10 GREAT ALL-MOUNTAIN SKIS

Delivering absolute stroke on every slope, the Absolute Joy and its amped-filled mix of lightness, balance and ultimate control is the perfect tool for upping one’s game. The combination of the easy-riding, precise Superlite Composite Core, the miracle of Graphene (a carbon layer only a single atom thick, the grip and shock absorbing Power Sidewall Jacket and the lightness, balance and intuitive control of LIBRA architecture make this a full all-access ski. At 79mm underfoot, The Head Absolut Joy Ski is substantial, but easy to get from edge to edge on a firm surface. As the name suggests, the Allride Rocker will help you link more turns on groomers, and prevent you from sinking way into the deep snow. The Absolut Joy has a name that suits it well. This forgiving ski was designed to put the joy into skiing, and when balance and control come this naturally, supreme fun and performance with half the effort and fatigue would put a smile on anyone’s face.

With the heart of a frontside carver and an easy freeride feel, the new Temptation 80 is the women’s all-mountain benchmark for advanced skiers. The 80mm waist offers support and stability on soft snow and it feels lively and responsive on hard snow. This means the ski makes no difference whether you carve on groomers or float fresh powder, it does it all with confidence. Their paulownia wood core is a fantastic lightweight and damp wood that’s paired with Rossignol’s versatile Auto Turn Rocker shape that’s playful and easy to manage at speed. Air Tip technology keeps the swing weight low and manoeuvrability high for tighter lines, without sacrificing power and stability during high speed runs. In other words, the Temptation 80 is an outstanding all-mountainer for ultimate performance on all terrains.

With its 85mm waist, the Roxy Dreamcatcher 85 is all about versatility – you can take the fresh lines off the piste in the morning, and power through the slush later in the afternoon. The ski uses a full poplar core, which is a low weight, snappy and responsive wood that helps to dampen the ski and give you a smooth ride as well as helping you rebound off turns for a lively but easy experience. The Dreamcatcher boasts a medium flex, giving you enough rigidness to shred hard but enough softness to pump through fluffy powder. The Dreamcatcher 85 is made to give you an awesome experience in the off-piste, but since we all know (sadly) that not every day is a pow day, it performs just as well on groomers. Get ready to explore the entire mountain with the Dreamcatcher 85.

The Volkl Yumi is a favourite ski for a broad range of skiers. The 84mm waist provides the best on-piste performance for the ladies freeride series, enabling fast edge transitions and excellent edge grip at a variety of speeds. Titanal Band construction reinforces the ski giving it extra high-speed stability and increased predictability in variable snow conditions. Tip and tail rocker further enhances off-piste ability and eases turn initiation. Its carefully thought out design elements allow it to feel playful in soft snow, while maintaining the edge grip, stability, and frontside performance that have made it so popular. This is a well-designed ski, specifically made for women taking on any snow conditions, allowing you to truly conquer the entire mountain.

Equal parts power and playfulness, the all-new LEGEND X96 delivers freeride-inspired, all terrain performance wherever the snow takes you. While Dynastar recommends this ski for ‘off trail’ use, we think it has solid ability around the entire mountain, including groomed slopes. A progressive rocker profile and five-point sidecut supply the natural versatility and float, while titanal reinforcement delivers the additional power to charge through any snow conditions. The Legend series use the ‘Powerdrive Free’ core, which offers full length show-absorption and superb versatility. Its tip and tail rocker provides you with top-notch floatation and enhances pivot on powder. The result is a smoothness, ease and versatility to the ride that makes the Legend X 96 the most user-friendly model in a genre stocked with powerhouse skis.

These skis offer an amazing performance in basically every condition, and no matter how hard you go, the RTM will always feel easy and in control. The extended tip and tail rocker allows for an effortless carving experience wherever you go. The brand new 3D.Glass construction allows notably increased power transmission, higher torsional stiffness and enhanced edge grip, along with improved agility. The 3D.Ridge construction also makes for a lighter weight on wider skis, with precise pressure distribution and power transmission. The Volkl RTM 81’s remain among the most easy turning, stable, and sought after all-mountain skis on the market, so if you are looking for a smooth and stable ride, that feels very quick into carves, these skis may well be for you. 

The Kore 93 handles well even on the slopes. Off-piste and back country feels like home. These are light skis, significantly lighter than most other skis in its class, but they have not produced that jarring, tin-like sensation on snow. They feel solid underfoot when it’s groomer time, but the rocker in the tail allows the tails to let loose when you want to slash a few turns in the soft stuff. The softer tips and tails makes tighter lines much easier, and the Kore 93 will also initiate a turn more easily at lower speeds. Though it’s playful it holds a mean edge on harder snow. All of this works together to create a ski that’s impressively lightweight, yet surprisingly strong and powerful.

Ski every kind of terrain with the lightweight, precise XDR 79 CF. Its progressive rocker shape floats in powder and crud, while the C/FX keeps it smooth and stable. Precision and power are provided by a strong core made from wood, carbon, and Ti for maximum control when carving the groomers. With its traditional camber and a stiff flex, the XDR 79 CF works like a dream on piste. The 79mm waist enables the user to roll edge to edge with ease, making it ideal for carving down freshly groomed slopes. Sidewall construction features underfoot whilst cap construction is present in the tip and tail. The cap construction gives you a forgiving tip and tail that initiates smoothly and easily whilst the sidewall construction provides greater grip and gives a secure sensation underfoot. With a particularly light set and an optimised construction in the extremities, the XDR is a playful and easy to manoeuvre ski for all terrains sensations.

The Atomic Vantage X 80 CTI skis are high performance all mountain skis that lean towards use on groomed terrain, but with enough versatility to take off-piste from time to time. On hard snow it delivers a great grip, its numerous reinforcements bring stability and stiffness that delivers accuracy and its true flat tail offers even more power. The drop in weight, increase in flexibility and the all-mountain rocker does make the Vantage X 80 CTI a little more floaty off-piste and a little friendlier in moguls. No matter your playground of predilection, with the lightened structure of the Vantage X 80 CTI you won’t wear yourself out or go down at high speed. In the end, this all-mountain ski is super fun to ride in any snow conditions.

Amplified with Rossignol’s new Carbon Alloy Matrix, the all-new Experience 84 HD is an undeniable all-mountain benchmark. The Carbon Alloy Matrix increases edge grip, stability, dampness, and drive for a finely-tuned fusion of damp, ‘planted-to-the-snow’ edge grip and loose, playful mobility. Combined with their patented Air Tip technology, Auto Turn Rocker profile, and Extended Sidecut, the new all-mountain standard delivers high-definition performance across all terrain and snow conditions. This all gives the ski a solid, smooth, powerful feel, but retains relatively light swing weight so not only can you make aggressive turns on groomers, you can also take them into moguls, trees, etc. and have a very manoeuvrable ski. You can go anywhere on the mountain according to the forecast and the mood of the day. Through the bumps and trees, it is lively and intuitive; it is simply a joy to ski!