Scott Mission (2010)

The Mission’s sidecut begins farther back than others in this category, so it’s more steerable, more fluid, and less hooky than piste-oriented skis like the Völkl at right. It earned winning scores in maneuverability, forgiveness, crud performance, and versatility, and it’s most at home in soft snow. PLUS: The narrow tip felt “buttery,” in one tester’s words, and less prone to deflection in crud. MINUS: Difficult to bend into short turns and lacking in pop.