The all mountain category can often be a muddled place, with most models coming from a very obvious starting point - a piste ski that can handle powder, a park ski that can shred all over.... Scott may have found the perfect approach in their Slight range; starting with a backcountry ski with skin slots and noticeably lightweight construction, and then building frontside capability into that mix.
OK, it's as muddled as anyone else's approach to 'all mountain' but it works for us. The lightweight is key, as this makes the Slight 83 a genuine contender for ski touring, and we'd happily mount either pin bindings or alpine bindings on this ski. There aren't many all mountains skis we could say the same for.
On the mountain the Slight 83 exceeded all expectations. We wanted to criticise it but couldn't. A tiny bit more edge hold on icy hardpack might help if we're being super-picky - but that bit of juddering may have been a consequence of the torsional stiffness of the wood and carbon ingredients.
Short turns, long turns, powering through chop, it's a responsive and dynamic ski in all conditions, and this is without making allowances for the light weight. Float isn't amazing at 83mm but with 93mm and 103mm models available, that extra level of versatility is there for those that need it.
If all mountain used to mean the ability to handle on- and off-piste conditions, Scott may just have set a new standard, by throwing skin-track capability into the mix. A genuine all terrain vehicle, and for that reason, superb value.
