Despite the insider jargon, buying skis today is easy: it鈥檚 all about waist width鈥攐f the skis. Carve powder every day? We don鈥檛 believe you, but regardless, you鈥檙e a 110-to-120-millimeter big-mountain shopper. Spend most of your time arcing turns on corduroy? Start in the range of 80 to 90 millimeters. Want versatility? The meat of the market is now 90 to 105 millimeters. From fat to thin, here鈥檚 a sampling of standouts from our three-day test at Snowbird, Utah.
Line Supernatural 100

Best For: All-mountain western skiing.
The Test: The brand-new ($810) offers just a hint of tip rocker鈥攅nough to float the ski and keep it maneuverable in boot-deep powder. But because that rocker isn鈥檛 pronounced, you feel the full power of the edges in a carved turn. On our standard test run, we found that it transitioned seamlessly from loose and surfy tree skiing to precise and sinuous mogul thumping to easy carving on soft corduroy. It鈥檚 a true all-mountain ski.
The Verdict: The 100-millimeter midsection is the benchmark for versatility. 132/100/121
K2 Annex 118

Best For: The deepest storms.
The Test: The redesigned ($960) is a blend of powder rocker (for surfing), low camber (for big-turn stability), and understated tapering of the tip and tail (for off-trail steering). Testers were impressed by how smooth and powerful it felt when rocketing over frozen crud and how easily it skied at slower speeds in deeper snow. On packed trails it鈥檚 less of a carver and more of a smooth bomber, but you can work the edges in the center of the turn. 鈥淕ives you the confidence to point it into a chute,鈥 said one tester. 鈥淵ou can always scrub speed if you need to.鈥
The Verdict: At 118 millimeters underfoot, it鈥檚 all the width you鈥檒l ever need for powder鈥攂ut it鈥檚 also well suited to going fast in the big wide open. 145/118/135
Dynastar Powertrack 84

Best For: Effortless frontside skiing.
The Test: This ($600) is a template of modern ski design: There鈥檚 taper in the tip and tail, which virtually eliminates that hooky feeling. Gentle rocker lets you pilot off-trail and takes the work out of turn initiation. And a progressive five-point sidecut means there鈥檚 plenty of edging power in the belly of the turn鈥攚here you want it. To test the ski鈥檚 attributes, we stood up and slipped it sideways in mock bailouts and laid it all the way over in race carves. The response? It refuses to slap you for pilot error but doesn鈥檛 wash out when pushed.
The Verdict: Another reminder that 鈥渉igh performance鈥 no longer means 鈥渉ard to ski.鈥 123/84/106
V枚lkl Kendo

Best For: A one-ski quiver for the East Coast.
The Test: To go fast with confidence on hard snow, you don鈥檛 need a race ski, you just need one with racing in its family tree. That鈥檚 the 听($775). Like all the planks on these pages, it has off-trail chops and features tip rocker for easy turn entry. But there鈥檚 also plenty of camber underfoot鈥攂acked by titanium sheets鈥攆or unlimited straight-line stability. The 89-millimeter waist is borderline effortless to tip on edge, especially with wider bindings. And the tail is reassuringly flat for finishing turns with oomph. 鈥淢akes a big but energized turn 鈥╫n hardpack and handles variable crud, too,鈥 said one tester.
The Verdict: Look here if firm snow is your reality (or passion). 126/89/110
Scott Punisher

Best For: Crud busting and tree skiing.
The Test: Punisher is a good name for this versatile big-mountain model. There鈥檚 ample front and rear rocker for float, but the ski has a quietly powerful feel that lends itself to smashing through pockets of leftover snow. You can still get the edges engaged without too much body English, thanks to 108 millimeters of width underfoot, but given the amount of rocker, the ($700) is best off-trail. In its element, 鈥╥t鈥檚 easy to pivot and smear but won鈥檛 hold you back if you鈥檙e chasing friends down a chalky bowl. According to one tester: 鈥淢akes you a better skier.鈥
The Verdict: Spend 80 percent of your time on ungroomed trails? You鈥檙e a Punisher. 142/108/130
听
Atomic Vantage Ritual

Best For: Western skiers.
The Test: Atomic sells its Austrian-made, wood-core skis for a couple hundred bucks less than the company鈥檚 high-end rivals. Judging by performance, you鈥檇 never know it; ($800) won our Buyer鈥檚 Guide Gear of the Year award. The 103-millimeter waist means you can carve all day on corduroy, and a full 65 percent of the ski is cambered underfoot for dynamic feel and better glide. The rest features an all-mountain rocker for that surfy performance in new snow. 鈥淚t鈥檚 stiff enough to bomb,鈥 one tester noted, 鈥渂ut light and nimble enough when you need to pivot.鈥
The Verdict: The Ritual was the skinniest big-mountain ski we tested, but it outperformed all comers in powder, crud, steeps, and trees. 137.5/103/123.5