Alpine skis
Product 2027
Lady
Tested in the 163 cm length (sidecut: 130-75-112 mm, short 12 m radius), the Rossignol Nova 14 immediately asserts itself as a benchmark in the women’s performance piste category. The “Lady” label could almost be forgotten, as its capabilities will tempt any skier seeking pop and bite underfoot, provided it is selected in an appropriate length.
On the snow, the ski displays a wonderfully energized personality. It has genuine substance underfoot, snappy recoil, and flawless edge hold at high speeds. From the very start of the turn, its tip acts like true power steering—initiating turn entrance instantly and effortlessly pulling the skier into the arc. Highly reactive and slightly quick to oversteer—which can make it feel a touch voluble when running straight and flat—the Nova 14 remains a model of fluidity. It rolls through its turn shapes with ease, and its generous tip and tail dimensions paired with a 75 mm waist give it exceptional handling in chopped-up snow and late-day slush.
This is a reassuring ski, capable of absorbing steep angulations and withstanding heavy edge pressure without ever washing out. Locked onto its rail, it stays literally glued to the snowpack: even at sustained speeds, the tip never flinches or chatters, instilling an exhilarating sense of power, stability, and composure. Although built for skiers wanting to charge fast and explore high structural limits, it maintains surprising accessibility. Flat pivots, upright stances, and low-speed maneuvers come completely naturally. It also offers excellent radius versatility: by driving firm shin pressure into the boot tongue to load the forebody, you can tighten the arc at will. Versatile and playful, it even handled groomed resort moguls and a few switch (fakie) runs with flying colors.
The only real downside: our test model suffered from very average factory tuning, with overly aggressive edge prep at the tip and tail that compromised its smooth, fluid feel. Without this tuning flaw, the Nova 14 would undoubtedly have walked away with our First Award.
On the finishing front, the topsheet proves durable, elegant, and offers great grip when carrying the skis. The tail features an effective plastic protector that keeps the skis standing securely against a wall. Up front, the metal tip protector looks fantastic on top, even if the undersurface screws and fitment feel a bit rough around the edges. Finally, its substantial heft serves as a reminder that there are no miracles in ski design: achieving this level of power and stability requires solid structural mass inside the core!
An outstanding performance piste ski—powerful, stable, and boasting superb edge hold. A true favorite,marred only by the edge tuning on our test pair.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
Receive your answers by mail. Do you have a particular question concerning the design, use, durability or other about a tested product? We will answer your question personally.
