Stiff, strong, fun. “Break out the cheese grater because this thing shreds,” commented one tester. The Gotama employs a lively, multilayer wood core and reverse-camber throughout. The result is a ski that owns soft snow and crud, rips on the firm stuff, and holds its own on steep, pow-filled faces, too. “Powers through everything,” another tester asserted. “Solid arcing turns… had a blast on the frontside, too.” That comment goes to show why the Gotama earned especially high marks in the versatility department. Among the top big-mountain skis on the market, the Völkl Gotama skis have been a favorite with our testers for a decade.