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The Scores (out of 10)
- Crud Performance: 6
- Responsiveness: 8
- Stability at Speed: 5.25
- Flotation: 6.25
- Playfulness: 7
- Forgiveness: 6.75
- Versatility: 7
- Quickness: 7.75
The Specs
- Price: $800
- Lengths: 160, 168, 176
- Dimensions: 126-97-116
- Radius: 18
- Weight: 1,250g
- Level: Intermediate to Expert
In a Nutshell
- Pros: Quickness, Versatility
- Cons: Crud Performance, Stability at Speed
A new series for Rossignol last season, the Escaper Nano skis are a playful shakeup of the brand鈥檚 traditional roots, a light free touring ski to unlock terrain deeper in the backcountry. The all-new Escaper W 97 Nano joins the roster this season as the widest and most all-mountain oriented of the women鈥檚 lineup, which also includes an 87mm and 80mm width.
While testing the Escaper W 97 Nano in the Colorado backcountry, testers found the rockered design and progressive sidecut to be a blast to swoosh through open bowls, and easy to whip around in tight trees. 鈥淚t surprised me,鈥 said tester Keri Bascetta. 鈥淚t felt more playful than the backcountry Rossignol skis I鈥檝e been on in the past. Fun, playful and forgiving; it鈥檚 a great ski for all skier types.鈥
Related: Our gear editor鈥檚 favorite tools for waxing her skis at home
Super-thin nano titanal and basalt layers boost stability and power without bumping up the weight, which kept testers feeling light on their feet during long midwinter tours and spring missions. 鈥淔or being so light, it performed quite well,鈥 said tester Jordan Garrett. 鈥淭his is a great ski for the aspiring ski mountaineer, or anyone looking to get farther out into the backcountry. The weight is very low, making it easy to get around in the trees and in variable terrain.鈥 The V-Skin Anchor attachment system is another nice design touch on this ski for reliable skin retention, which is crucial on long slogs.
While the lightweight design thrilled testers on long climbs, a few noted that this isn鈥檛 a ski built for high speeds, and it fell short in deep snow. While the 97mm waist isn鈥檛 the narrowest of the narrow, less sidecut and a slimmer shovel didn鈥檛 keep us afloat the way we鈥檇 hoped. While testing this ski in Sun Valley, testers noticed tip chatter on firm snow and felt like they couldn鈥檛 trust the ski when they really tried to step on it. But for intermediate skiers and those who ski more cautiously in the backcountry (as we all should), this ski hits the sweet spot in terms of speed and agility.
Read more:聽Learn How the Rossignol Escaper W 97 Nano Stacked Up Against the Competition
Where the Escaper Nano really shines is in a few inches of smooth, creamy pow, spongy Colorado wind buff, soft spring corn, and even slush. Its maneuverability, which sacrifices a bit in the way of stability, won testers back over for how forgiving the ski is at 4 p.m. when you want to put in the least amount of work possible to get back to the trailhead. 鈥淲hen the legs are feeling tired after a lengthy skin, this ski will respond to whatever energy you put into it,鈥 said Garrett.
聽is a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured in聽SKI Magazine, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, and聽Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously). While she鈥檚 been in ski boots since she learned to walk, Lily has been professionally writing about skiing, gear, and all things outdoors for the past seven years. In addition to an all-consuming addiction to powder skiing mixed with heavy doses of Type II fun, Lily takes snacking seriously, and when she鈥檚 not writing or sliding on snow, she鈥檚 likely deep into a baking project in her tiny kitchen. She is the co-author of聽, a collection of dirtbag-friendly recipes inspired by life in a mountain town.