Fans of the former Progressor series (with square sidewalls) will rediscover a familiar feeling with the RC4 The Curv DTX, an undiluted powerhouse incorporating the power of Titanium combined with the shock-soothing effects of a laminate of Diagotex™ carbon fiber. Easier to bow than The Curv with the Booster plate and therefore easier to engage at less than all-in edge angles, The Curv DTX is whippet quick and mastiff strong.

The Curv DTX’s special ingredient is a 3-phase sidecut that begins and ends on a tighter line than the mid-section generates. This makes The Curv DTX feel more reactive on edge, zinging around turns without losing snow contact. “You’d better be ready for this baby to turn,” notes one admiring member of our test panel.

It’s not necessary to have competed alongside The Curv’s designers, all World Cup veterans, to appreciate The Curv DTX, but it’s fair to say it favors those with some race training on their resume. The best Technical skis recreate the sensations of racing without the complications imposed by FIS-sanctioned shapes and World-Cup-level flexes. The Curv DTV makes it easy to carve like a champ: the triple radius sidecut pulls the skier into the arc on autopilot, and its softer flex allows it to be decambered by someone who doesn’t train every day.