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Women’s Best in BACKCOUNTRY Category Women’s – Atomic Backland 102 W
Men’s Best in BACKCOUNTRY Category Men’s – Atomic Backland 95
The 102 W impressed equally as a freeride ski and a freetour model. It has the width, stability and handling to impress off piste and the lightness to feel good ascending. It obviously excelled in soft snow but our testers loved how nimble and responsive it felt on firmer conditions too.
Quite possibly the ultimate all round freetouring ski. It’s very light for its size, but this doesn’t mean that the ski ever feels weak. Quite the opposite in fact, it is surprisingly lively and impressively stable, great in all conditions and will give any dedicated All Mountain ski a run for its money.
Runner up – Atomic Backland 85 W
Runner up – Atomic Backland 107
Women’s Best in FREERIDE Category Women’s – Völkl 90Eight W
Men’s Best in FREERIDE Category Men’s – Head Kore 93
This is one of those skis that forced its way into our range, and awards table, on the back of some amazing feedback. Our female skiers loved this ski! Words like ‘smooth’ and ‘effortless’ filled the report cards, and it was obvious watching that the testers were connecting with the ski in a very positive way!
This wasn’t an easy decision. It’s an especially tough category with many worthy winners, including the wider versions of this model, but we just couldn’t ignore the depth of positive feedback, from staff and from customers. It’s lightness and response worked perfectly with the huge balance sweet spot, making it ideal for a variety of terrain and skiers.
Runner up – Nordica Santa Ana 93
Runner up – Nordica Enforcer 100
Women’s Best in FREESTYLE Category Women’s – K2 MissConduct
Men’s Best in FREESTYLE Category Men’s – Faction CT 2.0
This ski has pretty much guaranteed itself a place in skiing folklore as the most fun, most versatile freestyle ski. It manages to mix up a bit of everything including pop, response and versatility, in a way that it excels across numerous categories from piste to park to powder. The original 1-ski solution.
A returning winner and it’s very easy to understand why, with its mix of freestyle ability with freeride performance. It’s as happy hitting jumps all day as it is lapping powder runs. Light, stable and responsive, it ticked the boxes of our freestyle testers and our more directional, freeride skiers.
Runner up – Roxy Shima FS
Runner up – Armada ARV 96
Women’s Best in ALL MOUNTAIN Category Women’s – Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Men’s Best in ALL MOUNTAIN Category Men’s – Atomic Vantage X 86 Ti
An easy choice based on the volume of positive test results and the sheer number of happy owners. The Black Pearl is many things to many people but all remark on the smooth handling and the balanced nature. Encouraging less confident skiers to venture further and better skilled riders to push themselves more, it’s lively on piste and effortless off.
The Vantage X 86 Ti slipped the radar of many retailers as it was not widely offered but it only took one peek at the credentials to get us excited. Testing confirmed everything we suspected, this is a thoroughbred All Mountain ski that will carve and hold an edge on the hardest snow and has the power and size to deal with anything off piste.
Runner up – K2 True Luv
Runner up – Salomon XDR 80 Ti
Women’s Best in PISTE Category Women’s – Salomon S/Max 10 W
Men’s Best in PISTE Category Men’s – Salomon S/Max 10
Designed to ensure piste skiing is fun, Salomon have really hit the nail on the head with the S/Max 10 W. Nimble and precise it responds quickly to skier input, railing turns like a race model when you put it on edge, but it is not a hard ski to use or tap into the full potential. Our testers loved the feeling of lightness and total edge hold.
This was a difficult category to pick just one winner but the way the S/Max 10 wowed the testers with its precision handling and limitless grip, from such a user friendly set up, gave it the edge over many other excellent skis. It encouraged the intermediates to ski faster and more positively; it impressed the advanced skiers with its edge hold and ability at every speed.
Runner up – Dynastar Intense 10
Runner up – Fischer Progressor F18
speak to our team 0800 035 6483 www.ellis-brigham.com
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