Rocker skis 2012/13: And even more rockers!

The boom in rocker skis seems unstoppable, at least if you look at the ski ranges of manufacturers. The share of rocker skis has increased significantly. Individual brands today even carry almost 100% of their models as rockered skis. So for the coming winter, the consumer has even more rocker models to choose from. We have found numerous trouvailles and briefly present the most exciting products and manufacturers.

by Rolf Fleckenstein

In last year's issue, we explained in detail how a rocker ski works, so we would like to refer interested readers to the 2011/12 issue. The fact is that the trade is strongly promoting rocker skis and has perceived a new sales opportunity in them, which is why most manufacturers have responded. Whether the trend towards rocker skis has also filtered through to consumers is questionable. I don't recall any major national media campaign or TV report that addressed this issue in any detail. And the term "rocker" is anything but self-explanatory. I initially had to ask myself if the term had anything to do with rock music, rock 'n' roll. That it could mean a rocker in reference to the stronger bend of the ski, which is reminiscent of a rocker, would never have occurred to me. I think many people feel the same way. And also whether the rocker concept is the last word in wisdom is also questionable, why had the Carverski decades before been lifted to heaven and preached as the ultimate. Well, because they didn't have the rocker skis. But sometimes you get the feeling that the industry is getting a bit carried away in its enthusiasm and would simply like to conjure up or conjure up more market than is effectively available, which is understandable, especially in the economic situation, which has been tense for years. But what convinces every critic is the fact that all leading brands pay homage to this trend and focus all their development and research on this topic, even up to racing.

Easier skiing
So this is not quackery, but has an effective benefit. And the benefit is: easier skiing. In particular, turn initiation or swinging with the skis is easier, especially on soft snow. It is logical that with a smaller contact surface there is less friction and thus less resistance, and the turn on snow must be easier, and it is. The rocker ski has a longer shovel at the front and possibly also at the back with the same ski length and therefore less contact surface on the snow. Therefore, the ski turns more easily on the slope. For this, the hardness, aggressiveness and edge grip is lost a little in direct comparison to conventional carver skis, depending on the model and manufacturer. Each manufacturer tries to find the best compromise here. The rocker skis feel softer when driving and they float up more easily, which offers a clear advantage especially in fresh snow or deep snow. If 1-2 years ago skis were mainly equipped with rocker, which were intended for use in deep snow as well as on the slopes - these skis are often attributed to the "all-mountain" segment - this year even the racing skis are equipped with a slight rocker at the shovel by individual manufacturers. The ski brands are trying everything to combine the two strengths in one ski, i.e. easy swing (rocker) and full edge grip (preload), and to minimize the weaknesses. That's why every manufacturer finds a different rocker length, a different degree of deflection, a different material composition, etc. Each manufacturer develops in its own direction, and out come numerous high-quality rocker concepts from each brand that represent the optimal compromise between resistance-free turning and grip in the snow. The rocker is an exciting field of development for the manufacturer, who is challenged by novelty to the utmost. This is one of the reasons why the rocker has successfully established itself and now dominates the manufacturers' palettes. The manufacturers, in turn, are constantly outdoing themselves with their own rocker concepts and models. I would like to present these to you in the following.

Rossignol: driving force in rocker skis
It can be said without exaggeration that Rossignol is one of the driving forces behind the rocker theme. The French manufacturer was one of the first to start massively expanding its range of rocker skis. In 2012/13, even the slalom race skis are now equipped with rocker, as well as the majority of the range. Here, Rossignol pleases the clean gradation of their four different rockers:

New: Radical Slalom with Rocker for racers
From this winter, all slalom models (SL) of the Radical racing ski series are equipped with a fine rocker (10%) at the shovel. The rocker is so small,......

Dynastar: Individual for men and women
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Elan: Refined rocker technologies
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Fischer: Sportiness & Design
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Movement: A Fresh Breeze from Western Switzerland
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Radical: Handmade Swiss rocker skis
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