Perhaps no major ski brand was better prepared for the global trend towards lighter consumer products than Fischer. Fischer has been the dominant player in the weight-obsessed Nordic market since forever, a sustained success built on its mastery of lightness. Applying this wizardry to alpine skis resulted in the Air Tec core, a wood core milled away to a minimal latticework. In the Pro MT 86 TI, the lighter core is encased in Titanal, lending the ski its edging power and vibration damping benefits.

To pare away more mass, Fischer bevels off the top corners to create a sleek structure it calls Razorshape. Aside from the obvious weight savings, Razorshape presents a thinner profile to the snow, allowing the ski to move laterally with less resistance.

Despite its emphasis on lightweight design, the Pro MT 86 TI is a heavyweight in the carving department. “Excellent carvability!” exulted Sturtevant’s of Sun Valley’s Olin Glenne when he first essayed the ski two seasons ago. “Solid feel, yet quick and very precise,” Glenne added, according the Pro MT 86 TI the distinction of his favorite all-terrain ski for Frontside conditions.

Greg Whitehouse, proprietor of California Ski Company, also fell for the charms of the Pro MT 86 TI, calling it “very solid and smooth as silk for high speed cruising in a variety of terrain.” Cruising is usually a long-turn pastime that’s best enjoyed on groomage, which is precisely the Pro MT 86 TI’s wheelhouse.

All it takes to keep the Pro MT 86 TI in its traces is to keep it on edge, whether a slight edge engagement from an upright stance or a higher edge angle that cuts gashes into the groom. Its bliss is rolling edge to edge at a canter; powder up to knee high is easily defanged by the ski’s tip and tail rocker. The skier doesn’t have to change technique as he rolls from manicured slopes to heavy chop; just stay centered and let the skis manage the transition from smooth cream to chunky granola.