Volkl Racetiger SL Racing (2006)

Have you ever heard of fis regulations?

Hi i am the guy who wrote the review. To my knowledge (correct me if i am wrong) there is no regulation on the turning radius of a slalom ski. Just on the length and carve plate height. After all the P60s are race legal and they have a sidecut more akin to a slalom ski.

Men’s slalom skis must be no shorter than 165 CM, but there is no regulation on turning radius. See here: http://www.ussa.org/publishingfolder/assets/files/alprulesequipment.pdf

The SL Racing is meant to have a less aggressive sidecut. Its the punters race ski.

Yes its stiff, but Volkls always have been and thats a good thing.

And if you did your rookies in NZ you might know that the Alpine Director of the NZSIA skis on these skis and swears by them.

You have to be a very strong technical skier to get Volkl race skis to work for you, but once you do you’ll love them.

big dan

These skis are absolutely fantastic.  The grip is limitless, the turning radius is superb.  I don’t know how anyone can criticise these skis as they are absolutely superb.  I used to have salomon 3vs (the LAB version) and there is no comparison.  The volkls are amazing.

The reviewer says “If you want a Volkl slalom ski go for the P60”.

Which P60’s? P60’s also came in Race stock and consumer versions, just as the Racetigers do. The racestock skis (vertical sidewalls, and none of the double grip construction silliness ala Allstars) are a totally different animal . I don’t know what ” a more agressive sidecut” means, but the issue is not just sidecut-racestocks are narrower under foot but do not necessarily have a shorter radius than the consumer versions. THE DIFFERNCE IS BEYOND SIDECUT- It is construction, stiffness, and flex pattern. These are very aggressive presice skis compared to the consumer versions.

You’d find the same diffences in the P60 racestock and non-racestock.

S. Sepehri

I am the reviewer, The 05 P60 SL skis are the ones i am refering to (bright yellow ones). They have a tighter turning radius which is what i am refering to as a more agressive sidecut. I am fully aware about the other factors that affect the skis performance but the factor that is lacking form this ski is the some what lacking turning radius. i also know that you will find differences between race and customer stock (that is what you are paying all that extra money for) but at the end of the day i think that you would be much better off on the P60s if you are a keen slaslom racer.

between the dynastar speed course comp or the volkl racetiger gs which ones would u go for

Dynastar every time just because i find that they ski much better, but you always have to bear in mind that what is good for one person isn’t always good for another. The volkls are very stiff which i find makes then not much fun. Where as the dynastars are very versitile.

how do the fischer rc4 rc’s compare to volkl p60 gs

i weigh 110 abd im 57 i looking atvthe racetiger sl - do the have better grip than the p60. also are the stable at high speed/ what should i pay for these ski with out the bindings

I am quite a big fan of the RC4s. But the P60 and RC4 are pritty compible skis. You wont go wrong with either, it is just a case of personal preferance.

In reply to the second question, i would say the P60 has more grip and is more stable at higher speed. But the P60 will be more expensive as it is higher spec ski. In my experience Volkl are quite an expensive brand and you are also looking at the high end of their range. So both of these skis are going to come with hefty price tags. I couldn’t put a figure on it though, just shop around.

I am improving intermediate skier that likes to go fast but does not like to work for it. I have been skiing on Volkl Carver V4 for 3-4 years and looking to upgrade to P60 GC. Any advise on how these ski behave please! I am 150lb, 5’8” . Thank you.

Is P60 good in bumps. Some body told me if you hit the bumps too hard, the ski will bend and never come back. Is it true?

Well I skiied the RaceTiger SL and believe or not I bought the GS erision of this ski, Crave yes, big wide cutting high speed turn awsome, bumps ouch, was it worth the money?  HELL YES

I rented the RaceTiger GS skis last week, and the SL version today. I went home with the RaceTiger SL. It ROCKS. If you call this a mediocre ski then you are, um, missing something? I haven’t skied on anything like this in 40 years of racing and rec skiing. Both the GS and the SL accelerate out of every turn, hold an edge like nothing else, have incredible stability and precision. I was skiing on 160’s (my other pair are 207cm P9’s) and could go as fast as I wanted with full-on control. Maybe in extreme crud or bumps you could do better, but I skied trees, bumps, crusty windblown and corn snow, and they handled it all. Love ‘em. They brought excitement back to my ski life.

I’m trying to decide between the 160s and the 165 Race Tiger SL, I’m 5:8” and weight 150/155, former racer, etc.  Any suggestions?

Definitely go for the 165s. I just got a pair and I love them!!!

I’m sick and tired of everybody badmouthing Volkls. If you like them - Great!!! If you don’t, fine, but say that they don’t work for you, not that they’re bad skis. I love my Racetigers and I loved the P60s as well.

Volkl are the best skis I have ever had. If you don’t like them, then you’re a bad skier. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

Volkl has done it again with these. There is only one problem, they are not FIS legal. But since these arent targeted toward real hardcore racers it’s not a big deal. These really are great skis though. Early models were having some trouble but It seems Volkl fixed them up. I used the Race Stock models after these and those are an intense ski. But both models are great, if you don’t want to be restricted to the gates, try out the SL Racing.

I am 250 6’3” ex racer and have been skiing on F1 P40 SL 194 for the last 5 years or so.  I love the ski but I feel it time to update.  What would you recommend.  AC4 , Racetiger SL or something completely different.  I love quick turns and speed.  Also what size do you recommend. 

I demo’d the 160 version yesterday.  I am an ex-freestyler from the 1970s, and I love a great gripping slalom cut in the bumps (surprisingly).  I tried the Fischer RX8s, and the Race Tiger SLs.  I am 166lbs and ski quickly and aggressively.  Both these skis skied very similarly.  But the race tigers, definitely had less swing weight and were therefore quicker in the bumps.  I am going with a 160 Race Tiger.  Love them - the best skis I have been on in over 45 years of skiing.

Can anybody comment on the Race Stock version in terms of construction/material? Is the only difference between the two skis ONLY sidecut dimensions or does the Racing SL version suffer from inferior construction like most consumer skis? Also, if you have skied BOTH skis and can comment on performance I would appreciate it. I have been through a lot of pairs of P60’s Race Stock slalom skis and I have been on most consumer skis of all manufacturers. Honestly, unless you are very light or slow skier I don’t even know why anybody would possibly want to ski on non-race stock slaloms. They are imprecise and downright scary (“forgiving” slaloms) or dull at best. I do not have a problem with smaller sidecut on the Racing SL, I would actually prefer it (for going straight and landings on medium jumps and in half-pipe whenever I can’t switch to park skis). However, I am worried about the sloppy construction that plagues consumer slaloms. And one more question for any Volkl/K2 employees and reps: Is there a new strategy at K2 to market non-race stock Volkls to unsuspecting consumers as “race stock” skis by making them to look identical? Aside from the dimensions and tip guard the non-race stock SL Racing top sheet is identical to SL Race Stock and even displays bs like “World Cup” and Race Department”!?

its bad

Yeah, I agree with most of you, I own the Volkl 6 star, which I think is almost an identical ski or a predessor to the SL Racetiger. If any of you have skied in Scotland you ll know that Ice is often a problem, due to our problem with extreme wind chill. The siffness and solid side runners make this an easy ski to control on ice, I wont shift brands from Volkl, theres no need. Angus

Does anyone have experience using the Racetiger SL with the Marker World Cup Piston Control Interface Race Plate? Would you even consider the use of the plate for non-race skiing? I purchased these skis on Ebay and they came with the plate. I had not actually thought of using it, but the purported leverage gain sounds benificial. On the other hand, I’m not a world class speed demon and would like the ski to still have some flex. Is the plate overkill?

I am looking at buying the racetigers for SL and GS skies. I am 5:6 and I weigh about 120. i am looking at getting a 142cm for SL and a 163 for GS, should I get these skies??

Im not even going to pretend that im qualified to say this, but about leaving the race plates on your race tigers, i think it depends.  If you are mostly ski cruisers and are looking for a sweet carving ski, I would leave the race plats on. They feel really cool. but if you like bumps and all mountain more, i would not use them. In that case they will probably just be heavy and “overkill”. But if you just want a carver, then leave the plate in because it is way more awsome, and if you an intermediate skiier, it will make u much better.

I know that I am adding to this late. But here is my 2 cents. The volkl racetiger sl racing and the racetiger sl race stock are two very different animals. The volkl racetiger sl racing will have a 2 degree edge bevel and a one degree base bevel. The race stock version will have a more aggressive sidecut, base material, core. It will also have a 3 degree edge bevel and a one degree base bevel. I found the racetiger sl racing to be a very easy ski to ski. I am 5,10 145 lbs. I skied the 165. I like this ski a lot. It does not take a lot of energy to make this ski turn slow. It will take what you throw at it. The ski is not squirmy at speed. No offense to the reviewer. But, What are you talking about that this ski is not edgy? If you get forward on these skis they will hold anything. This is a great ski for people who are of intermediate level and what to snap off some quick turns. The turning radius of a ski does matter yes. But, more importantly it depends on how it is skied. You can ski a 17m radius ski with nice short slaloms you just have to work for it.

Chris in MN

Hopping on an aggressive ski will make you either a better skier or a worse skier. Rational? Well if you are decent enough to notice your down falls then you can better your self through drills. If you hop on a ski that is over your head (like many people do). Then your skis will one scare you. Two reinforce a negative habits. Remember skiing is a progression of corrected errors. To ski well is hard and damn hard. When I am not having a descent day skiing. I will swallow my pride a go ski a green or a blue run. I will ski VERY slowly, skiing slowly is bring out all your mistakes if you are doing it correctly.  With todays technology people can get away with looking like a decent skier at speed but slow it down and try to make it look as pretty as you where when you where ripping.

Chris in MN.

The consumer voelkl sl racetiger is the ideal mogul race ski.  Forget FIS regulations, this ski slices mogul ruts with discipline like Jon Luc Brassard.  The sidecut is ideal for stronger atheletes who are willing and able to keep the ski at the appropriate edge angle at all times.  Sorry if you need help with that or a tongue suppressor.

I am 160lb 5’6” agressive skier but not a racer I’m looking at Racetiger SL 150s. Will they be too short for me?

I’m 5’11”, 210#, 32 years old, skiing for 29 years. Just spent the last two weeks skiing throughout Vermont and after skiing all the Dynastar, K2, and Fischer models, I got onto a pair of 165CM SL Racings last weekend. This, for an ex-high school racer, is a ski that brings back a lot of the gatecrashing conidence - a crisp handling, stiff, light ski that rewards being driven hard. The Dynastars I was on were fat lazy skis that fought back when pressed. The K2s were fun for a half day. And though I raced Fischers and wanted to love them this past week, none “clicked” the way the latest Racetiger SL’s did. After skiing them for three 8am-4pm days in a row of packed powder and ice at Stratton, my legs feel fine - and there’s no steel in these muscles. Plan on doing a lot of quick turns with proper form and you’ll find these are a delight. Get loose, lazy, or sloppy and they’ll cruise, but you’ll find they’re not the right ski for you. It also helps to have a very stiff boot, obviously.

I have skied Racetiger SL as hire skis a couple of times. They are my favourite paste ski. Quick stable edgy and plenty of response; but not too much. I much prefer them to the current Salomons which for me just don’t hold an edge as faithfully. I am 6’ 4” and been skiing for 30 years all over the alps.

Great ski, Does anyone know if you can mount any older Marker racing binding on a new Racetiger SL 2005/2006 ski? I have the Marker SC Turbo logic SP1 with the swivel back that I would like to put on.

I am looking to bye some Volkl racetiger sl racing with binding where should go to find the best price?

I borrowed a friends pair for a little bit and now i am looking for a pair because the ride was so nice,  it holds an edge very well and you are always in control

i have p60 race stock slalom skis in 165 and have skied the race tigers and fischer rc4s quite a bit.  to the average skier all you’re going to notice is that they turn quickly and shoot you from turn to turn.  if you’re complaining about the 12.5 meter turn radius, you’re retarded.  if you need to turn sharper get further on edge and stop being a little bitch.  make sure you have them tuned correctly - the base bevel will do wonders.  these skis are stable at speed - if you want to rip down 2000 vert then get the gs versions.  if you’re a good skier always get race stock.  if you’re no good and have no desire to get better - then feel free to complain about these skis and blame your problems on them instead of taking lessons - you probably need a BS all mountain ski aka jack of all trades master of none.  most people really only need 2 pairs of skis - 1 race stock and 1 powder. if you’re better than avg then you can have a few more.

volkl is amazing