Rocky Mountain Underground: Apostle '13/'14

The RMU Apostle is the best touring ski I've ever had.  100mm under foot and a medium flex, these sticks slice through most conditions with ease.  The backcountry is always full of unknowns and having a set of skis that you can depend on to handle anything you may encounter is invaluable.  

Five-point shovel construction, similar to the North Shore, is what makes this ski so versatile.  The wide foot print up front, mixed with a non-aggresive rocker, allows the ski to float in deeper snow, but when flexed on hardpack, the cambered construction under foot allows the ski to hold a strong edge and carve. 

The '13/'14 model has it's drawbacks.  Originally a moderately cambered ski, over time that camber flattened out and doesn't have as much energy on on-piste conditions.  As the Apostle has been developed, Rocky Mountain Underground now offers Carbon and traditional wood core models.  Their production has moved into more reliable hands and the Apostle no longer looses it's shape over time.

I ski too much and am too obsessed with ski design to believe in the "one ski quiver,"  we're not buying mountain bikes here, if you love to ski a lot, you can find away to afford two pairs.  That being said, this is the most versatile ski I own.  The way it handles in the backcountry, I can see it would be a great ski back east to handle all your weekend endeavors.  I hope to get the new carbon model soon and am excited to turn these into a park ski.  They are playful and have very low swing weight, so they often ski easier than the length would suggest.

Check out Rocky Mountain Underground's ski line as well as the newly introduced summer line, in Our Friends section.