Zag's claim is that the H88's short turn radius and excellent edge hold make for a ski that is playful and capable on-piste, without forgetting its freeride roots.
Well it certainly is more piste-focussed than other Zag skis we've tested; it's very stable and that tight turn radius makes it nimble and quick onto an edge. Once on the edge it will stay there pretty reliably, but the tails of the H88 want to whip you out of those turns. If you can get used to the tails there is fun to be had with them, but it's an aggressive kind of fun!
Off-piste the tails simply don't work as they're far too unforgiving. Neither does the H88 have much float or bounce, and in this area it seems very much to have forgotten its roots.
It is stiff and will charge through any chopped up off-piste terrain, but it just doesn't have that joy of popping off lips and bumps that a freeride-based ski ought to have. And if you do get airborne there seems very little ski to land on.
The H88 seems to be a classic casualty of the all mountain category - a master of none. Not enough float or flex to be an off piste ski, and some of our testers thought not enough stability on piste.
This reviewer thought it was great on piste, but sadly that's not really enough to make a great all mountain ski.
