A case could be made that Nordica has been building the best all-glass (i.e., non-metal) skis on the planet for the past several seasons. Models like the Steadfast, Hell & Back and Patron raked in best-in-show awards in their respective genres since their introduction. Nordica’s La Nina is cloned from the Patron, purloining every aspect of the unisex model but two center channels of its wood core, which La Nina replaces with foam.
K2 earns our eternal admiration for keeping their focus on making off-trail skiing easier. This is particularly apropos in the Big Mountain arena, where the best skiing isn’t on the groomers. The Pinnacle 105 possesses the magical quality of making previously unplayable terrain part of the daily routine, like playing the forward tees allows the average golfer to enjoy a tough course.
The Pinnacle 105 might be the best application of K2’s Konic technology that concentrates practically all mass over the edge. The Nanolite material used in the central core fans out at the extremities, forming the tip and tail entirely from this featherweight stuffing. The reduction in swing weight is one reason the Pinnacle 105 steers like a narrower ski.
The new Sheeva is an example of an increasingly common phenomenon: the intersection of women’s ski design and the recent explosion in backcountry R&D. Both domains depend on lightweight as a central feature, but you’re unlikely to see the all-business Zero G collection adopt Sheeva’s sassy twin-tip attitude. Its surfy baseline is insanely easy to push around in powder, but there’s enough camber underfoot to keep it on course when the powder is kaput.
The Remedy 102 prevails in soft snow because it puts up no resistance to the stem-turn entry and smeared exits of less skilled skiers. It’s been bred to overlook the foibles of those who can’t wait to develop technical skills before tackling the backcountry. A twin-tip by temperament as well as design, the Remedy 102 thinks every class is recess.
The Carbon Alloy Matrix proves to be the perfect partner for the metal-free Soul 7, magnifying its playful properties and stiffening its resistance to chatter without adding heft or stifling snow feel. The overall reinforcement of the Carbon Alloy Matrix gives the new Soul 7 HD more stability when traveling through day-old crud and more edge grip on those occasions when it has to cruise a groomer.
But please do not confuse “better on groomers” with “made for groomers.” While there’s no question the alterations to the Soul 7 HD palpably improved its stability and edge grip, they didn’t alter its width or the deliberate disengagement of its pretty Koroyd tips and tails.