Ski Reviews

2023-2024 RMU Professor 121, 188 cm

Reviewer Username: Mark Danielson

Reviewer Height: 6’2″

Reviewer Weight: 205 lbs

Reviewer Experience Level: Expert

DAYS USED: 1 days

TEST LOCATIONS: Crested Butte

TEST TERRAIN: Softer groomers | Softer moguls | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain | Trees

TEST CONDITIONS: Softer, but not deep snow | Untracked powder (shallow) | Untracked powder (deep) | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

(0 = Terrible, 5 = Okay, 10 = Outstanding)

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 8/10

FORGIVENESS: 10/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Loose / Easy to Pivot & Smear?): 8/10

MANEUVERABILITY (How Quick / Low is the Swing Weight?): 7/10

STABILITY: 6/10

SUSPENSION: 5/10

EDGE HOLD: 8/10

PLAYFULNESS: 8/10

PLAYFULNESS (Open Ended):

A very loose tail, even loose in deep powder, which allows you to slash and spray for plenty of playful fun.

SKI LENGTH: It felt a bit too short (188 cm length tested)

THIS SKI’S IDEAL TERRAIN: Softer groomers | Low-angle, off-piste terrain | Fairly steep off-piste terrain | Very steep off-piste terrain | Trees

THIS SKI’S IDEAL SNOW CONDITIONS: Softer, but not deep snow | Untracked powder (shallow) | Untracked powder (deep) | Soft chop / pretty forgiving cut-up snow

WHAT TYPE(S) OF SKIER DO YOU IMAGINE WILL GET ALONG BEST WITH THIS SKI?

Experienced skiers who already know they want a ~120 mm waist ski with an exaggerated rocker tail, who want good all-around performance for all the traits most important for that category (e.g. float, loose tail, easy pivots, drifts & slashes, not catchy/hooky, etc.), and who are willing to accept a lack of premium performance in any of those traits (except for this ski’s forgiveness, which is INDEED supreme).

ARE THERE SIMILAR PRODUCTS YOU’VE SKIED THAT YOU CLEARLY PREFER? IF SO, WHY?

The old Salomon Rocker2 122 192cm was way heavier (>2600g) and was better suited for playfulness at much higher speeds than the Professor 121. And the old 2013 Atomic Bent Chetler 192cm just seemed more playful and exhilarating in so many scenarios, whether at slow speeds or high speeds.

PLEASE ELABORATE ON ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS SKI. FEEL FREE TO GO INTO DETAIL!

The Professor 121 is a surprisingly great ski that is not getting talked about enough. On snow, I felt some very impressive subtleties in the shaping & flex that lead me to believe that the RMU ski designers have refined their craft A TON since the first time I tried an RMU ski back in 2014.

Works great in untracked powder whether you choose to drive the tips, or use a more upright stance. But in deep soft chop, at medium and high speeds, this ski is best suited for an upright stance.

My ratings numbers for Stability and Suspension aren’t impressively high, but I think strong fast skiers will be able to clench their leg muscles and hold it together even at very high speeds.