The Best Women’s Alpine Skis of 2016
The winners from our Snowbird, Utah, test.
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We put these four women-specific skis to the test alongside two dozen others at Snowbird, Utah, this year. They made it into the issue for a reason.
Atomic Vantage 90 CTI W
All Mountain Frontside
Even frontside devotees detour into trees and bumps. Atomic’s answer: a ski that pairs on-piste performance with stellar off-trail capabilities. Camber underfoot is backed by a wood core and vibration-eating metal to ramp up carving power. A top-sheet window reveals woven carbon mesh that runs from tip to tail for torsional strength. Subtle rocker makes for supple turn initiation, while the wide 90-millimeter waist means you’ll stay lifted in the fluff. 129/90/112.5
Price $725
Völkl 100Eight W
All Mountain Powder
This ski excels when storm totals measure in feet. Full rocker and a 108-millimeter waist kept testers atop thigh-deep powder and moving slough. Taper up front cut cleanly through chop and let us feather turns in the trees. Also noteworthy: a raised center ridge channels pressure through the ski for even flex and efficient power transfer. This steps down to a thinner profile at the edges, which reduces mass and saves energy. An ash and poplar core combines for a nimble fat ski, but there’s enough edge to handle hard snow. 141/108/124
Price $825
K2 Skis Fulluvit 98Ti
All Mountain
The Fulluvit aces corduroy, but that’s only half the story. The new K2 shines off-trail as well. Hold the ski in the sun and you’ll see the aspen, paulownia, and bamboo core, engineered to trim thickness and swing weight. Less obvious are the center grooves, which shed more grams. Solid wood at the edges transfers power and grip, while metal absorbs terrain impact. K2 put camber in 70 percent of the ski, then added rocker at the tip and tail and taper to reduce tip deflection for a more forgiving feel. 131/98/119
Price $850
Rossignol Temptation 100
All Mountain
The Temptation effortlessly navigates the whole hill. Camber through 70 percent of the ski paired with wood and metal guts delivers a damp, stable ride. On corduroy we drove it through full-throttle GS turns and easily shifted to short-radius arcs. Tip and tail rocker smooths turn transitions and works with the 100-millimeter waist to guarantee float even in boot-deep snow. And because honeycomb tips reduce swing weight, testers praised the Temptation’s maneuverability in bumps, narrow tree alleys, and broken chop. 140/100/130
Price $850
