For the lighter skier who dislikes the heft associated with metal laminates, the new Brahma CA (for carbon, of course) feels spot on: nimble, accurate and adept at a wide variety of turn shapes, particularly in off-trail conditions. Born from the same mold as its beefier brother Brahma, the Brahma CA shares its Flip Core baseline, a double-rocker design that creates a continuous edge the moment it’s tipped and pressured.

Bob Gleason of Boot Doctors in Telluride correctly ID’s the Brahma CA as “Brahma Light. Effortless from turn to turn and scrubs speed with ease. Light feeling but stable. Great in the bumps,” adds the man who never avoids a mogul field.

If light weight and bump ability aren’t high on your list of priorities, consider that the price gap between the Brahma and the Brahma CA is likely to be no more than $50, or less than half the price of a daily lift ticket. The return in power and high speed stability will more than pay for the extra investment on every single run.