The Spider 62 from Fischer is a versatile, adventurous ski designed to be used in a variety of snow conditions and terrain. Fischer uses their Air Tec construction to keep the weight down and finishes the ski with their Offtrack Crown climbing system and a steel metal edge. Anytime you see a steel edge on a cross country ski like this, it’s a sign it’s designed to be taken off trail. The 62 mm width is narrow enough to fit into groomed classic tracks too, so you can do a lot on the Spider 62. It might not glide like a race classic ski, but it grips really well and give skiers a lot of confidence in varied terrain.
Marcus Shakun has the opportunity to test the 189 cm length in the Spider 62 and was most impressed by its grip for the uphill and its overall stability, with both of those criteria receiving solid 4 out of 5 scores. “Has good grip on both groomed snow and fresh snow. Aggressive pattern for grip, but glides well in neutral position.” That’s often the case with skis like this. If you stay in a balanced, neutral position, you’ll reduce the amount that the fish scales or climbing system comes in contact with the snow, resulting in good glide. Because these skis are designed with grip as more of a focus than speed, it only takes a minor adjustment in weighting and you’ll feel the underfoot pattern come in contact with the snow again. While it’s not the fastest, that concept is really good for a lot of skiers as it provides relatively easy speed control.
CONSTRUCTION
Sintec Base
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Marcus also made some comments about the ski’s metal edges. Metal edges are not tremendously common on XC skis in this width range, which sets the Spider 62 apart from a lot of its competitors. “Metal edges help stability, but takes away from maneuverability.” That’s a good assessment from Marcus. Metal edges really help if you’re taking your skis off trail into tricky terrain and variable snow conditions, but they do add noticeable weight to any XC ski.
Overall, Marcus thought the Spider 62 had a “nice flex for adventuring off the trail in fresh, uneven snow conditions,” and we think that’s a perfect description of the ski. He thought it would be great for the “person looking to venture off trail and get away from the Nordic center.” Spot on. While the Spider will fit into the groomed tracks at your Nordic center, it’s an even better choice if you’ll be spending more time making your own trails on golf courses, power lines, light backcountry, and anywhere else you want your skis to take you this winter.
