Fischer RCS Skate Plus: first impressions
One of the best cross country skis on the market, the Fischer RCS Skate Plus – a World Cup race ski – has a core that that’s 80% air, which explains the ski’s svelte weight. But the same core is also wrapped with a torsion-free and break-resistant cap, supplying a decent dose of durability.
• List price: $550 (US) / £288 (UK)
• Weight (per 186cm pair): 1,090g
• Base: World Cup Plus
• Edges: n/a
• Sidecut: 41 / 44 / 44
• Sizes: 171cm, 176cm, 181cm, 186, 191cm
When you’re racing, every single second and each energy saving element – no matter how small – matters. With this in mind, the Fischer RCS Skate Plus was recently redesigned. The new iteration boasts a lower and shorter tip, which lowers its swing weight to reduce the effort it takes to make each stride, effectively making it easier to ski cross country.
The RCS Skate Plus – which, as the name suggests, is designed with skate skiing in mind – is built with Fischer's Cold Base Bonding, which optimizes the diamond-ground ski base for the highest level of wax absorption in order to give this ski the best glide. Each handmade ski is then computer analyzed to make sure it closely matches its partner ski, and both skis are factory tuned to best match each other’s residual tension and camber pressure.
Fischer RCS Skate Plus: on the slopes
Fisher’s RCS Skate Plus is shaped like an arrow, and slices through snow with the speed and trajectory of a crossbow bolt, with stability and power to boot. Fischer have designed this ski with camber and snow contact points that are aggressively spaced for balance and control, and to enable powerful kicking on hard snow.
The shorter, lighter tip makes these skis noticeably more user friendly than other skate skis, whether you are racing hard or just out for a high-heart-rate pleasure ski, which is how I mostly used them during testing.
The skis come pre-waxed, with an infrared preparation that protects the bases from oxidation, and gives them great glide and climbing ability.
