Gear reviews | Salomon Rocker2 115

First impression and design

The design of the Salomon Rocker² 115 immediately catches the eye: Trees covered in deep snow, steep gullies, overgrown peaks - untouched nature that would make any freerider nervous. Actually the terrain of the chamois that can be seen on one of the two skis. This is exactly where the ski should take the rider. However, with a maximum weight of 2.3 kg per ski (for the 188 cm length), the 115 is not necessarily a lightweight. And you don't necessarily feel like a mountain goat with such a heavy weight on your feet.

Ascents beyond 1000 meters of altitude are probably reserved for the hardy with this setup. However, contrary to the free interpretation of the print, it wasn't really developed for this purpose. It's supposed to be a maneuverable off-piste ski that can also be used in the most variable conditions. In other words, a mixture of the 122 Rocker² and the old Dictator, which Salomon has taken out of the range with the new Rocker series.

The elongated rocker (51 cm in the 188 length; otherwise 49 cm), the tail that is not as wide compared to the Rocker² 122 (only 23 cm) and the modern sidecut are also immediately noticeable. The tip remains remarkably wide for a long time. The flex at the tip and under the binding is a little stiffer than its big brother, but still quite soft overall. The tail is a little stiffer and is more reminiscent of the Dictator. Overall, however, the Salomon Rocker² 115 doesn't have much in common with the hard Dictator and is therefore more on the side of the Rocker² 122.

You can very consciously put weight on the front part of the ski, but you have to be careful in the case of harsh or windy conditions (see above). However, as long as you stand stably and consciously on the ski, there is no need to worry about the ski tips sinking in. Maneuverability is a big plus of the ski. It is remarkable how maneuverable it is and how easily the turn can be initiated. Thanks to the rocker and the early rise tail, the effective contact area is extremely short and you hardly have to worry about the ski tilting.

In steep to very steep channels, the ski is very maneuverable and provides an amazing amount of edge grip. The camber and sidecut seem to work well in such conditions. A small drawback in such conditions is the elongated ski tip. As a result, you ski relatively far back and you have to find the right balance between pressure on the tip of the ski and on the tail. If the latter happens, the ski tends to overturn and you sometimes lose edge hold. Personally, it took me a few descents to adjust to this, but once you have found the perfect load point for the respective conditions, its true potential emerges. Thanks to its firm tail, the ski is easy to control in many different snow conditions.

The perfect all-round off-piste ski?

A comment on the width of an off-piste (all-round) ski is a very subjective assessment at best. For me personally, an all-round off-piste ski should be between 110 and 115 mm wide under the binding - not to mention the really steep, icy couloirs, where you can definitely use slightly narrower skis. An all-round off-piste ski is logically always focused on deep snow, but should be usable in any terrain and provide safety - the wider the ski, the more difficult it will be to find your way in less than perfect conditions.

The Salomon Rocker² 115 perfectly meets my taste for an all-round off-piste ski. If you compare it with its big brother (Rocker² 122), it can be used in far more conditions! This is truly a ski that will put a big grin on your face in fresh deep snow - but logically you will also reach your limits much faster in steeper terrain. The Salomon Rocker² 115 also puts a smile on your face.

I have not yet skied its smaller brother (Rocker² 108), but according to various people, the tendency is already noticeably more on the all-round side and not so much on the powder side. So Salomon has definitely closed a gap with the 115 and produced a ski that comes close to a one-quiver ski; however, I would rather use it as a backup ski for those days/areas where you don't know exactly what to expect and everything from deep powder snow to rutted gullies can be there.

The decision to not have completely continuous edges at the tip and tail of the ski can at least be questioned a little. Sure, weight can play a role here, but for me there is a lot at stake in terms of durability in relation to the grams saved. According to Salomon, the edgeless end areas are responsible "for smoother gliding in powder because the edges don't get stuck and the ski is lighter". It is difficult to say whether the ski would "get stuck" more often with edges, but at least the good flotation and high maneuverability tend to live up to the impression of the test. Whether this is really due to the saved edge pieces?

Test conditions, bindings and comments on the ski boots used

In terms of the snow conditions, it is probably not possible to test more widely: from wind-compressed, in some cases very opaque snow, to the freshest powder snow and through to damp, heavy, wet spring snow, everything was there on the windy glacier and in the steep couloirs of La Grave. Crushed snow, icy steep faces and rutted glaciers were then booked as test terrain in Chamonix. The test skier is 180 cm tall and weighs 82 kg. On the test ski, a Dynafit Radical was mounted 1.5 cm behind the actually recommended ski boot center (minus eight centimeters to the actual ski center).

I skied the Salomon Rocker² 115 with three different boots: With a relatively soft Crispi (Skw:ol), the old Black Diamond Factor and the 2014 version of the latter. In my opinion, the stiffness and the directness of the power transmission of the ski boot also increase noticeably in this order. And for me, the more directly the boot could be used, the better the ski performed. I'm sure some will argue that this is generally the case with every ski, but I believe that a soft ski is much easier to ski with a soft boot. However, with the Crispi, the Salomon Rocker² 115 was very difficult to control, whereas with the new Black Diamond Factor you had no problems putting your stamp on the ski. The conclusion could be summarized as follows: The Salomon Rocker² 115 is a ski that you have to ski very consciously and definitely a bit more sportily to tease out its true potential.

Conclusion

Salomon has not just simply worked on the width of the skis with the different widths of the Rocker2 series (90, 92, 108, 115, 122), but has seemingly given each ski (I can only say this for the 115 so far) a special character. Anyone who thinks that the Rocker2 115 is simply a narrower 122 will be surprised. The 115 can definitely be used for any off-piste terrain and also for the piste. Especially in steep and rough terrain, it works surprisingly well and provides a lot of security. However, its specialty is certainly powder snow and narrow treeskiing terrain. It takes a little time to recognize the character of the ski, but once confidence is established, it delivers what it promises in any conditions - lots of fun in the snow!

Advantages & disadvantages

+ Extremely maneuverable
+ Easy to control
+ Very good float
- Limited touring capability due to its weight
- Rather soft nose tends to grip unintentionally on hardpack
- No continuous edges at the tip and tail of the ski

Detailed information

Test version: Salomon Rocker² 115 in 188 cm?
RRP: 649.95 euros?
Lengths: 168 / 178 / 188 cm?
Dimensions: 139 / 111 / 131 (168 cm), 139 / 113 / 131 mm (178 cm), 139 / 115 / 131 mm (188 cm)
Radius: 14.0 / 16.4 / 21.0 m
Weight: 2.0 kg / ski (at 168 cm), 2.1 kg / ski (at 178 cm), 2.3 kg / ski (at 188 cm) (manufacturer's specifications)

Continuous wood core - optimal stability, powerful rebound, maximum ski/snow contact and effective vibration filtering
Pulse Pad - rubber layer along the edges in certain zones of the ski for a smoother ride and improved ski/snow contact
Wider edges and edge reinforcement - stiffer edges, which are more durable and grippier and achieve improved impact resistance
Edgeless area and honeycomb construction on tip and tail - agile ski and optimal maneuverability and easy handling
Twin Rocker with Early Rise Tail - playful, easy turning without canting

link to the manufacturer's page