The new Redster Q9 from Atomic takes inspiration from skis like the Redster S9 and X9, but is designed and intended not for the race course, rather for skiers who just like to carve. We’re not worried about shaving hundredths off our race times here, we’re worried more about the experience and visceral reaction to just the feeling of carving. Atomic uses their Power Woodcore to start, which is then enhanced by traditional metal laminates. They also integrate their Revoshock system, technology designed to further minimize any unwanted vibrations through the ski. It’s proven on the World Cup level, so certainly nice to see that trickle down to the Redster Q9. We get a relatively short turn radius in this ski. Not quite slalom short, but not fat off either with the longest length featuring a 14.2 m shape. Between that and the 75 mm waist width, we should have a very responsive, quick turner.
ROCKER PROFILE
Camber
CORE MATERIALS
Ultrawall
PREFERRED TERRAIN
Groomers
Greg Petrics opted for that 176 cm length for his test runs on the Redster Q9, although he did mention that skied a little longer than anticipated. Greg went on to recommend potential downsizing, with the caveat that you should stick to your normal length if you’re an aggressive skier who likes to go fast. Greg’s highest scores were 5 out of 5 marks for stability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression, suggesting that although this isn’t actually in Atomic’s race line, it’s plenty of ski. We got a 2 out of 5 for flotation (not surprising) and a 3 out of 5 for versatility, but all remaining criteria received solid 4 out of 5 marks. “The personality of this board is a fat "super slalom" ski. Its little sibling, the Atomic X9, is a true super slalom ski, slotting in with a radius of a slalom ski, but not quite as wide as a GS ski. That ski (the X9) is truly wonderful, as it can make short radius turns that you can use to control speed even on steeps, but yet somehow keeps its stability at speed. The only downfall of the X9 is its width underfoot is quite narrow. Enter the Q9. With 75mm underfoot width and a radius of 14.2m at 176cm, it gives that little bit of extra width so many ex-racers are seeking to "cheat" a little and avoid let yourself get away with a little back seat carving, or a little leaning in. The result is a ski that is mind-bendingly fun on pisted snow. It's not possible to find the limit on edge angulation; you can't boot out (i.e. have the wide spot of your boot contact the snow and unweight the ski). Just keep upping the angle until your hip hits the snow. Oh, and don't forget to smile, although I don't know how you could.”
Mark MacDonald skied the 176 cm length as well. While we didn’t get any full 5 out of 5 marks, some people are just more conservative with how they award scores. We could tell Mark had a great time on the Redster Q9 both from watching him ski it and from his feedback. 4 out of 5 scores for stability, quickness/maneuverability, torsional stiffness/edge grip, and overall impression. His only noteworthy low score was for flotation, which really shouldn’t be a concern for a ski that’s 75 mm underfoot. “Ski performed amazingly on edge. Stability was excellent. Overall great frontside ski.” Nate Gardner also chose the 176 cm length, and his scores were even more impressive than Greg’s. Nothing dropped below 4 out of 5 from Nate, with quickness/maneuverability and torsional stiffness/edge grip both earning full 5 out of 5 marks. “Quick and stable in a short turn. A little pushy if you spend too much time on the tail. Stable at speed in a long turn.” That’s a good reminder from Nate that while the Redster Q9 is a little more forgiving than a true race ski, it still asks for a strong skier and good technique. Don’t let your weight fall into the backseat as they ski will let you know. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however, just something to consider if you’re closer to the intermediate ability level.
Overall, we’re quite pleased with these new Redster Q models. They really do feel like they harness the power and precision of a race ski, but they’re just a little more fun to ski in our opinion. It’s a fantastic choice for a high level skier who demands edge to edge quickness and precision. You should plan on using the Redster Q9 almost exclusively on groomed slopes, although with a little extra width underfoot, you do get more versatility for soft and variable snow conditions.
