Unchanged for 2021, the burly S/Force Bold will continue its rampaging of the front side of the mountain. Built for speed and stability, the S/Force Bold and its 84 mm waist width is all about power. When you click in to the skis, they instantly feel stout and sturdy. When you get them up to speed, not much changes. They're equally at home no matter what speed you're going, although they certainly start to really come to life once you hit about 30 mph. Built with a full wood core, two sheets of metal, and some other interesting Salomon technology, the Bold favors the bold, as you should be a pretty confident skier to stand on the edge and let it flow. The Edge Amplifier tech that Salomon employs works pretty well at getting some more leverage-below the mounting zone, there's an additional amount of sidewall built up, and this gives you a bit more of a stand height as well as more material underfoot. When you're standing on the edge in a carved turn, you get more power and leverage over that carve, allowing you to get deeper into the turn with higher edge-angles. Lighter in the tips with the addition of carbon, these things are all there over the rest of the ski. Advanced and expert skiers will likely glean the best performance out of these smooth and stable sticks. Our testers loved the upper-end feel and the stability at speed of these fantastic skis.
ROCKER PROFILE
Rocker / Camber
CORE MATERIALS
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers
Rick Randall skied the 184 (the largest size), and was quite impressed with the edge hold as well as the torsional stiffness. These skis are all about carving power and stability, so it makes sense that those categories would be high-scorers. Each earning 5's out of 5 with 4's given for overall impression, maneuverability, and stability. These qualities are incredibly important when it comes to high-speed skiing and front-side carving. Rick notes that these skis are best for an "advanced level skier. This is a good, demanding ski that needs to be driven otherwise it will take you for a ride. Good edge hold and fall line turns from edge to edge are super-stable." At speed, make sure to keep these skis on edge as they don't really prefer to be run straight, but rather in a carved turn.
Bob St.Pierre, also on the 184, was very impressed with the heft and bulk of the ski, particularly in comparison to the other Salomon carvers. Due to the wood core and race-like construction, the S/Force Bold is "super solid and the width gives it good stability with the extra material." As a result, though, Bob notes that the skis "aren't too snappy." Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you, the skier, as many skiers want their front-side GS carver to be a bit more planky versus nimble. It's all about how you look at it. Stability, in Bob's mind, earned a 5 out of 5 while overall impression was a 4. Great for high-speed groomers, but not a whole lot else. Michael Rooney also scored the 184 a 5 out of 5 for stability, showing that Salomon really has a well-built set of skis to reckon with. Skiers who want that level of comfort at speed will certainly like the S/Force Bold's ability to keep things calm, cool, and quiet at any speed and on any firm snow. Michael even said that the "Bold is good in varied conditions and is very forgiving for its stiffness." Michael is more used to race skis, so this is not surprising.
Advanced and expert level skiers who are looking to get the most out of the groomer days will love the overall poise and precision of the 2021 Salomon S/Force Bold. They hug the corners tight and keep you in the fall line no matter the conditions or steepness of terrain. You'll love the dampness and stability of these smooth skis.
