FALL-LINE’S SKIS OF THE YEAR 2018/19 (SOTY)
As ski shops all over the UK prepare to take delivery of next winter’s shiny new skis, it’s time to reveal Fall-Line’s Skis of the Year (SOTYs) for 2018/19
Unless you’re a technophile, the language of ski construction can be somewhat mind-boggling. Couple that with the insane levels in performance development we see year on year and it’s no wonder our mailbags are brimming with “Which skis are for me?” messages.
So here it is – the Fall-Line SOTY line up. There are 28 skis featured across five classes – Piste, All-Mountain, Freeride, Touring and Freestyle. Whatever your experience or ambition, there’s something in here that’s just the ticket.
Our team of ten testers rigorously trialled hundreds of pairs during a week in the Austrian village of Galtür in March 2018. The ten come from all different disciplines but with one shared objective – to come off the mountain having narrowed the field from hundreds of skis to our final 28.
Photo | Hannah James
HOW IT WORKS
Ski manufacturers representing the UK market congregate in a nominated resort in March each year, bringing with them their latest skis and tech. Waiting to get their mitts on the new loot are representatives from the ski industry – your local ski shop techs; the retail buyers for the big stores and us, the media – all ready to vote with our feet.
There are several hundred skis to test so beforehand our team spend weeks drilling down the hit list to the special kit that we know you, our Fall-Line readers, are looking for.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be revealing the best in each of our five categories and making special mention of those skis that brought something a little extra to the mountain this year.