Salomon XW 4 Skis w/ Smartrak 610 Binding:
There's nothing wrong with wanting to ski the entire mountain, but most beginners and intermediates tend to stick to the groomed stuff and on any given weekend, rarely spend more than 10% of their ski day in the untracked terrain. That's why Salomon's X-Wave 4 ski with integrated Smartrak 610 binding is such an ideal choice for new and recreational skiers. It gives you all-mountain versatility with an easy-carving sidecut and forgiving Isocell Complex core. Some all-terrain skis get a bad rap among beginners and less-than-hardcore skiers because they have a twitchy core profile that tends to feel a little too lively in the bumps and other ungroomed places. While Salomon's expert-oriented X-Wave all-mountain skis have an all-wood core, the XW 4 has a proven Isocell complex core that absorbs the vibrations and shock of unanticipated (or unseen) undulations in the snow. This one is paired with the popular Smartrak 610 binding system. The Smartrak 610 has a vertical progressive pivot design that helps enhance the protection through release in a backward fall--a real possibility when you're taking down huge segments of the ski learning curve in just a couple of outings.