K2 HellBent Skis 2010

Big Mountain

Big mountain skis are designed for charging big lines with high speeds and big airs. These skis varry in width from wide, powder-oriented skis for skiing Alaska spines to narrower, mixed condition skis for ripping the beat up headwall at your local mountain. Skis in this category tend to be on the stiffer side, often with more rocker in the tip and less in the tail.

Powder

These skis are for the deep days. If you like to find powder stashes at your local resort, go on backcountry missions for the freshest of fresh or heli ski trips to BC, powder skis are what you need to stay afloat. Skis in the powder category are wide and most often have some form of rocker or early rise plus a relatively soft flex. Many powder skis today are versatile enough to handle mixed conditions and harder snow.

Whether you charge the steepest lines, hit the biggest jumps in the park or carve with race-like precision, advanced to expert level skis, snowboards, boots and bindings are for the more aggressive rider. In skis and snowboards, you'll often find layers of metal, carbon or other stringers for rigidity and power, while advanced to expert level boots and bindings are usually on the stiffer side of the spectrum for rebound and precision steering.

Rocker/Flat/Rocker is a variation on the rocker theme that seeks to provide a little more hard snow edgehold and pop than full rocker while retaining ease of turning and float. Performance is between a fully rockered ski and a rocker/camber/rocker ski.

Partial twin tip skis have a tail that is turned up, but not as much as the tip. This gives you the ability to ski backwards and back out of tight spaces, but these skis are mainly designed to ski forward.