With all the hullaballoo over carbon and the “Ti” suffix appended to so many model names, signifying the presence of Titanal somewhere in the product, one tends to overlook the pivotal role played by fiberglass. Völkl engineers made the unsung hero of ski design the star ingredient in a new feature they call 3D.Glass. It may sound like a minor embellishment, but it makes a world of difference on the snow.

3D.Glass would be nothing fancier than another base layer of glass were it not for a clever modification: in the binding area the glass extends vertically up the sidewall and over the top of it. It’s sort of a demi-torsion box, with much the same effect as this time-honored glass molding technique: the ski becomes both more torsionally rigid and livelier, as the hard-wired memory of the glass will dominate the rebound characteristic.

3D.Glass is why the 2018 version of the 90 Eight is a substantial improvement over its first incarnation. The connection between snow and edge is locked down, and the camber underfoot has some kick to it. It easily qualifies as a Power ski, but it’s listed here among the Finesse Favorites because, compared to the norm in the class, it feels so much lighter, more instantly maneuverable and playful.

The new 90 Eight’s light and zippy attitude is delightful on trail and travels off-piste better than one might expect it to. Its double rocker baseline conforms well to the tortuous troughs in mogul fields and it makes a mean short-radius turn far more easily than its sidecut radius would lead one to believe is possible. For any skier from advanced to expert who prefers a lighter, more responsive ride in an All-Mountain West footprint, the new 90 Eight should be on your short list of skis to check out. As Bob Kuehn of Gravity Sports observes, “the 90 Eight is a good choice for the skier seeking one ski to take anywhere. Quick, with solid turn initiation that inspires confidence.”