Nordica Hot Rod Jet Fuel (2007)

The Jet Fuel rockets you in and out of GS-size arcs with little effort. Credit laminate construction, the stability of an 84-millimeter waist, and the X-Balance binding system (two under-boot cantilevers that help distribute your weight evenly from tip to tail). gripes: Its width makes it slow from edge to edge, so short turns are difficult. props: Loves to pull massive Gs across the fall line, and busts crud like a Coast Guard icebreaker. tester’s take: "Smokin’ is definitely encouraged on this flight." —Mike Britt