For recreational and athletic skate skiers looking to step up their game, the Salomon RS 8 Skate skis are a perfect choice. With a friendlier shape and build versus the higher end Lab and Max skis from Salomon, the RS 8 occupies a sweet spot in the lineup, with greater accessibility and value for a wider variety of skiers. The shape, consisting of a 42/44/43/45 cut is a good choice for skiers who like to have a bit of an easier path to the skate stride, offering more stability and an easier platform to stand upon in any and all conditions, and will be appreciated by a variety, if not a majority, of skiers. There’s not a huge entry point in the skate world—you're likely getting a pretty nice ski, even at the “lower” ends. For emerging racers or fitness-oriented skiers who are looking for value and performance, the RS 8 skate is a fantastic choice. Our testers note the overall stability and versatility of these skis, and their approachability for a multitude of abilities. Built with Salomon’s Densolite core, the skis have a good blend of strength to weight, without breaking the bank.
On the 174, Carly Monahan loved the blend of reaction and performance in the RS 8, scoring it 4’s out of 5 for speed and versatility, and the rest of her scores, including overall impression, coming in at 5’s. This is a consistent, high-end scoresheet from Carly here, and she specifically kept this ski on her list as something she’d consider buying for herself. As a life-long Nordic skier, that’ s a pretty large compliment. She notes about the RS 8 that it’s “built for folks developing their skate technique—they're easy to ski, while still performing at a fun speed. Flet very light and reactive, but didn’t push my skill level too much or tire me out like higher-level skate skis have. Great glide, thumbs up from this recreational skater!” She’s being modest. Also on the 174, fellow recreational skater Shelby Parenteau called the RS 8 “Fast. These were very fast for me! Not sure if the length was too much but these skis felt less stable than the other I’ve tested. But I really enjoyed the speed factor. With some practice, I see these being very fun skis!” Her speed score, unsurprisingly, was a 5 out of 5, as was glide. A 4 for overall impression and a few 3’s for maneuverability and versatility rounded out her scorecard.
CONSTRUCTION
G4 Base
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Jeff Neagle was on the longer 186 cm length, and his scores were a very consistent 4 out of 5 all down the line. This shows a well-rounded ski on the upper end of the spectrum, and for an accomplished skier like Jeff to dole out these scores is pretty darn impressive. He calls the RS 8 “just a solid ski that’s also very affordable. Very smooth flex, easy to ski, and feels very balanced. Good for a recreational skier who values good performance. It could definitely work for a high school racer too.” In comparison to some of the other skis around the RS 8’s level, Jeff notes that he “liked it more than the Rossignol Delta Sport and about the same as the Fischer Aerolite 70.”
Emerging skaters, fitness skaters, recreational skaters, and even beginning racers will love the quick, smooth feeling of the Salomon RS 8 skate skis, and they’re really enjoy the more price-point orientation of the skis as well. For a strong combination of performance and value, there’s not a lot that can touch the high-end feel and balanced price range of the Salomon RS 8 Skate.
