At 74mm underfoot, any pretense of off-piste proficiency is pure puffery, so the new MX74 can be forgiven for losing interest in off-roading. It’s all about arcing, stringing short, round turns together as calmly as oysters make pearls.

Take a peak at its turn radius measurement: 14.7m in a 172cm. That’s cobra quick. With a whopping 50mm of width differential between tip and waist, the MX74 sucks the skier into the top of the turn with the irresistible authority of a black hole. Once on edge, your trajectory is predetermined by the angle of the base against the snow surface plus whatever pressure you apply. The more energy you put in, the more you get out.

Better skis favor better skiers, and there’s no doubt the MX74 is more easily managed by someone with well-established skills. But not all advanced skiers want to motor along at highway speeds. For alpine skiing’s more mellow masters, the MX74 delivers sports-car response muted to match a more measured pace.

“Loved it!” enthused Jans’ Stephanie, “solid enough for a ripping skier that expects high performance; however, it still seems easy enough for a more moderate skier,” punctuating her last remark with smiley face.