The Rossignol Hi-Speed range received an across-the-board liner update this year that had a noticeably positive effect on fit and performance in every model, but perhaps the biggest bump up came in the narrow Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon where the fit improvements were most apparent to slender legged skiers who applauded the newly close-matching fit in the cuff and the resulting power upgrade.
The boot was already a gold medalist twice over the past two tests, impressing testers from the get-go. And while Rossignol could've just left well enough alone, they chose to pursue a fix to a minor, but nagging concern about how the liner tongue was attached at its base. They moved the attachment point farther down by just a few millimeters, but that was enough to pull the instep into a better match with the lower leg and top of the foot, and it also shifted the tongue to make better contact at the boot top. This better connection with the shin at the top of the boot made the boot feel slightly taller and more upright to testers, who before had noticed a bit of "spillage" out of the boot cuff. Now they were held securely in a well-distributed way all along the lower leg, and they felt that there was more immediate engagement of boot and ski shovel when they made a first move forward, where in the past there was some gap in that transmission. One tester called this little liner tweak a game-changer for fit and performance. Another tester called the Hi-Speed line both the biggest surprise of the test and the test's most improved models because of the liner change.
The fit elsewhere in the boot remains ridiculously comfortable, testers said. Perhaps too comfortable for a narrow-last, some testers mentioned, as the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon remains on the roomier end of the fit tension spectrum among the narrow class All-Mountain Traditional boots we tested this year. This was not a bad thing, but it did lead some testers to reduce the boot's Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel scores for missing what they considered the narrow fit target somewhat. Other testers just enjoyed the luxuriant, warm fit and ripped all around the mountain without numbness and pain. It's a glass-half-full versus glass-half-empty fit tension story. There are a lot of skiers who can't tolerate the typical crush of the narrow boot but find themselves a bit swimmy in a medium-last. Well, here's a great solution for that guy.
Stance angles don't get much attention unless they're off, generally, but the stance geometry of the Hi-Speed universally garners praise for how perfect it is. Sure everybody has a stance alignment preference--some a bit more forward, others more upright, some strong to the inside edge while others like a looser set-up--but somehow the Hi-Speed boots appeal to all of them. It's right in the middle of the target--a stance angle bullseye that lets skiers find a comfortable place to move from, and if there's anything a bit not-so-perfect, it's within the window of easy cuff adjustment or rear spoiler tuning. Testers repeatedly mentioned how easy it was to ski the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon anywhere and everywhere, at any speed. In an era where most boots' stances are pretty damn good, the Hi-Speed line is remarkable for it.
The Hi-Speed Elite 130 skis with frontside precision but with all-day comfort tuning and suspension that makes it the perfect go-everywhere boot, testers say. They say it's damp and stable and unstoppable at speed, but they also comment on its quick-witted character in transitions and tight spots. It's Quickness and Steering score was a nearly perfect 4.94, so we guess our testers back up what they have to say with some hard numbers.
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