Three seasons ago K2 radically revised its ski design, ditching more than a decade’s worth of dampening material and generally paring away excess weight wherever it could. By its own estimation, it went a little too far, so last year K2 reduced the rocker and bolstered the construction of its new star, the Pinnacle 95, with more mass, metal and camber. None of these improvements altered its flagship’s easy-going nature, so the renamed (but not re- redesigned) Pinnacle 95 Ti remains mindlessly simple to ski. One reason the Pinnacle 95 Ti earns elevated scores for Forgiveness is it doesn’t need a high edge angle to hold, so Finesse skiers can tootle along with their feet comfortably underneath them and still ride a secure edge.
There are three top-line reasons why women should entrust their precious time in powder to K2 and its flagship women’s ski, the FulLUVit 95 Ti. (BTW, the Ti is new to its name but not to its composition.) First, K2’s wheelhouse is building wide skis for the off-piste adventurer. Second, K2 was one of the first brands to develop a complete line of women’s skis and involve recreational female skiers in their product development and testing process through the K2 Women’s Alliance, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this season. The third and most important reason for hopping on a FulLUVit 95 Ti is that no other ski makes off-trail skiing any easier without surrendering stability on groomers. If the primary quality you want in your next all-terrain ski is ease of operation, you’ve found your ski.
The most distinctive feature of the FX95 HP to the eye is the bright teal insert in its Hollowtech shovel. Its most distinctive feature on the snow is its Progressive Rise baseline that gradually elevates about a third of the running surface (404mm in the forebody, 242mm at the tail). Radically loosening the ski/snow connection allows the FX95 HP to be steered by any known technique, from a laid-over supercarve to a perpetual power drift. This may be Chris Davenport’s signature ski, but you sure don’t have to be in his league to imagine it was made just for you. The ever-perspicacious Bob Gleason calls the FX95 HP, “As smooth as crystal and strong as diamonds. Put it on edge with the hip inside and ride, baby, ride.”
What do orcas, Grizzly bears and the Kästle MX99 have in common? They’re at the top of the food chain in their respective environments and therefore completely in control and utterly at ease. The MX99 instinctively masters all terrain because it never met any member of the snow family that didn’t cower in its presence. It does not find hard snow to be hard and soft snow, even in its densest, most saturated form, is no match for its Titanal-fueled will power. Like all the Kästle MX models, the new MX99 has no attainable speed limit. You can fire the afterburners until your lips flap, but the MX99 will never lose its sangfroid.
The Finesse side of the Supernatural 100’s split personality dominates when it’s skied at low speeds, while its Power traits don’t reveal themselves unless the pilot applies the lash. The Supernatural 100’s ability to adapt to the moods of its master makes it particularly suited to the Finesse skier. Its preference for off-piste terrain is signaled by its gradual “5-Cut™” shape that’s made to drift and carve in roughly equal measures. The glass in its structure provides energy and the Titanal delivers dampening, improved edge grip and better control when churning through heavy snow that would deflect a lesser ski.
