I call it my three days in Toyland. Every year, I travel to Stratton Mountain in Vermont to try out the new skis for the coming year.

The sun was out as we checked out next year’s Volkls at Mount Snow before heading up to Stratton, where all the manufacturers would have the new products available.

The next three days, we had rain, fog, snow and mixed precipitation. The snow wasn’t bad underfoot, but the visibility made skiing very tentative, and the number of skis normally tried out was cut in half.

Stratton is ideal for this testing. A high-speed six-passenger chair runs out of the base area, which has plenty of room for the tents and vans. The new demo bindings with their quick-adjustment mechanisms make it possible to try on as many as 15 pair of skis a day.

This year, we spent more time discussing the new skis than actually skiing on them, but while the skiing was limited, the new products are almost without limit. In addition, there are enough skis from last year with only minor modifications that I have a long list of skis worth checking out.

The one category that didn’t need much testing was race skis. Soft, wet snow isn’t exactly ideal for them. Most skiers think race skis are designed strictly for hard pack, but today’s GS skis are surprisingly versatile.

Because we had a sunny day and well-groomed snow for Volkl, I was able to check out their line a bit better. The race models are unchanged, although the RC (GS flex slalom sidecut) is now called the RC Titanium. The ski is the same, so if you find this year’s model, it’s the same ski with different cosmetics.

The big news from Volkl is in the Tiger Shark series. Introduced last year, two models had a power switch to adjust flex and performance. They now have a three-way switch, adding another setting. They also have a narrower version without the switch. The eight-foot is 69 mm at the waist, while the 12 is 79 mm and the 10 is 73 mm. For those who spend a lot of time off piste, they also have a selection of wider models.

K2’s Apache series covers the all mountain category with models ranging from 70 mm up to 92. The 92 mm Outlaw is fully redesigned for better flotation in soft snow. Also new is the 84 mm Explorer for performance in soft snow or groomed runs. A good choice for mostly groomed runs is the Crossfire at 70 mm.

Elan comes in with the Wave Flex Race models and extends the technology down through the line to the Speedwave series, a good choice for skiers who like to carve turns on groomers. The wider Magfires group is rated all-mountain, and the Mag line are lower priced, versatile skis aimed at low-level skiers, but suitable for upper intermediates in performance.

Rossignol’s Radical RX and RS are full-bore race models, good for advanced skiers who like gates and high-speed, carved turns. There are 10 models listed as All Terrain, the Classic CX and CS and the Zenith series in a range of performance levels and prices. The wider models are recommended for off piste, with the narrower skis more suitable for skiing groomed runs in the East.

I liked Head’s honesty in its catalog. Its World Cup iSL definition states, “Not the exact same ski as our professionals ride, but pretty damn close.” The GS iSPEED is called “barely street legal,” so if you want to ski on the same brand as Bode, you can get something close.

It’s well known that we can’t buy the same skis the top racers are on, but the skis labeled race skis are better than anything the top racers skied on a decade ago. They will certainly handle any gates you can find.

I tried the iSUPERSHAPE SPEED and found a ski that carved through the heavy, wet snow and handled all the speed I wanted to build up with limited visibility. This would be my choice from Head for skiing groomed runs. There are seven models in Head’s Monster series, ranging from 74 mm to 102 mm at the waist. I tried the 76, and it was at home in the soft, wet snow.

The big news from Atomic was the DoubleDeck D2, four skis from 72 mm up to 82. The new construction claims to provide a ski that is forgiving and high performance.

All companies now have twin tips, terrain and pipe skis, and wide bodies for soft snow. Another important category is women’s skis. I rely on talking with skiers such as Lisa Feinberg Densmore and Pam Fletcher, a pair of former U.S. Team skiers. One company is focused totally on women’s equipment. Roxy is a division of Quicksilver, the parent company of Rossignol, and their catalog has a combination of function and fashion.

This has been a quick look at what’s coming in skis. Next week, check the new boots and the return of a classic.