I'd spent a few days on similar ski before I got my hands on the Snake Coral, so I was not expecting to find it radically different. I was quite wrong however, and found the Stockli Snake Coral in a 177cm length almost perfect for me...

Very similar feel to the Olympia Speed but wider, so it feels a little more secure but takes a little more effort, especially when you choose short radius arcs on packed or icy conditions. If you ski West and East, the Nordica Olympia Victory is a great choice. If you’re an Eastern skier, and you like shorter radius or quicker turns, the Speed might be a more prudent choice.

While some testers couldn’t pinpoint which attributes were the most significant, they all agreed that the Olympia Mint was a best pick in the category. The X Balance Plate is a true innovation, greatly increasing the size of the “sweet spot” and enhancing the overall performance.

Being a little narrower underfoot makes the Olympia Speed a better choice for ladies who spend more time on groomers and Eastern runs, while it’s wider sister the Victory will bring more smiles in softer snow, glades etc. The construction is similar but the dimensions rather than color should influence the skier’s decision.

Cool...very cool - and the dial works! Just turn it clockwise and the Tigershark gets stiffer, applying more pressure to the tip and tail. Your quick turning carver just got a lot more stable at speeds that will send most skis past their comfort zone.

Big, powerful all mountain skis for big powerful skiers that would rather not ski the front sides or groomers. Lots of “float” and stable is built in but medium to long radius turns are obviously the default arc for the AC40.

We sold out of last year and everyone loved them. For skiers that know and love Volkl, the AC30 was one of the models that returned Volkl to their position at the “high end” of Alpine gear.

As we get used to seeing bigger numbers representing the width of the ski’s waist, we have also learned to reserve our judgment until after putting the skis through comprehensive testing. The new AC20 is another ski that feels much lighter and quicker than one would think, but looking back on the improvements in technology we have now adapted and in a lot of cases; skiers have improved merely from getting newer equipment. The Volkl AC20 is a perfect example.

The Hod Rod Overdrive is very easy to ski in almost any conditions. The shovel has a nice positive entry into the turn while the tail does not punish minor balance errors and will forgive a little extra pressure without “jetting” the ski out from under you.

While the Hot Rod Nitrous shares its footprint (shape) with the Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel, it has a more reasonable flex pattern, allowing the skier to choose the turn shape rather than fight with the stiffness of the Top Fuel (which was fine at Top Fuel velocity in big arcs). The Hot Rod Nitrous is much more versatile without sacrificing high speed capability.

It’s a Dobermann Race ski, but a little wider. Add the X Balance system and a sidecut that feels at home in turns of any radius. We loved the responsive shovel of the Dobermann Spitfire and superior grip that inspires confidence while carving some textbook arcs.