In the mid-range of the Delta Skate line lies the Comp, in between the Course and the Sport. For skiers looking for strong skate performance but without the top dollar cost of the upper-end stuff, this is a great place to be. For the most part, the shape is shared with Rossignol’s top-end X-Ium skis, but with a slightly different build to make it more affordable and more accessible to non-World Cup skiers. There’s something to be said for user-friendliness, and it sure comes in to play with the Delta Comp. Built with a Nomex Honeycomb core, the skis are light and responsive, but lack that upper-end carbon feel. This is the compromise made at this level, but you are still getting a ton of performance and precision, just not the crazy lightness of the real-deal race skis. For most skiers, this is going to be right in their wheelhouse, allowing a good blend of performance and value. High school racers and other skiers at that competitive level will fall right in line with these skis, as the level of intermediate and entry-level racers comes to mind when skiing the Comp. We had three of our lady testers on these skis, and they all note that strong blend of performance, precision, and value in their experiences on the Rossignol Delta Comp Skate skis.
Carol Van Dyke was on the 180, and her highest score was a 4 for stability. 3’s were given for speed, maneuverability, glide, weight, versatility, and overall impression, showing a well-roundedness for the ski but at a higher level than some other recreational skate skis. Carol notes that the Rossignol Delta Comp skate is best “for the intermediate skate skier who’s happy not to go too fast.” Carol also states that she was able to tell a difference between this Comp and the higher-end Course, but for the target audience, they’re not going to be able to find too many faults with these Comp skis.
CONSTRUCTION
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Peg Lackey, also on the 180, did have some lower scores on her card, showing that indeed, the skis do suffer a bit of a lag when you move down in model. This is to be expected, and it’s really more up to the skier to decide where they want to sacrifice some type of performance, and where to spend more money to make it back up. These are real-world decisions, people! Peg’s low scores of 2 out of 5 were given for speed, glide, weight, and for Peg, overall impression. Naturally, in the skate ski world, as the price goes down, the speed and glide follow, and the weight goes up. 3’s for stability, maneuverability, and versatility are not surprising. Peg notes that these skis were “somewhat slow, even with variable snow and additional F4. They were very stable on turns, and all in all, an okay skate ski.” Sam Purnell adds to that in stating that her 180 cm Comp required “a little bit more effort to work these compared to the Sport. A good beginner and intermediate skate ski, but for someone who knows the technique of skate skiing.”
Like many other sports where money equals lower weight, skate skiing follows suit. If you want to get out there and learn the fundamentals of skate skiing and learn to cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time, these skis will be fantastic. Are they the lightest and fastest skate skis on the planet? No, they are not, but they’re also not the most expensive, so the skier really has to decide where that compromise line will be drawn. For the vast majority of skaters out there, these will do the trick with performance to spare.
