Gear Review: Salomon Rocker2 115 Ski

[sidecountry]

Like to spend your time in lift-served backcountry? The Rocker2 is slightly skinnier than the Black Diamond Megawatt but has the same smooth, surfy-feeling ride in everything from champagne powder to three-day old snow piles that linger on the sides of runs after a big dump. The supreme floatiness comes from two things: an exaggerated rocker (“lift” which causes the ski to float by eliminating the amount of contact between ski and snow) in the tip and tail, and the lack of metal edges on each end of the ski, which allows it to glide through the fluff with no risk of hook up. A honeycomb construction in each end reduces the weight—and therefore the amount of oomph—it takes to swing the ski from turn to turn. Both tele and AT testers loved the energy they could pour into it without overpowering it, and many described it as a “fun, trustworthy ski” that excels at big, loopy turns and skidding your tails out behind you. But all agreed that when it came to lots of climbing—or multiday treks into remote backcountry—the Rocker2 felt “plankier” and heavier than the Megawatt, and is therefore more suited to spinning all-day laps out of the resort or doing car shuttles from the highway. $875; 10 lbs. (178cm); 168cm (139/111/131), 178cm (139/113/131), 188cm (139/115/131); salomonskis.com