Scott Slight 83 W Review

August 31, 2018
Scott Slight 83 W
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
82
Floatation
4
Stability
7
Edge Hold
7
Carving Pleasure
8
Turn Variability
6

The Good

  • Solid edge-to-edge
  • Zippy & lively
  • Forgiving & unintimidating

The Bad

  • Breaks away at high speeds
  • Chattery on steeper slopes
  • A bit one-dimensional in Turn Shape Variability
THE VERDICT
This is a light, zippy frontside ski that favors short to medium radius turns on groomed terrain. The 83-mm-waisted ski received its highest tester marks for Carving Pleasure and Stability, followed by average scores for Edge-hold and Turns Shape Variability. Resort Floatation scored low for this frontside-oriented ski.
FULL REVIEW

The Slight 83 W is not “less than,” but a light, zippy frontside model that behaves like a spritely slalom ski. It favors frontside over all-mountain, though one tester asked: “Is this a touring ski that behaves like a friendly slalom ski or a frontside ski with skin attachments?” Either way, testers gave the 83-mm-waisted ski its highest marks for Carving Pleasure and Stability, followed by average scores for Edge-hold and Turns Shape Variability. Resort Floatation scored low for this frontside-oriented ski.

Testers praised the Slight 83’s peppy personality. “This is FUN to turn,” says one tester. “It’s a forgiving carver.” All testers mentioned the lightweight feel on snow combined with a liveliness and pop edge to edge. “It’s easy to start a turn on these skis, particularly on blue groomers where dynamic turns won’t tire you out.” The Slight 83 has a supple tip, according to testers, and a friendly flex, resulting in a forgiving and un-intimidating ski. “This ski favors a woman with a light touch and can accommodate aspiring carvers all the way to women looking for a quick turner that won’t fatigue their legs.”

Testers say the Slight performs best in short to medium radius turns. At longer radius turns or on steeper slopes, the edge grip can break away, where it felt “squirrely” or “grabby,” according to testers. “This is more a Frontside ski than an All-mountain ski,” says one tester. The 83 mm waist is one of the narrowest in the group. At 1,330 grams, the Slight is noticeably lightweight and testers wondered about its intended end use. Scott says the ski is intended mostly for on-piste groomers and some off-piste, but testers wondered if Scott’s touring skis in fact inspired the design.

The Slight 83 W has an elliptic shape—designed for both weight reduction and added torsional rigidity. The sandwich sidewall construction includes air channeled wood core and carbon (again for further weight reduction). The Pro-Tip rocker combines slight tip rocker with a progressive shape. Scott’s 3 Dimension Sidecut combines a tip and tail radii—so a different rear and front turning radius—designed for better edge control and power underfoot as well as precise performance in a variety of turn sizes. That’s the arena where testers felt the Slight 83 W fell short—once the arc and speed of the turn increased, testers felt the ski became less reliable, “breaking away at high speed,” or “chattering on steep slopes.”

All in all, the Slight 83 W is a lightweight, energetic ski best for groomed slopes. Aggressive skiers may feel the ski loosing edge grip at high speeds or feel tip chatter on steep slopes. The ski shines in short to medium radius turns and favors skiers with a light touch or those with the desire for a fun zippy ski to make dozens of slalom turns on.

Stability

Aggressive skiers may feel the ski loosing edge grip at high speeds or feel tip chatter on steep slopes. Testers felt the Slight 83 W fell short—once the arc and speed of the turn increased, testers felt the ski became less reliable, “breaking away at high speed,” or “chattering on steep slopes.”

Edge-hold

The Slight 83 W received its highest scores for Carving Pleasure, followed by Edge-hold, but not railroad track precision. The ski received kudos for what one tester called “solid edge-to-edge performance” while other testers praised the easy turn initiation and supple flex. However, Edge-grip loosened at high speeds where testers felt it break away. Also the tip chattered for some testers when on steep slopes. Though Edge-hold was sufficient on blue groomed slopes, the hold diminishes slightly as the terrain intensity increases.

Resort Flotation

Testers gave the Slight 83 W its lowest scores for Float. Though the lightweight construction would help in light snow, testers felt that the 83-mm waist and shape favors “blue groomers for carvers.” Scott’s Elliptic Carbon Construction targets hardpack performance and short to medium turn radius. Though the ski is designed with a 3 Dimensional Sidecut (tip and tail radii), Scott says the average turning radius is 15 m (at 168 cm).

Carving Pleasure

The Slight 83 W received its highest tester scores for Carving Pleasure. “This is FUN to turn,” says one tester. “It should be called ‘sprite’ instead of ‘Slight.’” This lightweight, energetic ski is best suited for groomed slopes. The ski shines in short to medium radius turns and favors skiers with a light touch or those with the desire for a fun zippy ski to make dozens of slalom turns on. Testers praised the combination of lightweight construction and design that resulted in performance enough for high-energy turns (or easy-going turns) with the forgiveness that can help aspiring carvers or energy-saving experts.

Turn Shape Variability

“This is a more a Frontside ski than an All-mountain ski,” says one tester. Variability lacked in the Slight 83 W mostly in terms of the performance in high speed long-radius turns. Here, testers felt that the ski tended to chatter or to act squirrely on steeper slopes. “It’s best turn shape is carved medium turns,” says one tester. Other testers included short radius turns in the Slight 83’s wheelhouse. “It’s light a lightweight slalom ski,” says one tester. “Zippy and energetic.” Most testers agreed, however, that the Slight 83 performs best on blue groomers.

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