Majesty Vanguard 118 Carbon — Review

The Majesty Vanguard 118 Carbon is a big powder and backcountry-freeride ski built around a 118mm waist, and its headline trick is weight: at roughly 1770g per ski in the 176cm length, it is remarkably light for a ski this wide. That comes from a full carbon-fiber layup over a tip-to-tail paulownia core, part of Majesty's 4x4 Design Concept. The shape is a directional twin with a hybrid flat-camber profile and generous 240mm tip and tail rocker, so it planes early and surfs with intent. Because it stays so light, it doubles as a genuine deep-day touring ski as much as a lift-served or heli/cat charger. If the Vanguard 118 Ti is the damp, planted metal sibling, the Carbon is the version you strap to a pack and skin uphill for.

In deep snow the Vanguard 118 Carbon delivers huge float. The 118mm waist and 240mm of rocker at each end lift the ski onto the surface almost instantly, and the directional-twin shape gives it a surfy, energetic character that begs you to slash and pivot. It feels alive underfoot, releasing out of turns with the pop you expect from a carbon build rather than the muted feel of heavy metal skis. Point it down an open face and it holds a line better than its featherweight suggests: the full-carbon layup keeps the platform stable at speed for its width. The trade-off shows in cut-up, tracked-out chop, where the light build is a touch less planted than a heavier metal ski that simply muscles through debris. On firm snow the 118mm waist and 22-24m radius are obviously more than you need, and the big radius makes tight tree lines feel a little clumsy, but this ski was never meant to live on the hardpack.

The Vanguard 118 Carbon is built on a tip-to-tail paulownia core with poplar inserts, chosen to keep weight low while adding a little strength and pop where it matters. Around that core Majesty wraps triax and biax fiberglass together with a full carbon-fiber layup, which is what makes the ski so light for its width while still keeping torsional bite. An IS7200 fast base handles glide. The profile is a hybrid flat camber with 240mm of rocker at both tip and tail. At 176cm the sidecut measures 143 / 118 / 133mm with a 22m turn radius; longer lengths run a slightly longer 24m radius. The 176 weighs about 1770g per ski, a standout figure for a 118mm platform. Lengths are offered in 170, 176, 182, 188 and 194cm.

This is a ski for the powder-focused skier who wants one wide board that can ride the resort on storm days and skin into the backcountry the rest of the time, without a heavy metal ski dragging on the up. If you want a damper, more planted feel for lift-served chop and speed, the Majesty Vanguard 118 Ti is the Titanal sibling, while the Majesty Vanguard 108 Carbon trims the waist for more all-round versatility. Against other brands, the K2 Mindbender 116c mens is a carbon-spine wide freeride alternative, the Black crows Anima is a directional big-mountain powder ski, and the Armada Locator 112 offers a lighter freeride-touring option in a slightly narrower waist.

Pros

• Remarkably light at about 1770g for a 118mm ski, so it tours as well as it charges.
• Huge early float from the 118mm waist and 240mm tip and tail rocker.
• Surfy, energetic character with lively pop out of turns.
• Stable at speed for its width thanks to the full-carbon layup.

Cons

• A 118mm powder specialist that is wasted on firm or hardpack days.
• The light carbon build feels less planted than heavy metal skis in cut-up chop.
• The big 22-24m radius is clumsy in tight trees.

Verdict: The Majesty Vanguard 118 Carbon is a powder and backcountry-freeride ski that floats early, surfs with energy and stays surprisingly stable for its width, all while weighing little enough to double as a deep-day touring ski. If you want the dampest, most planted feel on lift-served chop, the Ti version is the pick, and firm-snow skiers should look narrower. But for the skier chasing deep days on both sides of the rope, this is a light, capable and genuinely fun tool.