The experienced tester can tell in the first 100 yards that the Blizzard Bodacious is going to require some room to express itself. Like leaving the station on a bullet train, it doesn’t take long to realize speed is intrinsic to the experience. The Bodacious aims for the bottom of the mountain and annihilates any snow condition in its path. As stable as Gibraltar, the skier can trust the edge to hold through the thickest porridge or the thinnest ice crust; the Bodacious can’t be knocked off its course by anything made of snow.

Blizzard reinserted two sheets of Titanal into its make-up last year, restoring an upper speed range that has no peer in the genre. Once tilted and pressured, the full length of the ski feels engaged. The Bodacious couldn’t buy a short turn with a fistful of fifties, but if that’s price one must pay for this level of security, so be it. The secret to skiing crud well is skiing it fast. Picking your way through crud is like being in a boxing match with your arms at your sides; you’re going to be pummeled and it won’t be pretty. On the Bodacious, you can run the speed up to insane. You’ll never be intimidated by crud again; instead, it’s going to be afraid of you.