BUYER'S GUIDE
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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