Volkl

V-Werks BMT 122 Ski

The days of sacrificing touring performance for downhill stability are over, now that the Volkl V-Werks BMT 122 Ski is on the block. Designed for skiers who like to blast up their own lines and shred them like they've been lit on fire, the BMT (big-mountain touring, if you're into acronyms) has a super-light multi-layer wood core, which features poplar in the tip and tail for a light, playful ride and ash underfoot for power and stability when you're maching down like a lunatic. Volkl's engineered the core to be extra-light—the 186cm BMT weighs in at about 8.5lb per pair—so your hip flexors won't be crying out in pain, nor will your rando-racing buddies be looking at each other all like "Dude, I told you we should've left him at home." 

Forget fiberglass and epoxy topsheets, too. Instead, the whole package has been wrapped in a carbon-fiber jacket for weight savings and stiffness, with a section of short sidewall construction by the foot for increased edge grip, stability, and durability. There's a skin notch in the tail and Volkl's patented Skin Pin in the tip, which allows you to attach Volkl's pre-cut, glue-free Vacuum climbing skins (sold separately) in a flash. The BMT is made to gobble up the powder, too, with a fully rockered profile and a slightly tapered tip that lets you smear, surf, and slash your way down through the pow back to the parking lot. Your touring setup's never going to be the same.