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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 6.99/10
• Rank: #9
• Versatility: 7.14
• Crud Performance: 6.57
• Playfulness: 8
• Responsiveness: 7.57
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 7
• Quickness: 7.86
• Stability at Speed: 6.86
• Carving: 6.86
• Flotation: 6
• Forgiveness: 7.43

The Specs

• Price: $769
• Lengths: 160, 167, 174, 181, 187
• Dimensions: 124-92-111
• Radius: 18.2 (181 cm)
• Level: Intermediate, Advanced

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Forgiveness (#1), Quickness (#2)
• Cons: Flotation (#13), Crud Performance (#12)

J Skis found a great balance of putting metal in The Fastforward for performance, but still maintaining an approachable nature for a wide variety of skiers. Testers were surprised by how well the ski holds up on groomers, and impressed with its ability to remain playful and forgiving despite the narrow Titanal layer running above and below the core of the ski. “Pleasantly surprised how accessible this metal laminate ski is to a broad spectrum of skiers,” said tester Otto Gibbons. “It’s an excellent ski for a self-taught or emerging advanced skier who’s looking for a ski to help them progress at a fundamental level.”

Aside from its approachability, nearly every tester commented on The Fastforward’s nimble and energetic nature. Tester Adam Jaber, an expert skier from the East with a playful style, called it “a ripper—bouncy, but stable.” “Great choice for someone who’s spent some time in a terrain park and wants a fun, playful all-mountain ripper,” added tester David Amirault.

Related: See How the J Skis The Fastforward Compares to Its Competition

Testers awarded The Fastforward high scores in Quickness, Playfulness, and Responsivness accordingly. Though some testers bemoaned the stifness of the tails, this ski was deemed the most forgiving of all the skis tested in the all-mountain category. It clearly carries J Skis founder Jason Lenvinthal’s newschool heritage, where skis were designed to turn the whole mountian into a playground, not necessarily make traditonal carved turns down groomers.

While The Fastforward can hold its own on firm snow and on edge, those areas aren’t its strong suit. Testers noted that it’s overmatched at high speeds, especially on hardpack. Its lack of high speed performance meant that some testers were hesitatnt to recommend it to aggressive, expert skiers.

It may leave hard-chargers wanting, but testers praised its overall wide-ranging appeal. Gibbons wouldn’t hestitate to recommend them to “emerging intermediate to expert skiers wanting to have fun without working so hard.” Tester Nick Loomans, a former ski racer, said that even experts who are used to charging would appreciate how “energetic and peppy this ski is” and called it “an all-around fun ski you could spend the whole day on.”

A self-proclaimed gear nerd when it comes to skis and mountain bikes, grew up skiing in Northern California, spending the majority of his time getting loose and sendy in terrain parks. He now lives in Colorado and calls Copper Mountain his home hill. Though he still gravitates towards playful and wide all-mountain skis, he’s developed a more open mind when it comes to skis since joining SKI’s official gear test crew five seasons ago. These days, you’ll find him ripping around Copper on his trusty Nordica Enforcer 100s.