With all the weight-saving technologies on board, the Ranger W 98 makes for a relatively agile off-trail ride, well suited for the woman who is getting her first skis this fat. Skiers of less developed powder skills need to be able to swivel their skis sideways; its rounded Aeroshape design allows the Ranger W 98 to slice through the snow with almost no resistance. The Carbon Nose pares weight from the rockered forebody, doing its part to make off-road skiing easier. On the Finesse/Power spectrum, the Ranger W 98 lands in the Finesse bandwidth, light, lively and easy to steer in off-piste chop.

Everything about the Ranger W 98 is adapted for off-trail skiing: its construction, baseline and sidecut dimensions all scream, “Cursed be the endless monotony of groomers! Give me backcountry or give me trees!” (It’s a loquacious ski, given to oratorical flourishes.) As Stephanie from Jans attests, “The damn thing will not sink in the powder no matter how slow you’re going,” adding, “still solid on edge when you get back on groomers.”