Volkl

One Ski

Back in the day, a ski with a 116-millimeter waist was nothing but an idea. Gradually, it became a board for people who searched out the deepest days; times have changed, though, and while the Volkl One Ski has a fairly chunky waist, it also boasts a strong, durable poplar and ash wood core, torsion box wrap, and fiberglass reinforcements that add up to quickness, stability, and all-terrain power. The One is a soft-snow ski at heart, with a full rocker to let you slash and slarve giant, loose turns, but the Power/Tough Box construction keeps the ski stiff, so you can rail hardpack turns like you're on a much narrower plank.

A large-radius sidecut means you'll be stable as a table, with none of the high-speed twitchiness that can sometimes plague rockered skis, and the vertical sidewalls make sure the ski doesn't twist or feel squirrely when you're putting it through its paces. The One's tapered tip and tail let you make smooth, catch-free turns in soft snow and on hardpack, too, so you can take it through perfect pow, windbuff, chunder, and hardpack without batting an eyelash.