Gear Review: Rossignol Evo Tour Positrack

The Rossignol Evo Tour Positrack classic cross country skis are a great beginner recreational setup for those that want flexibility -- flexibility in usable terrain and in not outgrowing the equipment too quickly as skills improve. My girlfriend and I bought the same setup, with the goal of using them at groomed nordic centers or just outside in the neighborhood. With the nearest nordic centers being 1 1/2 hours away, we didn't want to have to drive every time we wanted to go skiing. We had initially decided to get the Salomon Snowscape 7 skis, which we had previously used as rentals and are priced at a comparable price point with the Rossignols. If the retailer wasn't coincidentally out of stock in both of our boot sizes in their Salomon Snowscape 7 package deal, we would have purchased that set and probably would have been happy. We were anxious to get skis so we took a chance on the Rossignol's and have been even happier.

The Evo Tour Positracks definitely felt faster than the Salomons. One possibility for that is the slight difference in length: 186cm for the Rossignol vs. 183cm for the Salomon. The other likely reason for the faster speed is the Positrack base. Indeed, the Positrack lives up to its name by providing better traction when going uphill, and it allows a better grip when kicking.

Unfortunately, the light snowfall in Denver hasn't allowed us to test these babies out in the wild, so our "off track" assessment has been limited to groomed trails without the classic ski grooves. Even in the sections at trail intersections where the grooves end, the Evo skis provided better traction and inspired confidence.

There are other skis in the Evo line that should also be considered depending on your own goals. The Evo Action skis are specifically designed for groomed trails only. They are skinnier, providing a better glide and therefore faster performance, with the tradeoff of less stability. They aren't quite race skis, but perhaps not the best option for a total beginner. The Evo Trail is meant for light backcountry (off track) skiing, being the widest of the series. The increased width sacrifices speed for floatation and stability. Hopefully you've noticed that the Evo Tour bridges the gap between the other two ski platforms, allowing for flexibility to perform on groove trails and light backcountry.