WIDE BUT NIMBLE
You don’t need to be a big company to make a big ski. Liberty, a small manufacturer in Avon, Colorado, has created a giant-killer with the Helix. An eco-friendly bamboo-and-poplar core gives it a light and poppy feel—but the Helix is still tough enough to land hard off of big drops. With its wide waist, minimal camber (the ski is basically flat), and elongated double-radius tip and tail, the Helix is happiest making big, swoopy turns off-piste. 135/105/122; libertyskis.com
Bonus: It’s a twin-tip, so you can ski switch.
Bummer: Frontside carving is not its forte.