Volkl

Nunataq Ski

Some people say they're into touring purely for the ascent, but we suspect that they're not being totally honest; going up is fun, but going down is what really puts a smile on your face, so having some twiggy toothpicks on your feet kind of defeats the purpose. Volkl's been crushing downhills for years, in bounds and out, and the Nunatuq Ski is the company's offering to backcountry skiers who like the up, but are really in it for aggressive and deep descents. It's pretty light, at around eight pounds per pair, but has a powder-hungry 107mm waist and fully rockered design that eats up soft snow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The sidecut's pretty traditional, so the Nunatuq will still feel Volkl-ish (perfectly capable of edging in variable snow and cutting through mank), and the sidewall construction and Tough Box composite/fiberglass sheath provide a backbone that lets you charge even when conditions aren't perfect blower.

Providing the backbone for all this lightweight, hard-charging, and pow-surfing goodness is the Nunataq's Multi-Layer Light Wood Core, which combines straight-grained ash and flexible poplar to give you a lively, predictable platform that excels in soft snow. The fiberglass and composite layers stop the Nunatuq from twisting under hard edging forces, and the squared-off tail has Volkl's Skin Pin notch, which makes it easy to clip on skins and trust that they'll stay there throughout your ascent.