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Here is a quick look at the break down of Alpine skis.
Mid fat Carve Skis (70-80 mm wide underfoot)
This category of skis has been very popular for several years now. Once considered the most versatile width, our staff at Kittredge now considers these skis best suited for people who spend most of their time on the groomed runs, or skiing moguls. Our new favorite is the Rossignol Classic 80; it’s a powerful carver with plenty of width for getting off the groomed. The venerable K2 Recon gets upgraded with a new binding that makes it much more lively, and reactive. It’s still the most versatile ski in the class. The Volkl Tiger Sharks are the most precise and have insane grip. The Rossignol Phantom 80 is a nice cruiser that you can relax on, while the Zenith 10 is a user friendly carver for those that love to tip and rip.
Our female testers love this category; they are lighter and find more versatility in narrower skis. The K2 Lotta Luv has been the defining women’s mid fat for several years now. It’s a forgiving and versatile ski that increases your comfort zone. The Fischer Vision Vapor is our shop favorite. It’s an energetic carver that has lots of rebound and grip. If you are looking for a playful ski that that is not too carvey, than check out a twin tip like Elan’s Mo’ Spice or the most wanted K2 MissDemeanor. For a more relaxed ride consider the Rossi Voodoo 80. Volkl’s Tierra loves to carve, and is great on piste or off.
All Mountain Skis (80 to 90 mm wide underfoot)
This is where you find truly versatile skis. These skis range from grippy carvers like the Volkl AC 50 to playful twin tips like the K2 Xtreme. If you ski the whole mountain or just wish you could, there is a ski here for you. Boards like the K2 Xplorer and Elan 888 excel in almost every snow condition. Sure, they are not as quick edge-to-edge as a narrower ski, nor do they have the surface area of a wider ski, but day in day out these skis will do it all. Some of our favorites in this category happen to be twin tips. Don’t discount them just because you don’t go in the park.
The 80-90mm waist ski has been an overlooked area of the women’s market. The new Volkl Aurora is a serious all mountain ripper. It’s a stiff ski with plenty of grip on the hard stuff, and enough width to go anywhere. For a more playful Freeride ski check out the Elan Free Spice, or the Fischer Vision Zeal; both skis are user friendly and perfect for off piste adventure.
Big Mountain Skis (90-110 mm wide underfoot)
Many people look at these skis and assume that they are just for powder. Yes, most of them are great in the soft and deep, but there are some amazingly versatile skis in this category. The Volkl Mantra always sells out quickly; expect it to do it again. It’s that good. The new K2 obSETHed brings rocker (reverse camber) to the category, without sacrificing hard snow performance. Some of the wider skis like the Volkl Gotama and the 4FRNT VCT are obviously superlative in the powder, but will surprise you with their every day performance. Most of these skis are twin tips, this gives them a nice forgiving tail, and good release at the end of the turn.
K2 made the first ladies' fat ski, and this year they up the anti by offering the first one with rocker: the Missbehaved. Miss B is an amazing ride. On firm snow, it feels just like a normal fat twin tip, but in soft snow the rocker comes alive, and the tips rise up to the surface. A more traditional fat ski, the user friendly Volkl Aura is a great choice for many skiers.
Powder Skis (110 mm wide or more underfoot)
The modern powder ski is a huge platform that will give you the run of your life. The big news here is the reverse cambered or rockered ski. These look like a cross between a traditional fat, and a surfboard. Most rockered skis are not especially versatile, and will most likely be a third or fourth pair in the quiver, but if you are lucky enough to heli or cat ski, or just hit every powder day on the hill, than consider one of these big guns. The versatile exceptions are the K2 obSETHed, and Missbehaved. These fat twin tips use “mini rocker” to maintain hard snow performance, while still offering that rocker affect in the soft stuff. These skis may be the future of fat. I have owned a pair of K2 Pontoons for a couple seasons, and they are hands down the best pure powder skis around. The new Kuro from Volkl is similar to the “toon, but a touch wider. We will have all of these skis in our demo fleet, so take a pair out on a storm day, they are amazing. The K2 Hellbent is another insane rockered ski, check it out at P3, our twin tip and board shop.
Twin Tips
Twin Tips are any skis with a prominent turned up tail. This allows backwards (called switch or fakie) skiing, and helps the ski release at the end of the turn. Twins range from mid fat to powder ski in girth, and are often great all mountain skis. Some twin tips are very park and pipe specific, and do not excel elsewhere. We only carry versatile, all-mountain twins at Kittredge. If you want a true park ski like a 4FRNT STL or an Armada AR6, then check out our sister store P3, across the street between Base Camp and Schat's Bakery.
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