How do the 2018 POWDER Buyer s Guide skis of the year get selected? Go behind the scenes with POWDER editors and skiers to find out.

Chamonix-based Black Crows refined the design, giving the Atris Birdie a longer turning radius and softer flex, and making the early rise more pronounced. This versatile shredstick likes to play and go fast. Like most skis, the Atris features a progressive camber shape—camber underfoot, rocker in tip and tail. A poplar wood core combined with a fiberglass laminate makes it stable and playful, and a 18m turn radius allows it to be relatively quick edge to edge despite being 108mm underfoot. On the ladies side, the Atris Birdie is a bit softer than the Atris and comes in two sizes—169 and 178cm—and is made with poplar wood core and a semi-cap construction and features a 20m turning radius. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the Atris: “Wide tip that doesn’t feel cumbersome, ski the groomed or chopped snow, but floats great.” “This thing rips on and off trail. Most fun and encouraging ski to push it, and wasn’t punishing if you get off your game.” “Super gnar agro skiers might feel it lacks some ‘oomph.’” “Quick and light, surprisingly fast edge to edge.” “The addition of a bit more rocker in the tip makes this ski even more fun without taking away from its hard snow chops. Rips just about anything you tip into, without needing a super high skill level to enjoy.”

New for this season, the Boundary Pro 107 expands off the Boundary 107 chassis with added torsional rigidity for the more aggressive skier. A pre-peg fiberglass and poplar wood core give it more stability while also keeping it light. A progressive camber—early rise in the tip and camber underfoot—make it a versatile option, with a 20m turn radius in the 184 length. BD kept the semi-rockered tail pretty stiff, though, so it’s reliable at high speeds but may not exit turns in tight spots as quick as some may like. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the Boundary Pro 107: “Accommodates many different ski styles—upright stance or traditional carver.” “Stiff ski that likes to go fast but also quick edge to edge.” “I like the simple graphics.” “Typically, a touring-specifc ski doesn’t perform very well on the down, but these were light enough for touring and beyond solid for the descent.”

This might be the ultimate one-ski quiver for those that prefer a traditional directional ski. But the technology in this ski is anything but traditional. A progressive camber shape, the 108 TI features Aero Shape Technology, which shaves nearly 50 percent of material by rounding the ski down to the edge and eliminating excess sidewall. The ski looks thin, but it has the effect of getting the ski on edge quicker. Fischer has milled, or cut out, pieces of its Titanal shell and beech and poplar wood core, making the ski 25 percent lighter. A carbon tip tapers down the ski toward the binding, decreasing swing weight. Yet it still somehow skis stable and just feels solid underneath. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the 108 TI: “Very predictable in all conditions: surfy, slarvy and carvy at any moment. Lightweight, strong weight.” “Fischer is infusing race tradition into all mountain ski. Still feels playful even though it has a beefy design.” “When I jumped on the Fischer Ranger 108, I felt like I had been skiing it for a season or longer.” “Flatter tail holds on in turns longer than I want it to; harder to maneuver in tight spaces because they want to hang on.” “Beautiful carbon layup, great shape and rocker profile, incredible at linking turns.” “Great choice for an all-mountain, charging everyday ski and light enough for a backcountry tech rig; stout enough to hang on steep, icy pitches and responsive enough for crushing groomers, and having fun the whole time. ”

One of the more well-built skis on the market, Kastle markets the BMX 105 HP in their freeride line. Although stiff and not the most playful on the market, if you want a ski that’s dependable, strong, and ready to rip, this could be the one. The HP version adds two sheets of Titanal wrapped around a beech and silver fir wood core. The effect leaves you with a snappy, solid experience when turning on piste or off. Assisting the off-piste performance is a low, subtle camber, which shortens the effective edge but allows the ski to enter and exit turns easier. A progressive rise in the tip, combined with Kastle’s hollowtech, which makes the ski damper and lighter, disallows the ski to “hook up." Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the BMX 105 HP: “Solid for a shorter length, unweighted well but locked back into the turn, good energy out of the tail.” “Super forward driving Austrian feel—rocket, solid platform. Hard charging.” “Graphics aren’t the most inspiring nor is the price tag.” “They’re stiff and heavy, but they ripped and I could trust them in any condition, especially when the visibility wasn’t good.”

The Nordica Enforcer 110 seeks to deliver a powerful yet playful ski by integrating two sheets of metal, carbon, and a lightweight Balsa wood core. Did it meet the standards of our testers? In order to keep the updated Enforcer 110 (18.5m radius @185cm) lighter and more playful in soft snow than the 100 and 93 versions yet still stable and powerful, Nordica has introduced Energy 2 Titanium Balsa, which adds balsa wood into the poplar and beech core. Combine that with two sheets of metal (Titanal), a prepeg carbon, and a progressive camber shape (rocker in tip and tail) for on and off-piste dominance, and Nordica has tried to bridge the desire for technical performance with fun, lively energy. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the Enforcer 110: “There s nothing it can t handle, stable while still light, carves a perfect turn.” “Metal in a women’s 110 underfoot ski! Lightened the guts to compensate on weight for women. Felt super confident on everything, especially steep chalk.” “Needs to be skied aggressively, not exactly playful.’” “The shape wants to be playful but the 2 sheets of metal hinder that.” “The Enforcer 110 is a great ski for someone that wants a daily driver that is a little on the wider side.”

The Nordica Santa Ana 110 seeks to deliver a powerful yet playful ski by integrating two sheets of metal, carbon, and a lightweight Balsa wood core. Did it meet the standards of our testers? In order to keep the updated Santa Ana 110 (16.5m radius at 177cm) lighter and more playful in soft snow than the 100 and 93 versions yet still stable and powerful, Nordica has introduced Energy 2 Titanium Balsa, which adds balsa wood into the poplar and beech core. Combine that with two sheets of metal (Titanal), a prepeg carbon, and a progressive camber shape (rocker in tip and tail) for on and off-piste dominance, and Nordica has tried to bridge the desire for technical performance with fun, lively energy. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the Santa Ana 110: “There s nothing it can t handle, stable while still light, carves a perfect turn.” “Metal in a women’s 110 underfoot ski! Lightened the guts to compensate on weight for women. Felt super confident on everything, especially steep chalk.” “Needs to be skied aggressively, not exactly playful.’” “The shape wants to be playful but the 2 sheets of metal hinder that.” “The Enforcer 110 is a great ski for someone that wants a daily driver that is a little on the wider side.”

The Scott Vertic GTX 3L Jacket is a 2018 POWDER Apparel Guide Skier s Choice selection.

Unchanged from last year, the women’s QST Stella 106 retained its secret sauce of flax, carbon, and a wood core to remain one of the most versatile skis on the market. Salomon’s Spaceframe construction is an inverted sandwich wood core, with a layer of Titanal that runs edge to edge and extends beyond the mounting zone, and carbon stringers with interwoven flax fibers running the length of the effective edge before tip and tail rocker. The effect is an extremely responsive, powerful, stable, light ski that can float in pow, carve through chop, and haul ass on groomers. Although billed more as powder ski, the Stella features ABS sidewalls and a 20m radius, allowing them to handle the piste as much as the chop. Our reviewers, ranging from shop techs to school teachers and males and females, said of the QST Stella 106: “I felt confident right away.” “Super stable, damp, reliable, responsive and playful.” “It performed ok on groomers, radius doesn’t allow for quick turns.” “Great everything ski. Could turn when and how I needed to, but asked you to get forward and get aggressive.”

In season two of Iconic Lifts, a Powder Productions Original presented by Strafe Outerwear, Mad River Glen s Single Chair, Whistler s Peak Express, and Snowbird s Aerial Tram are the featured lifts. Their influence on skiers provides an unforgettable experience.

"When people come here, it s like if they ve never been here before, it s like, Poof! Their minds are exploding trying to figure out how this chair, this machine works."

The Dakine Stoker Jacket and Stoker 3L Bib are 2018 POWDER Apparel Guide Skier s Choice selections.

The Dakine Silcox 2L Jacket is a 2018 POWDER Apparel Guide Skier s Choice selection.

The Arc teryx Shaska Jacket and Bib are 2018 POWDER Apparel Guide Skier s Choice selections.

Check out the four Best Line nominees at the 18th Annual Powder Awards.

Check out the four Best Air nominees at the 18th Annual Powder Awards.

Photo of the Year: Ming T. Poon

Best Cinematography: The Time Within

Full Throttle: Kye Petersen

The J Skis The Friend is one of the 13 Best Skis of the Year in the 2019 POWDER Buyer’s Guide.