Ski Trab Stelvio 85

When it comes to the finer things in life, we coarse Americans must look to Italy for subtlety and refinement. When it comes to skis, we look to the Trabucchi family, who have been building skis in Bormio, Italy, at the entrance to the famed Stelvio National Park, since 1946. The Trabucchis don't have to go far to test and play with their creations -- or to find names for their many products. Years of testing and tweaking came to fruition last year with the release of the Maestro.2 and Magico.2, which updated Ski Trab's classic-mountaineering and classic-touring platforms to float better in powder and turn with ease in all snow conditions. Now the .2 tech that had us hooting and hollering from October shark-dodging to April sun-crust trickles down to the Stelvio 85, the Trabucchis' entry into the competitive category of one-ski-to-rule-them-all. We can thank Trab's Liwood Air core for the lower price point and damp feel; the mating of the wood core with a glass/basalt cap will bring years and years of durability. The construction just gets more impressive from there, with fourteen layers of material including the all-important L. Fraxinus ash wood for predictable damping, and hand-laid carbon fiber for energy and directional stiffness, not to mention the nicest bases and edges in the industry. If you've rollicked down a couloir with Ski Trab's magical skis on your feet, you know that the best just got better. If you haven't...well, now's your time to try.

• HiBox carbon/glass sock wrapped core adds torsional stiffness.
• New sidecut, increased rocker, and impressive float make this ski extremely versatile.
• New tip and tail shape create better steering.
• Ski Trab's Flex 70 increases support in the rear of the ski, ideal for larger or more aggressive skiers.
• HRC 52 steel edges bite blue ice, and high-density sintered bases glide in all conditions.
• Comes with an unheard-of 3-year warranty.