In my hunt for the elusive "Silverton Beater Ski" I found the perfect rig- an old (2012/13) pair of Auto 117s w/Marker Barons on them.

I skied them for the first time at Monarch on a 12" day with soft underneath. It was a chilly and windy day with lots of wind-effected snow, cut up crud, untracked fresh and some soft groomers to the chair.

In a 186 w/the old Barons mounted on them, the skis felt like tanks when just picking them up. However, upon clicking in and skating to the chair, they really didn't feel that heavy.

My first run was after traversing into some tight trees with variable snow. The skis were very intuitive and super fun. As the day progressed I came to realized that my $200 was well spent. I found I could go as fast as I wanted and the skis were stable, but I could also easily smear them, scrub speed, crush funky snow, slarve through trees... We hiked up into the Mirkwood zone and dropped into a tight, steep slot through the trees. The Autos were lightning fast to turn and great in the relatively steeper terrain. In crud-bumps, the skis were also great, predictable, nimble-especially for such a girthy ski.

On the groomers heading back to the chair, the skis were easy to rail and carved really well- and that's with my A.T. boots- Scarpa Maestrale RSs.

So, if you're a bit strapped for cash and want a versatile fat ski, I'd highly recommend the Auto 117s. They've been making them for many years now, so finding a used pair should be pretty easy for not too much cash.

*Mine were mounted for a 306, so my boots are right on the factory line.