The central concept behind the new Kore series is that fat skis built along traditional lines, like the Monster 108, weigh a ton, thanks to all the extra material they lug around. The trick to pulling off a crash diet is to strip away ounces without paring away all power and personality. The Kore 105’s Graphene, Koroyd and Karuba construction kicks butt yet weighs as much as an egg carton filled with butterflies.
The morning runs couldn’t have been much more ratty, with traces of blown-in snow filling the hollows of week-old tracks. The Dictator 3.0 let me use my bases to feather my line or switch to crisp edges as the moment warranted. They felt inherently light and agile yet whenever the edge hold was challenged, it passed with flying colors. A run that looked as inviting as the seventh ring of Hell turned into a jolly romp. What appeared perilous the Dictator 3.0 turned into a playground.
The Pinnacle 105’s better grip isn’t all due to tweaking the baseline; a construction change that added 20% more mass over the edge is a major contributor to the ski’s clean, continuous snow connection. Every tester attested to this K2’s expanded performance envelope, citing its groomer chops as the unexpected bonus that elevated the 2018 Pinnacle’s overall score and shifted its style from Finesse to Power. But don’t worry K2 fans; the Pinnacle 105 is still ease incarnate.
Like all Kästles, the BMX 105 HP comes alive when it’s raked over, giving it all the motivation it needs to knock crud to the side and pummel wind drifts to pieces. Just because its baseline allows it swivel sideways doesn’t mean that’s how the BMX105 HP prefers to get the job done. In the clash of personalities, the carving character has the upper hand.
As the fate of the Soul 7 HD W is inextricably linked to that of its unisex twin, the improvements made to one apply equally to the other. For 2018, this means the tip, while remaining rockered and tapered, is now integrated into the main body of the ski and makes contact with the snow closer to the widest point on the ski. The net effect is to improve edging effectiveness on those irksome occasions when hard snow is all there is to ski.