Rossignol Escaper 105 Nano Skis

The Escaper 105 Nano is Rossignol’s new freetouring ski which is why they have rounded fat tips, a medium turn radius and tapered tails. Their 105mm waist and deep tip rocker provide plenty of flotation while their directional shape and relatively flat tail improve stability and smooth carving performance on firmer terrain. And, these dedicated backcountry touring skis of course have a lightweight construction to ensure that they climb as easily as they ski.

Rossignol combined a light Poplar Core with thin layers of titanal, basalt, and carbon reinforcements to ensure a damp, stable ride without any weight penalty or sacrifice of performance. The basalt layer and poplar core provide some elasticity and shock absorption to help offset the more rigid carbon layer resulting in a damp yet fun ride. To ensure maximum binding retention and improve grip and stability, a thin layer of titanal has been strategically placed in the Escaper 105 Nano’s mounting area directly underfoot. To further reduce the ski’s overall weight, Rossignol has shaved some weight out of the tips and tails with their “Air Tip” technology which reduces the ski’s swing weight and inertia, improving maneuverability, flotation and grip.

You’ll find that the Escaper 105 Nano Skis have a modified traditional rocker/camber/rocker profile with plenty of progressive rocker in the tips, minimal camber underfoot and reduced rocker in the tails. This allows the Escaper 105 Nano Skis to easily float in deep snow while still being able to carve well on groomers.

The relatively flat tails on the Escaper 105 Nano Skis mean that you can easily perform kick turns on the skin track and also be assured that every turn is completed fully as more of the ski behind you is in contact with the snow. This helps with overall stability given how aggressive the early rise in the tips of the skis is.

There are pre-cut skins for the Escaper 105 Nano Skis which have a tail clip and a rubberized pull tab in the tips which mesh seamlessly with the skis. Built into the tips and tails of the skis are what Rossignol calls their “V-Skin Anchor”—essentially notches that ensure the skins stay firmly in place and attached to the skis. Like most Dynafit skis you rip these Rossignol skins from the tips instead of the tails which provides a more intuitive and efficient transition.

With minimal camber underfoot, the Escaper 105 Nano Skis have a long effective edge which makes up for some of their generous tip rocker. While they have less pop and rebound because of this, it ensures that more of the ski is in contact with the snow which provides for increased stability and carving power.

The Escaper 105 Nanos are an ideal backcountry ski providing efficient uphill travel without sacrificing much downhill performance. If you live in the east where there are fewer powder days or simply want to travel faster and more efficiently then the Escaper Nano is also available in a 97 Nano, and 87 Nano version along with a women’s 97 Nano and 87 Nano.

• Poplar core
• Rectangular sidewalls
• Nano Titanal plate underfoot
• Nano Basalt

• Tip rocker, camber underfoot, slight tail rocker.
• Round tip, medium radius, tapered tail.
• Light Poplar Core is 30% lighter than traditional Poplar cores, giving the Escaper 105 a durable backbone without a significant weight penalty.
• Nano Basalt is a thin layer of Basalt that provides a damp and poppy ride.
• Nano Ti keeps the binding securely anchored to the ski, providing many seasons of reliable fun.
• Free Rocker utilizes 25% rocker at the tip and 15% rocker in the tail, allowing the ski to be maneuvered through challenging snow and tight spaces with poise.
• Rectangular sidewall finds the ideal balance of precision, edge grip, durability, and power.
• All Trail Sidecut provides versatility through many different snow types.

Weighing under three kilograms, the Escaper 105 Nano Skis are first and foremost dedicated touring skis. Their light weight means that while they can ski the occasional groomer, they are designed for and excel at skiing in deep soft snow beyond the resort boundaries. Having tested them in a variety of snow conditions and terrain types I found that the Escaper 105 Nano Skis excelled most at what they are designed for—backcountry skiing on deep days. Their aggressive early rise tips made easy work of getting on top of the snow while their 105 width ensured that they floated with ease. The minimal rocker on the tails not only helped with kick turns on the skin track but also ensured that more of the ski was in contact with the snow. This helped improve their carving power on groomers and complete long and shorter radius turns—which was certainly not their forte.

We mounted the Escaper 105 Nano Skis with Marker's lightweight Alpinist Tech Bindings which kept their overall weight to a minimum. This allowed for bigger days in the backcountry by going light and fast with minimal effort required on the skin track. The ski's built-in tip and tail notches made sure that the custom-cut skins were simple to attach and stayed securely fixed in place. Because of the tip notch, it means that you have to rip the skins off the skis from front to back which is counter-intuitive for most, unless you have previous experience with Dynafit skis which also use this same design. The learning curve is short, and this configuration actually makes more sense as it is more efficient and easier to perform once you get used to it.

Given the ski's incredibly light weight, they are not that versatile and likely not what you would want to ski on at the resort on a regular basis. They are designed primarily as a backcountry ski and this is where they perform best. Because not every touring day consists of boot-top pow, I found that the Escaper 105 Nano Skis became challenged when faced with hard-packed and broken snow. They tend to deflect easily and so you have to be on them or else you will quickly find yourself in trouble. Their aggressive early rise, while a blessing in deep snow does hinder their performance on hard groomers as they chatter and vibrate, resonating while trying to hold them on edge in a turn. While they float and carve turns effortlessly at speed in powder you will want to tone down your expectations a notch when on firm snow. The minimal camber underfoot provides some rebound and personality but is not as effective at linking short-radius turns and navigating bumps as a true resort ski would. They are, however, able to plow through chopped-up pow with confidence and transitioning from one turn to another by unweighting them is relatively easy thanks to their light weight.

The bottom line, the Escaper 105 Nano Skis perform exceptionally well in deep snow on the down and are designed not to slow you down on the up. If you are looking for more versatility from a pair of skis then this may not be what you are looking for and you'd have to be ok with the weight penalty that comes along with that ability. The Escaper 105 Nano’s are not a quiver of one ski, they are dedicated backcountry skis that will make you look like a superhero on the skin track and a Jedi on the descent. Their versatility is limited but they will have you smiling on every turn in the right conditions beyond the boundary lines.