We recently made our annual trip to Austria for our first ski-picking trip of the year. As always, we stopped by the Salomon, Atomic, and Fischer factories to select skis for our pick list and our general inventory of top-end race skis. It's always an exciting time as we kick off our summer trips and reconnect with the great people who work for the brands we carry. Salomon had the biggest changes this year, while Fischer and Atomic entered their second year of production with the graphic updates introduced last season.
Salomon
The S/Lab skis received all-new graphics for this season, which is always exciting, but the bigger changes came in the model lineup. Salomon now offers four skate models instead of three: Cold, Uni Cold, Uni Warm, and Warm.
The biggest addition is the Uni Warm model. We were fortunate enough to test these extensively last season, and we were very impressed. The new base material performs exceptionally well in warmer conditions but didn't feel out of place in temperatures slightly colder than what you might expect from a "Uni Warm" ski.
The Warm model features a new base material called the Fuse Base, while the Cold model no longer uses the beloved F Base. Instead, it now features the same base material found on the previous Uni model and the new Uni Cold model.
For a more in-depth breakdown, check out our Salomon Preview Video HERE.
These new models led to an exciting few days of ski picking as we worked to determine which models would be the best fit for specific customers while also identifying trends among the pairs we liked most. We always enjoy talking with the team at Salomon and comparing what they're finding through their ski testing with the results we see from testing every pair on our flex tester. Combining their insights with our own data helps us identify the skis that will perform best for our customers.
Once again this year, we had the opportunity to pick skis on Tuesday and try them out Wednesday morning on the Dachstein Glacier. This is always a highlight of our trip. We tested a few pairs of Uni Warm, Uni Cold, and Cold skis to see how they performed. While we don't put a lot of weight into glacier testing, since the snow is usually quite soft and makes it difficult to learn much about the skis, it's still a lot of fun and a great way to get some early impressions.
Atomic
It's not a long journey from Salomon to Atomic, as we simply have to walk across the shared Amer Sports factory. Atomic is continuing with the same graphics for next year, featuring the pink-and-red design that many of our customers have loved.
As usual with Atomic, we were very happy with the quality of the skis we picked. We carry a large inventory of the Gen S9 skis, as they have become a go-to option for many of our customers, whether as an everyday race ski or an icy track-specific ski.
We also selected a handful of Atomic Double Poling skis, as we were impressed by their design after testing several models last year. With double poling continuing to grow in popularity in Europe and slowly gaining traction in the U.S., we plan to keep sourcing high-quality DP skis to offer our customers.
The S9 is available in a Cold model that features the same cold-ski base material that Salomon previously offered. Since that base material is no longer available in the S/Lab lineup, we increased our order of the S9 Cold to continue offering customers access to that base in a slightly different-feeling ski. It still delivers the speed and performance we've come to know and love from that specific base material.
Fischer
Next, we headed a couple of hours north to visit Fischer and wrap up our first trip of the summer. Fischer continues to build on last season's updated graphics and ski models, and we've been especially impressed with their newer cold-base material. Over the past few seasons, it has been a tremendous addition to the lineup. Here in the Midwest, where races often start in the morning and overnight temperatures can drop significantly, having a reliable cold-condition ski from Fischer has been a game-changer for many master skiers.
Another standout addition has been the 702-mold classic ski for hardwax conditions. We've found it to be consistently faster than the older 812 mold while still providing dependable kick in cold, hardwax conditions.
Based on this year's production numbers, the 610 remains the most popular mold across a wide range of conditions, while the 61K tends to excel in slightly softer snow. We like to select plenty of both, as we've had great success with the 61K as an exceptionally fast ski across a variety of snow types.
While there weren't many major updates from Fischer this year, we had a great time picking skis and once again found an excellent selection to choose from.
We're excited to continue our factory visits throughout the summer in search of the very best skis available. We also look forward to connecting with our customers in early fall as the new skis begin to arrive. Until then, we'll be enjoying a slightly slower season filled with rollerskiing, running, and biking!
