Blizzard Zero G 95

Our take Carbon + paulownia wood = a lightweight ski. The recipe isn’t unique, but the way Blizzard applies it is: In lieu of carbon strips, the new Zero G skis have carbon wraps around the wood cores, which provide torsional stability (preventing a ski from “twisting”) in addition to the normal directional stability (how well a ski holds a line). That gives the Zero G incredible dampness on the downhill for a ski that’s designed for the uphill.

The details The latest version of the Zero G has a longer contact surface (more of the ski touches the snow when it’s on edge), which make it less twitchy than your typical carbon ski in mixed conditions and gives it a longer turning radius. “I felt solid laying into turns in mashed potatoes in Rocky Mountain National Park,” one tester says.

Trail cred “Paired with a brakeless tech binding, these skis were lighter than my boots,” one tester says. “They can be a little chattery at high speeds, but arced turns surprisingly well on mixed-condition downhills in the Breckenridge backcountry.”

5 lbs. 8 oz. (178); four lengths