Does anyone remember why we even have an All-Mountain West genre? How did we ever get to the point where a ski 95mm wide underfoot is regarded as par for the course?

K2 remembers. The whole idea behind fat skis was to open up access to ungroomed skiing. Before every in-bounds slope was plowed and graded to the smoothness and consistency of a fairway, skiers were the primary form of grooming equipment, giving everyone a chance to discover just how brutally difficult it was to slice through even the fluffiest powder on long, skinny sticks. A lot of people hated powder skiing because it was as hard and unforgiving as logrolling.

Flash forward a quarter century and the market has become so accustomed to fat skis that a ski as wide as the K2 Pinnacle 95 is actually considered narrow within its genre. The Pinnacle 95 is all about expanding terrain access for the skier who isn’t a super-skilled charger. It allows neophyte off-trail travelers to swivel and scrub their turns without penalty, yet when tipped and pressured properly it responds with a clean edge and clear snow feel.

While the Pinnacle 95 is perfect for the skier perched on the brink of advanced ability who just needs an assist to become more powder proficient, it shouldn’t be overlooked by more experienced skiers who want a daily ride that’s as easy as it is accurate. The most forgiving ski in its class, the Pinnacle 95 earns our Silver Skier Selection award for its responsiveness to neck-rein pressure.

A typical encomium from one of the Footloose faithful encapsulates the Pinnacle 95’s personality: “Stable, responsive, very lightweight, not bulky. Holds edge through crud but remains playful and can change directions in an instant. Loved this…” Note the aptitude for instant direction change: the Pinnacle 95’s lightweight core contributes to lower swing weight, reducing turning effort, and its well-rockered baseline offers no resistance to foot steering.