ALL-MOUNTAIN
ALL TERRAIN, ANY SNOW
Style: Versatile turns and speeds
Waist size: 80-105mm
Description: Keep it simple. Forget a quiver and go with one ski that can do it all. These jack of all conditions, turn shapes and runs won’t shy away from any assignment. They carve hard snow, float through powder and dice up the bumps without ever feeling like planks or noodles. With such a huge range in sidecuts, waist widths and construction, this is by far the most diverse category. Use the waist width to help hone in on the right ski for your geography and style: 80 to 85 is ideal for Eastern resorts; 80 to 95 is an in-between that does well in the Rockies and snowier Eastern resorts; and anything more than 95 is best for deeper and bigger Western destinations. Buyer’s Guide 2018
FREERIDE
BIG AND FAST, STEEP AND DEEP
Style: Bigger turns, higher speeds, softer snow
Waist size: 105<mm
Description: Your ultimate run starts off at the top of the mountain with wide-open and untracked, hits a few natural airs, a pillow line and a cliff, drops into the trees and then bombs a cat track for another lap. These skis have the width and stability to handle the steep and deep, enough rocker to remain nimble and quick, and just enough hard-snow performance to never feel dangerous even while racing your buddies. Fall 2017
FRONTSIDE
LAYING TRENCHES ON-PISTE
Style: Narrow-waisted and begging to carve
Waist size: 85>mm
Description: There’s an artistic beauty to freshly laid corduroy and these skis appreciate it more than most. With a narrow waist and built for transferring energy to the edges, these skis want to carve from start to finish. Some prefer tight turns, others want to go big, but all are happiest in firm snow. Tip them over and they’ll take you for a ride. Encompassing everything from blue cruisers to borderline race skis, pay close attention to construction to understand how each ski will perform. The more metal and carbon, the more attention, athleticism and technique they’ll demand. Fall 2017
BACKCOUNTRY
UNTRACKED AND EARNED
Style: Light and optimized for beyond boundaries
Waist size: 90<mm
Description: All about the journey not the destination, these skis are built with weight as the most important variable. After all, you’ll be pushing these up mountainsides in the name of curiosity, adventure and solitude. The shape and construction perform best in untracked snow, particularly light and deep powder, wind or sun, but backcountry missions are unpredictable and these skis have enough performance to navigate everything from blue ice to corn, steeps to groomers. (SEE DECEMBER 2017 ISSUE)
