- Joined: July 2002
- Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Post Count: 4,746
Hi, Hedgedskier.
I've skied the RC (in a 175cm, I believe) and I own a pair of 180cm iSpeeds. I'm 6'1", 195# and I ski primarily at Jackson Hole.
I think the two compare very, very favorably. I liked the RC a great deal and would probably own a pair if I weren't a rep for Head.
Comparing the two, I felt that the Fischer gives a tiny bit more feedback from the snow. That may be partially due to the fact that a 175 length in that ski is probably a bit short for my weight, but that's the pair I had the opportunity to ski. They felt "lively" and very easy to turn, but also still very stable at pretty high speeds.
The iSpeed has that classic, very damp "feel" that most of Head's sandwich skis have. Some people (like me) really love that feel and others think it makes for a ski that feels dead. I like it because the ski doesn't do anything unless I ask it to, and then it does everything I ask. It feels incredibly smooth, easy to turn, but just glued to the snow (in a good way) when your speed starts creeping up there.
I don't suppose that demoing is any sort of an option? If not, all I can tell you is that I liked the Fischer a whole lot. I like the Head even better, but I'm expected to. I honestly think you could flip a coin and be very happy with either ski.
Good luck with the choice.
My
Bob Peters Jackson Hole, WY
North40 Realty
Me on twitter - http://twitter.com/bobpetersjh
- Joined: July 2002
- Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Post Count: 4,746
Followup...
Your question reminded me of a very cool review that was done on EpicSki a year and a half ago by Samurai. He lives in Japan and posts some great stuff about skiing over there. I thought at the time that it was one of the best descriptions of Head's "liquidmetal" technology I had ever read.
You can find the full review
here, but I cut and pasted the part that applied to the World Cup iSpeed. Here it is:
The Head GS is dripping sap;
I didn't turn once when riding that^ liquid metal. I laid them on their edge a few times, but I pretty much just stood still and let them run and be be budged by nothing.
Here's the conclusion with Head; Liquid Metal is liquidy. Those skis feel like every millimeter of the running-surface is reaching out to the snow. I can't explain liquid metal outside the words Head chose. I really, severely want a rack of their race skis. I really noticed that construction. If you ski on piste, or own a ski for the piste, you should be ridng a liquid metal. Try them. They suck themselves to the snow like nothing I have ever ridden.
That's how *I* feel, but I can't say it that well.
Bob Peters Jackson Hole, WY
North40 Realty
Me on twitter - http://twitter.com/bobpetersjh
. The women's versions may become a key option where you can get them. I'm hedging my bets this season with a pair of 27m Blizzards which may or may not see much use (super fast based on the 3 runs I had on them last year but quite a handful!) and a NOS Fischer 21m