Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25245
5 IS: THE FAT~EVO[UTIO CONTINUES TEXT: MITCHELL scan The age offat continues unabated in the ski industry. Never before have powder skis received so much attention, from both consumers and manufacturers. For many ski companies, fat is where it's at, and in order to deliver quality goods to the growing freeride faction they're spending millions developing technologies that deliver top-shelf performance skis-boards that rule not only powder, but all the other conditions that precede it. Consequently, never before has the off-piste skier been confronted by such a bountiful field of fat-ski choices. Unlike a few years ago, when options were demarked by either stiff and skinny or fat and soft, skiers now have a full range to choose from: thin to slightly fat, mid fat to really fat, and even obese-all with varying degrees of stiffness. The results are skis that will lay waste to any buffet you choose to graze, from windslab to waist-deep and all the tasty helpings in between. To help you choose, here are some of the industry's finest fat skis. r-:;=~~BEJ----------------------------------------------------------- -- ---,--- ---- ---- -- ---- ----- -- - ----- --- ---- ----- -- - - - ----------- - - - - -------- --- ---------- - ---- I The "too soft" complaints of the original AK Rocket are long gone with the new AK Rocket Pilot. A new- found stiffness and an incredible edging for a fat ski position the new Rocket as not only one of the best fat skis on the market, but also one of the best all-round skis ... period. Salomon's integrated S914 FIS binding, which comes with the ski, offers both precision and power due to oversized arches that connect the binding through the sidewall, providing better edge grip. The AK Rocket Pilot also features a Spaceframe chassis with an even distribution of material throughout the ski to give a stable platform and a very round flex for high-speed stability. Tested in Valdez, AK, this ski lived up to its name. Shape: 118/86/11omm Size: 195cm Salomon, www.salomon.com. $1,295 (Bindings included) ***** This is one of the best big skis ever built. With more than 10 centimeters underfoot, the 106's wide dimensions and healthy side cut can turn waist-deep dumps-in fact, any backcountry condition-into pure bliss. The ski was actually designed with the powder experts from Mike Wiegele's Heli Skiing of British Columbia-people who spend endless days skiing bottomless snow. The Big Stix's secret is its tortional rigidity-enabled by Vertical Laminate Woodcore design, a construction that lays wood and fiberglass horizontally over vertical wood laminates. The result is a sweet, relatively soft ski that's amazingly versatile for such wide dimensions. For conditions not as deep, Fischer offers the Big Stix 84. Shape: 13S/106/123mm Sizes: 170, 180, 19ocm Fischer, www.fischerski.com. $775 64 :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is one mother of a twin-tip. Introduced last year, the Beast's most prominent features are its signif- icant side cut and a highly turned-up tail for quick release from turns. Nordica's TwinBridge construction uses notches on both the tip and tail to help transfer energy directly to the edges for increased hold and agility. The design also enables tortional forgiveness. The Beast comes with the new Synergy binding integration system that continues the flex of the ski right through the bindings and boot. Tested in Whistler, BC, the Beast emerged as one of the most stable, smooth skiing fat skis tested. Shape: 124/92/116mm Sizes: 166, 177, 188cm Nordica, www.nordica.com. $1,050 (Bindings included) I