First Time Skier! A beginner's experience renting from Next Adventure
Location of Test: Timberline Mt. Hood
Duration of Test: 6 hours
Product Name: Experience RTL
Product Brand: Rossignol
Best Use: Learning to ski!
The Full Review:
So, full disclosure. This is the first time I’ve rented downhill skis from Next Adventure, so this is a beginner's review from a beginner. With that said, I thought these skis were perfect for getting out there for the first time. I was totally stoked to be going up to Mt. Hood for the first time, but a little unnerved by taking on such steep slopes. Don't judge, I'm from the Midwest. As a flatlander, I believe the finest sports happen at a 0-degree incline, but now that I'm here I need to update my winter activity portfolio. So, I got sized for a pair of the Rossignol Experience RTL skis and went to Timberline.
I took a pair of 150cm's out the first time, admittedly short for me but perfect for getting a feel for turning and controlling my speed. They were exactly what I needed to get to understand downhill skiing. Even though I didn't have any previous downhill experience, I've taught cross country skiing for several years and played hockey growing up. These skills definitely transferred over and aided in my process. Having shorter skis helped me to convert my hockey skate-style stop to a stop on downhill skis, and the Experience RTLs handled great. From what I experienced, they matched me as a beginner perfectly, easy to control and keeping my first runs within a controllable range.
The Good:
Renting shorter skis that carved easily made my first turns and stops super easy. Even early on, with a quick tutorial on turning, I was able to get the skis to respond quickly to what I needed. This helped me to ski more confidently and focus on the terrain earlier than I anticipated. Worrying about getting my feet and skis to do what I wanted never really was of concern to me. I had two opportunities to ride these skis, the first being on choppier, icy snow, and the second in some actual powder. Both times, as a beginner, I felt confident and comfortable when on these skis. They floated over powder just fine but managed the tougher, icier conditions in a way that didn't leave me feeling out of control.
Side note – After a fall, getting back up on a pair of shorter RTLs was super easy. Even on big hills, I felt like I was able to pop right back up or even clip back in super-fast on these, and with great control! Which is good, because I ate it ALL DAY.
The Bad:
Speed is not the forte of these skis. Towards the end of the second session, I began to grow more confident and started feeling myself pushing the limits of what these skis are good for. At higher speeds, there was a fair amount of chatter, which as a newer skier is a little unnerving at first. It makes preparing to turn or stop feel a little scary, and in order to keep pushing myself faster, I had to overcome the concern for all that chatter. Furthermore, they aren't fast skis. Which is fine! But when you're ready to really cook and want to keep up with your friends who are super cool and go fast on different skis, Next Adventure has a huge inventory of demo skis. In the meantime, I can't emphasize enough that as a beginner, not going fast was very ok!
The Bottom Line:
Great rental skis. Awesome beginner skis. Learn to turn, stop, hit your first fast routes on these. What a great thing to rent from Next Adventure! If you're just getting started, you'll feel really good getting started and the Experience RTLs will definitely set you up for success.
The Full Review:
So, full disclosure. This is the first time I’ve rented downhill skis from Next Adventure, so this is a beginner's review from a beginner. With that said, I thought these skis were perfect for getting out there for the first time. I was totally stoked to be going up to Mt. Hood for the first time, but a little unnerved by taking on such steep slopes. Don't judge, I'm from the Midwest. As a flatlander, I believe the finest sports happen at a 0-degree incline, but now that I'm here I need to update my winter activity portfolio. So, I got sized for a pair of the Rossignol Experience RTL skis and went to Timberline.
I took a pair of 150cm's out the first time, admittedly short for me but perfect for getting a feel for turning and controlling my speed. They were exactly what I needed to get to understand downhill skiing. Even though I didn't have any previous downhill experience, I've taught cross country skiing for several years and played hockey growing up. These skills definitely transferred over and aided in my process. Having shorter skis helped me to convert my hockey skate-style stop to a stop on downhill skis, and the Experience RTLs handled great. From what I experienced, they matched me as a beginner perfectly, easy to control and keeping my first runs within a controllable range.
The Good:
Renting shorter skis that carved easily made my first turns and stops super easy. Even early on, with a quick tutorial on turning, I was able to get the skis to respond quickly to what I needed. This helped me to ski more confidently and focus on the terrain earlier than I anticipated. Worrying about getting my feet and skis to do what I wanted never really was of concern to me. I had two opportunities to ride these skis, the first being on choppier, icy snow, and the second in some actual powder. Both times, as a beginner, I felt confident and comfortable when on these skis. They floated over powder just fine but managed the tougher, icier conditions in a way that didn't leave me feeling out of control.
Side note – After a fall, getting back up on a pair of shorter RTLs was super easy. Even on big hills, I felt like I was able to pop right back up or even clip back in super-fast on these, and with great control! Which is good, because I ate it ALL DAY.
The Bad:
Speed is not the forte of these skis. Towards the end of the second session, I began to grow more confident and started feeling myself pushing the limits of what these skis are good for. At higher speeds, there was a fair amount of chatter, which as a newer skier is a little unnerving at first. It makes preparing to turn or stop feel a little scary, and in order to keep pushing myself faster, I had to overcome the concern for all that chatter. Furthermore, they aren't fast skis. Which is fine! But when you're ready to really cook and want to keep up with your friends who are super cool and go fast on different skis, Next Adventure has a huge inventory of demo skis. In the meantime, I can't emphasize enough that as a beginner, not going fast was very ok!
The Bottom Line:
Great rental skis. Awesome beginner skis. Learn to turn, stop, hit your first fast routes on these. What a great thing to rent from Next Adventure! If you're just getting started, you'll feel really good getting started and the Experience RTLs will definitely set you up for success.