The XDR 80 Ti is a brand new ski for Salomon going into 2018 and is part of their new XDR collection of all mountain “resort” skis. Salomon was careful not to segment these skis as “frontside carvers,” despite them seeming to fall into that category in comparison to the rest of Salomon’s skis. The truth is, although these are more firm snow oriented than the QST collection, the entire XDR line borrows some design elements from freeride and powder skis that makes them significantly more versatile than other “resort” oriented skis from different manufacturers. The XDR 80 Ti does start to lean more towards groomer-specific use than the 84 or 88, but it still has tip and tail rocker with a tip profile that is clearly inspired by the all mountain freeride, QST line. They’re not exceptionally stiff or heavy thanks to Salomon’s CFX Superfiber and the centralized strip of metal, but still have a high level of performance. Let’s find out what our testers thought, all of whom skied the 176 cm length.
Mike Aidala had a blast skiing the XDR 80 Ti! He scored it 5 out of 5 for stability, quickness, playfulness, forgiveness, and overall impression as well. We’re pretty psyched about those scores and Mike’s feedback. He referred to it as “a very versatile and forgiving ski.” Mike thought it had a “perfect blend of performance,” and commented that he thought it had “the edge hold and stability needed,” but was still quite forgiving. Mike recommended the XDR 80 Ti for skiers who spend the majority of their time on trail, but want the versatility and forgiveness needed for an occasional off-piste run. We think that’s a great way to describe this ski and really the entire XDR line. They are more suited for skiing groomers than their QST skis, and really do have nice, responsive performance on firm snow, but still retain the ability to take some off-piste runs, especially in terrain like trees and moguls.
Steve Sulin definitely agrees with the idea that the XDR 80 Ti is great for more than just skiing groomers. Steve referred to it as a “great bump ski!” He also scored it 5 out of 5 for both maneuverability and torsional stiffness, two categories we love to see getting high scores when talking about a somewhat groomer-bias all mountain ski. Steve thought it was relatively “easy-skiing” and described the feeling of the XDR 80 Ti as “fun and quick.”
Benny Wax echoed this thought when he commented that the XDR 80 Ti is “just a lot of fun!” He found it to be very “quick and playful,” and continuing with the theme that this is more than just a groomer ski Benny also commented that he thought it “skied well in crud snow,” in addition to “ripping the groomers.” Benny’s final comment on the XDR 80 Ti was that it’s both “stable and versatile,” and then he drew a big smiley face on the bottom of his test form. Combine that with his overall impression score of 5 out of 5 and we’re pretty confident Benny liked it.
We think the Salomon XDR 80 Ti is going to be a great choice for a wide range of skiers who spend their ski days at the resort. If you find yourself on groomed runs most of the day, but don’t want a super serious, dedicated carving ski, you should definitely consider the XDR 80 Ti. Intermediates all the way up to less aggressive expert skiers will all appreciate the ski’s ability to make snappy, responsive turns on firm snow while still being forgiving enough to take off trail and play around in the bumps, trees, and even some light powder.
