We kicked off the announcement of our lineup with the Atomic Automatic. And now…
2012-2013 Salomon Rocker 2, 115 — 188cm (139-115-131)
It was hard to miss the buzz about the Salomon Rocker 2 last season. You probably saw it in edits and film segments, maybe ogled it in shops, and likely heard some rave reviews. Feeding off the original, powder-oriented Rocker 2’s success last year, Salomon has created an entire Rocker 2 line for 2012-2013.
Last year’s 122mm Rocker 2 is unchanged for this season and remains the “parent” ski for the line, while the new 115 is the the big-mountain charging version.
From an initial hand flex, the 115 doesn’t seem scary stiff. But Cody Townsend gave up his 194cm AK board—the El Dictator—for the 115. If the 115 is burly enough for Cody, we expect it to do well against just about anything Las Leñas can throw at it.
The 115 sports a substantial tail with minimal rocker—about half of what’s found on the 122—and very little taper relative to the shovel (only 8mm).
We’re interested to see how the 115 compares to the Atomic Automatic, which has more of a pin-tail shape and a touch less sidecut. Comparing the skis’ tail profiles and dimensions alone, we expect the Automatic to be better suited for high-speed slashes and perhaps more responsive on groomers, while the 115 may be more predictable and stable in firm and variable conditions….We shall see.
The 115 looks like it’s built for the core, hard-charging crowd, but the devil’s in the details. The 115 doesn’t flex crazy stiff, so we are extremely curious to find out exactly how hard-charging, how demanding, or perhaps how playful these things really are.
And remember, there’s a whole Rocker family to pick from. While we put in laps on the 115, we’re also going to take a look at a narrower, more versatile model from the Rocker 2 line. (Stay tuned for that write up.)
NEXT: Kästle XX110 West
Great story. I agree that it should be published.