3D.Glass is like a blend of ski Botox and blow: it makes everything about the RTM 84 smoother, with no visible sign of surgery, and the ski is preternaturally more energetic, ever ready to respond to athletic input. 3D.Glass is all the more effective because the RTM 84 baseline includes a cambered patch underfoot. Applying pressure on this glass arch is what has injected a few cc’s of pure energy into the RTM 84’s routine.
While the changes to the Kanjo-type construction have palpably improved the Yumi’s performance, it remains an excellent choice for skiers of modest skills. “A little stiffer, but skill forgiving enough for a moderate skier,” confirms Mary Geddes of Sturtevant’s of Sun Valley. Now that it’s been modified to improve its off-trail aptitude, the Yumi provides a better introduction than ever to off-piste skiing.
Unleashing the Flair 78’s point-guard quicks is close to effortless, making this Frontside femme fatale a suitable mate for the ambitious intermediate. Its stability and liveliness are largely due to the combined contributions of spring steel, which reinforces its Dual Wood Core, and XTD Transmission, raised shoulders over the edges that help keep them connected to the snow for the full length of the ski.
Völkl has been making superior powder boards since the days of the Snow Ranger and Explosiv. The Confession is the modern version of a venerable wood-and-metal construction with camber underfoot, a retro touch that gives the ski liveliness to go along with its power. As a concession to the Confession’s 117mm waist width, the metal contribution is only one laminate and is confined to a central band rather than running wall to wall.
The Bash 116 is the top model in Völkl’s twin-tip series. This conjures images of swimmy baselines and flopping tips, and there’s some validity to these apprehensions, as the Bash has a fully rockered baseline and a tapered tip. But everything else about this powerhouse is as solid as cement. Once you put it in motion, there’s no sensation of its twin-ness; it behaves 100% like a directional ski. Why anyone would want to throw a freight train like the Bash in reverse is beyond my understanding.