Aura

If you’re fortunate enough to catch first tracks, it almost doesn’t matter which All-Mountain West model you’re on. They all offer approximately the same flotation, and fresh snow is so consistent that skis sustain relatively little shock. It’s on runs 2 through 20 that you’ll be particularly pleased you’re on an Aura. Cut-up snow is utter bliss if you ski it right and pure hell if you don’t. Whether you spend the day upright and smiling or upside down looking for your goggles depends a great deal on the tool you use.

Power Picks: All-Condition Chargers

Our Power picks epitomize the bring-it-on, all-conditions attitude of the very best all-mountain skis. They balk at nothing. If you can set them at a high edge angle, they respond with all the bite of the best Frontside skis. They have no problem with powder and they...

Finesse Favorites: All-Terrain Access for All

Skiers who put their faith in our Finesse favorites should include those who are willing to step up to a wider ski as long as it’s still forgiving and easy to maneuver at less than warp speed. A Finesse skier uses gravity to the max and seeks to keep his or her own...

Women’s All-Mountain West Recommended Skis

In yet another example of our cutting-edge journalism, permit us to point out that men and women are different. The pertinent manifestation of this principle is that the same width ski that makes an ideal men’s all-terrain tool is a tad too wide to be an everyday ride...

Finesse Favorites: Killing it Softly

Women who don’t attack every run like it was The Charge of the Light Brigade want a ski that will navigate through off-trail conditions at a trot instead of a gallop. For these more leisurely lasses, we recommend the easy-going charms of our Finesse Favorites. Lighter...