This is my everyday ski in Utah. I'm 5'4" and 120, and have the 171's set up with BD's O2 bindings. It's got enough width and a big enough tip to stay on top in powder, but it does have enough sidecut to turn on groomers and ski bumps. A smaller ski would be nice on the groomers, but this ski handles them well and then works great off piste in the trees on the same run. The skis have nice pop and hold an edge pretty good. I got in over 100 days on these skis and they held up. They're soft enough for pow, but stiff enough to bust through spring crud. It's not as fat as I'd like for huge powder days, but you can still have fun with it in the deep without your tips going under each tele-turn. Rossi's tend to ski short, from what I've read and noticed. I have some K2 167's that have the same effective edge as these 171's. Overall, good all-mountain ski.

so im about 5' 9" ish and 170 lbs. an advanced skier.

these skis slay it. i got them in a 185 and mounted them with some Barons. they blow through choppy snow like heavier skis but when you need to throw them around they un-weight like light skis. the edge hold is amazing, even on hard scraped off man made snow. they carve like a stiffer ski, they like to be pushed and dont want to come around short once they're tracking down fall line. in pow they ski so easy; fast, nimble, and good on landings(at least for small air). my only gripe would be that the tails lock up super hard on groomed or firm snow. its hard to skid them out and dump speed. i have a pair of Dynastar mythic riders and i like them better on the harder snow jsut because they are easier to skid out and they dont have as much pop, the rossi's like to lock in, build energy through a turn and launch out of it, im not used to it. these skis could be an every day ski for somone who likes a stickier tail. and in softer snow they are, well, sick.