If you don’t instantly fall in love with the i.Titan, it might be because you also want to date her equally attractive sister, the i.Rally. In skiing as in real life, you’re asking for trouble, for once you’ve gone out with both you won’t be able to chose.

Forced to chose on penalty of agonizing death or never skiing again, we’d probably pick the i.Rally. The deciding factor would be the i.Rally’s slightly more automatic response to turn initiation; it’s shovel connects earlier to the snow, augmenting the sensation of never-ending contact and imparting confidence in the ski’s imperturbable predictability. As noted by one of Peter Glenn’s stalwarts, “This ski turns itself on groomed slopes.”

Indeed it does, aided by a 13.7m sidecut (170cm) that’s as whip-snapping quick as a World Cup slalom. Short turns are as addicting as crack , inviting the skier to take one more hit, then another, another, another until the skier disappears in the skiing.

This is one of skiing’s Grails, to become the turn, to blend into gravity’s flow, to be so present the ego is absent. Of course the skier has to bring some goodies to the party, such as technical skill and a peaceful mind, but the ski is a not inconsequential catalyst in this transformation of man into energy. It requires a ski like the i.Rally that possesses the supreme talent of doing everything seamlessly, never calling attention to itself yet always on call.

Like its near twin, the i.Titan, the i.Rally is responsive throughout the speed range and able to make any turn shape you can, so its charms aren’t exclusively accessible to experts. But let’s not kid ourselves. The better your skill set, the more the i.Rally impresses. Its built-in afterburners, the Kinetic Energy Response System, made from energy-generating piezos, won’t even kick in until you’re running hot enough to melt butter on your goggles.