Head has been tinkering with the right formula for its Monster series ever since it was introduced several seasons ago. In their first iteration, all the Monsters skied like, well, monsters. Almost as stout as race skis, they didn’t so much adapt to off-trail terrain as ignore it.

The introduction of Graphene gave Head engineers a new tool for distributing flex resistance with minimal mass. Any time you’re the only brand working with a new material you have to figure out how best to use it. In the new 3-model Monster series, Head demonstrates that they’ve become masters of Graphene manipulation. They’ve tamed the once burly Monster 88 Ti so it’s not only easier to bend, it also follows the contours of choppy terrain rather than trying to subdue it.

The Monster 88 Ti is still a Power ski with just a touch of tip rocker and an almost square tail, but it’s learned to be more forgiving. Its natural medium-radius turn can be elongated or shortened on a whim, and if given a squirt of pressure it responds with a punchy rebound that adds a spicy garnish to one turn’s end and another’s debut.

In the Monster 88’s evolution from unflinching rail to supple carver it hasn’t departed from its original mission: to combine race room construction with off-trail dimensions. Once the sole province of technically proficient skiers, the latest Monster 88 Ti is more accessible to the less skilled and a better overall off-piste companion. Yet it still possesses the solidity that true experts appreciate. As tester Jon Beebe attests, the Monster 88 Ti is “a charging ski that you can load up and really accelerate out of a turn.”

Because it is in some ways a throwback to when most AME skis were essentially wider Frontside skis, the Monster 88 Ti is a natural option for skiers hoping to replace an earlier iteration of the genre. Because it delivers superior edge grip without a lot of exertion, we confer upon it a Silver Skier Selection.