Great review. I own these in 188, mounted at minus one. Agree about 100% with everything you guys have written.
My only caveat is that at 195 pounds, I find them plenty quick when needed, though they always seem to be begging to go faster — in a good way.
It is SO nice to have a traditional feeling “pow carver”!
Deep dive still coming? I get the impression that the Ranger 102 has impressed quite a bit, but I don’t get that same impression about the 115, or am I wrong?
I got to try out the 19/20 115 and I liked it a lot. I haven’t skied the 18/19 so don’t have authoritative comparisons to make. I will say that the 19/20 was surprisingly smeary. I did some playing around with the mounting point and like it best 1 cm back from recommended. It’s still a competent carver. It felt really light and nimble and *fun.* I got to ski >10 skis in this, as you say, competitive ~115 class, and this one was right up there.
Wasn’t even looking for new skis, but I got a very sweet spring clearance deal last year on a pair of 115 FRs in the 196 length. Mounted them with Looks at the recommended point. I believe they are the 2018-2019 version based on the graphics.
I’m a big guy (6 foot 240 pounds) and like big skis. I was hoping for something that kept the stability of my Liberty Variant 113 193s but with a double rocker to make them a bit more maneuverable in trees, cut up crud and if unavoidable, bumps.
I didn’t ski on them for the first few months of the season because I was waiting for a powder day that I never hit. Finally pulled them out on a Spring groomer/cruiser day because why not. Haven’t put them away.
These are exactly the ticket. Love them. They rail. I’ve had them over 60 mph on the groomers without feeling a speed limit. Absolute stability. Off the groom on cut up crud, windblow, and semi-set up pillows, they are rock solid — stomp on them and they go where you want to go.
They even have some nice spring and you can bounce them turn to turn if you maintain a little speed. And you can butter them a bit if you want, though that’s not really their thing.
For being big water ski looking things, they are surprisingly light and quicker from edge to edge than I expected or dared to hope. I love my Variants for high speed cruising, but they are hard work in tighter quarters and miserable in the bumps. These maintain the cruisability but are also the funnest ski in mixed conditions that I’ve had for a long time. They remind me of a slighter larger, faster version of my old Surface Live Frees (the skis that opened my eyes to what fat skis could be and were skied to oblivion before being handed to friends and converting them to fat skis).
Unfortunately, I have not had them in any powder yet. But they float very nicely on the few loose areas I’ve been able to find. Based on what they do in three or four day old crud (unlucky year for me), I’m very confident they’ll perform just fine in the pow.
Highly recommend.
Picked up a pair of 178’s in the first round of pandemic sales in 2020. Did not get to ski them until this season, and I am loving them.
They are destroyers of chopped powder and west coast cement, carve up groomers for breakfast, and are surprisingly nimble in tight spaces. After 5 days of Whistler/Blackcomb mixed conditions, I am having a hard time remembering my life before these rangers landed on my feet.
They do prefer bigger turns, but can be maneuvered through the bumps. I have found the low feeling swing weight to make them very controllable and fun in the trees.
They are not the fastest edge to edge, but this is to be expected. They are stable at speed, and encourage you to push them.
The Ranger 115 FRs have quickly become my ski of choice for almost every day on the hill.
Great review. I own these in 188, mounted at minus one. Agree about 100% with everything you guys have written.
My only caveat is that at 195 pounds, I find them plenty quick when needed, though they always seem to be begging to go faster — in a good way.
It is SO nice to have a traditional feeling “pow carver”!
Deep dive still coming? I get the impression that the Ranger 102 has impressed quite a bit, but I don’t get that same impression about the 115, or am I wrong?
I got to try out the 19/20 115 and I liked it a lot. I haven’t skied the 18/19 so don’t have authoritative comparisons to make. I will say that the 19/20 was surprisingly smeary. I did some playing around with the mounting point and like it best 1 cm back from recommended. It’s still a competent carver. It felt really light and nimble and *fun.* I got to ski >10 skis in this, as you say, competitive ~115 class, and this one was right up there.
Wasn’t even looking for new skis, but I got a very sweet spring clearance deal last year on a pair of 115 FRs in the 196 length. Mounted them with Looks at the recommended point. I believe they are the 2018-2019 version based on the graphics.
I’m a big guy (6 foot 240 pounds) and like big skis. I was hoping for something that kept the stability of my Liberty Variant 113 193s but with a double rocker to make them a bit more maneuverable in trees, cut up crud and if unavoidable, bumps.
I didn’t ski on them for the first few months of the season because I was waiting for a powder day that I never hit. Finally pulled them out on a Spring groomer/cruiser day because why not. Haven’t put them away.
These are exactly the ticket. Love them. They rail. I’ve had them over 60 mph on the groomers without feeling a speed limit. Absolute stability. Off the groom on cut up crud, windblow, and semi-set up pillows, they are rock solid — stomp on them and they go where you want to go.
They even have some nice spring and you can bounce them turn to turn if you maintain a little speed. And you can butter them a bit if you want, though that’s not really their thing.
For being big water ski looking things, they are surprisingly light and quicker from edge to edge than I expected or dared to hope. I love my Variants for high speed cruising, but they are hard work in tighter quarters and miserable in the bumps. These maintain the cruisability but are also the funnest ski in mixed conditions that I’ve had for a long time. They remind me of a slighter larger, faster version of my old Surface Live Frees (the skis that opened my eyes to what fat skis could be and were skied to oblivion before being handed to friends and converting them to fat skis).
Unfortunately, I have not had them in any powder yet. But they float very nicely on the few loose areas I’ve been able to find. Based on what they do in three or four day old crud (unlucky year for me), I’m very confident they’ll perform just fine in the pow.
Highly recommend.
Picked up a pair of 178’s in the first round of pandemic sales in 2020. Did not get to ski them until this season, and I am loving them.
They are destroyers of chopped powder and west coast cement, carve up groomers for breakfast, and are surprisingly nimble in tight spaces. After 5 days of Whistler/Blackcomb mixed conditions, I am having a hard time remembering my life before these rangers landed on my feet.
They do prefer bigger turns, but can be maneuvered through the bumps. I have found the low feeling swing weight to make them very controllable and fun in the trees.
They are not the fastest edge to edge, but this is to be expected. They are stable at speed, and encourage you to push them.
The Ranger 115 FRs have quickly become my ski of choice for almost every day on the hill.