Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel XBS ALU (2007)

This is single handedly the worst ski I’ve ever owned.  DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! Nordica really took a step back with this one. 

Demoed last week. Just think of turning and you are there.  Stable at teh fastest I could go safely on a crowded slope…

Ate up crud like it was not there. Great transition from soft to ice, hardly noticed it.

The most fun ski I skied all day. Tried it twice and I will buy when I can find a good enough deal.

I’m 6’4”, 240 pounds, expert skier and have skied since I was 8 years old. I’m currently skiing in PA, and just bought these skis.

They are great. For my size, they carved well, and shot me down the mountain fast. They handled great in the bumps, and were forgiving.

Demo this ski for yourself. This is a Mid-Fat ski with a 78mm waist. It is great for middle tier conditions, not hard ice and not deep crud/powder. It can be used in non middle tier conditions, but will not be nearly as much fun as a ski designed for those specific conditions outside of the middle tier. I compared the TFs in 170cm back to back with my 75mm waist Salomon Screams in 175cm in middle tier conditions, in the late morning to early afternoon in late March at Waterville Valley, NH. They outperformed the Screams when carving on the glazed surfaces between the mild crud piles, as they were stiffer and had more sidecut—both the extra sidecut and the more rigid edgehold were welcome with my style of skiing. However, they also handled the mild crud piles with the same ease and smoothness that the Screams do, and therefore really expanded the middle tier for me quite a bit over my current Mid-Fat Screams. In similar early season conditions I demoed the 76mm waist Volkl AC3 in 170cm which I really liked, but did not buy as I found myself wanting some more sidecut. The AC3 and the TF were both preferable over my current Mid-Fats, but in the end I preferred the TFs for their extra sidecut and decided to buy them. In order to explain the context of a Mid-Fat, on this late March day I started off the early morning on 68mm waist Carvers (Dynastar Contact 9 in 165cm) to maximize my fun on the frozen groomed crud/slush from the day before. I switched to Mid-Fats for the mid-morning to early afternoon window. Later in the afternoon I switched to 88mm waist Fats (Apache Outlaw in 167cm) to maximize my enjoyment of the deep crud and slush piles. The bottom line is that Mid-Fats work best in middle tier conditions. The TF had great float in mild crud and great edgehold for the slick glazed spots between the mild crud piles. They are the best Mid-Fat I have skied so far. I am a 165 pound 5’10” expert with plenty of mileage (e.g. over 30 ski days this year). I am a moderately aggressive skier, that enjoys contemporary carving.

I bought these on the recommendation of my shop last year.  I ski 60+ times a year, I’m a patroller, and I’m a ski tune fanatic. 

I was came in looking for the Volkyl AC3 but was convinced to check these out since a lot of racers where choosing this for their fun skis. 

Took them out west and skied for a week.  First day skiing, I was disappointed, the skis didn’t seem to provide the feedback that some of the snappier skis I’ve used have.  Then I’d say, “wow - that was a pretty good run through the bumps.”  “Hmm, haven’t skied the crud that effortlessly.”  “Wow that was icy but I sure carved it up.”

What it is about these skis is that they DO IT ALL without complaining.  Slow speed short radius turn to long radius 40mph cruisers - no problems and no complaints.  They are a highly damped ski, so there is little chatter and complaining from the ski. They take the invitation to carve and then eat into whatever you put them through.

If you like skis that give you lots of feedback or that have a big snap when you release the edge, these will take some getting used to.  They are highly damped - which makes for a stable and comfortable ride, but they will carve to where you feel you are almost putting your hip on the snow.  They don’t complain, they don’t talk back, they don’t chatter, they just do it.

I’d highly recommend these boards.  Excellent ski.

I tried the Top Fuel, 178 cm last weekend, and had a blast!  I usually ski on K2 Apache Outlaws, but was looking for a better edge on hard pack. The Top Fuel handled the hard pack very well, and can handle very fast speeds with great stability. I ended up adding the Top Fuel to my arsenal, and plan to use it on non-powder days. I am a member of the NSP, and ski 25-30 days a year.  I can easily see myself skiing the Top Fuel 10 -12 of those days, but the K2 Apahce Outlaw is still my ski of choice.

I demoed a pair of these skis in Utah 2 weeks ago. They hadn’t had any fresh snow in a week, so all I was able to ski on was groomers and a few areas with a couple inches of loose snow.Skied Solitude and Alta, and had no problems with this ski at all. Very stable at speed. Carved beautifully. I couldn’t do wrong on these skis. I’m 6’6’’ tall/225lb. level 7 skier. The skies I demoed were the 186 cm. length. I’m from the Midwest and run on Fischer RC4 WC in a 193 cm. length. The Nordicas were just as fun as my Fischers!