The 100EIGHT has a split personality. It’s a carving ski in a fat ski’s body, a soft-snow ski that wants you to ride the edge. In realskiers’ parlance, it leans to the Finesse side of the Finesse/Power divide, with off-piste skiing and drifting to the edge its...
Our Editor’s pick as Big Mountain Ski of the Year in 2014, the Völkl V-Werks Katana is still the avatar of excellence. Völkl must have been impressed with the V-Werks Katana as well, for they extended its 3D.RIDGE design to a new slew of All-Mountain and Big Mountain...
Salomon’s Q-103 Stella takes all the standard steps to adapt its classic monocoque construction to the requirements of the Powder category. Taking it from the tip, the Stella swaps its lightweight wood core for a honeycomb composite, then flattens out the forebody...
Salomon wasn’t kidding when they christened their powder ski collection, “Rocker2,“ for they represent rocker raised to the next power. Only 40% of the ski’s baseline touches the snow when the ski’s flat, and while this contact doubles when the ski’s on edge, it...
Our Finesse favorites are all about ease, and the Salomon Q-105 belongs in the Easy-Peasy Hall of Fame for Fat Skis. If mastering powder is still on your to-do list, or if you just want to make it an easier exercise, the Q-105 belongs on your to-ski list. Its...
