For lively touring performance with an energetic feel, the Rossignol Escape R-Skin is an awesome choice. With a bit of an extra sidecut for control and user-friendliness, the X-Tour Escape R-Skin really has all you need to enjoy a day at the Nordic Center. Built with Rossignol’s air core, the blend of wood for energy and the lightness of the air makes for an unbeatable combination of control and speed. They purposefully mill out the wood in certain spots so as to keep the integrity and precision of the ski intact while making the whole thing lighter to go faster and further than you ever thought possible. Built with an IFP plate, this allows the skier to move the binding plate forward or back in order to generate more grip or create more glide. This is an awesome feature to have on skis like this, as it makes it possible for skiers to alter and customize the performance of the ski on the go. You’re going to want to pair this setup with a higher-end classic boot, but not necessarily one with a race flex or performance. They’re highly versatile in-track skis, allowing skiers to cover a ton of distance while having a great time.
In the track, the skis have a relatively straight shape, but not race-straight. They have measurements of 51/47/49, so a bit wider than a race classic ski, and with a tad of sidecut. This cut allows for more control when you’re out of the track, but it also is minimal enough to keep you straight and fast when you really want to light it up in the groomed track. The higher camber allows you to really push hard and get the most out of the grip (which we’ll get to in a second), and on the downhills, it keeps your heavy parts off the snow to get that speed up to top velocities. For a non-race ski, these are quite fast, especially in the downhills, and that’s where it’s a lot of fun for a lot of skiers.
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For the grip, the R-Skin is the up-and-coming technology that’s taking the Nordic world by storm. It’s actually been around for a while, but now that it’s infiltrating and getting into the mainstream aspects of the cross-country world, it’s getting a lot more attention. The embedded skin takes up less room on the ski versus traditional fish scale grips, making the X-Tour R-Skin behave like it’s got nothing on it, when in fact, you’re getting a ton of grip right underfoot, which is where you need it. My only personal knock on the skin is that it doesn’t make the same sound as the fish scales, so I never seem to know how fast I’m going. The fish scales had this lovely high-pitched sound that acted as a speedometer while the skins are quite quiet. I’m nit-picking here, of course, just something I noticed.
Skiers looking for a good blend of speed and performance, while keeping the ski versatile and maneuverable should take a square look at the Rossignol Escape X-Tour R-Skin. These skis are sneaky-fast and are capable of covering long distances in a short amount of time, all the while having an efficient build and shape for classic skiing and touring.