Coral reef. Frozen ocean. Bulletproof. The first day of the powder test was, well, not exactly powdery. Counter-intuitive as it may be, the conditions made testing easy: Powder masks flaws; hardpack accentuates them. And the Völkl Aura soared. A perennial test favorite, it won big again for being the smoothest, most comfortable ride out there. It makes you feel confident the moment you get off the lift; searching for its sweet spot is not required. “Anyone would love this ski,” said Dawson.
