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Q: What is Titanal and how does it affect a ski’s performance? —Stephen S., Durango, Colo.

I’ve always just assumed most of SKI’s readers know what we’re talking about when we mention Titanal. My mistake. In short: Titanal is a type of metal.

The majority of skis entered into this year’s SKI Test at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah have Titanal. Many have two layers of the stuff sandwiching a wood core, and quite a few have modified upper layers that put more (or less) Titanal in key locations. These are factors that SKI references frequently in ski reviews, and we usually note whether or not a ski has Titanal plus how much it has because it’s such an important component that influences how a ski behaves.

Now that you know the basics, let’s get specific. We reached out to a few experts who design skis for further explanation about what Titanal is and how it affects a ski. Some of them got pretty scientific.

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