The Volkl Bridge, The New Design

The Volkl Bridge Skis are designed and named to 'bridge' the gap between park and all-mountain skiing.  If this ski didn't already prove it self in previous designs, the 2011 season is this skis time to shine.

The 2011 Bridge boasts the characteristics of a 'rockered' ski.  For those of you who don't know, a rockered ski is the opposite of a cambered ski, instead, rockered skis have an early rise tip and tail and the part of the ski under your boot is closest to the ground.  Sounds funky and might look like it skis even funkier.  How can skis that look like two bananas on their backside hold an edge on anything?

The magic happens in the pressurization of the ski throughout the carve. The initial contact points underneath the boot extend to the tip and the tail during the apex of the turn, allowing for smooth transitions from turn to turn rather than experiencing the 'hooky' feel that throws you in the backseat when you're not on top of your game.

I had a chance to test this mid-fat rockered park/freeride ski during the 2010 season on the east coast before our massive February dump.  Needless to say this ski was tested on near bulletproof conditions of Loon Mountain's Park, and then on Upper Flume off North Peak.  The ski consistently plowed through the icey crud that can be found on the shady side of a mountain at around 3pm and floated over everything that Loon's park had to offer, which is quite a bit.  The traditional park skier may have found this ski to be a bit stiff in the past, but now with its new rockered design buttering is a breeze and carving is a cinch.  Hands down the Volkl Bridge prevailed as one of the best all around skis tested this year.