Fat Skis
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Skis that are at least 115 millimeters underfoot. In 1988, Rupert Huber of Atomic made the first pair, using a band saw to cut a snowboard in half lengthwise and putting ski bindings on the pieces. His invention was intended to be a powder ski for amateurs and was sold as the Atomic Powder Plus. For ten years, it was considered a crutch for people who lacked the required skill set, similar to wide-body rackets in tennis. The stigma was finally broken when extreme skier Shane McConkey showed that fat skis, thanks to their stability and speed, were the ideal tool for rushing big-mountain, off-piste lines.