Skis in this category are designed for skiers ready to move beyond rental equipment into their first pair of skis. They're easy to ski and are built around performance features that support the development of fundamental turning and stopping skills. They perform best at slow to moderate speeds and are ideal for trails rated Green to Easy Blue.

Blue skis are made for advancing Beginners and early Intermediate skiers who feel confident turning and stopping on green trails and are ready to explore steeper pitches, higher speeds, and new terrain. Their more robust construction responds to subtle movements, allowing skiers to fine-tune their fundamentals and progress toward true carving turns. They're up for the challenge of moderate speeds, but won't offer enough support for high speed carving or navigating technical terrain.

If you're ready for a Blue/Black ski, chances are you already know it. Built for solid and advancing Intermediate skiers, these skis deliver a higher level of performance geared toward faster speeds and moderately technical terrain. They're nicely balanced between performance and forgiveness and won't punish small mistakes, so perfect technique isn't a prerequisite. That said, Blue/Black skis require a solid grasp of the fundamentals to access their full performance range, so if you're not yet carving turns, you'll be better served by something in the Blue category.