Japan Hokkaido - Niseko

Gear tips

If you turn to 80mm+ freeriders; twin tips; or fat/traveller's skis in our ski tests you've got the gear. My preference was for about an 88mm waist that had plenty of flotation for the powder and enough sidecut for the groomed but wasn't so encumbered by width that it'd let you down on some of the tricky traverses that make up the exits around here.

Models that stand out are the Head Monster iM88 and the K2 Outlaws, but there are others. Younger legs that get more time on the snow look for something fatter still, like the K2 Seths (98mm waist); there are twin tips around that would fill this bill or other fatties like the Dynastar Big Trouble, Elan's 888 Alu or Nordica's Supercharger Ignition.

JIM DARBY