Salomon: Men's Czar Ski

While freeski powder fanatics have Salomon's Rocker ready to rock their world, the twin-tipped Czar is the way to go freestyle in the big mountain backcountry. That's because while other thin-waist park and pipe platforms are usually deep-sixed in knee-deep powder, Salomon's Czar ski surfaces and floats in all loose snow and crud conditions. One bit of fair disclosure--while Salomon calls their ski a "Backcountry Twin" the ends are more fraternal than identical. Check out the dimensions below. The Czar is made with a high twin tip tail design that rises to the top of powder and broken crud. Unlike the one-size-must-fit-all configurations on the Rocker and X-Wing Lab, the Czar has three distinct lengths (all shorter than the aforementioned models) to match a variety of skier styles and dimensions, but the turn radii for all three sizes are wider than the X-Wave Lab. That's because the Czar is highly specialized for deep snow, not hardpack terrain. Salomon kept the overall design light by using a lively full wood core construction, but they installed a special Pulse Pad elastomer that helps dampen vibrations when you're going fast. They also applied their "edgy monocoque" construction, which essentially helps transmit the power from your boots and bindings to the ski edges for better grip on the snow that doesn't exactly feel like the three-foot freshies the resort weather forecaster mentioned in the morning report. Speaking of bindings, you'll need a wide brake bar to fit around the 108-mm. waist. Something like Salomon's ultra-strong STH 16 B115 ski binding should fit and perform nicely for many seasons to come. If you're looking for a similar design with a narrower waist for more hardpack skiing, check out Salomon's Lord ski.

• For expert freestyle skiers who want a twin-tip for the backcountry (especially heli-skiing!)
• Turn radius: 40 m. in 174-cm. length
• Dimensions in 174-cm. length (tip/waist/tail): 128/108/118 mm.
• Ollie-friendly full-width, total-edge reinforcement design
• Wide nose, rounded profile with a high twin tip tail for floatation
• Salomon "Edgy Monocoque" construction for improved edge grip
• Salomon total edge reinforcement for improved edge stiffness and durability
• Salomon wood core for lively feel with Pulse Pad elastomer for vibration dampening
• Easy gliding P-Tex 4000 with high molecular density and graphite