18/19 SOTY Men’s Tour Overall – Scott Speedguide 95

RRP: £625

Lengths: 173, 178

Turn radius: 21m @ 173

Dimensions: 128-95-117

Weight per pair: 2560g

More Info: Scott

The Crusair is back! OK, that is not exactly true, but when Scott killed off the Crusair for the Superguide we all let out a little sigh of disbelief. It was one the best all-round do-anything sure-footed mid-90 touring skis out there and for six years it had gone about about its business faultlessly.

So here we are with the brand new Speedguide 95 ,which really does blend all the good bits of the Crusair, Superguide 95 and its skinnier brother the Speedguide 80. It’s lively underfoot and light, and it really shouldn’t grip on hard pack as well as it does, but with a straighter overall outline shape and more traditional tail it feels oh-so-sure-footed.

And out in the wilds? Get among the powder and the Pro Tip 320 rocker allows the ski to float with ease. Then there’s the uphill performance. At 2560g in a 178cm they’re 340g per pair lighter than the Superguide 95, which is no heavyweight. Steep couloirs are handled with ease, the elliptic 3Dimension sidecut giving immense grip underfoot, while its carbon aramid bottom layer soaks up unwanted vibrations.

With dual tip fixations for skins, you can either go all racey with your skin choice or stick with the more traditional Superguide skin set-up.

While this is no piste specialist, take it on a groomer and the ski shows you why it is such a good all-rounder, carving playfully and nimbly from turn to turn.

To conclude, if you’ve been dreaming of that one-ski touring set-up for multi-day outings that rip the downhill, grab yourself a pair of these zesty performers. Plus among the murky muted offerings of 18/19 graphics, the orange topsheet is a joy!