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Rossignol Scratch BC (2004)

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Contributed by Alasdair MacDonald   
Wednesday, 10 March 2004

One of the best skis I have ever skied on. Its increased length provides better stability than the Scratch FS, both forward and backward. More of an off piste ski, where it performs incredibly, and much better than a park ski, but it holds its own there as well.

Model: Scratch BC
Size(cm) / Radius(m): 176/22.8 182/22.8 188/22.8
Sidecut: 122-90-115

Manufacturer's Description:

"A fat and forgiving ski, at ease in powder, on the piste, in the air to dare new attitudes and to grab new thrills and adventures."

Ski-Review's Verdict:

The extra width below the feet increases turn radius, which makes piste skiing a little dull, but allows for incredible performance off piste as I mentioned, adding to the ease of landings in powder, switch or regular.

My only criticism would be that for a lighter skier the BC may be a little difficult to handle.

Conclusion?

All in all however, I would say this is the best all round ski available on the market, if you are solely a piste skier you can always just ride it backwards!

Alasdair MacDonald
BUSC 2004 Chairman
http://www.busc.net

Reader Ski Reviews of the Rossignol Scratch BC (2004)
P Coleshill
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-01-18 23:17:54

I used these mainly on piste this winter and they were spot on. The pistes were getting a little sketchy and didnt want to ruin my much loved bandts so i hired some 182cm Scratch BC's. I only attended to use them for a couple of days but kept them all week. They are stable off piste too. i would imagine that powder is their intended home but with the current Euro conditions it was limited and tracked out by in the know locals. My only regret is that I want to buy some but cannot find the model above for sale anywhere.

Simon Donald
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-02-07 02:13:42

I was looking for a set of freeride skis and ended up getting the Rossignol Scratch BC's by chance when my mail order skis fell through. I could not be more impressed with them. I am a 67kg 5'11" 23 year old and I have the 176cm Scratch BC's. Not only are they awesome in the backcountry and deal with powder, soft snow, crud, etc... well, but they are surprisingly good on piste too, probably thanks to the mod sidecut. All I need to be able to do now is grasp skiing backwards (?switch) and rails and jumps and all will be well. 
 
The one thing to wary of with these skis and that caught me out. They are advertised as being 122 - 90 - 115. Only the 182cm model are these dimensions. My 176's are more like 118 - 85 - 110, which is fine for me because I'm light, but beware if you are heavier and think that because you want a shorter, snappier ski you'll get the 176's.

Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-02-08 04:22:35

I'm considering buying the BC's for a freeride ski, though i usually spend a week or two out east every season skiing. Would they be useless on the icey hardpack?

G Dog
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-03-18 02:37:16

To answer the question above, the skis preform well on piste as well. Although it is not intended to be a carving ski. I will grab the ice with little difficulty, and you will look way cooler doing it, 
 
Peace Out, 
G-Dog

Can't Decide
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-04-03 23:38:38

Hi i'm looking for a good freeride ski that is good in the pow and park. Should i get the rossi' scratch bc or the line assasin mtx pro???  
Thanks, Curtis

Scratch BC or ASsasin MTX Pro
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-04-04 14:16:34

If you are looking for a great all aroudn ski both are good choices. The lines will hold a little better on icier conditions and will be a little easier to carve, not taking anything away from the Scratch's though. The scratch will perform a little better in powder and crud. Overall the Scratch is more of a big mountain ski where as the lines are more of a piste all mountain ski.

oldgit
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-04-18 14:50:33

Just completed 1wk on 176 BCs right behind 3 wks on Scream limiteds. 
 
Brilliant in mixed crap & powder. They go sideways a bit (or big radius) on glassy ice but never had any problems with control. Would probably go for a 182 next time (85Kg 6ft) and hope it might be a bit stiffer

Waz
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-06-06 15:17:40

These are soft boards and took a bit of getting used to after skiing much stiffer Volkls for several years. They do rock in powder and are stable at high speed. Suprisingly good on piste as well although they were never going to be brilliant at short turns. Switch performance on the 'Standard' setting is average.

Powder Hound
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-08-10 14:38:51

I bought a pair of BC's last season, they're absolutely incredible in powder and for doing little drops etc. They hold their own on the piste too but start to shake around a bit at super high speeds on icy pistes. Overall they're brilliant especially if you want to chase powder.

demo skis?
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-08-16 04:13:56

i was wondering if anyone knew where i could find demo skis for sale online? scratch bcs.... seth pistols, pocket rockets.... any help would be great 
thanks 
jd

BC vs Pocket Rocket
Written by twogiraffe on 2005-09-22 09:12:42

I'm 5'9", 147lbs. 
I rode on 04-05 Pocket Rockets 165cm last season at Kirkwood... 800+ inches. Hehehe. I loved the PR's but a little soft... needed to hold back when the terrain was wide open. I'm a powder hound, and love the tight spots and gulllies at Kirkwood. How about these BC's? Are they stiffer than PR? The 165 PR were fine for me...a bit short at times when I want to ride big turns in rough snow. But pretty damn good for bumps. I want a ski I can let them rip when I want to make big turns in the wind-buffed or mixed powder. Will the BC let me do this? Still want the versatility and quickness and lightness of the PR, maybe only sacrifice a little for more speed. Is BC the right ski for me?

Hughberto
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-09-29 11:00:49

i got some scratch BC's in Canada, They are a great all mountain ski, perfect for skiing switch. They are a bit unstable on ice but if you enjoy riding in powder you won't be dissapointed.

J-Hole steez
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-09-29 19:41:52

I got a pair of 176 BC's for this last season. they performed not matter what kinda conditions i threw at them, in short the scratch BC's are pretty much the cronic

kins18
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-10-15 02:20:21

I'm 16, and I'm thinking about buying skis for the first time. I am a very experienced skier with an average of about 15 ski days per year. I live in the bumps and love the trees, it's just that i do enjoy a good carve here and there. I dont know what skis will be  
First-Quick in the bumps and glades 
Second-relatively good carvers 
If some one could mention a list of skis that might fit this critefria, it would be greatly appreciated. 

Re: BC v. PR
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-10-16 23:47:03

The BC's are going to be stiffer than the pocket rockets. I demoed the PR's and found them soft and a little unstable. Then I tried the BC's and they were much better but at high speeds they are still going to chatter. Overall I love them, but unless there is powder, I am going to ski park skis or something I can cruise on. Overall I like the BC's a lot more than the PR's but I am also 6'1" 165.

2005 model
Written by Hautokt on 2005-11-09 12:10:59

I skied the Scratch BC 2005 from march to april last season... After 10 days their tips were cracked under top sheet. I sold them in may. 
On snow, to me they're pretty good skis with good pop for freestyle, but this tail can be a bit too long and nervous between trees ! In order to ride it accurately in powder, you need big legs and good technical skills.

help
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-11-19 08:08:19

im 6'3" 185 lbs and looking for a good all mountain ski. i like the rossi sratch bc's but am i too big? would the bandit b3' be a better choice?

Keep an eye out
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-11-28 20:06:05

I skied the Scratch BC for the last two seasons- all of the comments here are spot on. Great pow ski, pretty good on pisted, but not really a carver. I skied a Fritschi binding on this ski- and the rage in the b.c. Unfortunately, mine were ripped off in Vail- so if you see someone skiing a scratch with fritschi's with mismatched toe peices (blew a toe peice and the replacements are more curvy than the older ones) well if you see this punk skiing those- he deserves a beat down.

Which Twin Tip is 4 me?
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-12-01 11:30:37

I'm trying to find an all mountain twin tip ski, that would still be good in the park I'm stuck between the BC Scratches, 1080 Foils, and Line Chronics. Im an intermidiate Eastern coast skier

Rossi SPRAYER BC
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-12-26 03:11:43

Im from MN, but will be going to school in CO next year. I need a all mountain ski which is good in the park but better in the powder. Does anyone know anything about the SPRAYER BC's?

to the guy who got his skis jacked
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-12-26 03:28:37

idk if these are yours, but ebay has a pair like the ones you are describing for sale. its got 5 days left check them out and maybe they r yours.

twin tip comparison
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-01-15 22:15:08

The best skiing days of my life have been in the Vail trees this and last season. Last season I was on the Pocket Rockets and they floated magically. This year it was the Scratch BC Sprayers--the more nimble BC version--also rockin skiis. The Scratchs are a little stiffer than the PR (owing to the differences in core construciton: PRs have a wood-core) Either is an excellent choice for pow, trees, or all mountian. Regular BCs are probably better than the sprayers for pow, but I haven't ridden them yet. Can't go wrong with these skiis--whatever the choice.

Awesome
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-01-17 01:42:59

I skiied on these for a season in Les Arcs, France and have done for a further two weeks since in Alp d'huez at 176cm, im 5ft 8" and 170 Ilbs. These skis are great everywhere, if you have them long enough, remember they are designed to be ridden longer than standard carvers. They are stable at speed, their only major weak area are on the bumps due to the wide heavy nature of the ski, they're great in the park, they're soft enough to let you get away with those slightly unbalanced landings. get a pair and enjoy!

????WHAT SHOULD I DO?????
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-02-01 01:33:48

Im 16 almost 6,4 and 170 pounds and i go up about 40-60 times a year and i was wondering if the scratch B.C's would be good for ice and tucking cuz im a little pocket rocket lol, but i also like to ski big mountain deep pow and med sized drops or i was wondering if the line cronics would be better for me for the all around factor. 
 
Thx for ur feedback

Binding Placement
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-02-21 22:42:31

I am looking at purchasing the Scratch BC, but want to be sure about binding location prior to purchase. I have heard that you may want to move the binding back about 1 cm to give you additional stability. Is this correct?

general thought, and binding response
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-02-22 02:43:22

I recently started skiing '05 Scratch BC's after 4 years of east coast skiing on an old pair of Rebel X's i got cheep. I am a 6ft 190lb advanced skiier. To make it short and sweet - I had the BC's out to whistler and loved them. They dont edge too great on ice, but as soon as you can take them into powder they switch to a whole new level. Everything feels like it flows perfect. Smooth turning, float great, and i was really supprised with how manageable i found them in the air. I would highly recommend them as long as you plan on spending most of your time not on hard pack or ice.  
 
and as for the binding question - the ski has two mounting points on it ( i think its freestyle and freeride, i would look but my brother "borrowed" my skis) I have been told that unless your spending your time in the park, mount them on freeride for the stability. So i think your probably spot on in your assumption.

Which twin tip should I get?
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-03-06 23:43:13

I'm a big all-mountain skier, but I also ride the park a ton. I need a ski that can ski big all around but can shred the park also. The two skis I am considering are the Scratch BCs and the Head MoJo 90s, I'm open to other suggestions. What should I get????

Scratch BC,Public Enemy,FirstBlood,Karma
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-03-13 22:50:53

Scratch BC,Public Enemy,FirstBlood,Karma, or Prophet.... I need skis that are good for everything, the slopes and the park....Which is best

Good All-around skis
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-04-01 23:01:40

I ski 3-5 days a week in the ski season, and am a pretty advanced skiier. I am looking for a good pair of twin tip skis on which work well in powder and trees, and have good performance in the park. 
I dont mind too much about having to turn widely on the scratches, but i love going really fast. 
Basically, I am looking for a good ski that i can take anywhere on the mountain, excluding bumps/moguls. I usually spend my time equally in the trees, park, and groomed/hard pack. Ill ride powder anywhere i can find it too! 
Would love any suggestions, Thanks.

Lookin at a pair of rossi scratch bc's
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-12-27 05:52:07

There is a pair of rossi scratch bc's that are 450$ for the skis and Axial 2 bindings is that a good deal and a good ski for 80% all mountian and 20% park?

Rossi Scratch BC
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2007-04-22 11:15:24

I took out the 184 Scratch BC in Montgenevre, France 2 months ago - skiing piste in reasonable snow, but tracked out everywhere. I am a fairly good skier, but found the BCs REALLY haaaaard work - you have to be absolutely centred, and you have to press like hell to carve - they are not at all forgiving (gives you lots of feedback - really lets you know if you get things wrong). I only took them for a morning - too tiring (a friend took them the out the next day, and he only had them for the morning - same reason). Having said that, by the end of the morning, I thought they were good skis, just too tiring. I took a out a pair of Salomon Screams for the rest of the trip - very easy to ski on. 
I have just bought a pair of Volkl Karmas - these are much easier to ski on than the BCs - the Karma is easy to use, great in powder, and good in bumps, on ice and on piste - I found it a very versatile all mountain ski, seems to do it all, no problem.

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