Today's women's skis pack a powerful punch, and are built to let women tackle everything from groomers to moguls to off piste conditions. Guest Author Wendy Clinch reviews women's skis for the 08/09 season.
Women's Nordica Skis
Courtesy PriceGrabber
Nordica has had an outstanding line-up of women's skis. And though the only changes to this year's batch are the graphics, these skis do not disappoint. I'm especially pleased by the company's decision to do away with the image of the woman on their Olympia line.
Women's Salomon Skis
Courtesy PriceGrabber
I tried two skis in the upcoming Salomon line: The Topaz and the Opal. For the improving skier who prefers groomers, the Topaz would be a good choice. This ski isn't going to race you down the mountain, but it’s a good carver and is fairly forgiving. Advanced to expert skiers might prefer the Opal. A great performer, this light, nimble ski is new this season, and provides a smooth, stable ride, great turn initiation, and that subjective element of fun. I loved this ski.
Women's Volkl Skis
Courtesy PriceGrabber
Once in a while you put on a ski and fall in love. That's how I felt about the Volkl Aurora.
If you're more interested in speed, definitely try the Fuego, introduced by Volkl last year.
Women's Atomic Skis
Graphics are a personal choice. And though to me, they're pretty much secondary to performance, I found the graphics on the Atomics somewhat dark and uninspired. Their performance, however, is a different story entirely.Women's Hart Skis
Hart is an old-line ski company that's on the comeback trail. And the skis they're bringing out this year are pretty impressive. They've done a great job soliciting input from women, holding focus groups with members of TheSkiDiva.com, and incorporating that input into their ski designs.
I managed to try two of their entries into the women's market: the Desire, with a 66 mm waist, and the Beat, with a wider 77 mm waist. The Desire is a great carver in groomed and packed snow with excellent flex, edge grip, and stability at speed. The Beat, for more advanced skiers, is terrific on both the front and back side of the mountain. Both skis are energetic and snappy, with tremendous turning ability.
