The Flair 81 introduced only last season took advantage of Völkl’s 3D.Ridge design to trim any and all excess weight. This year, it incorporates the German brand’s latest innovation, 3D.Glass, into Flair 81 chassis, significantly elevating its hard-snow performance. 3D.Glass is a base laminate that runs up and over the sidewall in the ski’s midsection, anchoring it to 3D. Ridge structure. Glass has the strongest memory of any major ski component, meaning it wants to return home anytime it’s stressed out of its rest position. Now when the skier flexes the Flair 81, she’ll get an extra dose of grip when on edge and bonus energy coming off it.

As we noted in this space last year, Völkl’s Flair collection is aimed squarely at the Frontside skier, but at 81mm across its midriff, the Flair 81 has enough flotation to serve as an all-terrain tool for a lot of women. “Lighter, snappier and more playful than I expected,” said Stephanie from Jan’s. “Super easy to manage, it’s a nice improvement over the old Essenza line.” For 2018, it’s even better.