[The test results for the Cloud Eleven XT are from 2016; the ski’s only changes for 2017 are cosmetic.]

Atomic knows a thing or two about high speed carving and have a few thoroughbreds in their race stable to prove it. The only problem with just adopting an Atomic race ski is acquiring the strength to bend it. Marcel Hirscher and Mikaela Shiffrin work out year round to be fit enough to be in absolute command of their equipment. This level of dedication isn’t normally found among amateurs who never intend to kick out of a starting gate.

This is where Technical skis like the Cloud Eleven XT ply their craft, taking citizens on a high-speed tour of whichever buffed boulevard is most wide-open. Its tidy sidecut radius can tick off rat-a-tat turns without a single smudge, nipping in and out of tight turns without the pilot having to push too hard. A full sheet of Titanium elevates the Cloud Eleven XT’s game, imparting the confidence to pour on the gas. While the Cloud Eleven unquestionably favors the skilled skier, its lighter core construction makes it amenable to speed management by lesser lights.