Hot skis for 2008

Skiing Magazine put a load of skis through the paces this year at snowbird. Here's some of the planks that came out on top.

Black Diamond Verdict - a killer deal
$599 (without binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 134/102/120
Sizes: 170, 180, 190
Testers found it stable, smooth, and effortless.

Black Diamond Zealot
$639 (without binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 136/110/126 Sizes: 182, 192
The Zealot knows one speed: hell-bent. It's an AK-style charger.

Atomic Nomad Highnoon
$875 (with binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 119/76/105
Sizes: 150, 157, 164, 171, 178
Crank short turns or open it up—the Nomad delivers. Testers applauded its high-speed cruising prowess.

Blizzard CMX 11 IQ
$825 (with binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 119/70/98
152, 159, 166, 173
Testers were wowed by how much edge hold the CMX delivered. It has pop, too: Bend it into a turn and wait for a big energy release through the tail.

Fischer Watea 78
$970 (with binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 122/78/107
Sizes: 159, 167, 174
The Watea 78 delivers expert-level performance with supreme skiability. Our testers lauded its many turn shapes and snap—especially when cranking tight arcs on groomers.

K2 Apache Ranger
$675 (with binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 119/72/103
Sizes: 153, 160, 167, 174
The carving fanatics at K2 (OK, one designer from Minsk) have done it again. Said one tester: “The tip pulls you into a sweet turn."

Volkl Bridge
$695 (without binding)
Tip/Waist/Tail: 130/92/112
Sizes: 161, 169, 177, 185
The brand-new Bridge could be a sign of things to come as manufacturers attempt to “bridge” the frontside capabilities of one-ski quiver boards with the deep-powder float of big-mountain skis.