Majesty Vanguard 118 Ti — Review

The Majesty Vanguard 118 Ti is a damp, wide powder and big-mountain ski built for skiers who want to charge hard through deep and cut-up snow. With a 118 mm waist it delivers enormous float, and the Titanal metal layer — part of Majesty's 4x4 Design Concept — makes it noticeably more planted and stable than lighter powder skis. This is the metal-laminate, heavy-hitting version of the Vanguard 118 platform; if you want a lighter, more tourable ski, the Majesty Vanguard 118 Carbon is the sibling to look at. The Ti is a directional twin with generous 240 mm tip and tail rocker, giving it a surfy, playful feel at the ends while the camber and metal underfoot keep it locked in when you point it downhill.

Where the Vanguard 118 Ti shines is speed and float. Drop into an untracked powder field or a heli or cat-accessed line and the 118 mm platform planes effortlessly, keeping tips up with very little back-seat effort. The Titanal layer earns its keep in the afternoon: when the fresh snow gets chopped up and variable, the metal damps out chatter and lets you drive straight through crud instead of getting bounced around. High-speed stability is the headline here — this ski feels most at home when you open it up on big, sweeping lines. The 22 m turn radius at 176 cm (24 m in longer sizes) reinforces that character: it wants long-to-medium arcs and rewards a committed, forward stance. The roughly 7/10 flex is supportive without being punishing, and the hybrid flat camber with long rocker keeps float and forgiveness in balance.

At 176 cm the sidecut measures 143/118/133 mm with a 22 m radius, and the ski weighs about 1950 g per ski — heavier and damper than the 1770 g Carbon version, which is exactly the point. Underneath the semi-cap sidewalls sits a poplar and ash wood core wrapped in triaxial fiberglass, with a full Titanal metal layer adding the damping and torsional stability. The base is a fast IS7200 sintered material for durability and glide. The profile is hybrid flat camber with 240 mm of tip and tail rocker. Lengths run 170, 176, 182, 188 and 194 cm, so there is room for both mid-sized and very tall skiers to size up for float.

This is a specialist deep-snow and big-mountain tool for advanced-to-expert skiers who ski fast in soft snow. If you want a stable, wide charger, cross-shop the K2 Mindbender 116C, another metal-laminate powder ski, and the Black Crows Anima for a directional freeride feel. The Armada Locator 112 is a slightly narrower, more all-round option if 118 mm feels like too much waist for your terrain. Within Majesty's own range, the Vanguard 118 Carbon trades damping for lower weight and touring capability — pick the Ti if you ride lifts, cats or helis and want maximum stability.

Pros

• Enormous float from the 118 mm waist in deep snow.
• Titanal layer delivers excellent damping and high-speed stability.
• Plows through cut-up afternoon crud with authority.
• Surfy, forgiving tips and tails thanks to 240 mm rocker.
• Durable IS7200 base and metal-laminate construction.

Cons

• Heavy at 1950 g per ski and poorly suited to touring or uphill travel.
• Large 22-24 m radius feels clumsy in tight trees and short turns.
• A specialist deep-snow tool, not a do-everything ski.
• No fun on firm, hard-packed or icy days.

Verdict: The Majesty Vanguard 118 Ti is a purpose-built powder and big-mountain charger that turns speed and deep snow into its playground. The Titanal layer buys real stability and damping, so if you access soft snow by lift, cat or heli and love opening up long, fast lines, this is a superb choice. Just go in knowing it is a heavy, wide specialist — for touring or firm-day versatility, look at the lighter Carbon sibling or a narrower ski.