When Völkl added 3.D Glass to the 90 Eight (and several other models) last season, it was a game changer. What had been a fairly docile off-trail specialist turned into a peppy all-terrain model that could handle its business on hardpack. The reason 3D.Glass made such a resounding impact lies in the way this bottom layer of fiberglass runs up and over the sidewall in the ski’s midsection, creating in essence the bottom half of a torsion box that marries up with the 3D.Ridge glass on top. By converting a laminate construction to a de facto torsion box, the 90 Eight became a firecracker off the edge, with better grip in all conditions.

Glass is the liveliest material in the modern ski, so 3D.Glass imparts more energy at the bottom of the turn, fueling the transition across the fall line. The extra material also makes the new 90 Eight more stable at speed whether it’s pummeling through old powder or lighting up the groom. Pat Parraguirre of Bobo’s finds the new 90 Eight “easy turning, accurate and responsive. A great one-ski quiver, strong in all conditions.”   Jack Walzer of Jan’s is on the same page, citing the 90 Eight as “fun, playful, great in soft snow ski and very lively.”

The 90 Eight has a new stablemate in the All-Mountain West genre, the über-Carver M5 Mantra. The all-glass 90 Eight and the metal-laden M5 Mantra pose quite the contrast. Both are lively, but in different ways. The 90 Eight is poppy, playful and light, while the M5 wants to conquer every turn, driving through them like a Panzer through Poland. While the shape of the two skis is similar, the 90 Eight’s double rockered baseline and lighter weight make it easier to maneuver in sloppy off-trail conditions. “Light and surprisingly powerful,” notes Bobo’s Paul Alvarez. “I felt right at home on it,” a good indication that the 90 Eight is forgiving without being flighty.