The Wild Belle of last season has been domesticated, the rambunctious “Wild” in her name replaced with the neutral “88.” But under the Belle 88’s newly decorated façade still beats the untamed heart of the Wild Belle. This ski has more moxie than its ultralight balsa core would indicate, for its pixie-dust center is encased in fiberglass that gives it some pop and personality when its moustache-shaped baseline is compressed.

As a step-up ski for the woman who’s been on a narrow ski forever, the Belle 88 opens up possibilities of off-piste exploration without giving up the comforts of sashaying down the groom. Within its fairly broad speed range it’s capable of peeling off a multiplicity of turn shapes, making it an amiable and competent gal-pal for the intermediate woman who wants to take an instant improvement pill.