[scheides]

Wide skis are awesome but the bigger you go the heavier they get. The volkls I have are IMHO a perfect combo of weight/wideness/firmness for an all-around one-ski-quiver. 97mm underfoot (a more traditional MN ski is more like 70mm)...and 130mm at the tip...I also really like the Volkl Gotamas and Fatypus D-Senders, those are more like 105-110mm underfoot and 137 at the tip, and these ones that I tried (K2 ObSethon) are 117mm underfoot and 146mm at the tip.

Ski technology has evolved so much in the last 10 years it is just nuts! There are a ton of options depending on what you want. The two new things for 2012 will be early-rise on a lot more skis (even the mantas)--think of a more banana shaped ski--and these K2's also had a cambered base so the entire ski is basically curved with the top high and the outside edges low. There are so many new designs it will be interesting to see where things are in a few more years.

My buddy chris also rode on a nice pair of Rissignol S86's and love them...a little narrower than my Mantras...86mm underfoot, 130mm at the tip. Rossi also makes a ski called the S3 that is close to my mantras that I would love to ride sometime....anyways, tons of great skis out there, and tons of snow! They are showing another 6-8" since I left....goddamn it!