Volkl RTM 80 Skis + iPT Wide Ride 12.0 Bindings 2014

Carving

For those that like the classic feeling of laying a ski over on edge and arcing a perfect turn, carving skis are what you want. These skis have narrower waists and shorter turn radii for edge to edge quickness and responsive turn initiation and exit on groomed runs and hard pack. The beginner-intermediate skis in this category are designed to make learning how to turn as easy as going from pizza to French fries.

All-Mountain

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’re a progressing intermediate exploring new runs and terrain, or an accomplished rider seeking new thrills, the majority of skiers and snowboarders fall into this level. Intermediate to advanced skis and snowboards may be somewhat wider or stiffer than beginner-intermediate skis and snowboards, usually with a stronger wood core and sandwich sidewall construction. Intermediate to advanced boots and bindings range from softer flexing freestyle options to stiffer choices built for stability at speed.

Rocker (also called reverse-camber) is just as it sounds – camber turned upside down. Rocker skis have a side profile with a smooth downward curvature and a contact point at the middle of the ski. Rocker skis excel in deep powder. This profile provides the skis with less tip and tail hang up to prevent from catching edges and allows the skis to initiate turns extremely quickly. This profile doesn’t perform as well in icy conditions or on harder snow but if you spend lots of time in deep, untracked snow and like a more playful ski, Rocker is a great choice.

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.