I grew up skiing Sun Valley, Alta, Snowbird and Park City, but since moving east over 12 years ago I've slacked to just a few days a season. That means mega leg burn after a few runs. So I finally gave into years and years of airline magazine ads and bought the Skier's Edge III. I have to say it is absolutely awesome. Here's what it is, what I like about it, what I don't like about it, and what The Skier's Edge people are doing to make it even better.

What It Is: The Skier's Edge III is conditioning equipment that mimics closely the feel of skiing and works out the exact same muscles. It's made of two rails that arc in the shape of a mogul and a carriage on rollers that sits on top of the rails and slides back and forth. The real magic is in the black power bands that connect the carriage to the rails with a bunch of rollers. It's amazingly low-tech, but the Skier's Edge people have obviously put a ton of time into figuring out how to make the whole thing respond exactly like the flexing and unflexing of skis through turn after turn.

What I Like: The Skier's Edge III duplicates the feel of skiing while at the same time providing an excellent conditioning workout. Once you get the heavy box into the house, setup takes less than 10 minutes. The instructional video tape provides a good basis for getting started by showing how to get The Skier's Edge to give you the feeling of smooth carving and powering through the bumps. The lateral motion lets you groove turns and gets the burn going. I got the rhythm down in less than five minutes. The Skier's Edge III even encourages attention to pole plants. The best part is that this is exercise equipment that is actually fun to get on. I can't pass it without hopping on and taking a run.

What I Don't Like: There is very little not to like about this solid piece of equipment. I have noticed that the power bands are beginning to squeak a little, but no big deal. They are the only component susceptible to major wear. Replacements are available from the company. As my conditioning improves, I'm starting to wish I'd purchased the Black Diamond attachment (one leg at a time intense workout). If you're a serious skier, give it some thought.

What The Skier's Edge Is Doing To Make It Even Better: The next major improvement is the Skier's Edge IV. The company sent me a brochure offering a for-charge upgrade to my Skier's Edge III. The rail system is the same, but the carriage has been changed to an "all-mountain" design that makes for a smoother ride (rollers on the top and bottom of carriage) and more versatility. Hard to imagine getting better than the Skier's Edge III, so I'm sticking with it.

Response to other reviewers' claims this is lame equipment: The Skier's Edge operator told me clearly when I ordered that the quality of the workout depends on using the machine right. She was right. If you ski in a fairly upright position and you favor cruiser runs, you're probably not going to get a lot from this machine. If you ski moguls like you mean it, you will. See the comment attached to the left of my review for another reviewer's perspective (for some reason his review doesn't show up with the others). And no, I don't work for the Skier's Edge company.

Recommended: Yes