Voile Vector BC v. Rossi BC125 ('14)

[Grant]

I'm mostly just holding this space for reviews of these two skis for this coming winter. Now that the rumors of the Rossi getting a little fatter and having some tip rocker, these look to be decent head-to-head competitors.
I'm curious which climbs better, turns faster, weights, etc.

I also wonder what bindings/boots folks are skiing with these. It seems that there isn't a good NTN option for this type of ski as they aren't great at kick-glide with a free pivot and the pattern isn't as good at climbing as skins. On the down the TTS, NT Bulldog, or Freeride would probably be great.

[Quadzilla]

Ive got 180 Vector BC's that this will be my third season on and my wife has a pair of 170 BC's. We both ski T2 Eco's and I have X2 and she has Switchback bindings. We both have wall to wall skins for these. In our group of friends we are the only ones on Vectors and the rest have Rossi 125's mainly due to better sales and closeouts on the Rossi's. I have never skied the Rossi's.
I would think performance wise, both skis are in the same catagory as they are similar size and maybe weight. I think when I tour with my friends and we are fishscaling I have a easier time but they have different bindings and boots compared to us. Vector BC's have quite a bit of tip rise and with free pivot bindings they ride up over wild snow and kick turn easy so they are great climbers especially skinned up. Climb pretty good in fishscale mode too maybe Rossi is similar if not in deep snow. Vector BC's with tip and tail rocker and slight camber underfoot is very pivoty and loose riding on the decent so very easy skiing on cutup snow, junk and tight tree skiing. Anyway, for me they are my primary tele skis, that I use on lesser days and long car shuttles. I would think they suck on resort snow and not enough ski for me on big decents/climbs where I would use my big guns. However, I will use these over 1/2 the times I go out touring. IMO, you would like either, they do ski well but not like a full on big mountain ski.

[Crowbar]

I've also got the 180 Vector BC's with X2 bindings which I ski with Synergys. Around here (UP), we've got small but rugged/steep hills with lots of snow, and the Vectors/X2's are just about the perfect setup. They climb great and break trail very efficiently and are confidence inspiring on the way down. The way I understood it, both the Vectors and the Rossi's use the same scales (from the same source) but I noticed that the Vectors have a larger scaled area than the Rossi's and as a result, I think they climb a little bit better than the Rossi's.

[dschane]

Another one with Vector BC's, Switchbacks, and T2 Eco's. I used that set up last season in all conditions -- powder, crud, hardpack, spring corn, and breakable crusts (though "skiing" them in some of our breakable crusts is not the right word for my 185-lb frame; they helped me survive without torquing my knees). Awesome ski -- light and responsive. Not a crud buster but they can handle the job quite well.

I used skins on the bottom for climbing, but the fishscales were brilliant in a few situations -- when terrain undulated on the way down, when there were long exists through wooded areas, and helping my very little kids learn to ski at our local resort.

I've only mounted bindings to Rossi BC 125's twice; I've never skied them. Last year's model (185 cm) weighed nearly the same as the Vectors (180 cm). The have a "Wood air core" and I'd be interested to hear how the skis performed on descents.

[Gunks Ray]

I have a pair of 170 Voile Vector BC's mounted with NTN Freedom bindings that I ski with Scarpa TX boots, I think that combinatio is an excellent touring setup. The TX is similar in weight to the T2 Eco, and the Freedom is not much heavier than the X2.

That setup worked so well in a group ski up the Angel Slide in the Daks that everybody (Tele and AT) asked me about them. When skiing Shasta in late April my Tele friend was was jealous that during a break on a big open slope I could just take my skis off without worrying about them taking off down the slope because off the brakes.

Vector BC's, Freedom binding, and Tx boots, my favorite touring rig ever.

[Nurse Ben]

I have the Rossis, first year made, decent skis for what they are, definitely on the lightweight end of the specturm, more of a glorified XC ski than an alpine ski. The pattern works fair, depends a lot on snow condition. I have wall to wall skins for steeper climbs.

I have not skied the Voiles, but I have flexed them in a shop more than a few times, lusting over them, as they are a bit pricier than the Rossis; double the price?

The Voiles are significantly more robust than the Rossis, more torsionally stiff, higher quality, better profile, in all a higher end ski than the Rossis. I'm suprised to hear that the Rossis and Voiles are similar weights, I'd think the Voiles would be heavier due to being wider and having a burlier build.

I like my Rossis quite a bit, they have been flogged hard, mounted three times, a really fun ski for most situations as long as the user (moi) keeps their limits in sight. I have skied them in Cascade cement, crust, chicken heads, ice, slick grass, even ran gates a few times, they take a lickin and keep on tickin. I am kinda suprised I haven't broken them or pulled a binding, I suppose I don't give them enough credit

I could see having the Rossis and the Vectors, but maybe they overlap too much?

If the Vectors had existed at the time I bought the Rossis, I probably would have bought the Vectors...

I'd be really suprised if Rossi beefed up the BC 125, but it's always possible, though if they were of the same quallity and design as the Voile's, the price would be more comparable as well.

A not so funny story about my "original" pair of BC 125: I got them hot off the press from Mountain Gear, mounted them quick and headed for WV to ski Whitegrass; they had an early season dump, 3' of dry pow, temps stayed cold. Anyway, I hit the hill and start skinning, my wife is also on a new pair of BC 125's, we compare notes as we climb. The first thing I notice is that one ski seems to cimb better than the other, but I think nothing more about it, I just keep on chugging. Early on I put on skins and took a steeper track. At the top I pull the skins and head downhill, immediately I know there is something wrong, one ski turns fine, the other feels like I'm sliding on sap. I keep trying to turn, but it's no good. I pull the skis off to see what I stepped in, and lo and behold I find that one ski has the pattern flipped around, DOH!

I put the the skins back on and hiked downhill to the car, swapped skis and did it all again! Mountainbear was great, they had new skis in my hands a few days later.

[bbense]

Vector BC, T2 Eco, Voile switchback.... By far and away the best "do everything" setup. If they made a 190cm, I doubt I would ever ski any thing else outside a race course. I have the 180cm and in two seasons I've yet to encounter any conditions in the Sierra that these skis couldn't handle. That ranges from 3 ft days to bullet proof. A little longer and you could put the big boots on and really up the speed limit. I've spent a fair number of days with these skis riding lifts.

I have a really hard time believing the Rossi will ever catch up. They would need to completely redesign the flex and rocker. I guess if they took something like the S7 and put a waxless base section on they might have a chance.

[Nick D]

I skied the Vector BCs with 7tm PTs last season with T2Xs and absolutely loved 'Em. For climbs at my local hill (Cypress) after the lifts closed they were da bomb. In terms of climbing ability with the scales they were more than adequate. As a reference point I bought my wife a pair of BC 70s (same waxless base as the 125 I assume ) so she could join me on some mellower rolly polly tours and she was having more of problem with the gentle up hills. I've read ratings which seem to put Rossignol at number three after Karhu and Fischer in terms of uphill ability.

[dschane]

The Voiles are significantly more robust than the Rossis, more torsionally stiff, higher quality, better profile, in all a higher end ski than the Rossis. I'm suprised to hear that the Rossis and Voiles are similar weights, I'd think the Voiles would be heavier due to being wider and having a burlier build.

Thanks for your thoughts; that's what I would have guessed, but having not skied the Rossi's, I wasn't sure. The published weight of the Rossi 125 at 165 cm is 2900 grams. The Voile Vectors at 160 cm are 2480 grams and at 170 cm are 2720 grams. I was quite surprised by that too since Rossi's air core is literally that -- pockets of air throughout. I installed Binding Freedom inserts in them and used more epoxy than normal because the voids created by those air pockets were like drains.

[Rickster54]

I've not skied the Rossis and probably never will as I happily got the Voile BC's at 170 with T2 Eco two seasons ago. Mounted with inserts I can switch from my O1's to Switchbacks depending on the route and the day's plans. The combo performed beautifully on every tour last year on a wide variety of eastern snows. Our locally poor season never offered up anything deeper than knees, but there was enough base to get us out onto the tight paths and glades here in NY. On the groom the boards wandered about noisily, but that was no surprise. Once the freshies became >3", the boards quieted down and the fun began.
The Voiles are without hestitation one of the best gear purchases I have ever made.

[dschane]

Mounted with inserts I can switch from my O1's to Switchbacks depending on the route and the day's plans.

Thread hijack . . . I'm curious, this is the first I've seen someone regularly switching between these two bindings for the same ski. Do you like the 01's higher activity level for more rugged terrain? And do you also beef up your boots for that (which is where I can relate more)?

[Rickster54]

No problem dschane, glad to answer. I keep a small cordless drill in the car. Switch out bindings quick and easy if necessary. I do enjoy the livelyness of the O1's and there's no delay in the binding responding to my input. But, some days might involve a longer approach (or return) and I'll drop a few ounces with the SBs, not alot, but noticeable. I've T1s as well as the T2 Eco but the T2 Ecos have proven worthy enough to use regularly on the Vectors and the T1s go lift served on other larger/heavier boards.

[Matt J]

The original Rossi's had a reputation for being stiff for a lighter skier. A partner who skied them felt like w/out a pack she was too light to engage the scales very well. Don't know if that's different for the newer versions though.

[Gary at Tahoe]

Not to hijack the thread, but has anyone skied both the Vector BC and Charger BC. Had the Rossi 125 and this season wanted to try out the Voile BC line. My every day ski for the BC is the BD Justice with a 115 waist, so I have been thinking about the Charger BC. Any thoughts.

[gregcan]

I own a pair of the BC 125 (175cm), and ski them w/some much modified Targa Ascents (please don't laugh).
I find they definitely ski like an older wide ski (lots of camber, no rocker), however because of this they ski very well on harder surfaces (except for an occasional hooky, twitchy edge catch?). The one time I toured with a couple who were both on vector BC's they ran away from me on the climbs, while I easily out glided them. To remedy the slipperyness I crayoned and wiped mostly off a reeal light coat of blue grip wax on 3/4 of the pattern - now I can live with them both up and down!
The rockered BC 125 will probably be a real improvement over the old - perhaps a sintered base now too?
I would still like to find a way to buy some Vector BC's though