The Meta is stubby (120 cm long) and chubby (135 mm at the tip), and incorporates a swath of mohair along its base for climbing traction and increased control on the way back down. Such a portly profile means you don't want to go picking fights with hibernating bears - it'd be unfair to call the Meta "slow," but compared to traditional Nordic skis, it's certainly speed-challenged.

But the Meta isn't intended for traditional Nordic skiers. Rather, it's designed for folks who want the stability, maneuverability, and general ease-of-use of snowshoes, with the added pizzazz of a modicum of skilike glide on the flats and descents. Bonus: Because the Meta is short, light (four pounds per pair), and can be made to work with hiking or winter-pack boots, it's the perfect traveling companion for wintry destinations.

ATOMIC VBETA TM 18 TELEMARK, $387
(800) 258-5020 or www.atomicsnow.com
Before ski lifts, before even battery-powered heated underwear, there was telemark skiing. Vanquished to near-obscurity by Alpine skiing in the early 1900s, telemark is enjoying a resounding resurgence among jaded Alpine skiers, and younger enthusiasts drawn to its free-heel, go-anywhere possibilities. Weighing a meager 3,280 grams per pair (180 cm long), Atomic's new Beta TM 18 is both light and lively, and has a plump, curvaceous figure perfect for responsive turns in deep powder.

When pressed, it'll even cut a jig on hardpack, or pick a path through moguls, though not with the same enthusiasm. But that's OK, because if you're going to try telemark, you're going to want as much soft snow as possible: first, because you'll probably fall a lot at the outset, but more importantly, because there is quite simply no greater feeling then carving a smooth telemark turn through a deep blanket of powder, except, maybe, having new batteries in your underwear.