The 2022 Technical Field

Just two years ago, the Technical field in the U.S. was so forlorn it didn’t include a single new model of any importance.  But over the last two seasons, the genre has been rejuvenated by an infusion of fresh blood that, at least on paper, gives the appearance of a...
2022 Technical

2022 Technical

Technical skis are invariably high performance, hard-snow carving models that have race ski properties and similar dimensions yet aren’t actually intended as gate skis but as hard snow toys for people who probably had race training in the misty past. In today’s...

The 2022 Big Mountain Field

Because Big Mountain skis are usually (and appropriately) a second pair reserved for off-trail conditions, the genre isn’t quite as big or as busy as the other core recreational categories. Nonetheless, five new models materialized this season, three of which made our...
2022 Big Mountain

2022 Big Mountain

It wouldn’t be unfair to lump all skis over 100mm at the waist into a giant bucket labeled, “Powder,” and leave it at that. Obviously, the fatter the ski the better the flotation, so pick a ski based on how high you want to ride on new snow and you’re good to go. We...

The 2022 All-Mountain West Field

The All-Mountain West category, while not as densely populated as the broader All-Mountain East genre, is commercially at least as important. No other category exerts as strong an influence on a brand’s image, in part because the best skiers on a given (most likely...