14 | SkiPress Ski Test’ 11 Powered by the Quebec Subaru Dealer’s Association

CROSS-OVER TWO131-77-111@176 cm | R 15 | $1,795 w/bWhen the two biggest testers rate a ski their favourite in the category, it’s easy to make assumptions. You’d expect a stiff, burly board that only a heavyweight packing some major muscle can bend. But with the Cross-Over Two, not so fast… it’s a stiff ski indeed, but its shapely taper of 54 mm from tip to tail had even lighter testers fi nding turn initiation surprisingly easy. The ski has all-mountain talents, but big, fast, carved turns are its lifeblood.

CROSS-OVER THREE126-84-112@170 cm | R 17 | $1,795 w/bFlashing lights, sirens, alarm bells. Stepping onto the Cross-Over Three should set off a red alert: You are now entering the battle zone. This brawny fi ghter-jet of a ski demands militant muscle and a willingness to travel at mach speeds. One tester likened it to “an Italian tank,” a reference to its weight and stiffness, and this tank lives to go fast. Easy? No. But for a skier armed and ready to go to war with the mountain, victory is at hand.

SUPER FRONT TWO116-66-101@174 cm | R 16.5 | $1,895 w/bFinding the sweet spot on a ski can be like tuning a musical instrument — from disconcerting dissonance suddenly emerges a wonderful, harmonic hum. Testers who found the Super Front Two’s sweet spot were singing a happy tune, and three of the four heaviest testers rated this their favourite ski in the category. “It was like an orchestra leader with two talented violinists under me,” wrote one. Stick to carving on fi rmer snow, and this ski can make sweet music.

SUPER FRONT THREE 117-65-101@165 cm | R 13 | $1,895 w/bYou know what mama used to say: be ready to fi nish what you started. Starting a turn doesn’t get much easier than this — “smooth, smooth, smooth” was one tester’s resonant remark. But once you’re into a turn, hold on tight. The Super Front Three’s stiff tail packs a punch at the fi nish. That’s great if you’re an aggressive skier, but if you’re not balanced and prepared, it can make for a bumpy ride. Easy start, snappy fi nish — a nice carving combo.

SUPER FRONT TWO116-66-101@158 cm | R 12.5 | $1,895 w/bIn Little Shop of Horrors, a monster plant keeps growling at fl ower-shop proprietor Seymour, “Feed me!” That’s the kind of challenge presented by the Super Front Two — it keeps asking for more. This carving specialist is at its best when you give it all you’ve got. “Once you fi nd the sweet spot, they’re a lot of fun,” wrote one tester, but that means feeding lots of energy to the front of the ski. Otherwise, you could get eaten alive.

CROSS-OVER THREE126-84-112@162 cm | R 15 | $1,795 w/bIn some ways, the graphic treatment says it all — simple, straightforward, nothing to hide. You want power? The Cross-Over Three makes no bones about it: a muscular board that demands industrial-strength force. Ladylike gentility will be punished, but crank up the speed and ski like a guy, and you can punish the mountain with big, carved turns. “If you haven’t seen the inside of a gym, do not get close to this ski,” wrote one tester. That’s a pretty straightforward message.

SUPER MOUNTAIN ONE123-71-105@154 cm | R 15.5 | $1,395 w/bFerrari, Lamborghini, Maserati. Classic Italian engineering: a mix of crisp, sexy looks and raw power. Put the Super Mountain One in with that crowd. “Like an amazing silver-and-black race car,” one tester wrote of a ski that hits its stride when shifted into overdrive on hard snow at high speed. Timidity is not permitted; this is not a ski for elegant Gucci girls. This is all about pushing the engine under your hood as hard as you can.

SUPER MOUNTAIN ONE123-71-105@170 cm | R 17 | $1,395 w/bIf you’re looking for a relaxed, easygoing cruise, forget about it. Riding on the Super Mountain One is about as relaxing as taking a nap on a bed of nails. But a strong fella on his big-mountain game can really charge through big turns at high speed with confidence. This ski is an escapee from the race room, in disguise as an intermediate board. If you thought intermediate skis were basically noodled-down expert skis, here’s a testosterone-fuelled stiffie to change your mind.

You know what mama used to say: be ready to fi nish what you started. Starting a turn doesn’t get much easier than this