The aluminum top sheet lent this ski a damp, grippy, snow-hugging feel—markedly different from anything else in the category. After an easy hookup, the ski gave the sensation of deeply incising the snow as it crossed the hill. Fat and floaty in powder and surprisingly nimble for its width. PLUS: Great shock absorption. Steering these through big, fast GS turns felt like driving a Lincoln Town Car. MINUS: Tough to mash it into short benders.