And the Winnter is:
You don't see many groomer shots on magazine covers anymore, but whipping linked turns on corduroy is still damn fun. We were lucky enough to get a day of firm, buffed, mid-winter, snow at our Snowbird, Utah test. The Rossi Avengure 82 TI was the standout ski. With an 18.3 meter turning radius, there's enough sidecut here to crank short swing turns down the fall line. Because the tail isn't completely oversized you can seamlessly transition to sweeping GS turns, too. Traditional camber means energy (power out of the turn) and tip to tail edge contact. "Dynamic and fully energized but not squirrely or twitchy," wrote one 155 pound tester. "You can mix up the turn shape at will." Swami gripe: There were few complaints. This Frontside charger does exactly what it was designed to do. Swami like: Open it up to beer league racing speeds with your pals, or scrub speed and arc gentle turns with your kids. This is one of the most versatile Frontside skis we've ever tested.
Overall: Scored 4.6 (out of 5); $1,000 (with binding); 126/82/112; rossignol.com
#2 Völkl RTM 84
"If you get in the backseat," wrote one 180 pound tester, "the RTM will remove you from its Facebook friends list." Fair enough. Despite subtle continuous rocker through the whole ski, the RTM 84 was the most aggressive Frontside ski we tested. We found it too powerful for off-trail forays, but lightning fast and stable on hardpack. It's no unforgiving race ski, though. If you're centered on the ski, you can throw it sideways and scrub speed at will. Swami gripe: An intermediate could survive the RTM 84-but we're predicting the yard sale factor might not be worth the attempt. Swami like: It takes an alert and adroit expert to reap the rewards of this much power. You can really load it up with energy and carry speed across the hill.
Overall: 4.3; $1,235 (with binding); 129/84/111; volkl.com
#3 Blizzard M-POWER FS IQ
Technically the M-POWER FS IQ is in Blizzard's All Mountain line, but we found it plenty quick enough for Frontside. It's also the most stable ski we tested, thanks to fore and aft carbon fiber rods and an oil-damped piston underfoot. With a little bit of pilot input, it's easy to mix up the turn shape. We found ourselves arcing big turns at speed, though. It's hard not to go fast. The edge penetration was unmatched (leave only trenches), and the damp ride quality boosts confidence. The perfect ski for Sun Valley or Sunday River. Swami gripe: Skiers who prefer short slalom turns won't easily find them here. Swami like: Strong skiers who favor speed should look here first. Overall: 4.3; $1,200 (with binding); 128/87/113; blizzardsportusa.com
#4 Head i.Peak 84 Pro
In Europe, the i.Peak 84 Pro would be considered a powder ski. On this side of the pond, it's a simple but high quality Frontside ski with the versatility to enjoy freshly fallen, third-buckle-deep snow. Our testers loved it for its big sweet spot (you don't have to be "on it" at all times) and the ability to mix up the turn's shape from a nimble 15.4 meter radius to longer arcs. "The flex is big, easy, and velvety," wrote one tester, "but you can push it as hard as you like." It's easy to ski, but you could go 60 miles per hour on it. Swami gripe: Only our most aggressive tester found it to lack edge hold, but if he drove a car that fast he'd get a felony. Swami like: Look here if you spend 80 percent of your time ripping around on groomers, but don't want to swap skis when a storm rolls through.
Overall: 4.1; $900; 128/84/112; head.com
#5 Salomon Enduro XT 800
It's 80mm wide at the waist (quite plump at the turn of the millennium, but you're too young to remember) and it features new age tip rocker, but this is no mushy powder ski. At our ski test in Snowbird, Utah we had just enough hardpack, packed powder, and powder to test Salomon's versatility claims. There's not a lot of hype here. A full wood core with an "extended transfer platform" (ribs of extra material over the edges) give the Enduro XT 800 a snappy yet damp feel on groomers, but the waist and tip rocker let you ski it easy when you're slashing about off trail. Swami gripe: At race speeds some of the bigger and more powerful testers found the Enduro unstable. Swami like: "It's the perfect balance of carving performance and forgiveness."
Overall: 4.0; $1,060 (with binding); 125/80/108; salomon.com
From the Early Winter issue
