Ascent: The Mahalo convinces you during the ascent with its tracking ability and quite solid edge hold. It is balanced in such a way that you should kick turn less with an energetic kick, but rather shifting a little weight forward and the split ski follows almost automatically. As for the Stratospheric Topsheet, the differences were more pronounced on the thermal camera than in reality. During our tours we could not yet detect any difference with the topsheet. To be fair, we have not yet been out with the Topsheet in really unfavorable conditions - that is, when snow really ices and sticks to the board halves. We'll keep testing and report back.