Atomic probably could have just appended a “W” on its unisex Vantage X 80 CTi and it would have already had a damn good women’s ski. Instead, Atomic makes three modifications that together make this model one of the most accommodating for female skiers. To make it lighter, Atomic pulls the ash out of the men’s model from which it is cloned, replacing it with poplar. To keep the unrockered tail from taking over at the end of a carved turn, Atomic uses a V-shaped sidecut that allows the narrower rear to slide out of the turn exit. To help women keep their lower center of mass forward where they’re able to pressure the ski from the top of the arc – a Vantage X 80 CTi W advantage – Atomic subtly elevates the heel.
The Gottaluvit 105 Ti is the embodiment of K2’s core competence in three arenas that fall in the brand’s wheelhouse: fat skis, double doses of rocker and skis tailored for women, each directed to the same goal: make all-condition skiing easier. K2 was the first major brand to shift its focus to recreational off-trail skiing and earliest adopter of rocker to improve ease in every snow condition. The extra stability provided by the ribbon of Titanal around its perimeter gives the Gottaluvit the juice to plunder chunder and the edge grip needed to keep a wide ski calm on hardpack.
The Cochise skier needs a full skill set to rein in its appetite for hellbent descents. The Cochise’s 27m-sidecut radius won’t cut across the fall line unless its pilot knows how to drive it from a high edge angle, and it practically prohibits turning at a plodding pace. The Cochise regards slow skiing as a sign of weakness and finds short turns as palatable as spinach ice cream. Experts who understand that the first rule of skiing crud is to charge it need a tool as stout as their style, one that will stand up to a full-on, fall-line assault. “A strong ski for strong skiers,” as Greg from Footloose sums up the crud-killing Cochise.
The Big Mountain design playbook calls for tips and tails that are both rockered and tapered so they won’t interfere with the smearing action that takes the travail out of off-trail travel, and the Rustler 10 is typical in this regard. Where it deviates from the norm is through its midsection, which is capped by a Titanal plate that’s edge-to-edge underfoot and narrows to a nub that stops halfway up the forebody and tail. The Titanal delivers discernibly more power and deflection resistance than the carbon-reinforced extremities. Testers appreciated the lighter weight that helped the Rustler 10 feel quicker than most Big Mountain models.
