Salomon El Dictator Ski - 2010 BCS

These sticks are sick as balls! **only tested for 1 day** but I got the picture. Its the most stable ski I've ever skied. It destroys crud and makes 50mph feel like 28. Not that much rocker on these sticks but not that much camber either making it actually pretty easy to ski at low speeds too. I liked skiing the full running length of the ski, this allows you to flex the whole ski from tip to tail, not just the part that isn't already bent. This might be why I didn't find them too overly stiff. Ideal ski for skiing fast through anything and for facilitating stompage from large heights.

Considering I've spent the last two years testing, designing and skiing on this ski, I'll just add that the textual review hit the nail on the head. The El Dictator is the ski designed to ski to go faster, stomp bigger airs and generally charge harder through any and all conditions. It's by far my favorite ski I've ever skied on.

I like a powder ski that is stiffish straight and loves to go fast. I like these a bunch and would recommend them to anyone who likes to go fast.

Bumps: El Dictators have potential for giant slalom style bump skiing if the moguls are relatively small (two feet high or less). For zipper lines the ski was too stiff and too long, which was anticipated, to have fun skiing zipper lines. It was hard to suck the ski up, and push it down the backside of a mogul because of the stiffness and length. Trying to ski in bumps with this thing drove me nuts.

Trees: For glade skiing in powder this ski is very fun, and provides a fast and stable ride. If the trees are tight or icy then the turn radius of this ski is too sluggish to ski confidently. Throwing some hop into your turn counters the huge (43.5 meter) turn radius, and made the ski more manageable.

Groomers/ Carving: Standard big mtn. ski on groomers, not anything special. If anyone has skied a giant slalom race ski the el dictator feels the same way in terms of stiffness and stability at mach speeds, but when the ski is on edge it doesn’t rail hard at all.

Steeps: The El Dictator is made for ripping steeps at incredible speed, and is rock solid and heart touching (when the terrain is not bumped out.) If you ski fast enough on double blacks that a crash would break bones then the dictator is the ski for you. If the steeps are skied out and there are tight moguls then it’s hard to navigate a graceful line, but the ski enables one to fly over larger moguls.

Cliffs: Into powder this ski makes me want to send cliffs bigger, because it’s so stable. One can keep a more natural stance to land in powder because the tail wants to sink and the tip is large. On icy landings if you land back seat be prepared for a week of shin bang pain, or you might just snap your leg at the tibia/fibia and leave a ski and boot behind…

Park: Dont ask stupid questions: Not Applicable.

Powder: The El Dictator is made for wide open and steep powder; its master-piece made for skiers who want the biggest and scariest lines on the planet. Turns slow and doesn’t ski switch, but for athletes that really want a ski for hucking and pointing then the El Dictator is exactly what they want.

Ice: Real good if the terrain is even, i.e. not moguls.

Crud: Charges hard in crud, but it’s a little slow on the turns. The El Dictators are good for hucking into crud, but are not good for playing around in it.

Solid ski but its not for me.

Ok, So here is teh true deal with the Dictator.
Skied Squaw 2010/2011

STIFF- Make sure you are doing your squats. I am a big guy so I didnt have a problem, but come with your A game or teh ski will kick your ass.

Stompabillity- High. The square tail makes it a solid landing gear.

Powder- As long as it is fluffy it rocks. Could use a bit more rocker though. On deep days it struggles.

Varaiable snow- SUCKS!!! The tip wanders like a MFer, needs way more rocker (I had calf bang half the season) and a wider tip (punch fronted way too much).

Crud- Kills it. You can mash through whatever.

Durabillity- Again SUCKS!!!! Granted I am really hard on skis but I blew out the edge teh second day I had them out. It wasnt a very hard hit either. The cap construction is just not up to taking rocks at all. The core/center of teh ski is solid, but teh edges are just way too flimsy. By teh end of teh season i had epoxed teh edges back in five differnt places.

Overall, an A+ cant be beat killer comp ski/AK ski. But for an everyday pow ski it doesnt perform very well in variabillity, and as an everyday big mtn ski is wont take teh abuse.