ON TEST
Editor Nicola and tester Chrigl (pictured) put the Voyager to test in the Portes du Soleil
Welcome to our new series, where Ski+board’s team of testers put a range of gear through its paces
ELAN VOYAGER
Tested by Nicola Iseard, editor
PRICE: £1120, inc bindings
Lengths: 160, 166, 172 // Radius: 13.7m @ 166 // Dimensions: 128-78-110 // Weight per ski: N/A
REVIEW: Ever wished your skis could magically shrink to half their length for easy stowing in a car boot or locker? Over the past three years Elan has honed the tech they initially developed for the military and brought us a world first: a ski that folds to half its length.
We recently had a pair of Voyagers on test for
a week and were super impressed with both the ease-of-use of the folding mechanism and, frankly, how well it performed as a ‘normal ski’.
First, let’s talk about the mechanism. The secret to the simplicity is in how the binding rotates to either free the central hinge, or lock the extended ski securely in place. It takes a couple of goes to get the hang of it, but once you do it’s very easy to operate and takes just seconds to either open, or collapse, the ski.
I was skeptical at how well the Voyager would perform, considering it has a metal hinge at the centre of the ski – surely it would create some sort of drag? If there was any friction caused by the hinge it was undetectable. The Voyager feels smooth, solid, loves to draw carves of mid to long lengths, and there is no indication of its party trick while you’re skiing.
The ski initiates well, has great edge-hold throughout the turn shape, and accelerates out the end. It is quick edge-to-edge thanks to its 78mm waist, but when you ask it to perform a sequence of short turns, the slight weight penalty of the mechanism can become apparent (it weighs the equivalent of a slalom ski with a race plate). Elan markets the Voyager as an all-mountain ski, and while it’s fine for the odd section of ungroomed snow, it’s on-piste that the ski feels most at home.
The Voyager is available in three colours and three lengths: 160cm (packed to 87cm), 166cm (packed to 90cm) and 172cm (packed to 93cm).
VERDICT: It honestly skis like any ‘normal’ ski and packs real performance. For people looking for a ski with ease of transport, it’s a sound choice – though it comes at a price.
SCOTT PURE MISSION 98TI
Tested by Chrigl Luthy, gear tester
PRICE: £580 // Lengths:170, 177, 184 // Radius: 19 @ 177 // Dimensions: 133-98-119 // Weight per ski: 1670g
REVIEW: I often find myself testing skis that are at the outer limit, on the fringes, of the ski spectrum – skis that are quite ‘specialist’ – so it’s been a pleasure to ski a ski that so neatly encapsulates the word ‘versatile’.
Bearing the Pure freeride name, and with ‘ti’ denoting titanal layers, one could be forgiven for thinking the brand new 2023 Scott Pure Mission 98ti would be a freeride-focused model, preferring higher speeds and stability. But, nay, do not be fooled. This ski has plenty more tricks up its sleeve. The 98ti can one minute be skied at the slowest of speeds, pivoted and skidded with no fuss and with good feedback – eagerly awaiting small inputs as if it doesn’t have any metal layer in it at all in fact.
With its deep tip rocker and upturned tail, it feels
loose even. Yes, the tip engagement suffers a little at slower speeds, but the rocker pays its dues with greater levels of angulation on-piste and in deeper snow.
What most interests me with this ski is how its easy-going edge grip and stability seem to ramp up as soon as the G-forces are applied. So this rather tame ski can suddenly become fast, stable and eager to carve its 21m radius.
Outside the poles, taking the Pure Mission 98 in the chop was confidence inspiring. It enjoyed drifts and last-minute turns. It was buoyed by the large, but not overly so, spoon-shaped tips in any soft snow I found. The up-turned tails could even be regarded as genuine twin-tips, giving this all-mountain ski an extra arrow to its quiver: the ability to reverse – handy in a tight couloir or for skiing backwards should the moment inspire you. There are few places the ski would be out of sorts. Perhaps in Alaskan powder, or skiing the highest of speeds or tightest of carves, but let’s be honest, 99% of our skiing falls where this ski performs best.
VERDICT: An accessible, confidence-inspiring ride that holds its own all over the mountain at a range of speeds (even in the shorter length if you are between lengths).
LANGE XR9
Tested by Chrigl Luthy, gear tester
PRICE: £540 // Sizes: 22.5 – 28.5 // Last: 97 // Flex: 140 // Weight: 2220g (size 26.5)
REVIEW: My first reaction when seeing this boot is one of pure nostalgia – anyone who was skiing in the mid-’90s will remember these! I recall an excellent mogul skier who had a pair of XR9s among others. Frankly, with most modern boots playing things quite safe in the design department, it is darn good to see Lange bringing some cool colour combos back to the table.
And yes, that is largely what the XR9 is: a purely ‘visual’ exercise in nostalgia, because everything else about the boot is 2022 modern Lange high-performance tech.
These are based on the RS 130, but with the addition of the 140-flex race tongue, which is stiffened with plastic down the front of it. This XR9 model is therefore no slouch.
Within the first few turns I realised that it was the most laterally responsive boot I have skied for a long while. Trying it on my softer skis it made me laugh how easily turn initiations became. And as for the stiff slalom skis, well, simply, it made the skis feel like they had been freshly edged that morning. The grip was awesome.
The flex, though stiff, is delivered in a ‘buttery’ way. The XR9s, or RSs for that matter, don’t squeak. They don’t feel as though there are any dead spots in the flex; just smooth and powerful action. The forward lean is perfect for a mid-forward stance, as is the canting. I kept the spoiler in the back of the liner for the extra rearward support and forward drive – and because my calves are skinny!
To return to the initial test, where putting on early race-derived Langes were compared with childbirth (or so I’m told), Lange’s new Dual Core tech has the advantage of making them one of the easiest entry/exit boots I can remember. However, the Dual Core’s main purpose is to aid the rebound and elastic tension. The XR9 also handily comes with changeable soles, which can be swapped out for new when worn or alternatively swapped for GripWalk soles.
I find the race buckles a joy to use. They have an extra hinge so are less exposed to potential knocks. (I break toe buckles all the time). My two gripes are the following (the first is small): the cam lock powerstrap is not my favourite. Sure, many people will like it, but for me it feels more awkward than other brands’. But this is a Lange feature across their range, so not specific to this boot.
The second is more serious… the XR9 is only offered in a 97mm. Why Lange didn’t use their wider last for this model I’ll never know. Besides full racing applications, 97mm is too narrow for me and potentially for most people’s comfort. I had the boots blown as much as possible but it was still a squeeze. So if you have narrow feet, and like a high-performance boot and a little feel-good factor from your gear, these are a no-brainer.
VERDICT: A top-level, race-inspired, mountain-bashing boot for narrow-footed folks that looks awesome.
ARC'TERYX RUSH JACKET
Tested by Chrigl Luthy, gear tester
PRICE: £600
REVIEW: Some ski jackets we test stand out for their innovative features or their cool aesthetic, while others, such as this Rush jacket from Arc’teryx, stand out because they are so ‘fit for purpose’. The moment you pick the Rush up, you can tell that it has been conceived purely to endure the rigours of the mountains.
The Rush is one of Arc’teryx’s most ‘simple’ offerings, being a plain shell, with no flannel liner, for example. For this reason it is exceptionally light and tough. It is an anatomically formed masterpiece of Gore-Tex Pro panels, and gave me great range of movement despite being non-stretch. The Rush has a simple two-pocket arrangement on the torso – room for a pair of skins in one and lunch in the other.
The Storm hood covered all potential wind gaps perfectly in a snowstorm, and was easily adjustable. The hood so neatly encapsulates your head and face that, when it’s down, I feel the chin guard is perhaps a little close to my mouth. But this is the price you pay for better storm performance – you lose a little comfort on the easier-going days.
Similarly, in this vein, the Gore-Tex Pro material is not what you would call ‘soft’. Make no mistake, this jacket is rugged. On test I met with some tree branches at an unwelcome velocity. On examination I discovered the shell had shrugged of the spikes leaving only remnants of bark and lichen. I am not exaggerating my shock at seeing such a light shell survive this incident unscathed.
A small nitpick is that I would lengthen the sleeves slightly. They are plenty roomy enough around the shoulder and arm, but every so often they would slip off my glove cuff. Besides that, I found the fit in the XL fit me very well at 6ft 2in – I could possibly size down to an L for a more athletic or touring-focused fit.
I even like the colour of this Disco Blue: it is right on the cusp of purple and seems to alter in different light. Arc’teryx have a way of choosing colours that are smart, discreet and timeless – in the same way the cut of their jackets is clean, simple and timeless – which is good because given the durability of this jacket it is sure to last for years!
VERDICT: High performance and mega durable. Discreet, timeless style.