We’re in the midst of a golden age of ski design. The early aughts’ mad-scientist days of experimentation in rocker, taper, width, weight savings, and supermaterials are behind us. A focus on craftsmanship and balance has produced a wave of incredibly capable skis that damn near anyone can ride. We took a few hundred pairs out for a thousand runs in Steamboat last winter. Here are our top picks.

Salomon QST Blank ($900)

On paper, the Blank seems like a powder specialty ski, and it is. It’s 112 millimeters across at its narrowest point and sports ample tip and tail rocker, plus a lightweight build complete with high-tech materials instead of metal. But it won our Gear of the Year award because it’s also wildly versatile. Sure, it porpoises in and out of powder and spring slush energetically, and it’s fat enough to float in bottomless snow. But it also has enough sidecut (­17-meter turn radius) and oomph, especially in the belly of the turn, to make groomed skiing truly fun. That power comes courtesy of Salomon’s unique double sidewall, which places a second piece of ABS material horizontally underfoot, above and perpendic-ular to the sidewalls, to push even more energy to the edges. That doesn’t mean this ski is excessively burly. The rockered silhouette, light-but-damp cork in the tip and tail, and a fibrous weave of carbon and flax allow you to pivot and smear in tight terrain with just a hint of steer-ing, no matter how much snow there is. It’s still a big-day ski, but you wouldn’t be bummed to get stuck on packed snow if the storm didn’t live up to the hype. “I couldn’t get over how nimble and fun this fat ski was to rip on in between storms and on spring corn,” said a tester. “If you mounted it with a hybrid binding like a Shift you could ski it in-bounds and out.” 138/112/127

˛Ń±đ˛Ô’s All-Mountain

Stöckli Stormrider 95 ($1,149)

There’s a reason the new Stormrider 95 is so much pricier than other mass-market skis. Much of the work is done by hand, so building one pair takes days, not hours. This means that, if you can avoid blowing them up on the rocks, the Stormriders will outlast less expensive fare. Here, Stockli also shaved weight, which is crucial in fatter skis. Designers figured out how to make solid metal edges just as thick as the ones they use on their frontside skis, while saving weight in the unseen bits that attach inside the ski. At the core, paulownia wood shaves precious grams without sacrificing snap. New this year, Stöckli added a 100 percent recycled polyethylene material to the tip to strengthen turn entry while cutting swing weight. Modest tip and tail rocker and shock-absorbing sidewalls help provide a looser ride on soft snow and more durabil-ity off-trail. On-piste, that translates to a damp ride quality that never feels dead. “The Stormriders have no speed limit,” said one tester, “but you can ski them slow too.” 132/95/123

°Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s All-Mountain

Armada Reliance 92 Ti ($775)

When you’re ripping hot laps with friends on groomed snow and chopped-up resort ­powder—the kind of conditions most of us ski most of the time—you’re tipping the skis up on edge, sinking into the belly of the turn, and then tapping into the tail to drive you through an arc. It’s called directional skiing. This is what the Reliance 92 was designed for. It’s plenty fat and rockered for ­third-buckle-deep powder on top of packed snow, but not too much so for carving. On the contrary, articulated titanium alloy banding on top of a lightweight karuba-wood core means you can count on it to hook up and hold on when the powder turns to hardpack. “Long turns, short turns … it’s energetic but damp and stable all at once,” said a tester. ­Ultra-versatile models like this tend to wow our crew, and for good reason: it’s a ski you can ride most days without thinking about fatter or skinnier skis. 131/92/117

˛Ń±đ˛Ô’s All-Mountain Frontside

Rossignol Experience 86 Ti ($900)

We’ve long loved Rossignol’s frontside Experience line because it delivers serious hold and stability without demanding too much piloting. So it was with some trepidation that our test crew hopped on the new 86 Ti. It features far more rocker than the original Experience 88, to boost performance off-trail and make the ski even easier to turn. We got over our doubts pretty quickly. “It’s still a fully juiced and carvy Experience,” said a tester, “but with this much rocker it’s way more fun off-trail.” There are other benefits: when you add more tip rocker to a powered-up ski, you can check yourself more easily by throwing it sideways and scrubbing speed. Because Rossignol didn’t overdo it with the rock-er, the 86 Ti’s effective edge length grows as you achieve higher edge angles and sink into the meat of the turn. By that, we mean you don’t feel the rocker when you’re actively in a turn. Who should buy a pair? If you spend 70 percent of your time on groomed trails and the remainder on some other form of packed snow, the 86 Ti is for you. 132/86/120

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°Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s All-Mountain Frontside

Völkl Kenja 88 ($775)

Forget about all the marketing buzzwords and industry jargon for a minute. Every ski designer’s goal is to make skis that feel so intuitive that they’re like extensions of your body, capable of charging or riding easy and of feeling both damp and energized. To our women’s test crew, which worked through 20 pairs of all-mountain frontside skis, that dream whip is the Völkl Kenja 88. “It’s so intuitive that it seemed to know where I was going to arc my next turn before I did,” said a tester. “It’s super precise, crisp, and lively, but you don’t have to hammer all day either.” Credit goes in part to Völkl’s sidecut, which essentially incorporates three different turn radii into the ski to make mixing up the turn shape easier. To save weight, designers cut out the center of the titanium alloy sheeting sandwiched inside the base. Most of the metal is concentrated over the edges, where it transfers the most power. 129/88/111

˛Ń±đ˛Ô’s All-Mountain Powder

Fischer Ranger 102 FR ($800)

At 102 underfoot, the Ranger FR appears too skinny to be a legit powder ski. But thanks to a twin-tip design with ample rocker, it’s plenty for most deep in-bounds days—18 inches or less on top of a firm base. Powder skied off? A wood core with two sheets of titanium alloy means you can burn endless hot laps on groomers. In short, it’s a true ­one-ski quiver for western mountains, equally at home shredding corduroy, exploring ­off-trail, and slashing backcountry powder. A former Olympian who has been testing skis for three decades pondered if this Ranger was “the best one-ski-quiver weapon ever.” It might just be, but only if you ski five to ten miles an hour faster than most folks. It’s not an experts-only ski, but it really comes to life the harder you drive it. It’s ideal for those who ski off-trail 50 percent of the time and favor carving turns as opposed to merely pivoting, no matter the terrain. 136/102/126

Rossignol Blackops W RallyBird Ti ($900)

“The RallyBird Ti effing arcs,” said a tester who charges way beyond her weight class. “Snappy energy at the end of each turn,” said another. Among the women’s skis, this one is the benchmark for what we call accessible power: anyone can butter it around and have a blast at lower speeds, but as confidence grows and edge angles increase, the ski’s performance does too. The balanced feel comes courtesy of old-school construction (vertically laminated ­hardwood with traditional sidewalls—no cap) and a commitment to get the flex of each length just right through prototyping and testing. But it doesn’t hurt that the RallyBird Ti features two tuned damping systems that minimize chatter. The first embeds two vertical layers of rubbery material into the core to keep the RallyBird Ti contouring the terrain instead of chattering. The second is a layer of rubber to quiet still more vibration. All that adds up to one of the best performing all-mountain powder skis we’ve ever tested. 137/102/127

Big-Mountain Backcountry

Scott Pure ($850)

When you’re skiing fast on big terrain, far from lifts and helicopters, the ability to carve groomers takes a back seat to stability in tricky, fluctuating snow. In those conditions, most people are also happy to have a heavier ski that slows you down on the skin track but boosts confidence on the descent. In the U.S. we refer to this kind of terrain as ­big-mountain backcountry, which is exactly what the Pure was designed for. Scott’s team set out to build a backcountry ski that was stout and stable enough for charging hard above treeline in the Alps. The Pure favors high speeds in wide-open terrain, with a long turn radius underfoot that yields predictability in weird backcountry snow where too much sidecut gets hooky. A mix of titanium alloy, aramid, and carbon fiber keeps it stout yet energized at high speeds. “This is a powerful ski,” said a tester capable of putting a 190 through its paces. “It is best suited to clean terrain free of bumps and trees. It needs to be unleashed to thrive.” 142/109/128

Backcountry Freeride

Faction Agent 4.0 ($799)

Faction’s Agent line was built to offer the loose and playful feel of smearable ­all-mountain skis with some of the weight savings and versatility of backcountry fare. That’s particularly true with the extra-plump Agent 4.0. It’s built around a karuba-wood core to save weight (one ski rings in at 1,800 grams) and eschews metal for the same reason, so it’s manageable on the uptrack. Turn it around, though, and all that rocker and width makes even the weirdest backcountry snow easy to ski. Thanks to the robust tip and tail rocker, you can pivot and slarve the 4.0 all day long. In-bounds, mounted with a hybrid binding, the 4.0 is a light and lively slasher for the biggest powder days of the year. In the backcountry, it lets you ski like you’re in-bounds. “You might think a ski this fat is overkill in the leg-serviced backcountry,” said a tester. “But think of it as an insurance policy. It’s capable of turning a shit day in bad snow into a dream session.” 141/116/131

The post The Best New Skis for Powder, Groomers, and the Backcountry appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

For the last ten winters, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř hasĚýteamed up with MountainĚýmagazine for its ski testing. Every yearĚýwe take upwardĚýof 250 new or updated models through their paces. Most of those skis don’t earn the right of inclusion. The following selections, though, are among our favorites. Read on to narrow your shopping.

How We Test

Our ski test begins with about 25 manufacturers bringing their demo fleets to a set location. Most recently, that testing has gone down at Colorado’sĚýSteamboat Resort. Between all the different categories of skis—all-mountain, all-mountainĚýpowder, all-mountainĚýfrontside, etc.—and multiple lengths of each model, reps have to get hundreds of pairs sharpened and waxed each nightĚýand then haul themĚýto our slope-side test corral. This yearĚýwe had eight men and eight women testers (women try out both gender-specific and unisex models).ĚýTesters grabĚýskis from racks, burnĚýa lap on varied terrain appropriate for the category, swapĚýskis, and repeat. On the lift, testers fill out scorecards, ranking the planksĚýon up to six criteria, like stability, carving, floatation, and surfability—the ability to slash turns and dump speed. This happens up to 18 times a day, over three days, resulting in something like 100,000 vertical feet of cumulative shredding. Back at the home office, we pourĚýa mountain of data into spreadsheets and tabulateĚýwinners and losers.

How to Use These Reviews

Our short-form print reviews are intended to make your buying decision easier, by giving you the highlights of the best new and updated skisĚýeach year. But the long-formĚýreviews—what you’re reading now—reflect the best offerings on the market, whether they’re new or old. HereĚýwe’re focusing on all-mountain skis. We’ll also help you learn some basic ski terms, dive deep into how materials affect performance, and, ultimately, give you a better understanding of what categories of skis and ski constructions you favor.ĚýStarting your shopping with that type of working knowledge is better than falling for marketing.

Our reviews include ratingsĚýofĚýstability and surfability onĚýa scale of one to ten (the highest possible score). Use these to get a quick sense ofĚýwhether a ski favors directional charging or a loose and slashy style. Naturally, since these are all-mountain skis, they all do both well, but all skis have their own feel.ĚýIf you know the category of ski you’re looking for, scroll down to get the lowdown. If you’re not sure, or if your interest falls in numerous categories, we suggest reading through each review.

All-Mountain Powder Skis

All-mountain powder skis typically feature waist widths between 100 and 110 millimeters underfoot. That amount of girthĚýallows a ski to float in the type of real-world conditions we find at ski resorts, where new snow falls on top of a solid base. Yes, brands sell fatter skis, but those behemoths are better off in the bottomless backcountry snow you find on heli-ski and snowcat trips. In-bounds, all-mountain powder skis are just as fun, and you can carve elongated turns on firmer snow 30 percent of the time, too.

Nordica Enforcer 104 Free ($850)

Dimensions: 134/104/124
Turn Radius: 18.5 meters (179-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Camber and rocker
Stability: 8
Surfability: 9
Best For: Hunting leftover powder after a storm

The recently launched is a mereĚýfour millimeters wider than Nordica’s revered Enforcer 100—a small design change that would be tough to feel on snow. But despite the fact that skis of this slightly larger waist width are now our top picks for everyday skiing in the Rockies and the coastal ranges, the Enforcer 104 didn’t win our accolades on that factĚýalone. It’s our ski of the yearĚýbecause of its versatility. Midfat skis that excel at both carving on hardpack or pivoting and slashing in untracked powder are rare. The new 104 is an exception. The Nordica engineers back in Austria set out to enhance that loose and surfy feel while maintaining the brand’s famous crud-busting and high-speed-bashing guts. The linchpin was getting the material in balance. Counterintuitively, to make the 104 more playful, designers placed more wood in the tip and tail. That move defies industry trends, but Nordica likes the dampening and rebound properties of wood, and so do we. Lightweight balsa eliminates much of the weightier ABS material (the same plastic you see in sidewalls) it hadĚýinserted in previous versions to dampen chatter. Cutting weight from the tips and tails was vital, in our opinion. All skis that have done so in recent years have jumped in our standings. When you improve the swing weight in that way, the ski takes less effort to pivot in a powder turn. We found that the new 104 is quicker, looser, and more playful off-trail than the traditional Enforcer line. But it didn’t gain those attributes at the expense of stability. There are two layers of metal that sandwichĚýa hardwood core under the hood, meaning the 104 handles like an Old World super-G ski when you want to haul ass in wide-open terrain. But now, in strange wind-crusted snow or crud, the 104 takes less muscle to unweight and move around. The effect is furthered by a new carbon-fiber “chassis”—a layer of carbon that beefsĚýup the core—that savesĚýgrams over traditional fiberglass. “This ski just rips,” said a tester. “I’d ski it all the time out west.”

Salomon QST 106 ($900)

Dimensions: 137/106/123
Turn Radius: 22 meters (181-centimeter length)
Camber profile: All-terrain rocker
Stability: 7
Surfability: 9
Best For: Everyday soft-snow ripping out west

Salomon took the loose and lively and gave it a touch more burliness. It’s easy to just add metal to a ski to get that feeling, but you tend to sacrifice playfulness when you do that. So Salomon turned to itsĚýrecently updated C/FX superfiber, a weave of carbon and flax in fiberglass that performs like metal without the weight penalty. That new weave features twice the carbon as the old blend and—our take—maintains the light and lively feel that we turn to Salomon for. The other cool upgrade that our testers noticed on snow wasĚýthe smooth and powerful ride. To do that, Salomon used what itĚýcalls a Cork Damplifier—perhaps the best marketing name for cork we’ve ever heard—because cork is three times more chatter stifling than that honeycomb-polymer Koroyd you’ve seen in skis and bike helmets. The cork and the carbon make the new QST 106 damper. But don’t mistake that for a dead feelling. The QST line is still built for people who love to hunt leftover powder in the trees and favor energy return over pure stability. This ski pops out of powder and floats off natural hits on the best of days, but you’ll notice the upgrades when conditions get firm, and going faster is how you salvage the day. The new QST is also still lightweight enough for shouldering on the boot-pack or mountingĚýthe brand’s ShiftĚýbinding for a crossover setup to ski in-bounds and out. All of which is to say that if you like the old QST, you’ll like the new version even more. That’s by no means a universal truth in ski design. Many a brand has ruined the playfulness of a ski in misguided attempts to add stability. But in the QST 106, those infusions of carbon, flax, basalt (another material that acts like a metal) on the core, and cork in the tipsĚýboosted the full-speed stability without sacrificing that playful ride quality. At Steamboat, the new 106 didn’t waver at 30 miles per hour. If you charge on trail more than you surf powder, you might be a Nordica 104 customer. But ifĚýyou like to slash and pivot on soft-snow days, then the QST 106 is still your daily driver. Our largest and strongest off-trail tester was impressed: “Great feel in the powder,” he said. “It’s pivoty and floaty, but now it’s stout enough to stand on when you’re really hauling.”

Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free ($850)

Dimensions: 134/104/123
Turn radius: 16 meters (165-centimeter length)
Camber profile: All-mountain rocker
Stability: 8
Surfability: 8
Best for: In-bounds powder skiing with the ability to carve on demand

Expert-level skis today are much more widely usable than they were years ago. The more you push such skis, the more they give back—as long as you’ve picked the right length/flex—but they’re still forgiving enough that you can make mistakes. Old skis in this category would get unruly real quick if the pilot didn’t actively control the edges or the rebound. Nordica set the benchmark for accessible or latent power in 2019 with the Enforcer 104 Free. Like the Enforcer, the women-specific is looser and more playful than any skis Nordica pressed before. “This new 104 didn’t ask anything of me—it just methodically started arcing turns on every type of snow and terrain,” said one of our most seasoned ski testers. “It’s the smoothest-flexing ski of the category and the snow contact was unwavering.” That ease of use might seem surprising for a wood-and-metal build. But Nordica’s designers layered in just one tailored sheet of metal instead of the standard two full sheets. Santa Ana is a one-ski quiver if you live out west and ski off-piste a lot but still like to carve turns between storms. “So many people will love this ski,” said our women’s test director. “It makes every turn shape, and the flex is open to all body types.” Note: because flex is tied to length, size accordingly. Our smaller testers struggled with the 172.

Rossignol Blackops Sender Ti ($900)

Dimensions: 138/106/128
Turn radius: 18 meters (178-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Powder Rocker
Stability: 9
Surfability: 9
Best for: The best in-bounds day of the season, plus all manner of big-mountain skiing in between storms

Don’t be put off by the name: any advanced or expert skier can now handle a top-of-the-line all-mountain powder ski like the new . It’s surfy, stable, and powerful enough for the hardest-charging skiers, but you can back off and noodle around too. Ultimately this balance all boils down to flex and feel. Skis don’t need to be excessively stiff, nor do skiers need to be excessively burly anymore. The sidecut, rocker profile, and taper do much of the work for you, allowing for a loose, playful ride off-piste and, yes, even a carved turn back on trail with just a slight roll of the ankle. A slew of skis perform like that now, but the Sender Ti is a standout—it won top honors in the all-mountain powder (also called freeride) category in our 2021 Winter Buyer’s Guide. At 106 millimeters underfoot, it’s fat enough for the deepest powder days at most resorts. But it’s also burly enough for hardpack skiing, with a light-but-lively paulownia-wood core backed by two sheets of titanium alloy and vertical sidewalls for increased edge hold. (Rossignol also offers a lighter Sender without the metal, for $700.) A rubbery, vibration-eating viscoelastic helps the Sender To track smoothly while boosting edge hold, lending a silky feel. But don’t be intimidated by all this power and heft. Another new twist in ski design, which the Sender Ti’s designers mastered, is that each length is flex-tuned for the size of the skier who will likely pilot it. That makes all that power accessible. “No matter how fast or slow you’re moving, you stop thinking about the ski and focus on your line,” said one tester.

Fischer Ranger FR 102 ($799)

Dimensions: 136/102/126ĚýTurn radius: 18 meters (177-centimeter length)Camber profile: Powder/Rocker/TaperStability: 9Surfability: 7Best for: Light snow and fun corduroy carving between storms

The difference between the unisex and women’s versions of the ? The woman is pink. But although Fischer did shrink it and pink it (extending the size range of the pink ski to accommodate smaller riders), there was no dumbing down of this ski for women. Fischer took a position here, declaring that women deserve the same performance as men, and that you get that performance by picking the right length (and therefore flex) for you, no matter your gender. Both the pink and blue skis come in lengths up to 191. “Skis don’t care which bathroom you use,” says one Fischer rep. Some of our testers, both male and female, were on board with that. “My favorite Fischer ever,” said one longtime reviewer. “It’s super intuitive—nimble in short turns and loose in powder, with stout edge grip.” On the other hand, our lightest testers complained that it took muscle to shut the ski down. (Granted, they might have been outgunned by the 170-centimeter-long test pair.) Still, despite the nicely balanced flex and the weight savings of a carbon tip, the 102 FR is ready to rip. Two sheets of titanium and full sidewalls encourage any dedicated pilot to achieve new levels of performance. So who should buy it? “It’s a go-to for strong, expert, hard-charging western resort women,” said our women’s test director. “Keep it in wide-open terrain and you’ll ski at pro-level speeds.”

All-Mountain Skis

Without questionĚýthe most versatile skis on the market, our all-mountain groupĚýfeatures midfat planksĚýwith waist widths that typically range from 90 millimeters to just over 100 millimeters. Why do these skis matter? If the conditions are right, they’re just skinny enough to make carved turns on groomed, packed snow fun for the entire day, but they’re still chubby enough to float in all but the biggest in-bounds powder days. Look here if you only plan to buy one pair of skis and not build out an entire quiver. All-mountainĚýskis excel at 50 percent on-trail and 50 percent off-trail skiing. We focused most of our reviews on this all-important category.

Völkl Mantra 102 ($825)

Dimensions: 140/102/123
Turn Radius: 21.4 meters (184-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Tip and tail rocker
Stability: 7
Surfability: 8
Best For: Cold, high-elevation snow

For the 2018–19 season, Völkl reengineered its wildly successful Mantra, renaming it the M-5. The M-5 was a smash hit. For 2019–20, Völkl has released another engineering wunderkind of a ski in the new,Ěýfatter . The chassis of the skis is the German brand’s Titanal-frame construction. Instead of just sandwiching a ski in layers of titanium alloy, VölklĚýcuts out the center of each piece of metal with computer-controlled machines; that metal, in turn, gets laminated into the ski just beneath the topsheet. The result? You get the power and ride qualityĚýof metal (think damp)Ěýbut save many grams. And because that precision-cut metal is predominantly over the edges, you boost edge penetration on hard snow at the same time. All of this is especially crucial with wider skis like this one, which can get heavy fast without some design creativity to cut weight. Carbon tips reduce the swing weight still further. That construction translates to a ski that hooks up and holds on when you’re tipping it over on hardpack at any speedĚýbut is also loose, surfy, and playful when you head off-trail in search of soft snow. The versatility of this ski is only boosted by Völkl’s 3-D radius sidecut, which essentially means that the ski has three turn radii (most skis have one), so that it’s easier to vary turn shape.ĚýThe digest version of how that works: rockered skis need multiple sidecuts because, unlike fully cambered skis, the amount of edge making contact with the snow changes drastically as you tip the skis over into a turn. Trust us, it feels right. Given the 102-millimeter waist width, whichĚýexcels at both floating and carving, we found the Mantra 102 to be one of the most versatile skis in the test. “Amazing grip on icy morning groomers, but you can butter them into and out of turns all day long, too,” said one tester. Look here if you ski out west and like arcing turns on groomers but don’t want a second pair of skis for powder days.

Atomic Vantage 97 Ti ($850)

Dimensions: 131.5/97/120.5
Turn Radius: 19.1 meters (180-centimeter length)
Camber profile: All-mountain rocker
Stability: 7
Surfability: 8
Best For: Perfect corduroy on trail and perfect packed powder off

Atomic’s silky yet powerful is built with the Austrian brand’s new ProliteĚýconstruction, which sheds serious grams. In layperson’s terms, Prolite is Atomic’s attempt to make skis lighter without sacrificing edge penetration and torsional rigidity, via a completely reengineered construction process. In the case of the Vantage 97, that means instead of full sheets of metal to boost dampening, the company produced a complex material weave, complete with a titanium alloy called Titanium Tank Mesh. Rebound and liveliness comeĚýcourtesy of a carbon-infused “energy backbone” that acts like a stringer in the ski, boosting energy return. Full sidewall construction (no cap construction on this model) adds to the edging power. On the hill, that translates to a ski that just seeks out the fall line, whether that means you’re carving short swing turns on corduroy or slinking your way through bumps. TheĚýlively feel adds to that quick, edge-to-edge response. “This ski just dives into fall-line turns and loves to be skied dynamically,” said a tester and former Olympian. Our testers also praised the Vantage 97 Ti for its unwavering edge hold, which is pretty surprising for such a light ski—but that sensation is now an Atomic staple. Our only gripe? At high speeds, lightweight skis like these can feel drifty at times, especially when you’re hitting frozen chunks. You need to actively edge the 97’s to lock them in. It’s worth the extra attention. “The more you drive these Atomics, the more energy they return,” said a tester. And that just makes for fun skiing. “A ski this easy to ski shouldn’t have this much edge hold, but the 97 does,” said another reviewer.

Elan Black Edition Ripstick 96 ($1,000)

Dimensions: 134/96/113
Turn Radius: 18 meters (181-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Atypical. Read our review.
Stability: 8
Surfability: 10
Best For: Carving off-trail on chalky snow

Ěýis the souped-up version of Elan’s do-it-all Ripstick 96. This model comes with more carbon in the layup, which adds zippy energy return when you want it. ThatĚýmeans the harder you bend the ski into turns, the more the ski comes alive. Not that it’s hard to ski, though. Elan’sĚýAmphibioĚýprofile adds more rocker to the outside edges, which transition effortlessly from turn to turn, and less rocker to the inside edges, for more effective snow contact, letting you power through turns from tip to tail. But the tech story doesn’t end there. Carbon-fiber tubes about the diameter of a pencil are embedded into the wood core before the ski is pressed together in a mold, resulting in this uniqueĚýElan ride quality that makes for easy skiing when you’re cruisingĚýbut ever more dynamic power when you push the ski into turns. Compared to the Atomic Vantage, the ride quality is plush, like a long-travel trail bike (the Atomic is more reactive, like a cross-country race bike). The resulting performance can feel like you’re on autopilot—albeit a fun and dynamic autopilot. “Best on-trail performance of any ski in the category,” said a tester that loves making deep Euro-style carves on corduroy. “It rips at all speeds, from mellow to charging. Uncanny how easy it is to ski.” Better still? The Ripstick allows for easy changes in turn shape, too. You can jump on it for short swings or let it run in big sweeping arcs. Just keep it up on edge. Like many modern skis loaded with technology, it’s stable as hell when the sidecut is engaged but can get a little flighty when you run itĚýstraight. Regardless, add all those performance attributes to a skiĚýthat’s 96 millimeters underfoot, and you have an everyday western tool that most of our testers would useĚýmost of the time. “These skis live up to their name and just rip,” said one.Ěý“You can haul on them, but they’re effortless to shut down and scrub speed, too.”

Völkl °Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s Secret 92 ($825)

Dimensions:Ěý130/92/113
Turn radius: 17.9 meters (170-centimeterĚýlength)
Camber profile: Tip and tail rocker
Stability: 9
Surfability: 6
Best For: Packed powder off-trail. Machine groomed on trail.

“Lively, with tons of pop from turn to turn,”Ěýsaid one tester. Those same words appearedĚýon nearly every test card. Carbon tips lighten the swing weight without sacrificing front-end integrity for hard chargers who like to drive the ski. Just enough tip and tail rocker make turn initiations a breeze and make smearing your way through chopped powder less work and more play. Camber underfoot and a full wood core is what adds to the pop, but that 92-millimeter waist width is a factor, too. It’s just skinny enough for dynamic carving. A triple sidecut (three subtly different shapes along the edge that would be invisible to the untrained eye) aid in turn-shape versatility, so depending on how much you want to tip the ski over, you can pivot turns underfoot, slalom-turn the hell out of your run, or open it up into cruisey GS turns. One of the secretĚýweapons of thisĚýVölkl ski is an internal Titanal frame—the same as the MantraĚý102—that runs the perimeter of the ski, fortifying edge grip and strengthening flex to add turbo to your turns the more you hit the gas. That construction lets hang on at high speeds like an old-school race ski, while still offering the playfulness of modern gear. With nary a negative, one tester thought the flex might be too burly for intermediates, and a couple of reviewersĚýnoticed a glassy sound and feel on hardpack, although it didn’t seem to affect performance. Others thought that that “glassiness”Ěý(a brittle, almost hollow sensation) added to the ski’s crisp feel. “Delightful energy, and easy to ski on hard or soft snow”Ěýwas another rave review.

Rossignol Experience 88 TI W ($750)

Dimensions: 127/88/117
Turn radius: 15 meters (173-centimeterĚýlength)
Camber profile: All-terrain rocker
Stability: 9
Surfability: 6
Best For: Groomers—70 percent of the time

One of the skinnier skis in our all-mountain test, ĚýExperience naturally favors energized linked turns on machine-groomed snow. Built in the same mold as the unisex Experience 88 TI, but a skoshĚýlighter, it’s nearly as formidable as the unisex ski, while offering a more manageable ride for lighter pilots. One tester’s remark: “It’s a virtual leg saver that will have you charging all day.”ĚýEquipped with a cool honeycomb polymer in the tip, like the Soul 7 HD W (the brand calls it Air Tip), the ski has a lightweight and forgiving nose, which makes diving into turns a breeze. The new version of that Air Tip adds dampening and better integrates with the forebody of the ski, serving up a predictable flex pattern, while the Titanal power rail that runs the length of the core absorbs chatter and beefs up stability as it increases energy return. One tester commented that it’s “great for aspiring carvers, who can quickly release the edges if they speed out of their comfort zone.” This skiĚýclearly favors groomed snow, but there’s enough rocker here for surfing back-side stashes or dodging through trees in third-buckle-deep powder. Much loved by testers of multiple ability levels, the Experience 88 TIĚýis a great progression plankĚýfor intermediates just learning to put it up on edgeĚýor for experts who will push it to its limits without worry of it breaking away.

Head Kore 93 W ($750)

Dimensions: 130/91/113
Turn Radius: 15.4 meters (171-centimeterĚýlength)
Camber profile: Tip and tail rocker
Stability: 10
Surfability: 7
Best For: Spending half your time on trail and half your time off

KoreĚýisn’t German for “core,”Ěýit’s an abbreviation for Koroyd, a honeycomb polymer baked into the core of the ski that keeps Ěýlight and strong. Unlike Rossignol, which places honeycomb in the tip, Head incorporates it in-line in the core to knock down vibration, which moves through skis in waves. Think noise-cancelling panelsĚýbut for mitigating the chaos of midday chop underfoot. On the hill, that translates to a smooth and silky ride quality that offers more grip and stability than you would think such a lightweight ski could deliver. Our test cards were full of words like damp, quiet,Ěýand clean.ĚýOne tester likened that chatter-free ride quality to “aĚýbullet train on rails”Ěýas it hugs the terrain. But it’s not a bear to handle either. Offsetting the dampness, graphene (the thinnest, lightest,Ěýand strongest element known to man) in the tip and tail adds pop over moguls and liftoff over billowy piles. The attributes speak to the ski’s versatility. It’sĚýjust as at home on hardpack at high speeds as it isĚýexploring in the trees. But itĚýlends itselfĚýto quick-footed skiers that like to work in the fall line. Testers loved the overall firmness of the flex, but a couple of lightweights found the tail to be a touch stiff. One of our experts said, “It’s a seriously stable ski that gets down to business on groomers and in bumps.”ĚýThe Kore 93 W also accommodates a range of skiers. Like the best of modern skis, you settle into the belly of the turn without having to figure the ski out and shift your weight accordingly—the flex and turn shape feel natural. And staying glued to the snow, even on such a lightweight ski, will give you serious confidence. The 93-millimeter waist width means itĚýcan act as a one-ski quiver on both coasts and in much of the Rockies if you spend half your time on trail. And don’t be afraid to ski it aggressively when the mood hits. The harder you drive the Kore, the more it gives back.

All-Mountain Frontside Skis

All-mountain frontside skis tend to feature underfoot waist widths of 80 to 90 millimeters. Those slighter dimensions let these dynamic planksĚýenter and exit turns with less effort while offering more edge grip on hard snow. Look here if you ski 70 percent of your time on machine-groomed snow, no matter where you live, and tend to ski bumps or firm snow when you venture off-trail. There’s also growing evidence that skis of these waist widths transfer less torqueĚýto your knees, saving wear and tear.

Stöckli Laser AX ($1,249)

Dimensions: 124/78/11
Turn radius: 15.9 meters (175-centimeter length)
Camber profile: All-mountain rocker
Stability: 9
Carvability: 10
Best for: Arcing laydown turns when it hasn’t snowed in ages

Rocker and taper made off-trail skiing way more approachable for the masses, but that shouldn’t mean we ski only on powder days. The is a reminder of that. It’s precise like a race ski but nowhere near as demanding: you don’t have to be a 220-pound former racer to pilot it. Instead, it’s built specifically for North American skiers who want to carve but don’t want to battle with their skis if the snow is a bit soft. (That 78-millimeter waist is wide by Swiss standards.) But just because it’s a bit fatter for packed powder or softening spring snow doesn’t mean it’s not fully juiced. The AX offers loads of energetic rebound. That’s in part because there are no bells and whistles. Stöckli prides itself on not chasing trends, preferring to stick with traditional sandwich construction. With so much hand work and proper material-curing times, it takes up to 12 days to produce each pair of Stöcklis—compared to six to eight hours for boards from bigger brands. Once you learn to trust the high edge angles, you’ll leave deep tracks in fresh corduroy. But unlike a race ski, it can dump speed effortlessly. The flex is approachable and the ride is stable whether you stomp on the accelerator or back off of it. “You can lay this Stöckli so far over in a turn that you’re dragging your knuckles,” said one tester. “Unlike on lesser carvers, you can do that at top speed.” Another tester remarked that these are “probably the most dynamic skis of the day. You can crank out short-swing turns or run them long.” Note: the turn shape might be a bit short for some folks. Size up if you want a bigger arc.

Völkl °Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s Kenja 88 ($775)

Dimensions: 129/88/111
Turn radius: 16.8 meters (170-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Tip and tail rocker
Stability: 7
Surfability: 7
Best For: East Coast all-mountain skiing

We thought last year’s introduction of the much loved Völkl Secret 92 would be hard to beat, but the German brand stepped up with the all-new ,Ěýwhich incorporates the same construction as the Secret 92 into a more frontside-appropriate ski. (The Stöckli is great for people who love ripping carved turns on groomers above all elseĚýbut don’t want to swap skis if it snows six inches. The Kenja, or unisex Kendo, is great for those who like skiing groomers, bumps, and chutes.) Here, the computer-machined titanium alloy forms a frame around the perimeter of the topsheet, adding power where you need it and shaving grams where you don’t. Carbon tips reduce the swing weight for easier pivot turns. And full vertical sidewalls boost the edge penetration on hardpack. “Ex-racers or carving purists will love the traditional feel of this ski, from tip set to tail snap,” said one reviewer.ĚýAlthough the construction is inherited from World Cup engineering, the wood-laminate core and complicated layup—it takes a lot of handwork to put all the pieces together—offerĚýrace-level-precision edge holdĚýon a far more manageable level. Experts can hang these way out from under them, while aspiring carvers can work on increasing their edge angles without feeling likeĚýthey’re pushing their limits. One tester called them “confidence boosters” for the edge hold they offer those who fear loss of control on unexpected slick surfaces. The edge grip only adds to that confident ride. But as easy as they are for advanced and expert skiers to pilot, there’s an engine under the hood, too. “Don’tĚýunderestimate their power,” said a tester. “Just because they’reĚýlightĚýand fun doesn’t mean you can’t wail turns.” Off-trailĚýthere’s enough rocker here to make the new Kenjas easy to pivot in glades and bumps, but there’s not enough width for powder days that are deeper than the third buckle on your boots. Still, the light carbon tip and slight tip and tail rockerĚýmakeĚýsmearing turns or shutting down speed plenty forgiving. A 3-D sidecut (three different turn radii that match up with your edging angles) means the Kenja isn’t limited to one turn shape. We found that it transitions seamlessly from long cruiser turns to snap-turn fall-line skiing without thinking.

Backcountry Crossover Skis

As skis have almost universally grown lighter, the distinctions between backcountry skis and resort skis have blurred:Ěýthus, crossover skis, which are simply skis that we’ve found work well in both worlds. Waist width is still paramount. If you plan on blowing up powder all day, then look for all-mountain powder-ski widths greater than 100 millimeters underfoot. If you tend to ski in low-tide conditions on chalky steeps, start with waist widths between 90 and 100 millimeters. Weight matters, too. If you tour a lot, look for lighter skis. If you tend to only tour out of areas after riding lifts to the uncontrolled backcountry, then burlier skis perform better, thanks to their increased stability and bashing power on the down.

Scott Slight 93 ($800)

Dimensions: 132/89/120
Turn Radius: 16.2 meters (180-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Tip rocker
Stability: 6
Surfability: 8
Best For: Hike-to-bowl laps

Aptly named for its swing weightĚýbut not for its performance, the Ěýis an ultralight crossover ski well suited to hiking for sidecountry turns at your resort or touring the backcountry after moderate storms. Paired with Shift or Kingpin bindings, this lightweight setup is an ideal grab-and-go ski for in-bound uphillers or backcountry skiers looking for a starter ski—it even has skin-attachment slits at the tip and tail. One tester noted, “It’s a perfect width for early-morning hikes in the spring and surfing the velvety surface corn.”ĚýA lightly tapered tip gives it just enough rise for buttery turn initiations and an overall smeary playfulness. And a full-length lightweight wood core—no inserts here—makes for a smooth and predictable flex: big bonuses in weird backcountry snow. Ample rocker in the tip lets it float to the surface in powder and allows you to pivot the Slight with very little effort. On the test hill in Steamboat, we found that the Slight makes equally fluid long and short turns, but as one tester noticed, it favors medium turns. Carbon stringers run its entire length, boosting torsional rigidity for bomber edge hold while adding liveliness, all while keeping grams to a minimum. The full wood core adds consistent flex and keeps it from getting rowdy in the chop. One caveat: aĚýtester thought the Slight “lacks beef at full throttle off-trail.” For that, Scott has a bigger, 100-millimeter version of the ski.

Fischer °Â´Çłľ±đ˛Ô’s My Ranger 102 FR ($700)

Dimensions: 135/101/125
Turn radius: 17 meters (168-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Tip and tail rocker/twin tip
Stability: 7
Surfability: 8
Best For: Surfing backcountry snow

“A legit crossover ski for hiking in-bounds or skinning into the wild to surf the pristine,” said one tester about the . It was only a few years ago that a true in-bounds and out-of-bounds ski was more dream than reality. But the weight-shaving movement by traditional alpine brands has changed all that. To do that in the My Ranger 102 FR, Fischer builtĚýaround its time-tested Air Tec TI wood core, which features channels of air between traditional vertically laminated wood. That starting point offers the predictability and quiet ride of wood minus some of the mass. Yes, that feature was originally targeted at resort skiers, but it’s just as relevant for the type of crossover skiers that have gravitated to Fischer’s Ranger line. Lighter-weight planksĚýalso make for easier in-bounds hikes, too. But to be clear, this is no noodle of a backcountry ski. The TIĚýin the name stands for titanium alloy. And in the 102, a full sheet of it gobbles up chatter and amps the energy return when you flex the ski deeply. One of our testers, who is also a pro instructor, said, “This ski exudes confidence the more you put the hammer down.” A subtle twin-tip design adds a more playful and surfy feeling at the end of the turn and makes slashing turns or dumping speed in unconsolidated backcountry snow easier to pull off, so it’s gentler for aspiring powder skiers just delving into touring. And at 1,850 grams, it’s only 200 grams heavier than a dedicated touring ski of this girth, but the full-figured silhouette and ample rocker mean it’s perfectly suited for charging in wonky backcountry snow. A carbon nose also minimizes both the swing weight (for easier pivot turns) and the weight farthest from your body (for easier skinning on the uptrack). We’d mount it with a crossover binding, like the Shift by Atomic and SalomonĚýor a Marker Kingpin. “It skis like a supersizeĚýcarver wrapped in a powder-ski body,” said a reviewer. “I’d ski it every day, at the resort and for ski tours, too.”

Pure Backcountry Skis

If you’re entering the backcountry from trailheads, not ski resorts, and spending big days climbing in excess of 5,000 feet, then dedicated backcountry skis still have their place. They’re lighter weight—under 1,600 grams is our benchmark—which adds up to a lot of energy savings over the long haul. But well-designed backcountry skis also feature less sidecut. That hourglass shape delivers the carving sensation on groomersĚýbut can make skis hooky and unpredictable in unconsolidated backcountry snow, especially when a crust forms. Because backcountry skis are already light, women shouldn’t feel constrained to hunting down women-specific backcountry skis.

Blizzard Zero G 105 ($960)

Dimensions: 134/105/120
Turn radius: 23 meters (180-centimeter length)
Camber profile: Tip and tailĚýrocker
Weight: 1,530 grams
Stability: 7
Sluffablity: 9
Best For: Western ski tours

Our testers considered Blizzard’s original Zero G 108 the best backcountry ski ever made. It was light enough for long days of touring, but it ripped nearly as well as a full-on resort ski on the way back down. Incredibly, the new is better still. It got lighter, for one thing, thanks to what the brand is callingĚýCarbon Drive 2.0: a new three-dimensional carbon frame and feathery paulownia wood core. This construction shaved 200-plus grams from the pair. Traditional sidewalls make for powerful edging on cold and chalky alpine snow, since the ski has no caps. And a new sidecut—the tips and tails flare out just a bit more—produces a more playful ride on spring corn in the backcountry. It still stretches out a 23-meter turn radius, though. The flex pattern is also smooth and consistent, giving the 105 a feel similar to autopilot, which is a positive in the backcountry. Predictable skis tame unpredictable snow. In our experience, it’s easy to pull weight out of a ski and call it a backcountry tool. What’s hard is retaining downhill performance. At 1,530 grams, the Zero G 105 could still outperform many of the skis in our all-mountain powderĚýtest. “It’s noticeably lighterĚýon the uptrack,” said a tester, “but while it doesn’t carve quite as nice on groomers, it also performs better in the backcountry conditions it was designed for on the way back down.”

How to Choose a Pair of Skis

Buying skis can be confusing. But it gets easier if you read the above reviews and ask yourself two key questions:

Am I adding to a quiver or replacing the daily driver that I ski on 80 percent of the time?

If you’re looking to round out a quiver, you’re probably in the market for a specialty ski built wide for powder or thin for carving turns on hardpack—skis that are beyond the purview of this review. Such skis excel in very specific conditions but tend to flounder in routine all-mountain conditions. However, if you ski a ton, pure powder and pure frontside skis can really liven up your ski action. If you’re looking for a one-ski quiver, it’s time for the next question, a two-parter.

Where do I ski the most, and what are my favorite conditions?

How you answer these prompts determines whether you’re in the market for an all-mountain powder ski (around 105 millimeters underfoot), an all-mountain ski (around 95 millimeters), or an all-mountain frontside ski (around 85 millimeters). These versatile skis are all built similarly, but they’re distinguished by waist width and depth of rocker. If you live near a steep-and-deep resort, like Jackson; Alta, Utah; or Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows or Mammoth Mountain, California, and you ski off-trail most of the time, a chubby all-mountain powder ski with a healthy dose of rocker might be your daily driver. If you live in a place with moderate snowfall (Summit County, Colorado, we’re looking at you), then look for an all-mountain ski, one that’s a touch skinnier and with less rocker, which will let you mix up on-trail and off-trail skiing. And if you live where machine-groomed hardpack and chalky tree skiing is more common than bottomless blower—say, the East Coast—you should start with all-mountain frontside skis with just a hint of rocker and a waist width that makes for easy and powerful edging. They’re still all-mountain skis, they just let you better rip carved turns, bumps, and tight trees when you aren’t storm skiing.

Plus: A note about unisex and women’s skis

For many generations, ski shops just sold skis. It was a gender-neutral deal. But starting about 30 years ago, models specific to women began popping up on the racks. At first they were just cosmetic changes (i.e., pink), but over time, heeding the input of women skiers, ski executives, opinion leaders, coaches, and instructors, manufacturers shaved weight from women’s skis and even adjusted the inner materials and the sidecut to best serve the women’s market. Today, although there are still skis that are “womenĚýspecific” in graphics only, nearly every manufacturer offers a full line of purpose-built women-specific skis. As with unisex skis, some are built for experts and some are built for intermediates—the industry doesn’t really build beginner skis anymore, since modern skis are so easy to handle—but they’re all designed with women in mind. In general, the theory was that women weigh less than menĚýand carry that weight differently. So the industry decided to produce skis that come in shorter lengths and are lighter, softer, and cut differently, to be proportionate to women’s bodies and make for easier turn initiation.

For yearsĚýthe women-specific trend was seen as a positive development, and for skiers who are lighter or ski at slower speeds and tend not to flex a unisex ski deeply enough to execute a carve, it certainly is. ButĚýtheĚýempowerment of women athletes and the simple fact that not all women ski or are builtĚýalikeĚýalso has many strong women skiers dismissing women-specific skis. These skiers, including a few of our testers, argue that they don’t need softer planks or different sidecuts. The sentiment is not universally applicable, but we agree with them. And we’re not alone. At the World Cup level, there aren’t really men’s and women’s skis, just skis of different lengths.

Our take? If you have the power and the skill, no unisex ski is beyond you. But don’t discount high-end women’s skis either. Contrariwise, if you like lighterĚýskis and find that you flex women-specific skis better, why wouldn’t you continue buying them? Just know you have options.

What to Look for in Skis

Stiffness

Back in the day when everyone skied on modified slalom and GS skis, stiffness was often the deciding factor in ski selection. Today, though, unless you’re either extra-large and powerful or petite and laid-back, almost all recreational all-mountain skis are built with a round-turn flex that’s accessible to most skiers. (Meaning you don’t need to actively muscle them to get them to arc turns.) Think you need a softer or stiffer ski? Before you change models, consider changing lengths. See the next entry.

Length

Thanks to a smart blend of rocker, taper, sidecut, and new materials, modern all-mountain skis are stable but lively, surfy but powerful, and dynamic but not demanding. A side benefit to all that innovation? We can ski them shorter than skis made 15 years ago. But don’t throw out all reasoning in the process. Ski-size charts like are a good place to start, but while they’re close to spot-on for easy-skiing intermediates, they tend to run five to ten centimeters short for aggressive experts. Also know that flex patterns (stiffness again) typically change with length, so if you want a stiffer ski, you might want a longer ski that’s designed for a bigger skier, too, and vice versa.

Sidecut

Sidecut is the hourglass shape of a ski. When you put a ski on edge and bend it into a carved turn on packed snow, the depth or radius of that sidecut helps to determine if you’re going to make a short (14-meter) turn or a long (20-meter) arc. Counterintuitively, in powder, bumps, and trees, less sidecut can make for quicker turns: in those conditions, you aren’t carving so much as pivoting or floating your turns, and in soft snow, less sidecut helps a ski cut loose—meaning it won’t feel as hooky. This is especially noticeable in snow with a layer of crust on it.

In general, opt for more aggressive sidecuts if you live for arcing race turns on groomers, and opt for less cut if you prefer to ski off-trail in soft snow or just favor pivot turns over carves. Backcountry skis typically offer the least amount of sidecut, because excessive hourglassing can cause the ski to catch unexpectedly in weird backcountry snow.

Rocker

It’s subtle on many skis, but rocker is that three-dimensional shaping reminiscent of the upturned nose of a surfboard or the hull of a rodeo kayak. Just a hint of rocker makes it easier to tip an all-mountain ski on edge to carve turns. Deeper rocker, meanwhile, helps float a ski to the surface of soft snow and gives it a surfy or slashy feel in powder. As with width, you want more rocker for pure powder skiing and less rocker for pure carving, where it can make a ski feel unstable at high speed.

Weight

All skis are getting lighter these days, and as a rule, we think that’s a good thing. Lighter skiers are now able to run gear that’s proportionally more in line with their body weight. In-bounds skiers who hike for their turns benefit from skis that are easier to shoulder. Backcountry skiers obviously need lighter skis for touring uphill. And slightly lighter skis can feel more playful off-trail in soft snow. But unless you’re a ski-mountaineer racer, buying skis based solely on gramsĚýis a bad idea. Eventually, shaving weight comes at the expense of stability and dampness, and many skiers know that feathery backcountry skis tend to skitter on resort hardpack. And of course, even the heaviest wood-and-metal skis don’t feel that way when you’re riding lifts and going 45 miles an hour on groomers. If you rarely hike, weight isn’t much of an issue, and it can be a benefit when bashing power.

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