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 Dictator 4.0 isn’t the lightest ski in the category, but it feels exceptionally feathery on the snow. With a square tail that’s an endangered species among Powder skis, the Dictator 4.0 stays connected to the turn until it’s pulled off the assignment. This gives it a sense of connectedness on-trail that eludes others of the Powder persuasion.
The CT 2.0 remains a glass laminate ski, which is where it gets its pop, but for 2017 the glass sandwiches a poplar/beech core and the whole stack is capped with a protective shell that rests on the sidewalls. The effect, according to Ty from California Ski Company, is “like a stiffer, better Gunsmoke (narrower of course).” Michael from Footloose pegs the CT 2.0 as a “playful ski for the aggressive skier.”