The easiest way to understand the changes made to the 2018 Yumi is to look to Völkl’s unisex collection, where you’ll find the new Kanjo. The Kanjo is the narrowest member of an off-trail clan headlined by the immortal Mantra. It uses an all-wood core bolstered by a less-than-full-length strip of metal Völkl calls the Titanal Band. As is typical of off-trail skis, the Kanjo is tapered and rockered at tip and tail, but retains a camber zone underfoot.

The sidecut dimensions of the Kanjo are only a few mm’s off from the 2017 Yumi’s, so turning the Yumi into Kanjo Jr. provided a handy means of upgrading the Yumi without having to design another ski. New tip and tail radii and the addition of a dollop of Titanal have made the 2018 Yumi both mellower at turn entry and exit and grippier where it counts underfoot.

While the changes to the Kanjo-type construction have palpably improved the Yumi’s performance, it remains an excellent choice for skiers of modest skills. “A little stiffer, but skill forgiving enough for a moderate skier,” confirms Mary Geddes of Sturtevant’s of Sun Valley. Now that it’s been modified to improve its off-trail aptitude, the Yumi provides a better introduction than ever to off-piste skiing.

The Yumi has always served as an ideal step-up pair of skis for the young adult who has stopped growing and so can step off the annual cycle of leasing or renting. It fulfills the same role for any adult who is ready to shed her initial pair of package skis.

For its willingness both to serve on the Frontside and to invite the more adventurous to take their game off-trail, we award the Yumi a Silver Skier Selection.