The Rossignol Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW returned unchanged to our boot test and our team again put it at the very top of the competitive narrow All-Mountain Traditional group. Well, it was fourth down from the top, but it was out of the first spot by only 0.03 points, so we're calling it a virtual four-way tie for first there. Last year's debut of the Hi-Speed line impressed testers with a closer, more anatomically sculpted fit and quicker, more energetic response to the edge. Those elements struck testers again this year.
The Hi-Speed Elite offered a tightening-up of Rossi's narrow performance offering (predecessor Allspeed Elite) and yet testers say that the Hi-Speed Elite still trends toward the slightly roomier side of the narrow last group. Not by much, testers said, but Rossi has not lost its comfort and warmth edge over the competition, even as it hammers a ski through variable terrain or drives it in a gouging arc against hard snow. Testers love the just right liner that's firm enough in the heel and ankle without offending bony points, and they said that the feel against the foot from the first slide in was top of class.
The closer fit of the Hi-Speed Elite bumps its quickness scores--testers awarded it a 4.83 there, but it's A-game is in its brutish power against the ski edge where testers gave it a perfect 5.00. This is one of those boots where testers mention that it skis surprisingly powerfully in comparison to its pleasant fit and entry-exit demeanor. Its carbon infused polyurethane cuff is stiff and transmissive and the polyurethane lower shell remains damp and stable. This is a solid-feeling boot that reminds good skiers what real boot plastic in proper shell wall thicknesses feels like (feels good, is what they say).
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