While authoritative edge grip is the primordial quality of the Frontside category, not all skiers are interested in applying this skill to a mad dash to the bottom. The majority of our Power Picks have nothing but contempt for first gear, disregarding all turning input until up to speed. Our Finesse Favorites don’t need to be driven at highway speeds to respond. They make round, fluid arcs with minimal effort, content to roll gracefully from edge to edge.

A category over-supplied with Power Picks leaves little room for Finesse models to flourish, limiting our field to just four. The number one selection is undoubtedly the best values in the 2018 ski market. Two new K2’s represent a brand with a reputation for making forgiving skis with ginormous sweet spots. A headliner from an all-new series of Frontside skis from Salomon, the XDR 84 Ti, completes our selection of the most user-friendly Frontside skis of 2018.