2022 Fischer RC One 86 GT

Part bulldozer, part race car, the 2022 Fischer RC One 86 GT is an all-mountain machine that carves some of the stoutest and strongest turns on the hill. There aren’t many race-specific skis out there that can do what the 86 GT can do, and it all comes down to construction. These skis are built with a wood core and two sheets of metal, but this is the race-room metal, measuring .7 mm in thickness, rather than the .4 or .5 of the normal skis with titanal laminates. While that may not seem or sound like a lot, when it’s spread out over a larger surface area, such as found in the 86 GT, it really starts to add up. In order to make them slightly livelier and more accessible for most skiers, they do taper the metal in to the center in the tips and tails, using a bafatex material to replace the metal—still keeping the integrity while reducing swing weight. At 86 mm underfoot, this is certainly on the wide side for a carving ski, and as a result, it blurs the line between front side and all-mountain.

On the 182, Brian Cooke found it to ski true to length and was a good size for him. Even taller skiers will feel like the longest 182 will be plenty of ski for sure. As expected, we see top scores of 5’s out of 5 for stability, torsional stiffness, and edge hold, while lower scores of 2 out of 5 for flotation and forgiveness round out the spectrum. These skis can be versatile on the feet of the right skier, but they’re not intrinsically well-rounded. Brian also gave these skis a 4 for overall impression, showing a favorable opinion of the ski as a whole. “I skied this too late on a spring day so the snow was a little soft, but I felt like it still held its own. It made quick turns when I wanted and was powerful enough to plow through the big, soft piles of snow (although the tail seemed to feel a bit sticky in some of those situations). On the harder, groomed sections, this ski was great at higher speeds and liked wider turns. If I considered a groomer ski, this would be in the running.” The “plowing” that he speaks of is one of the most amazing parts of this ski, as it’s really able to blow through any type of snow you can possibly dream of encountering.

Another taller skier on the 182, Bob St.Pierre noted it was a good length, “wouldn’t want to see this ski in much longer of a size, based on its power and stability. Would be a handful any longer.” He scored the ski a 5 out of 5 for stability, with 4’s rounding out the majority of his scorecard for quickness, maneuverability, playfulness, torsional stiffness, edge hold, versatility, and overall impression. “I got to ski this in a mid-winter day, rather than the warmer test day, so I got it in more appropriate conditions. This thing holds an edge like crazy, and loves to be glued to the snow. That said, it is on the quick side for how heavy it feels on the chairlift. While it can certainly be used in an all-mountain format, I think this ski truly belongs on the groomers or smoother snow where you can really lay it over and stand on the edge. In that capacity, I haven’t skied a whole lot that’s more stable or strong. Very impressive ski in that regard.” It certainly sounds like if you have the opportunity to ski these on firmer snow, then it’s a good thing to do.

Advanced and expert skiers will really find a lot to like about the Fischer RC One 86 GT. Long name, yes, but also a wonderful ski. Stable to the nth degree, these skis have all you need to stand on the edge and ride the ski through the arc of the turn. Amazingly strong, and surprisingly agile, these skis do like and need to be driven by an able-footed pilot, and there’s not a whole lot of room for error, as these skis reward good technique and dislike laziness. Active skiers will definitely get the most out of these skis.