2012-2013 Fischer Big Stix 110
Crud / Chop
In bumped-up chop, I would prefer either the Cochise or the MVP for flat-out maching down the mountain, but a light touch and more centered stance in chop gets the job done, especially for lighter skiers who don’t have the pedal hammered to the floor.
For flat-out raging, there are certainly better ~110mm skis out there (the Praxis MVP, the 11/12 Rossignol Sickle.) So if you want to ski the Big Stix 110 very fast in bumped-up terrain, you will need to be a pretty balanced skier. It’s not that there is some weird hinge point in the tail, it’s just that these felt fairly soft at high speeds in uneven conditions.
Personally, I prefer a stiffer ski, one that has a higher top end and will require a less centered stance in chop. But intermediate skiers and advanced skiers who like to carve, but also want to be able to release out of turns more easily will dig this ski.
And for that reason, I don’t think it’s accurate to “merely” call the Big Stix 110 a good intermediate ski. It’s certainly intermediate friendly, but, again, advanced skiers who like to carve but don’t care to rage down the mountain ought to have this ski on their radar.
Jonathan Ellsworth, la Pantalla, Las Leñas.
Pow
Given the Big Stix 110′s subtle rocker, it should come as no surprise that the Big Stix 110s don’t float and plane as easily as some more heavily rockered, ~110mm skis, like the DPS Wailer 112RP.
Coming down Pala de Vulcano making big, fast turns, I decided to see how just how much I could pressure the tips in some pretty wet pow. That wasn’t the smartest move; I was getting bucked a bit, then either sunk a tip or hit a rock under the snow, and a few somersaults ensued. But skiing these huge aprons after that, I just made sure to stay more centered, and all was well.
(Some Speculation about) Trees / Bumps
Given that there is zero tree skiing at Las Leñas, this is an odd thing to say, but I feel like the Big Stix could be a very good tree ski. They aren’t demanding, they are intuitive, they will carve when you need to make precise, quick turns, but you can slide the tails when you need to.
Bottom Line + Some Final Thoughts About Who This Ski Is For
The Big Stix 110 is a light ski that carves exceptionally well, and I think they will appeal first and foremost to people who like the idea of a subtly tip and tail rockered ski that will allow them to pivot a bit, but who don’t care to smear their way down the whole damn mountain.
The 110s aren’t what I would call a charger. These skis have a medium-medium/soft flex, so they don’t simply steamroll chop. In cut-up snow, the faster you’re skiing, the more centered and ready to absorb bumps you’ll need to be. But if speed isn’t your first priority, you will have an outstanding carver that will be fun all over the mountain and in 12-18″ of pow.
These are not difficult skis, and they don’t demand perfect technique. But I feel like the Fischer Big Stix 110 is a ski that will reward good technique, and allow skiers with great technique to push them pretty hard.
Could these work as an everyday ski out West? I think so. I’d want to get them into some real bumps at Taos before saying too much, but about the only thing that would make me hesitate would be trying to rage down Taos’ Juarez or Reforma.
I keep picturing intermediate and advanced East Coast and European skiers carving these up in trees, bumps, a foot of pow, and pretty much anything that isn’t off-piste, bumped-up, boilerplate. I could easily see pairing the Big Stix 110 with a narrower carver and calling your two-ski quiver complete.
So, if you’re a person who (1) loves to carve and use your edges (you know, like you were taught your whole life), (2) skis with some finesse, and (3) understands (or can imagine) that there are certain advantages to fatter, tip and tail rockered skis, then I think the Big Stix 110 deserves a very serious look.
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January 4, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Well I pulled the trigger on a these skis based, in part, on your review Jonathan. Couldn’t be happier at this point.
I was looking for a everyday lift-serviced ski. So basically 60% in-bounds or side country powder and 40% groomers. While I am a powder hound at heart, the unfortunately reality is that you have to get to the stashes and back to the lift. I picked these (mounted w/ Knee Carbon bindings) based on a couple of reasons: (1) my experience with the original Big Stix 106 and (2) review comments basically confirming this ski would be a good fit with my skiing needs and style. The original BS’s has the air carbon chassis and the new one maintains this. There’s something about this construction just clicks with me. Tried to love a pair of Dynastar Legend Pro 106′s as my everyday ride last year and they were a complete disaster.
This will become part of my two-ski quiver with the Big Daddys getting the nod on those “special” days. Got to ride the Salomon Rocker2/115′s for half a day in some decent “full bodied”, shin deep coastal AK powder. Put the Big Stix on for the afternoon on the excact same runs in the exact same snow – no comparision, the BS’s smoked the Rockers. The only plus factor for the Rocker2 was straightlining on the groomed runouts. Less edge contact made the skis less “squirrely” but then you have the obnoxious tip flap to deal with.
Keep the reports comings. Would like to hear about the BS 120s someday.
January 6, 2013 at 11:58 pm
Many thanks for the feedback, and glad to hear that these have been a good fit for you. We’ll see about those Big Stix 120s…
March 30, 2013 at 8:35 pm
I didn’t get these into any 12″-18″ of fresh, or even not so fresh pow, but I did get them into some mank and chop. Basically I really liked these skis a lot. I still own the original Fischer Atua 96, and these remind me very much of my Atua’s, which I still ski as my rock ski. I grew up with that carve technique, honed on 200 cm K2 GS skis as a 6′, and 140lbs noodle.
Having read your review, it pretty much sums up exactly what I was thinking about these skis. Although, I had no issus with the balance in the chop and crud. I guess part of that is my technique, and maybe a bit of the old Atua, just seemed to click with me. I had no issues skiing these in moguls. Certianly not as quick edge to edge as my Atuas. Nor as quick ast the Watea 106, which I think would make a good quiver pick, if you wanted to go with a bigger 115mm+ more powder specific tool.
I think at the end of the day, what I really liked about the Big Stix 110 was that natural medium flexing, light carving, crud busting ski. For it’s size it was a great carver. IMO better than the K2 Annex 108, or the Nordica Patron 185, which had that tip flapping issue.
I agree it does not go mach looney down the slopes like the Salomon Rocker 115, which they now call the Quest115. That is a stiffer ski, that has baiscally very little tip flap but can’t carve, or ski moguls like the Bix Stix 110.
April 4, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Thanks for the feedback. Really glad to hear how others found this ski. It’s an interesting one.
April 17, 2013 at 5:09 pm
Ordered myself up a pair of Big Stix 110′s. Thanks to all this new snow we are still getting in the PNW, I’m thinking I may still get these into some Cascade cement before the season is closed out! I’ll post more once I get a chance to get these into some real pow, and put a few thousand vert into them.