BUYER'S GUIDE 2009

BUYER'S GUIDE 2008

By Martin Olson,
Technical Editor

Skis for this season are tempting buyers with the usual array of upgrades, new concepts, tweaking and eye candy for many models. Skis are continuing to expand slightly in the waistline, and big twins are big with consumers. Use this guide and the Ski Canada Test results to help you fi nd your perfect ride.

You’ll notice something different in our annual review of all things ski. We paused for a moment and considered the plight of the keen skier for whom this Buyer’s Guide is prepared. In the age of information, all manufacturers have thorough websites with details and hype to spare on dozens of skis and boots and many combo possibilities. We don’t lack information—we’re drowning in it!

So we decided to offer a fi lter of sorts to help consumers narrow their focus and direct their energy to help find the right gear this winter. Skis are therefore divided into broad categories similar to the Ski Canada Test so that test results can be integrated into the search. The categories are broad enough that there’s often considerable overlap. Product news and highlights are included in each section, along with representative images of skis. We want this Buyer’s Guide to be informative, educational—and an interesting read. You may notice there are fewer words than in the past but that’s intentional. We want to leave you with more time for skiing.

SKI CATEGORIES

All-Mountain: A “do-it-all” ski is what most of us want. this is the perfect place to look if you ski where conditions vary considerably. In this group one fi nds skis for intermediates but also for hardcore rippers who enjoy the off-piste as much as a nice, firm groomer.

Big Mountain: Big boards for big snow and big slopes. these are special designs that give up a bit of versatility for supreme performance in off-piste conditions. Many of the new rocker shapes and truly wide snow-planes are found on these pages.

Park & Pipe/Twintips: twintips are more complex than they appear. Born of the park where plenty of specialization still exists, many twintips today are fun all over the mountain.

Frontside: Dedicated skis for groomed conditions are available for everyone from the aspiring novice to the carve-aholic. If a lot of your snow is man-made, you’ll like this category. At the top end of the family one fi nds the detuned race skis that also belong in the high-performance category.

High-Performance: We mean high performance on groomed terrain. that’s because we think the race skis and uncompromising carvers are so good they deserve their own space. At the snowsports Industry Association 2006 trade show in Las Vegas, carving was declared dead. Look at any groomed pitch and the tracks confi rm that rumours of carving’s death have been greatly exaggerated. For good skiers, there is no thrill like it—and the tools are all here.

See poll results for the question: Which categoet best suits your needs? click here

More Buyer's Guide 2009 content will be posted online later this fall. Check Back Issues for previous Buyer's Guide issues.

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