Zag specialise in freeride and touring skis, although the H95 is billed as an all mountain, freeride patrol ski. Their width underfoot, at around 95mm (depending on length), puts them firmly in the narrower end of the freeride category, but they are perfectly capable of handling all kinds of terrain. Perhaps that's why the ski patrollers in the Mont Blanc Valley have apparently adopted them as their chosen ride.
This is the first time our team has had the opportunity to test Zag skis and our first impressions on-piste are immediately clear - these are not for beginners. They want to charge and have a stiffness through the middle and tail that promotes understeer meaning you have to work them hard.
Hitting the deeper stuff off-piste feels no different. You require power, skill and strength to get the very best out of them. If you have all of these tools in your pocket and are the kind of skier who likes to really charge off-piste, in all conditions including powder, crud and chopped up snow, then you're onto something with the H95. If you like to cruise around, letting the skis do all the work, then they are best avoided.
Definitely skis for experts, designed by experts who ski the steep, tricky, gnarly and big mountains around the Chamonix Valley and take no prisoners. They are also highly suitable for anyone who aspires to be such a skier and enjoys standing in a lift queue attracting admiring glances - they do look really cool.
