K2 Darkside (2011)

As the name suggests, the DarkSide excels on steep, shady north faces and in couloirs whose walls protect the snow from the sun's powder-killing radiation. This year, the rocker starts just in front of the bindings - further back than any other ski in our collection - and turns the tail in to both a brake and accelerator. Pressure the shovel to quickly and easily pivot the ski and scrub speed with the normal cambered tail, or pressure the tail for added power and acceleration. Welcome to the Darkside.