From Skiing
Our hands-down favorite of the category. The newly tweaked binding system still involves Marker’s proven Piston, but now a longer metal strip increases the binding’s footprint on the ski. The same titanium and above-edge rails as the AC3’s provide unprecedented snow sensitivity. gripes: Tips are hooky in hard bumps. props: Freight-train stability and unparalleled versatility. Navigates any turn shape at any speed. tester’s take: "The AC4 does for experts what BALCO did for baseball." —Bunge Cook
From Ski
Pro The remarkably versatile AC4 returns in name, but the appendage of the word "Titanium" to its name speaks volumes about its upgrade. This year it employs a construction originally reserved for race skis, and the addition of two sheets of damp, powerful metal is only part of the story. Double Grip construction stacks secondary cores over each edge, and the development of the free-flexing iPT binding interface allows the extension of those cores to the tail as well as the tip. The result is the kind of smooth power and edge-grip you’d expect from a Völkl—especially when you’ve thrown in Marker’s tip-calming Piston technology—but not at the expense of liveliness. "The more you push, the better it responds," said Rogan. Con Too big and strong to be genuinely fun in bumps.
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