2024 ROSSIGNOL FORZA 70° V-TI SKI REVIEW

Our start to the 2023/2024 ski season here in Vermont hasn’t been so much deep or soft, but rather hard, firm, and quite fast. While this has been somewhat of a curse for testing powder and freeride skis, it’s been an absolute blessing when it comes to our front-side ski reviews. With that in mind, we were very excited to hear about Rossignol’s new Forza line of front side carving skis that replace where the React series left off in the catalog. There’s a huge real-world application for skis in the 74-78 mm underfoot range for a whole lot of skiers, and we’ve found over the years that these skis are vastly overlooked and undervalued in at least our geographic range. Out of the first 50 or so ski days of the resort, we could realistically ski one of the Forzas for 45 of them—very few soft days so far. That’s a massive percentage of days. It’s these types of thoughts that really bring a wonderful 78 mm underfoot carving ski to the forefront of the ski discussion, and we’re stoked to see Rossignol offer up an awesome set of skis for this exact application. They have a nice twist on the naming of the skis, with the number relating to the intended achievable edge angle of the model, so the 70 is the most aggressive, with the 60, 50, and down to 20, checking in as more moderate options on the carve scale. We have skied the 70 and the 60, and while this article will cover all models, we have the most empirical data on the 70, and are stoked to share it with you.

Starting at the top of the line is the Forza 70 Master: This is the outlier of the group from a construction and concept perspective. It shares the same footprint with the 70, but uses an Ash wood core to give it more power and strength. Additionally, it comes flat with the intention of putting an R22 race plate and some version of a Rocker Race binding on it, giving it more of a race-like feel than the other models. While we didn’t get a chance to ski on the 70 Master, it’s intriguing insofar as it’s a blend of a Hero Master and a Forza 70.

---

When we get into Forza 70, we start to see more consistency in build and application. The 70 starts with a poplar wood core and Line Control Technology. This has been around for quite a while, and it’s great to see the central spine of the ski carry forward into Forza. The LCT keeps the ski stable and damp, preventing counter-flexing, and keeping you on your intended line. There’s a full sheet of titanal under the core, and on top, Rossignol uses their V-Titanal Reinforcement. This metal laminate is grooved, putting it in a 3-dimensional shape to increase stiffness and performance. We see this in Rossignol’s Sender 106 Ti on the freeride side, and we can tell it works. Whenever these materials are placed in a non-2D shape, it really enhances the properties of the product. Due to the width of the tip, Rossignol has utilized their Reinforced Torsion Tip Technology to balance and smooth out the entry into the turn. The metal embeds into the tip, but not the whole way, providing a cohesive response and start to the carve without weighing the tip down and making it unapproachable. We also get a Carbon Alloy Matrix laminate that adds stiffness and response to the ski. Since it works great in Rossignol’s other skis, it’s fair to say that it does the trick in Forza as well. All of these build strategies add up to a ski that basically feels like it has power steering—in a good way. Another cool bonus from this ski is that it’s actually pretty light, weighing in at 1900 grams per ski in the 173 without the binding or plate. It’s got a light swing weight which is very helpful when it comes to linking those carved turns.

Shape-wise, the Forza 70 features a 78 mm waist, a massive 136 mm shovel, and a modest 112 mm tail. This shape is reminiscent of Dynastar’s old Pin-Tail technology but with a modern spin since the whole thing is wider overall. Available in sizes 163, 173, and 181, the 173 produces a 14-meter turn radius, which is right on par with some other skis that we see in this width such as Head Supershape e-Rally or Blizzard Thunderbird R15 WB. While there are certainly other skis out there with narrower waists that are more race-oriented, the 78 is a great place to be in that it offers enough torsional stiffness and edge grip, but is not twitchy or grabby in the least.

---

Moving slightly down the protractor, the Forza 60 shares the same construction as the 70, but with a slightly different and friendlier shape. With measurements of 130/75/112 mm in the 171, the 60’s narrower shovel is easier to get into the turn, and almost feels like there’s some rocker to it. By bringing the contact point further forward in the ski, when combined with the narrower tip, it’s an easier entry, but the rest of the turn follows strongly and powerfully at moderate speeds. The 171 was pretty sturdy and a whole lot of fun for what is marketed more as the advanced version of the ski. Due to the narrower tip and waist, we’re seeing the turn radius dip a bit to 13-meters in the 171 while the weight remains the same. This is no slouch of a ski, and there’s some very high-level capabilities to it.

---

When we get to the 50, we see the same general shape as in the 60, but with a different build. This one forgoes the metal laminates but keeps the Carbon-Alloy Matrix intact. As such, it’s more of the intermediate to advanced model, but still holds a lot of the character and personality of the 60 due to the footprint. This is clearly the entry level to the higher-end Forza models, but that should be taken with a grain of salt because there’s a lot of technology packed into this ski. We’ll also see a Forza 20 coming through, and that one’s going to be more package and entry-level focused.

As far as performance goes, we spent more time on the Forza 70, and even had some fun with the Carv ski trainer device and app. Since Carv measures your edge angles, we thought it’d be fun to start our experimentation with the device with these skis. We got some great groomer days on these skis, and even found ourselves in softer snow and in some off-piste situations, which we were very impressed with. On a clear day on one of our marquee groomers, Jeff managed to achieve an 84-degree angle while I topped out at 70. Still, I was very pleased that I hit the intended number, and the skis felt rock-solid and totally engaged throughout. For sizing, I skied both the 181 and the 173, and even at 6’2 and 225 pounds, I prefer the 173. It’s light, precise, and an absolute blast to ski. Whether you’re letting it run across the fall line or are tightening it up in the shorter turns or bumps, the Forza 70 is a sheer pleasure to ski. When the snow gets firm, it’s nice to have that metal there for sure, and the long effective edge and positive camber go a long way in keeping the ski secured to the snow throughout the carve. I even used it in our weekly ski bum race series and had one of the more successful races of my career—the turn radius was a bit short for our longer course, but that only helped me out a bit since I don’t really have much of a race background.

I think where I was most surprised at the performance of this ski was in the bumps and softer snow. At 78 mm underfoot, there should be some off-trail performance here, and there is. The width of the tip combined with the lighter weight and reasonable flex makes it really fun in the moguls. Out of the five or so ski days we put on the Forza 70, most all of them had some softer and fresh snow. These things are some of the best soft snow carving skis I’ve been on—they do not want to dive, rather the tip stays right on top, even with its lower profile. Due to the agility, they’re great in the bumps, and while there is some tip contact, especially with my feet-together form, it’s not insurmountable as far as comfort and confidence are concerned. With variable conditions on those days, the skis responded very optimistically when the snow quality and quantity changed up. From firm ice underneath to broken snow and crud on top, the Forza 70 handled it all with aplomb, and this was all the more impressive given that I’m on the 173. Overall, from the race course to the bumps and almost everything in between, the Forza 70 is a formidably versatile ski in a front side footprint.

Skis like these, and specifically the Forza 70, have a pretty firm grip in the European market already, and we’re hoping to spread the word and the love to the North American zone as well, as these skis often get overlooked by more prevalent all-mountain skis in the upper 80’s to low 90’s underfoot. Given our experience on these skis, and other like it, especially here in Vermont, there’s a whole lot of opportunity for success for skis of this width and build. If you’re looking for a narrower ski in your quiver to handle a huge percentage of days, The Forza 70 is an ideal tool for the job. Given the versatility that we’ve found to go along with the front side prowess, this is a great option for skiers looking to maximize performance in a wide variety of turn shapes and styles.

---

Written by Bob St.Pierre on 1/31/23