Rossignol Zenith Z9 Ti Oversize (2007)

I’m looking for some recommendations that can help me wade through all of the marketing BS. Right now I’m considering the Rossignol Zenith Z9, Dynastar Contact 11 & the Fischer RX8.  
 
I’m 39 years old, 5’ 6” and weigh about 145 lbs. I mainly ski at Mt. Hood & Bachelor in OR, but still make trips to UT and CO. Currently I’m skiing on some bump skis that are old skinny skis – Dynastar Assualt at 180cm. Previous ten years where spent on some slalom race skis – K2 KVC 195cm.  
 
I’ve just started bringing my toddler out on the mountain and consequently spend much more time on groomed runs than bumps – not to mention that my body just can’t take a day of the bumps like it once could, but bumps are still my favorite thing to ski. 
 
I’m really looking for an all mountain ski that is great at short radius fall line turns. I want a fun, lively ski with lots of rebound and great in the bumps. I probably spend 50% of my time on groomed runs, 30% on bump runs and 20% doing some bowl skiing.  
 
I’m generally not a fan of making GS turns, but it seems that’s all you can do on the flats so it would be nice to have a ski that is competent in that area. I know it’s tough to get it all, but ideally I’d love to have one ski that could also be used comfortably in crud and even on a few powder days. Am I asking for too much? 
 
Does anyone have any recommendations between these skis or maybe another that should be on my list. Also a recommendation on the appropriate size of ski would be helpful. Thanks! 

Skied the Z9s at Vail in early Dec 06. Had excellent hold on the hard pack at speed and handled bumps easily. No powder at the time so no comment. Need a stiff performance boot to use their full potential.

I wouldn't go for the Z9's, you might want to try a B2 if you like Rossi, probably a 162cm. If you want it all in one K2 Apache Recons again in a 162. If you want more stability go up to a 170cm, no higher.

I wonder what is the best length for 210lbs level 7 skier. I like speed on groomer but I'm not a speed freak. Mammoth in California is my favourite resort. Thanks.

Any expert skiers out there that have tried the Z9 vs the Tornado's? I am 6' and 185 lbs. Bought the tornados in a 170cm length but have felt short in deep days and higher speeds. Other than that they are a blast. Just found a screaming deal on 2008 Rossi Z9's(1/2 price new) 176cm length. Curious to know how much different they are.

Just demoed the Z9 176 today. I am 5'10", 200lbs, type III, advanced/expert with a preference toward on-piste carving experience. I demoed the Z9 because I hate my Volkl 724 170cm skis -- they are decent at a lot of stuff, but boring, and do not excel at anything. 
 
Anyway, the Z9 was by far my favorite demo of the day (5 skis, including the K2 Apache Recon, Rossi B83, Rossi Z3, Salomon XW 10, and the Z9). They are very snappy, light in weight, and turn on a dime. They can do both GS & SL turns without hesitation. They really go fast, and I felt compelled to push them hard, which made them go faster. At high speed, they are super stable, no chattering, and they hold an edge with rock-solid precision, even in icy patches. I also found them suprisingly forgiving, and thus won't punish you if you get tired or sloppy (the Recons, however, are noticeably less forgiving). I did not ski them in bumps, powder, or off-piste, and so I cannot comment on their performance there. What I can say is that on-piste, they are arguably the most fun skis I've ever skiied in my 35 years of skiing.  
 
As to the length, I did not try the 170/172. The 176 felt like it could do GS turns as well as any ski, yet the tight fast SL type turns were seemless, too. I enjoyed them a LOT more than my Volkl 724 Pro 170s, and they instill so much more confidence. 
 
All in all, a really fun pair of skis.  
 
If you have questions about their characteristics, I would demo them. Try a shop at your local mountain, which hopefully have different sizes of the same skis.

I am a little concerned about the length though. I was going to demo some different lengths but this seemed like such a good deal so I jumped at it. 
 
I am 5'-11" and 190 lbs and am upgrading from a 6 year old pair of Salomon's that are about 188 cm. 
 
All the shops insisted I should be on a pair of 170 cm skis but they do seem a little short. 
 
I have skied mostly in the east coast but now live in SF so will be skiing in Tahoe from now on.

TMAC, where did you find the 176cm at half price? I've decided to get a pair, but am now searching for a good deal. Thanks in advance.

Bought my wife some 154's this winter. I decided to ski them a few days myself and can offer the following: 
 
I'm 6'1", 180 lbs., 45 yrs old, ski maniac since age 5. Love to ski fast on hard pack New England slopes, plus bumps when they are not ice pits. Am used to skiing super fast and stable Bode Miller Rossi's with long turn radius and lots of energy. The z9 by comparison is lightling quick and agile; it wants to always be on an edge; slalom style turns with massive grip - all the better the harder you apply force to the ski; they snap out of the turn at this level with pent up energy. Nothing but deep ruts all over the slopes - tons of fun to ski. Handles bumps just fine, but it is not their strong suite. Also, I would not characterize the ski as something that wants to go fast - fast in the downhill sense of fast - sure they rip and they're quick - but when you hit speeds that make your helmet bobble on top of your head, you've just gone to another zone where this ski is not the one to be on. 
 
I'd recommend this ski to anyone who appreciates riding skis and making carves and turns like you are on roller coaster rails applying G-forces to yourself. IF you are not an expert or upper advanced skier, you will never ski this ski to its potential.

Demo'd the Z9's and the Z11's last night. The Z9's were an absolute blast and I was ready to buy. What performers. Then the demo guy told me to try the Z11's. Warned me that they were a bit stiffer and that I'd feel the tails pushing back at me. Said "pay attention on these!" When I first got on them, they initially felt a bit squirrelly. They were even more responsive than the Z9's and I definitely felt the tails pushing back. They initially felt overly responsive. Then I did some really aggressive stuff with them and I found out what these are all about. Their added stiffness is what makes them more responsive and I really liked this when I was doing the aggressive stuff. Doing really aggressive stuff, I actually felt more secure on the Z11's. They dug into tight turns better, held onto icy stuff better, and so on because of the added stiffness. All in all, the Z11's are a higher performer because of the stiffness but you have to put correspondingly more energy into them to get the higher performance that they provide.  
 
Now this all said, I could be perfectly happy with the Z9's forever. They are very good performers and can go anywhere. Given the higher performance of the Z11's and the fact that I do the aggressive stuff, I'll probably buy the Z11's. 
 
10 years ago, I probably could not have handled the Z11's The Z9's being a bit softer, are definitely more forgiving.  
 
If you spend most of the day in moguls, you'd probably like the Z9's better. 
If you really like to push the envelope, you'll undoubtedly like the extra performance edge of the Z11's. 
If you're into more mellow sking, stay away from the Z11's.  
 
One other thing I noticed. They were both 170 cm, but the Z9's felt slightly too short to me. (I'm 5'11", 190lb) The Z11's felt longer, just right, as a matter of fact, and it was the added stiffness that made them feel this way.

I just bought a pair of the Z9s after demoing the Volkl Tigershark, AC40, AC30, Racetiger; and Rossignol Z11. I was looking for a quick, stable, snappy all-mountain ski.  
 
The Z9s were by far my favorites, on three separate days. On groomed runs they carve like crazy and took as much power as I put into them (in fact, they almost threw me on one turn, which pretty much sealed the deal). On steeps they turned fast and dug into a carve as soon as I put them up on edge, giving me great confidence. I also pushed them in heavy crud on a warm Northwest day at Crystal Mtn. WA and they busted right through it in big fast turns. I haven't tested them in powder. Overall, they feel quick without being jittery, solid at speed, and have HUGE amounts of rebound. 
 
This is my favorite ski of all time. I like it even better than the old Volkl Supersport 6-Star which I thought couldn't get any better. The Z9 did ANYTHING I wanted it to and took all I could give it while still being forgiving. I can relax on these skis, because I know they'll do exactly what I want.  
 
I'm 6', 165 pounds and I bought 170s, since they felt stable going as fast as I wanted and had the responsiveness that I was looking for. I also skied the 176 on a different day and actually couldn't feel much difference.

Never had better skis in my life. Light to carry, fast, stable and reliable on any snow from crud to ice.

5'7 160lbs 162cm Advanced/expert  
 
Really enjoy this ski. Lets me drift the turns when skiing with my wife and turn it up on its edge and crank some turns when on my own or with some buddies. The stiff tails and strong edges instill confidence at any speed. I GPS myself and have been well over 70mph on this ski on numerous occasions and it is very stable. Of course snow conditions will change the characteristics of any ski. I find this to be a great all mountain ski whether hard pack, crud or powder. Definitely one to try on a demo if making comparisons. Ski canada Magazine is at Big White this week. I hope to demo some competitor skis.