Skiers looking for more of a more fall-line-oriented Powder ski that’s suited for backcountry touring as well as resort skiing should consider the powerful CT 3.0. The CT 2.0 skier is more likely to be found in bounds, hunting for lines that incorporate as much air time as possible. Those who wish to add the extra thrill of taking off and landing switch should center mount their bindings to take full advantage of the CT 2.0’s symmetrical shape.
Amply rockered fore (10mm elevation declining over 200mm) and aft (5mm of loft receding 150cm from the tail), the CT 3.0 is an every-terrain ski with a particular aptitude for deep snow. Its shallow sidecut (20m @ 182cm) isn’t made to steer very far out of the fall line, inspiring Bob Gleason of Telluride’s Boot Doctors to inscribe, “For a skilled skier, a great charger. Strong carve with a crisp turn release, with good hold and smooth at speed.”
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.
The new core created for the Enforcer 110 (and Enforcer Pro) embodies several more clever ideas. The central core uses a relatively thin laminate of poplar, beech and balsa around a channel of foam that it sheaths in top and bottom sheets of .4mm Titanium. To compensate for the added weight of metal, the Enforcer 110 core replaces heavy glass layers with laminates of carbon fiber prepreg. The resulting structure weighs no more than the Patron, the model the Enforcer 110 replaces in the Nordica line, despite sporting two sheets of Ti the Patron lacked. Quite the coup.