If a ski could be a turbo-charged all-wheel drive luxury ride, no other ski could personify these characteristics better than Volkl's Tigershark 11-Foot Power Switch with iPT Sped Ride 12.0 TS Diagonal binding. Beside having the longest product name of the season, the Tigershark 11-Foot Power Switch offers near-overkill refinements with Volkl's new Power Switch Technology. Volkl Power Switches allow you to fine-tune your ski performance to your own personal energy level. If you want to cruise, turn the Power Switch to the cruise setting and the titanium rods inside the ski will maintain a loose flex that flows along with the terrain. When you're ready to rip, crank the Power Switch to the Dynamic or Power settings and the internal rods inside the Tigershark 11-Foot Power Switch ski will compress tightly against internal springs, creating a rigid and energetic performance platform for carving. In a way, the Power Switch gives you a quiver of three on one perfect all-terrain platform, but the 75-mm. width is ideal for carving on groomed and hardpack snow. Like previous Tigershark incarnations, this year's TigerShark 11-Foot Power Switch is a highly responsive expert ski for guys who want a powerful, GS-quality platform without all the FIS restrictions. It features a lightweight titanium construction for added rigidity without excess ounces. There's also a tip-to-tail Sensorwood core and wood sidewalls for flex. Unlike some ski manufacturers who contract core work to third party companies, Volkl produces their own wood core to optimize quality and consistency in design with CNC precision. The TigerShark 11-Foot also features Volkl's Extended Double Grip technology, a double-height construction above the ski edge that enhances skier support and grip through varying high-speed turn arcs. This season Volkl paired their Tigershark 11-Foot Power Switch with Marker's high-end iPT Speed Ride 12.0 TS D binding. This integrated ski/binding combination offers a wider interface area (that's the binding plate) than previous years when the Tigersharks were paired with the original iPT designs, which means you enjoy an added measure of response and improved performance. Up front the iPT Speed Ride 12.0 TS D has a new Triple Pivot Comfort Toe that's shorter and lighter than previous iPT bindings. In the back you'll find a lighter Marker Inter-Pivot heel that helps transmit more leg power to your edges without wasting energy. If you like to ski all areas of the mountain in equal measure and you want the best in new technological innovation, the Volkl Tigershark 11-Foot Power Switch with iPT Sped Ride 12.0 TS Diagonal binding is one of the best skis you can buy this season.

Some ski retailers compare their high-end all-terrain skis to certain sports car models, but if they compared Volkl's The Grizzly with the rest of their selection, The Grizzly would equate with a super car with four-wheel drive. This fast, easy-carving, all-terrain ski offers the width for dominating powder and broken snow, but it also has one of the world's first ski Power Switches that allow you to fine-tune your ski performance to your own personal energy level. If you want to cruise, turn the Power Switch to the cruise setting and the titanium rods inside the ski will maintain a loose flex that flows along with the terrain. When you're ready to rip, crank the Power Switch to the Dynamic or Power settings and the internal rods inside The Grizzly will compress tightly against internal springs, creating a rigid and energetic performance platform for carving. In a way, the Power Switch gives you a quiver of three on one perfect all-terrain platform, but the 89-mm. width does facilitate excellent carving potential, especially in broken conditions between the groomed runs. Volkl paired The Grizzly with the Marker iPT Wide Ride 12.0 binding. Because the sides of this binding interface rest directly on top of The Grizzly's Extended Double Grip construction, you can apply more pressure directly over the ski edges. This gives you better response with the same lively feel that quickly rebounds through the perfectly rounded ski flex in each turn. The Wide Ride is 30% wider than the original Marker iPT binding, so it fits perfectly without brake bar modifications. If you're looking for comparisons, the Marker iPT Wide Ride has the same toe and heel hardware found on Marker's Duke and Jester freeride bindings. These toe and heel pieces feature a better and more secure wrap around the boot lug in front, with increased directional elasticity throughout the heel area. We like this ski/binding combo more than seasons past because of the ounces shaved and the shorter connection between your boots and the skis. This means that you'll probably find this ski/binding combo easier to handle than other wide ski/binding designs.

Redesigned in new sizes, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel Ti ski lives up to its name with amazing speed, nimble grace and good stability for advanced riders. While some all-mountain skis are heavy with dampening features, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel Ti has titanium laminates that keep it feeling lighter (some would say livelier) than some all-mountain skis made by other ski manufacturers. It busts crud with abandon, rips groomers and does wonderfully wide GS turns in powder, but unless you're an expert skier, you might be a little unsettled by the lively behavior when the Hot Rod Jet Fuel Ti starts gaining velocity. The Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel Ti ski features a XBI (X Balance Integrated) binding interface that transmits consistent pressure in a smooth ski flex from your boots to the ski edges for improved stability, balance and control. Extra heel pressure from the back of the ski is transferred through the XBI system interface to the area in front of the binding, redistributing your skiing power unlike anything else available on the market, and this can help correct balance errors where you're either too far forward or too far back over the ski. The result of XBI is something Nordica calls "glued to the snow" but we like to think of it as excellent edge hold. In fact, with the flex of the ski it's possible to establish tip-to-tail edge hold on smooth snow surfaces, so you always turn where and when you're ready. This version of the Hot Rod Pro Jet Fuel Ti includes Nordica's integrated N Pro 2S XBI CT binding. It's one of the highest performance binding designs made for Nordica and is intended for expert all-mountain skiing and racing applications. The N Pro 2S XBI CT binding features a new two-spring control toe feature that optimizes boot hold in a lateral position with the main spring, while keeping the boot vertically in position through a second spring located in the lower part of the toe piece. This two-spring design averts potential unintended releases while you're skiing, but still facilitates binding release during a twisting fall. If you're looking for a fast, expert-oriented all-mountain ski that's lively and great for a range of conditions, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel Ti is one of the best you can ride this season. One important note: In previous skiing magazine reviews, the feedback on this ski's performance varied depending on which ski lengths the testers and editors tested, so keep length in mind and match the appropriate sized Hot Rod Jet Fuel to your skiing preferences. In case you need specific data, we included the turn radius data for all sizes because of the significant differences in characteristics.

The ski waist widths grow wider as you climb the model numbers in Volkl's AC Unlimited collection, and the Men's Unlimited AC50 Skis w/ iPT Wide Ride 12.0 D Binding is at the top of the wide rides--the last AC before you step into the powder-hungry Volkl Grizzly. The AC50 with integrated Marker iPT Wide Ride binding is an ideal choice for advanced and expert skiers who want an easy-turning, do-it-all-well design for big mountain venues like Valdez, Alaska, Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia and Verbier, Switzerland. The AC50 has a wider turn radius than the lower number ACs, so it's better oriented toward GS fans, especially those who prefer a lot of untracked terrain. Volkl made their AC50 with an Extended Double Grip construction, a fancy way of describing the dual chambers on the ski that extend from almost the tip to the tail. The parallel chambers in the Extended Double Grip construction give better support along the edges than traditional skis, and this helps distribute even pressure along the edges to the snow, so you're more likely to turn when and where you want to--even on icy hardpack. Volkl combined their Extended Double Grip construction with their Extended Sensorwood core, a complex CNC milling process that extends the wood core upward. This combination of core and grip is found only in Volkl's most advanced and highest performing skis. Volkl paired this AC50 model with the Marker iPT Wide Ride 12.0 binding. The Wide Ride is 30% wider than the original iPT binding, so it fits perfectly without brake bar modifications. If you're looking for comparisons, the Marker iPT Wide Ride has the same toe and heel hardware found on Marker's Duke and Jester freeride bindings. These toe and heel pieces feature a better and more secure wrap around the boot lug in front, with increased directional elasticity throughout the heel area. We like this ski/binding combo more than seasons past because of the ounces shaved and the shorter connection between your boots and the skis. This means that you'll probably find this ski/binding combo easier to handle than other wide ski/binding designs.

Yes, the Volkl Women's Aurora Skis w/ Attiva iPT Wide Ride 12.0 D Bindings goes fast, but when you need a wider ski for plummeting down acres of fresh powder or extra stability for busting up afternoon crud, this women's all-mountain Aurora ski with integrated iPT Wide Ride binding is a perfect choice for advanced and expert skiers. It's the sort of easy-turning, do-it-all-well women's ski for big mountain venues like Valdez, Alaska, Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia and Verbier, Switzerland. The Aurora's turn radius is oriented toward women who prefer wider-arc GS-style turns, but this ski has the same top-end components found on the tighter-turning Attiva Fuego. Volkl made the Aurora with an Extended Double Grip construction, a fancy way of describing the dual chambers on the ski that extend from almost the tip to the tail. The parallel chambers in the Extended Double Grip construction give better support along the edges than traditional skis, and this helps distribute even pressure along the edges to the snow, so you're more likely to turn when and where you want to--even on icy hardpack. Volkl combined their Extended Double Grip construction with their female-specific Extended Sensorwood core, a complex CNC milling process that extends the wood core upward. This combination of core and grip is found only in Volkl's most advanced and highest performing skis. Compared to the guy's skis, the Aurora has a dramatically lighter weight (at least 20% depending on which length you choose). It also has a lower and shorter tip profile, which slightly reduces the overall swing weight and makes the Aurora easier to turn than unisex all-mountain skis. As with other manufacturer's female-specific skis, Volkl moved the bindings on the Aurora closer to the ski tip than other unisex designs, so the effortless turn initiation feels almost instinctive. Volkl paired this Aurora model with the Marker iPT Wide Ride 12.0 binding. The Wide Ride is 30% wider than the original Marker iPT binding, so it fits perfectly without brake bar modifications. If you're looking for comparisons, the Marker iPT Wide Ride has the same toe and heel hardware found on Marker's Duke and Jester freeride bindings. These toe and heel pieces feature a better and more secure wrap around the boot lug in front, with increased directional elasticity throughout the heel area. We like this ski/binding combo more than seasons past because of the ounces shaved and the shorter connection between your boots and the skis. This means that you'll probably find this ski/binding combo easier to handle than other wide ski/binding designs.

Whether you blast down the groomers or cruise the blues at all speeds, Rossignol's Avenger 82 Ti with integrated Tpi2 Axial2 120 ski bindings is an ideal choice for advanced and expert guys who spend around 70% of their day on the ski runs or in the moguls. The Avenger 82 Ti is similar to the Rossignol Zenith of seasons past, but without the complications of interchangeable Mutix arms. Like Rossignol's previous all-mountain carving skis, the Avenger 82 Ti offers amazing vibration dampening for excellent control at high speeds. It features Rossignol's proven VAS elastomer inserts in the tip and tail to diminish chatter. The Avenger 82 Ti also has Rossignol's IPS (Independent Pressuring System) to improve the energy transmission from your boot to the left or right ski edges. This optimizes the responsiveness of the ski, especially when initiating carving turns. While the Avenger 82 Ti has the same width as the Avenger 82 Carbon, this model has a slightly narrower nose so the turn radius is about half a meter wider than the Avenger 82 Carbon. If you enjoy the feel of a GS performance machine but you don't need to spend a hundred more for FIS certification, the Avenger 82 Ti is a smart choice among all-mountain carvers. This one comes equipped with Rossignol's Tpi2 Axial2 120 ski bindings, so you're ready to rip on opening day.

The Nordica Conquer Ski w/ N EXP 2S XBI CT Binding for Women is an all mountain ski for advanced-expert skiers seeking the ability to challenge the entire mountain, all conditions and terrain. This versatile ski offers the precision of a frontside ski and the floatation and versatility of a powder ski.

Created for advanced and expert skiers who want a balanced blend of 50% groomed and 50% untracked in their ski day, the Peak 78 ski is a highly versatile all-mountain performer with innovations to adapt to changing terrain and snow conditions. The Peak 78 features a snappy sandwich construction with Intelligence Technology. That means that Head put these things called Intellifibers at 45-degree angles in front of the ski bindings, so those mechanical impulses created by bouncing around in hard snow turn into electrical energy that stiffens the Intellifibers. When the Intellifibers turn rigid, you feel more control with improved rebound and ski torsional stiffness. The cool thing is that Intellifibers only stiffen the Peak 78 exactly where you need the extra control on the mountain--and not all the way from the summit to the lodge. Another Head innovation is Liquidmetal technology. While just about every ski manufacturer now offers titanium in their high-end skis, Head's Liquidmetal has a molecular structure that returns power at a ratio of 1:1, resulting in an improved ski rebound and improved turn initiation with roughly 29% more power than energy-absorbing titanium. Ski magazines lauded Head's Liquidmetal component in past seasons for the consistent and predictable rebound, but one lesser-known benefit is that the Liquidmetal is actually liquid, so it doesn't break down like solid molecular ski components that wear out over several seasons of hard use. What that means is that you'll probably be skiing on these Peak 78 skis long after everyone else has decided that their conventional all-mountain skis are flat and ready for the ski swap. This ski is paired with the integrated Mojo 12 ski binding featuring release technology from Tyrolia. We think experts will prefer the slightly higher DIN settings on the Mojo 12 over the Head RF 11 bindings, especially when skiing hard and fast in undulating, broken crud conditions. If you're a woman looking for a female-specific version of this amazing all-terrain ski, check out the Head Women's Wild ONE.

Ideal for carving groomed runs, but versatile enough for short untracked excursions, the Volkl all-mountain AC30 is a solid solution for aggressive intermediates and advanced skiers looking to satisfy their carving cravings. While less expensive than the Volkl AC50, the AC30 is hardly compromising on performance. The big difference is in the core construction--so the AC30 is a little less lively, but just as stable at a variety of speeds. The AC30 also has a slightly longer turn radius than the AC50, which is an important trait to point out because some experienced skiers tend to assume all-mountain ski models with smaller model numbers equate to smaller turns down the mountain. The AC30 is an excellent utility ski for advanced skiers who want a narrower waist ski for the hardpack and groomed runs. It's also ideal design for intermediate skiers who want to perfect their skills all the way up to black diamond runs. This season Volkl refined their binding pairing for the AC30 and paired it with the Marker iPT Wide Ride 12.0 binding. Because the sides of this binding interface rest directly on top of the AC30's Extended Double Grip construction, you can apply more pressure directly over the ski edges. This gives you better response with the same lively feel that quickly rebounds through the perfectly rounded ski flex in each turn. The Wide Ride is 30% wider than the original Marker iPT binding, so it fits perfectly without brake bar modifications. If you're looking for comparisons, the Marker iPT Wide Ride has the same toe and heel hardware found on Marker's Duke and Jester freeride bindings. These toe and heel pieces feature a better and more secure wrap around the boot lug in front, with increased directional elasticity throughout the heel area. We like this ski/binding combo more than in seasons past because of the ounces shaved and the shorter connection between your boots and the skis. This means that you'll probably find this ski/binding combo easier to handle than other wide ski/binding designs.

If you like to ski fast and prefer a little more untracked than groomed in your ski day, Volkl's all-terrain Tierra with integrated Attiva eMotion 11.0 TC binding is everything an advanced or expert female skier could ever ask for. That's because it's a completely new women's-only platform that doesn't cut corners by adopting unisex or boy-toy conformity. The Volkl Women's Tierra uses a new Bio-Logic design approach that Volkl dedicated specifically to performance-oriented female skiers. Bio-Logic addresses stance, ski geometry and ski flex in true female-specific terms. Because women's heel lifts in the bindings can result in extra strain for your quadriceps leg muscles, Volkl's Bio-Logic stance is far more neutral with elevated toe areas along the front of the binding, so your quads and hamstrings share a better balance of the turn load, and this potentially helps protect your knees. The Bio-Logic ski geometry offers a narrower tail for women so you finish your turns with less effort and easily transition into the next turn. To balance the modifications to the stance and ski shape, Volkl applied new approaches to ski flex so the Tierra has more rigidity in the tip with a softer feel as toward the ski tail. Volkl made the Tierra with an Extended Double Grip construction, a fancy way of describing the dual chambers on the ski that extend from almost the tip to the tail. The parallel chambers in the Extended Double Grip construction give better support along the edges than traditional skis, and this helps distribute even pressure along the edges to the snow, so you're more likely to turn when and where you want to--even on icy hardpack. Volkl combined their Extended Double Grip construction with their female-specific Extended Sensorwood core, a complex CNC milling process that extends the wood core upward. This combination of core and grip is found only in Volkl's most advanced and highest performing skis. Compared to the guy's skis, the Tierra has a dramatically lighter weight (at least 20% depending on which length you choose). It also has a lower and shorter tip profile, which slightly reduces the overall swing weight and makes the Tierra easier to turn than unisex all-mountain skis. This season's model comes with a fully integrated Marker Attiva eMotion 11.0 TC Binding that contributes to the elevated toe area mentioned earlier. The Attiva eMotion also borrows the Triple Pivot Comfort toe from Marker's Royal Family binding line, so you enjoy the benefits of a lighter binding with improved energy transmission between your feet and the ski edges.

Tweaked and refined with a new range of lengths, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel CA ski lives up to its name with amazing speed, nimble grace and good stability for experts and advanced skiers. While some all-mountain skis are heavy with dampening features, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel CA feels lighter (some would say livelier) than some all-mountain skis made by other ski manufacturers. It busts crud with abandon, rips groomers and does wonderfully wide GS turns in powder, but unless you're an expert skier, you might be a little unsettled by the lively behavior when the Hot Rod Jet Fuel CA starts gaining velocity. The Hot Rod Jet Fuel CA ski offers Nordica's XBI (X Balance Integrated) binding interface that transmits consistent pressure in a smooth ski flex from your boots to the ski edges for improved stability, balance and control. Extra heel pressure from the back of the ski is transferred through the XBI system interface to the area in front of the binding, redistributing your skiing power unlike anything else available on the market, and this can help correct balance errors where you're either too far forward or too far back over the ski. The result of XBI is something Nordica calls "glued to the snow" but we like to think of it as excellent edge hold. In fact, with the flex of the ski it's possible to establish tip-to-tail edge hold on smooth snow surfaces, so you always turn where and when you're ready. This version of the Hot Rod Pro Jet Fuel CA includes Nordica's integrated N EXP 2S XBI CT binding. It's an upscale performance binding design that's ideal for all-mountain and racing applications. The N EXP 2S XBI CT binding features a new two-spring control toe feature that optimizes boot hold in a lateral position with the main spring, while keeping the boot vertically in position through a second spring located in the lower part of the toe piece. This two-spring design averts potential unintended releases while you're skiing, but still facilitates binding release during a twisting fall. If you need a fast, expert-oriented all-mountain ski that's lively and great for a range of conditions, the Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel CA is one of the best you can ride this season. One important note: In previous skiing magazine reviews, the feedback on this ski's performance varied depending on which ski lengths the testers and editors tested, so keep length in mind and match the appropriate sized Hot Rod Jet Fuel to your skiing preferences. In case you need specific data, we included the turn radius data for all sizes because of the significant differences in characteristics.

Developed exclusively for advanced and expert female skiers who want a balanced blend of 50% groomed and 50% untracked in their ski day, the Wild ONE ski is a highly versatile all-mountain performer with innovations to adapt to changing terrain and snow conditions. It has features a snappy sandwich construction with Intelligence Technology. That means that Head put these things called Intellifibers at 45-degree angles in front of the ski bindings, so those mechanical impulses created by bouncing around in hard snow turn into electrical energy that stiffens the Intellifibers. When the Intellifibers turn rigid, you feel more control with improved rebound and ski torsional stiffness. The cool thing is that Intellifibers only stiffen the Wild ONE exactly where you need the extra control on the mountain--and not all the way from the summit to the lodge. Another Head innovation is Liquidmetal technology. While just about every ski manufacturer now offers titanium in their high-end skis, Head's Liquidmetal has a molecular structure that returns power at a ratio of 1:1, resulting in an improved ski rebound and improved turn initiation with roughly 29% more power than energy-absorbing titanium. Ski magazines lauded Head's Liquidmetal component in past seasons for the consistent and predictable rebound, but one lesser-known benefit is that the Liquidmetal is actually liquid, so it doesn't break down like solid molecular ski components that wear out over several seasons of hard use. What that means is that you'll probably be skiing on these Wild ONEs long after everyone else has decided that their conventional all-mountain skis are flat and ready for the ski swap. This ski is paired with the integrated Head ONE LD 12 binding (the LD stands for Light Diagonal). The ONE LD 12 binding offers a binding DIN setting range of 3.5 to 12 and features female-specific components that are engineered with a specific strength-to-weight ratio for women's safety needs.