, I do feel I need to ski in more conditions to get complete picture. It is a fun, softer ski. It can rip if you want it to, but can’t handle the rougher sections without feeling like a noodle.
So if a slightly softer ski is what you’re looking for, this is certainly a good pick. I can imagine that with the S3 W’s high rocker tip and tail and spoon-shaped tip that it will float quite nicely. Now all we need is more snow, and I’ll let you know.
Go to Charlotte Dworshak’s 2nd Look at the Rossignol S3 W