Fischer Koa 84 Skis - Women's 2011

All-mountain skis are designed to handle anything you throw at them including powder, ice, groomers, steeps, heavy snow, and everything in between, but they aren’t necessarily a master of any one terrain. If you’re only going to own one ski to do it all, this is what you want. All-mountain skis generally have what we call mid-fat waists that range from 80-110 mm.

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.

Camber is the traditional profile for skis offering skiers lots of edge hold, especially on harder snow. A cambered ski has a smooth arch underfoot and contact points near the tip and tail when unweighted. Camber skis excel at carving on hard snow; you won’t ever see a ski racer on anything other than cambered skis.

This is your traditional tail, designed to have edge contact all the way through the tail, and only designed for skiing forward. This is also preferred for alpine touring, as you can stick the tails of your skis in the snow.