Madshus vs. Fischer vs. Rossi

Does anybody have any direct experience comparing models from the big 3 in Nordic BC?

For example a Madshus Annum is similar to a Fischer S-Bound 112 is similar to a Rossi BC110 in terms of widths.

I've never had the pleasure of comparing anything but the skinny models i.e. Madshus Glittertind vs. Fischer E99 vs. Rossi BC65 and BC70.

I find I like the Madshus the best in terms of skiing with a close second going to the Fischer.  My wife has E99s and I have Glittertinds.  The quality of the Fischer is truly superior.  It has a better base, nicer edges, and better lamination.

The Rossi's were OK - not good enough that I'd buy a set but they skied fine.  Scale pattern was definitely lacking compared to the other two.  I also felt they were too stiff for a BC ski.  Skied more like a traditional XC ski.

So is all that extra money for the Fischer because they are built in Europe with better materials or is there some performance advantage?  Rossi's are pretty expensive as well, but I feel they lack quality and performance over the other two.

SBR has some Fischers.. And yes they are a nicer construction than the Madshus' or Rossi's.  As for a skiing comparison, well maybe that's not as cut and dry.  The Fischers have what they call Nordic Rocker.  Which as far as I can tell is just a fancy marketing name for a soft tip.  They do have LOTS of camber.  So they kick and glide pretty good (for a fish scaled ski).  They require a bit of conscious weighting and unweighting to turn in soft snow/powder.  Old school style.

I have the Karhu Guides, which are now sold as the Madshus Annum.  They are lighter than the Fischers, with less camber underfoot, and are soft tip and tail and torsionally.  Which means they love pow, but scream in protest on anything resembling hard pack or crust.  

A friend has some older Rossi BC 110's, (non rockered), I have not tried them, but they seem capable both in soft snow and firmer conditions - so basically, a happy median between the other two skis.

Hope this helps.  I think there's also reviews of all these skis on the Earn Your Turns site.

TD

I'm here to post in this important thread.  With luck it will become a classic and piss off Noah John.

Seriously I have nothing to add.  I have the Rossi BC 110s and to me they are a hell of a lot of fun.

But I did no comparison shopping and bought them mostly because my local (in the Adks) nordic ski shop was carrying a full selection of sizes in Scarpa T4s. I was so pumped they did that, I bought a complete set. T4s, the Rossis and Voile Switchback.

Shaman gives me shit because I touring the Switchbacks better in non-tour mode.

Sounds like you've got a nice ski Harv.

Thanks Mr. TD.  That's the best comparison I've ever heard even though it was based on a bunch of different people's opinion.  I would have loved to demo all three but even so unless I did a few different trips and got a few different types of snow I probably would have formed a biased opinion.

My opinion on the Rossi was only based on two touring focused models but it seems the trends push on through the line.  My Madshus skis are the softest and lightest of any.  The Fischer has tons of camber and tours great.  And well the Rossi's I tried were stiff, stiff, stiff and edged pretty good for a skinny ski on packed down trail.

The great things is I never really plan on skiing my Epochs or Annums on anything hard.

Don't let that Darkside dude get to you Harv.  Next thing you know he'll be claiming to be your father... And calling you Luke.


Actually I tend to not use tour mode on my switchbacks either.  I think if you pair them with a softer flexing boot - like your T4's - you really don't need to be in your mode unless your slogging straight up a steep track.  Schwacking through the woods in deep snow in tour mode feels WAAAY too floppy for my taste.  

that's the nice thing about it.  You don't need to use it, but it's nice to have in a pinch.  

Sorry for the thread drift, Mike (Harvey pushed us off course...)

I've never used SBs but I can't imagine touring with the floppy pivot.  My whole touring technique relies on some resistance in the flex.  Also another reason I hate NNN bindings.

I suppose if you are racing or need your tips to rise up climbing in deep snow the free pivot is the cat's ass, but I prefer the feel when I'm giving the kick.

Mike, I've skied the Fischers briefly, but enough to make my comparison to the Annums.  And from the sounds of it, you concur.  

The next step for you would be to take it to the next level.  Rockered fat waxless BC skis for the win.
Total game changers, for every part of the game.  Win, win, win.  
Check out the still on going Voile Charger love thread.  And make no conclusions or judgement until you try some.  

You can thank me after.  

Cheers

TD

Mike - yes, tour mode is useless for traditional kick and glide.  A skier with a sound nordic background in classic style skiing will not need tour mode on any approach, or even any pitches that are able to be climbed on waxless patterned skis.  If you have to bring out the skins, well then maybe tour mode.  

My 2 cents

Telemark Dave wrote

Mike, I've skied the Fischers briefly, but enough to make my comparison to the Annums.  And from the sounds of it, you concur.  

The next step for you would be to take it to the next level.  Rockered fat waxless BC skis for the win.
Total game changers, for every part of the game.  Win, win, win.  
Check out the still on going Voile Charger love thread.  And make no conclusions or judgement until you try some.  

You can thank me after.  

Cheers

TD

I've been eyeing the chargers for next season. I don't own a pair of waxless skis and I am getting a little tired of the off and on with skins.

Oh they are on my radar.  I'm slowly moving towards more dh orientated BC skis.

I'm a tourer at heart who also happens to Alpine ski.  Eventually everything will merge and I'll be dropping my knee all over.

Last year I never thought I would have bought a set of Annums (but for $200!!! I had to!).

So next year you never know...

Ok, now the Darkside Shamen should appear...he's the original Charger Pimp.  

Mike:  - Last winter, SBR and I did a BC tour, with minimal turns in mind.  I was on the Charger BC's, he was on his Fischers.   I waited for him after uphills, after flats, and after downs.  

Im pretty sure he pulled the trigger on his Charger BCs the very next day.  

P-Tex:   See above ^^^^^

TD

Click here and for a little comparison:
http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Tales-from-the-Hinterland-2012-13-edition-tp4021664p4025070.html

The Fischers are an awesome touring ski with good turning capability. The Chargers are an awesome pow ski with the ability to climb. What is important to you?

Harvey wrote

I'm here to post in this important thread.  With luck it will become a classic and piss off Noah John.

Ha. I look forward to the day that NYSB/HR has an ignore function. NJ will be first (and probably only) on my list.

Telemark Dave wrote

Ok, now the Darkside Shamen should appear...he's the original Charger Pimp.  

Mike:  - Last winter, SBR and I did a BC tour, with minimal turns in mind.  I was on the Charger BC's, he was on his Fischers.   I waited for him after uphills, after flats, and after downs.  

Im pretty sure he pulled the trigger on his Charger BCs the very next day.  

P-Tex:   See above ^^^^^

TD

Yea - I think I am hooked on the Charger BCs. the next question is whether or not a pull off my bindings of my other fat BC skis or spring for another set. I suspect I will toss the old skis, as much as I tried I never bonded with them, particularly after I took a header on a rather steep chute (The Granny) in the Utah BC last winter while my grand daughter was waiting for me at the bottom of Wolverine. I totally lost my confidence after that - I think I want to toss those skis in the dumpster.

We are trying to move to Buddy Press.  As you can tell I don't do much ski research and I didn't do a ton of forum research either. I am choosing it because it is responsive (for phones), it's compatible with WordPress and it will likely be supported in the future, unlike Nabble which seems unwilling to commit.

I don't THINK it has an ignore feature.  I googled it and found some four year old threads saying "Buddy Press should have ignore!  Please add it."

Still...I can't ignore Noah, I won't!

Content warning: I wasn't alive in the Eisenhower administration so I must be a latter-day hippy.

I use to hang out on BikeForums, they have the ignore feature - I used it on a few people but found it was just easier not to even read their posts rather than see them chopped out of the thread.

Another forum I use has a "Thanks" function, this works well to allow people who don't have enough to say to just register their thanks. For this crowd I guess you could also consider a FU function...

Telemark Dave wrote

Ok, now the Darkside Shamen should appear...he's the original Charger Pimp.  

Mike:  - Last winter, SBR and I did a BC tour, with minimal turns in mind.  I was on the Charger BC's, he was on his Fischers.   I waited for him after uphills, after flats, and after downs.  

Im pretty sure he pulled the trigger on his Charger BCs the very next day.  

P-Tex:   See above ^^^^^

TD

Ha!!!

Cool emoticon (or whatever you call it.. Emoonicon?)

Td

So I assume the Fischers have evolved tremendously since the good old days...I have a pair of E99s from the mid-80s (straight, steel, fishscales, and LOOOOOONG). They're great skis for the tour, but seriously scare the hell out me on the downhills. I'm no slouch in the alpine environment (Well, maybe half-a-slouch..) but I have serious control issues with these longboards. I'm set up with NNN/NIS BC and X-10 boots (or comparable). More boot and binding? Or maybe I just suck...
Anyway, have these skis changed a whole lot in the last 20 years?

(signed)
Sitzmark

I was also curious about this to so I just checked it out.  The have the same dimensions as they did 20 years ago, I think.

Not so their worth competitor the Karhu XCDGT which did widen up, before their demise.

Bean the down hill on those boards was either wedge or parallel on a wide groomer or step turns in pow.

Once at Garnet Hill I saw a guy on skate skis (!) do tele turns down the steepest pitch Bobcat Run and I was blow away. But he was some kind of savant.

I still got my long skinnies and will use them for the right expedition,  but these day those Rossi's are always jumping up "pick me pick me!"

Our trails are clear - bring on the snow.