Black Diamond Verdict
The judgments have been rendered and the Verdict is in: Black Diamond has a pretty hot rocket in this redesigned free-ride ski that will do pretty much everything. You can use any kind of binding: traditional, randonee, even tele. It's designed as backcountry ski � light, medium-wide at 102 millimeters underfoot, but torsionally strong enough with a poplar core and sculpted tip, so that it's smooth and chatter-free on hardpack. Skiing magazine rated it a "Killer Deal" in the big mountain expert category and Outside pinned a Gear of the Year medal on it among backcountry skis. Black Diamond 's ski director Thomas Laakso says the Verdict is helping blur distinctions: "It's a free-ride ski, but some of the magazines are reviewing it in the alpine category. We don't discriminate." (bdel.com)
Head Monster 88
This is another crossover ski, ranked by Outside magazine as its Gear of the Year among alpine skis. Ski magazine testers scored it in the free-ride category, way high in stability, speed and flotation. I just like the graphics, borrowed from the Bella Coola thunderbird totem. A spruce core wrapped with metal fibers activated piezoelectrically stiffens the ski torsionally when it's stressed, smoothing out the ride. It's a strong ski for a variety of conditions � fresh, crud and ice � like we have here in the Northwest. (head.com)
K2 Apache Coomba
Doug Coombs, a highly regarded free skier, was helping K2 design this big-mountain ski until he was killed last year in an accident on the steeps of La Grave, France. K2 finished the ski and named it for him, and a portion of the proceeds goes to a fund to help his widow and young son. A pretty sharp sidecut makes this ski hold OK on the groomers, and the wide, 102mm waist and zero camber make it a rocket on top of powder. A "triaxial" fiberglass braiding process over the core along with linear carbon strands controls longitudinal stiffness. All told, it's a great ski for those who like to ride the lifts in search of powder stashes and are willing to take backcountry lines. Both Outside and Skiing magazine offered props. (k2skis.com)
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