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This article was first published in the November 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
WIRED product editor Jeremy White -- winter sports enthusiast and gadget buff -- decamped to Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental in Westendorf, Austria, for a WIRED snow sports special. You can see all of the coverage here.
Doug Clayton, assistant head of the Snowsports School at The Snow Centre, put two pairs of 2016 season skis through their paces at the Hertfordshire slope's 160-metre indoor run.
Points were awarded for responsiveness, performance and ease of carving.
This ski is very responsive. The X-Max has a nice "ping" at the apex of the turn, just as in top-end slalom skis, and Salomon has lightened the tip to allow slightly more control into the turn.
In fact, if you hold the ski up to the light, you can actually see through the tip. Just as important is that the edges feel stable in longer turns, giving the skier greater all-round confidence. 8/10 £515 snowandrock.com
The Nomad is a little longer than the X-Max. We liked the design, but there's no noticeable rebound from exerting pressure on the centre of the ski and it feels quite damp midway through the turn.
The 15 per cent rocker (the intentionally raised ski tip and tail) makes the Nomad very user-friendly for turns, but it's not an all-rounder. 7/10 £475snowandrock.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
