Moment Pika Skis - Women's 2010

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.

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’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.

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.

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.