Volkl

VTA 88 Lite Ski

Distant peaks seem a little closer when you've got a lightweight touring ski on your feet, and when that board throws real descending chops into the bargain as well, the mountains become your playground.  Making long tours seem short and hairy lines seem mellow is the name of the Volkl VTA 88 Lite Ski's game, and it comes as no surprise that it's been earning plaudits from those who value the light and fast. Vokl built the VTA with its superlight Hybrid wood core and stiff but weight-saving Carbon Construction, so the final package weighs under 4.5 pounds per pair. It's not a terrifyingly chattery rando toothpick, though; at 88mm underfoot, the  VTA floats like an all-mountain ski but weighs about the same as many narrower boards, and features Volkl's quickness-boosting and stability-enhancing 3D.Ridge design, which gives the ski a smooth, predictable flex and steady feel.

A rockered tip lets you make short-radius turns and float through soft snow and over wind-hammered alpine buff, and traditional camber and a flat tail make sure you can hold an edge and finish a turn in even the iciest, most unpleasant couloirs. Volkl also decked the VTA out with its Skin Pin skin attachment system, which provides a bombproof interface with Volkl Vacuum skins for fuss-free grip and glide.