1. Snow Runner (1993)
Fatal Flaw: The only boot not meant for use with poles. Or skis.
2. Kastle B-52 (1996)
Fatal Flaw: The little carving ski that couldn't.
3. Dachstein Light (1995)
Fatal Flaw: One buckle, zerosupport—but the liner is washable.
4. Nava (1988)
Fatal Flaw: You can ski in a moon boot with a binding running up your leg to your knee? What luck!
5. Raichle RE Viva (1986)
Fatal Flaw: Many rear-entries were as bad; none sold so many.
6. Kastle Carving Thesis (1996)
Fatal Flaw: Very light, very expensive, very frightening on snow.
7. (tie) Nordica Polaris and Dolomite Secret Weapon (mid-'70s)
Fatal Flaw: They promised us that in the future we'd all use jetpacks, have robot maids and ski in knee-high boots. They were wrong.
8. Olin MK I (1990)
Fatal Flaw: The '90s version of the '70s hit had vents in the sidewalls—and no evidence of a 20-year learning curve from its designers.
9. Elan Stiletto (1998)
Fatal Flaw: Boasting an anorexic 45-mm waist, the Calista Flockhart of skis arrived just as fat became the standard for high performance.
September 2005













