Whump! My face plant is sudden, a cartwheel of flying ski poles and curse words into powder. The sting of snow on bare skin jolts my eyes open, and I hear a chorus of woo! erupt lower on the slope.

“Yeah, Fred!” a voice bellows. “You were a little too far forward—remember to keep your weight back.”

I brush myself off and schuss down the powdery hillside to my two companions, wondering how my 38 years of skiing experience seemingly evaporated in an instant. But I have little time to nurse my bruised pride—my new friends are already making their way up the slope for another run. I struggle to keep pace as we trudge toward the summit of this wooded hillside in Genesee, an upscale neighborhood in Denver’s western suburbs. I look to an adjacent hilltop and see the familiar elliptical sides of the Sculptured House, the mansion built by architect Charles Deaton featured in the 1973 film ł§±ô±đ±đ±è±đ°ù.Ìę

The guy in front of me, Wade Wilson, is a wiry real estate agent from nearby Golden. In front of him is Alex Kaufman, also from Golden, who dishes out rapid-fire advice as we climb. Keep your weight over your arches, not the balls of your feet. You don’t edge the turns like on a normal ski, you just kind of waggle your knees. Don’t worry if you hit a rock, just let the skis do their job.

“You’ll get the hang of it, I promise,” Kaufman says. “Everyone sucks their first time.” Kaufman, 45, is a father of two, a youth soccer coach, and the chief operating officer of Kaufman Asset Management, a company that invests in affordable housing. But I’m here because Kaufman is also a budding social media celebrity in the U.S. skiing world, where fans know him as the Weird Foothill Guy.

The Weird Foothill Guy only boasts about 11,000 followers across his channels, but his audience includes ski-industry heads of state, outdoor journalists, and even a few official resort accounts. I started following him in 2023 and quickly became obsessed with his online musings. Like many snow-sports aficionados, he regularly posts about the shoddy state of American skiing: massive lift lines, $48 cheeseburgers, and miles-long traffic jams on Interstate 70, the main artery connecting Denver with the resorts. “Economic vitality!” he once tweeted next to a video of a January traffic jam that stranded some motorists for ten hours on the freeway.

But most Weird Foothill Guy content promotes Kaufman’s highly unorthodox style of backcountry skiing—one that seems to defy logic. He skis up and down slopes that are just a few miles from downtown Denver—hillsides with so little snowpack (and so many rocks and stumps) that your daredevil nephew wouldn’t sled down them, let alone tackle them on skis. Yet Kaufman navigates this terrain three or four days a week during the winter, often on his lunch break or before work. He floods social media with photos from these micro-adventures, alongside captions that express his radical view on the sport. Basically: Resort skiing sucks and I’ve discovered an amazing alternative.Ìę

Kaufman’s brand of skiing—which he calls Simple Skiing—relies on a bizarre plastic ski called the Marquette Backcountry, which looks like a cross between a child’s toy and a float pontoon. He did not invent these strange skis, but he has become their strongest evangelist. He keeps a small fleet of them in his garage, and lends them out to anyone who wants to try them, including me. Descending on them presents an ample learning curve, as I have just discovered. Ascending is similarly challenging. You don’t use climbing skins. The skis have fish-scale-like divots on the bottoms that grip the snow, similar to the ones on some cross-country skis.

Wilson and Kaufman speed ahead. Kaufman is wearing a pair of basketball shorts over tights and a flannel shirt. An orange handkerchief flutters from his back pocket. “I have the bandana in case hunters spot me,” he says. “I never wear ski pants—you get too hot.”

I soon learn this lesson, as my core temperature spikes under my preferred backcountry outfit. Snowmelt from my crash drips down my back and soaks my long underwear, and I wonder: Is this really better than a day at the resort?

I find my answer at the summit. Wilson and Kaufman have waited for me, and as I reach the top, I look down from our perch. Below us is I-70, packed with cars; a serpentine line of red brake lights stretching to the horizon. The traffic is barely inching along, and the nearest resort is still 45 miles up the road. I shift my gaze to the snowy slope below my skis. We’re completely alone, shredding untracked powder just 25 minutes from downtown Denver.

“We’ll be home eating breakfast before they’re in the parking lot,” Kaufman says. “C’mon, let’s hit another run.”

The post The Weird Foothill Guy Believes His Style of Skiing Is Better than a Day at the Resort. We Tried It Out. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

The Pisco sour’s froth is as white and fluffy as powder snow, making it the perfect post-ski cocktail. Limey, tangy and potent, this drink is easily whipped together with just a few ingredients and a simple recipe. Or, for a vegan-friendly Pisco option, try the Pisco punch.Ìę

AprĂšs-Pisco Sour and Pisco Punch

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Buying used skis, poles, and boots is risky business. Not only does it take a lot of knowledge to actually know what you’re looking for, but the signs of wear and tear can also be hard to spot. So I called a professional.

Katie Marvasti is the service shop manager atÌę, in Bend, Oregon, one of the largest outdoor gear consignment shops on the west coast. She really knows used skis. She spends countless hours each season helping customers get the right kits, and she personally oversaw the repair and subsequent sale of 588 pairs of used skis last year alone. The following are her tips to buy skis, bindings, boots, and poles secondhand.

Skis

Use an Age Limit

Marvasti implements a general ten-year limit on the skis and boots the shop accepts. “Once you get past ten years, that’s when things are more liable to fall apart and the plastic is more likely to degrade,” she says. “You can still find a lot of great stuff within that window and not break the bank doing it.”

Use Google Images

While it might be easy to find a brand and model of ski by looking at the top sheet, determining the year it was made can be tricky since some brands make the same model for five or more years at a time and only change the top sheet. “If you Google Image search a ski you can find the year the ski was made” by looking at the year the top sheet graphic was released, Marvasti says. If you can’t find it is likely too old anyway.”

Inspect Bindings Closely

“Bindings are the most important thing for your safety,” Marvasti says. “When you’re looking at bindings if you see any discoloration or cracks in it—red flag. You don’t want to risk your knees on that.” It’s also incredibly important that bindings reflect your proper DIN, or release, setting because the calibration can be off and you can’t tell if that’s the case without the use of specialized equipment.“When it comes to the DIN settings, there are little springs in there that make the skis release when you fall and you want it to let go at the appropriate time,” she says. “You don’t want your skis coming off mid turn but if you take a tumble and your skis don’t come off, there is a serious chance you could get injured.ÌęThat’s why we always suggest bringing them to a professional to be set up.” A reputable ski shop will not only get you lined up with the correct DIN setting based on your height, weight, and ability, but will also test your bindings with a calibration machine that will make sure the bindings are performing correctly.

Get to Know Your Local Ski Shop

Most ski shops won’t work on bindings older than five or six years due to restricting insurance policies, according to Marvasti. But you might get lucky: “If you’re looking at bindings older than that, you may want to see if you have a ski shop in town that is able to work on it,” she says. (The Gear Fix pays higher insurance to work on older bindings than most ski shops.) Your best bet is to call your closest ski shop to see if they work with the bindings you are considering purchasing. “If you buy bindingsÌęthat you think are great, but can’t take them anywhere to get tested or adjusted, that puts you in a precarious position,” Marvasti says.

Bottoms over Tops

Top sheet damage is usually superficial and doesn’t affect the performance of the ski. Marvasti recommends fixing ones that bother you with a little bit of epoxy at home. “The bases you want to inspect more closely,” Marvasti says. “Shallow scrapes are totally normal, but a deep one—a core shot where you can see the material underneath—that raises some red flags.” While core shots are repairable, they’re often pricey to perform and often don’t hold for more than a season or two, especially if they are near an edge.

Check the Edges

Your edges are critical for turning, and if one of them is blown out, the likelihood ofÌęyour ski performing well is low, Marvasti says.“Run your finger all the way around and make sure the edges aren’t popping out anywhere,” she says. “Edge damage is another one that is very difficult to fix, and even when they do fix it, it’s never going to be as good.”

Boots

Look into the Soles

The number one thing you should check is the soles of boots, Marvasti says. How worn are the heels and toes? If they’re worn smooth and even just a few millimeters thinner than they once were, they may no longer be compatible with bindings, which can be extremely dangerous because it could affect the binding’s ability to hold or release when it needs to. Boots worn to the point of having no texture are a no-no. Some pairs have replaceable soles, which are a good fix for worn down bottoms. But if the screws keeping those soles on the boots are worn down that is a good indicator that they are pretty worked over.

Broken Buckles Aren’t Deal Breakers

“If a buckle busts on a ski boot, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of its life,” Marvasti says. “I keep a big bin of old buckles here at the shop to try and fix buckles that do bust.”

Don’t Forget the Liners

Marvasti suggests getting your hands inside a pair of used boots you are considering buying and feeling the back of the liner above the heel. This is the area most likely to experience wear and tear. It’s its worn through, skip it. If the liner is solid, see if you can find out how many times it has been heat molded. Most liners can handle two to three moldings in a lifetime, so if it was only heat molded once, you can get them molded to your feet at a ski shop.

Poles

Don’t Overthink Them

“If it doesn’t have a big kink in it and it has baskets, go for it,” Marvasti says. “You want it to be the right length. Flip it upside down, grab it under the basket,” and put the top of the grip on the ground. If your arm makes a 90-degree angle, you’re good to go. If you’re looking for used poles to use in the backcountry, consider factors likeÌę carbon (lighter, but more fragile) versus aluminum (heavier, but sturdier).

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 7.11/10
• Rank: #9
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 7
• Stability at Speed: 7.25
• Carving: 7
• Quickness: 8
• Responsiveness: 7.75
• Playfulness: 7.25
• Forgiveness: 7.25
• Crud Performance: 6.5
• Versatility: 6.5

The Specs

• Price: $850
• Lengths: 149, 158, 166
• Dimensions:Ìę124-75-109
• Radius: 12 (158cm)
• Level: Novice to Advanced

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Quickness, Responsiveness
• Cons: Versatility, Crud Performance

​​Dynastar hasn’t been on SKI’s Top 10 list in a couple of years, but this year the brand once again stood out with the E-Lite 8—a fun little gal that turns on a dime and arcs short turns without a second thought.

Get Educated:Ìę

A new addition to Dynastar’s E-Lite on-piste collection, the E-Lite 8 doesn’t contain any metal and instead sports a hybrid poplar bidirectional core—the same wood core that is in many of Dynastar’s race-oriented skis. Our testers with racing backgrounds said that this ski feels incredibly similar to a slalom ski. Short and whippy, it has plenty of snap and energy at the end of its turns, and it immediately dives into the following turn to keep on trucking.

It’s fast as all get-out, tying for second place in the Quickness category and taking fourth in Responsiveness. Anything you tell this ski to do, it does, and does it happily. “This little ski crushed turns and did everything I told her to do,” said tester . “She hammered any and every size of turn and I enjoyed every second of it.”

The ski prefers to stay on the groomers, though. It’s just a little too soft to take it into the trees and moguls without it bouncing you around. It also doesn’t have the hard-snow integrity of some of the other skis in the test—so keep it on the softer groomers for the best possible outcome.

All of the women testing the ski were a little disappointed with the entered ski’s length topping out at a shorter 158cm, but were pleasantly surprised by the ski’s stability considering its smaller stature. “The ski was short, but didn’t feel as short as it was,” said tester . “Easy to turn ski that’s quite stable. It’s a fun little ripper.”

Go Deeper:ÌęHere’s How the Dynastar E-Lite 8 Compares to Its Closest Competition

Verdict: It’s a fun ski for any beginner to intermediate skier who is looking to work on her turns and build her skills on the hardpack, and it might even inspire her to jump into a NASTAR course to enact her ski racing fantasies.

“Pleasantly surprised with the stability on this fun, snappy, energetic ski,” stated tester Tracy Gibbons. “Great for those who like to ski on the groomers and make nice fall-line carved turns.”

Ìęgrew up ski racing, starting on the icy slopes of New England and finishing at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She now lives in Park City, Utah and works as the Director of Marketing & Communications at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. She also freelance writes and consults in the skiing and Olympic industry. When she’s not traveling with the team, her home mountain is Deer Valley Resort, where she loves to arc turns on groomers, but also knows all of the secret spots for days-old powder. Harkins has been testing skis since 2016 and has been a SKI gear tester for three seasons.

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Crud Performance: 7.5
• Responsiveness: 7.5
• Stability at Speed: 7.75
• Flotation:Ìę8
• Playfulness: 7
• Forgiveness: 6
• Versatility: 7.75
• Quickness: 6.75

The Specs

• Price: $800
• Lengths: 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
• Dimensions: 134.5-104-123.5
• Radius: 17.5 (179cm)
• Weight: 1,700g
• Level: Advanced, Expert

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Stability at Speed, Versatility
• Cons: Forgiveness, Quickness

In order to transform their top-selling Enforcer into a backcountry weapon that still holds up almost anywhere, Nordica incorporated a carbon chassis, poplar/beech wood core, thinner topsheets, and shorter edges—all in the name of shaving weight to make the ski 43 percent lighter. And so the Unlimited, the brand’s all-mountain touring ski, was born.

Related: Ski straps are an important backcountry safety tool. Here’s how to use them.

“This is the perfect backcountry tool for the skier who already has a love affair with the Enforcer 104,” claimed tester Luke Larsen, noting that it is best for strong, efficient skiers. “If you don’t have the skills to ski it, the Unlimited will knock you out of your comfort zone real quick.”

While Nordica dropped the weight on this ski by removing two sheets of metal, they maintained its stability in deep snow with a wide waist while boosting maneuverability with the early rise tip and tail rocker between traditional camber underfoot. It retains the same shape, however, as the Enforcer Free we know and love.

Related: See how the Nordica Enforcer Unlimited 104 stacked up against its competition

“This is a great ski that’s easy uphill and can bag the deepest of snow while still getting you down an iced-up chute,” Larsen added.

So while it meets Nordica’s standard for handling the quickly changing conditions you’ll find in the backcountry, some testers noted that it didn’t do what they asked in tight, variable terrain and conditions and that it was slightly more chattery in the nose than the Enforcer Free when coming in hot for a stop.

“I found the ski able to engage the edge more deeply than I expected,” shared Sun Valley, Idaho, local Paul Marshal. “It’s a great all-around backcountry ski for any conditions.”

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Crud Performance: 7.6
• Responsiveness: 9
• Stability at Speed: 7
• Flotation: 5
• Playfulness: 7.2
• Forgiveness: 6.8
• Versatility: 7.4
• Quickness: 8.6

The Specs

• Price: $700
• Lengths: 149, 156, 163, 170
• Dimensions: 130.6-88-111
• Radius: 14
• Weight: 1,187g (170cm)
• Level: Intermediate, Advanced

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Quickness, Responsiveness
• Cons: Floatation, Forgiveness

For the 2022-’23 season, the Rise Above 88 W sees a new topsheet, but otherwise remains unchanged, bringing the reliability and solid feel of Völkl skis to long backcountry tours. The Rise Above 88 W is light and efficient on the ascent, yet slices through crud and hardpack like a butter knife. The narrow 88mm waist makes this ski shine in firm, variable conditions.

Völkl’s 3D radius sidecut design provides a shorter radius in the center of the ski for short swing turns, and a longer radius at the tip and tail for big sweeping turns at high speed. Since no two backcountry runs are the same, testers appreciated the Rise Above’s willingness to respond to a variety of conditions and make the most out of a low snow season (or year). “A great backcountry ski for Colorado skiers who rarely get fresh, awesome snow,” said tester Jenny Wiegand. “Ideal for skiers who get out no matter what, even when it hasn’t snowed in a while.”

Combined with Völkl’s hybrid multilayer wood core, a combo of strategically placed poplar, Paulownia, and beech wood translates to a confidence-inspiring ski for big missions. Its low swing weight makes the Rise Above lively and easy to whip around, with camber underfoot delivering stability and edge hold you can count on in steep chutes where precision is non-negotiable. While the wide 130mm shovel and early rise tip do a valiant job of keeping the ski from sinking like an anchor in a few inches of fresh, the flat tails boost stability as well as making it easier to plunge your skis into the snow to create a makeshift snow anchor.

Read more:ÌęLearn How the VÓ§lkl Rise Above 88 W Stacked Up Against the Competition

Testers touted the Rise Above’s capabilities and trustworthiness in a variety of terrain, but agree that it’s definitely not a one-quiver ski. Unsurprisingly, it falls short in deep snow, although the wide shovel allowed it to float better than some of the other 80-something underfoot skis we tested, like the Black Crows Ova Freebird and the Salomon MTN 86 W Pro. “Versatile and fun!” noted tester Kianna Lauck. “I’m an intermediate skier and I felt comfortable and confident.”

You’ll want to leave this ski at home on a real pow day, but for resort fitness laps, spring objectives, and areas that see lots of high pressure, it’s a blast to rip around on and a good reminder that wider is not always better. “I truly think anyone from an intermediate backcountry skier to an accomplished ski mountaineer could have an insanely fun day on this ski,” summed up tester Jordan Garrett, who logs a lot of vert in the Colorado backcountry. “Beginners will find the turn initiation a breeze, and advanced skiers will be able to jump turn and zip through all types of terrain.”

Ìęis a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured inÌęSKI Magazine, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, andÌęAscent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously). While she’s been in ski boots since she learned to walk, Lily has been professionally writing about skiing, gear, and all things outdoors for the past seven years. In addition to an all-consuming addiction to powder skiing mixed with heavy doses of Type II fun, Lily takes snacking seriously, and when she’s not writing or sliding on snow, she’s likely deep into a baking project in her tiny kitchen. She is the co-author ofÌę, a collection of dirtbag-friendly recipes inspired by life in a mountain town.

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 7.74/10
• Rank: #3
• Versatility: 7.67
• Crud Performance: 8.17
• Flotation: 7.83
• Playfulness: 6.83
• Responsiveness: 7.83
• Quickness: 6.5
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 8.5
• Stability at Speed: 8.5
• Forgiveness: 6

The Specs

• Price: $800
• Lengths: 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
• Dimensions: 135-104-124
• Radius: 18.5
• Level: Advanced, Expert

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Hard-Snow Integrity (#2), Stability at Speed (#1)
• Cons: Forgiveness (#17), Playfulness (#9)

The Nordica Enforcer series has been a dominating product line for years, and for a good reason. Powerful, ultra-dependable, and predictable, the Enforcer 104 Free doesn’t mess around, giving back tenfold whatever you put into it. In the Enforcer lineup, “Free” designates that the model has a turned up tail to enhance versatility and playfulness, a profile you’ll find in the wider skis of the Enforcer line. The Enforcer 104 is the slimmest in the Free series, with a girthier 110 and 115 for deep days that demand more float. Testers found that Enforcer 104 provided ample girth and a solid platform for smearing turns in spring corn, soft snow, and crud. Testers called it a safe choice as an everyday ripper for those out West or a solid pow ski for those out East.

The ski’s wood core, carbon reinforcement, and full-length sidewalls churn out horsepower, while subtle tip rocker and camber give the ski enough effective edge to appease powerful skiers who still want to be able to lay trenches on a wide ski. “This ski literally can do anything,” said tester Chad Jacob, a race coach from the East. “It skis like a bigger version of its baby brothers in the narrower categories. It skis very confidently and wants to be pushed.”

Power is this ski’s defining trait. Thanks to Nordica’s stiff carbon-reinforced chassis, it easily powers through cut-up snow without deflecting, provides substantial edge grip on groomers, and strikes just the right balance between burly and buttery for any turn shape the mountain requires.

Read more: Learn How the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free Stacked Up Against the Competition

While Nordica’s True Tip technology reduces the amount of plastic in the tip and tail and extends the length of the wood core into the shovel to lighten up swing weight and boost maneuverability, few testers would call the Enforcer 104 Free easy to turn or maneuverable. It takes an advanced skier to unlock the potential of this ski, and only those who know how to drive a ski from the front and actively steer their skis will be rewarded on this one. Forgiveness is not the Enforcer’s fortĂ©, so don’t expect this ski to let you down easily when your legs have turned to jello by the afternoon. You need to be ready to put some muscle into it because “cruising” isn’t in the Enforcer Free’s vocabulary. According to 6-foot-5 tester and expert skier Sam Cox, this ski “might beat people without strong fundamentals up.”

If maximizing the ski day is your objective, and you thrive on pushing the speed limit, the Enforcer 104 Free is the ski for you. But for the skilled skier, the Enforcer 104 Free is a lean, mean, terrain-dominating machine. Weaving through tight trees takes a fair amount of concentration but charges down wide open faces. While more relaxed skiers might want to cross this ski off their list, our most aggressive testers marveled at the Enforcer 104 Free’s downhill chops. Snowbird freeride coach Tommy Flitton nailed it when he called the Enforcer 104 Free “a fun, burly ski for the big dawg in your life.”

is a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured in SKI Magazine, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, and Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously). While she’s been in ski boots since she learned to walk, Lily has been professionally writing about skiing, gear, and all things outdoors for the past seven years. In addition to an all-consuming addiction to powder skiing mixed with heavy doses of Type II fun, Lily takes snacking seriously, and when she’s not writing or sliding on snow, she’s likely deep into a baking project in her tiny kitchen. She is the co-author of , a collection of dirtbag-friendly recipes inspired by life in a mountain town.

The post 2023 Nordica Enforcer 104 Free Review appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 7.31/10
• Rank: #4
• Versatility: 7.57
• Crud Performance: 7
• Playfulness: 6.71
• Responsiveness: 7.86
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 8
• Quickness: 6.86
• Stability at Speed: 8
• Carving: 8.29
• Flotation: 6.43
• Forgiveness: 6.57

The Specs

• Price: $650
• Lengths: 164, 172, 180, 188
• Dimensions: 127.5-94-117
• Radius: 17 (180cm)
• Level: Strong Intermediate to Expert

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Carving, Responsiveness
• Cons: Crud Performance, Quickness

Powerful, damp, and snappy were the words used most in our testers’ feedback forms to describe the Blizzard Rustler 9. Tester Brady Newton spoke to the Rustler 9’s confidence-inspiring edge hold. “Once I set that edge, it was locked in for the duration of the turn and I knew I could trust it going forward,” he said. Its trustworthiness and dependability on edge is nice, but testers agreed that the real joy of this ski comes from when you unleash the energy at the exit of one turn and let the ski pop you into your next turn. The balance of energetic release and damp smoothness in all terrain and snow conditions explains why the Rustler 9 ranked second in the Versatility, Responsiveness, and Carving categories.

This balanced performance is largely due to Blizzard’s Carbon Flipcore D.R.T. (Dynamic Release Technology) construction which increases the ski’s strength and stability underfoot while keeping weight low. The stability underfoot opens the door for intermediate skiers to start exploring the mountain with confidence in all conditions, and truly lets the ski shine when more aggressive skiers push the speed limit. “This is honestly the type of all-mountain ski that most intermediate/advanced skiers should be on,” said tester Adam Jaber, an Eastern skier with a more playful skiing style. “It doesn’t punish you if you get sloppy.”

Related: See How the Blizzard Rustler 9 Compares to Its Competition

It may not be as punishing as some of the other heavy-hitters in this category, but it’s still a powerhouse. Tester David Amirault called the Rustler 9 a, “directional groomer missile,” and noted the best way to ski it is to “point it and let this ski run full throttle.” The Rustler 9 has enough substance to inspire confidence while carving turns on hard-packed snow at high speeds, yet it also impressed testers with its ability to navigate crud and off-piste terrain with ease. Tester Jon Sexauer described the ideal terrain for the Ruster 9 as, “wide open groomers, evenly spaced trees, and back bowls.” This isn’t the quickest ski edge to edge, so you want to keep to terrain where this ski has room to run. In tighter terrain, the Rustler 9 is manageable at moderate speeds, but it’s not forgiving enough to make skiing in tight trees or bumps effortless.

Tester Nick Loomans, an expert skier with a racing background, was quick to note that “some less aggressive skiers might feel like this ski is a little unforgiving.” That said, testers agreed that when it comes to balancing accessibility and performance, the Rustler 9 is one of the top choices in the all-mountain category. “It’s a strong, energetic ski with an added bonus of being damp—a crowd pleaser for sure,” summed up tester Chad Jacob.

A self-proclaimed gear nerd when it comes to skis and mountain bikes, grew up skiing in Northern California, spending the majority of his time getting loose and sendy in terrain parks. He now lives in Colorado and calls Copper Mountain his home hill. Though he still gravitates towards playful and wide all-mountain skis, he’s developed a more open mind when it comes to skis since joining SKI’s official gear test crew five seasons ago. These days, you’ll find him ripping around Copper on his trusty Nordica Enforcer 100s.

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 7.07/10
• Rank: #8
• Versatility: 7
• Crud Performance: 7.3
• Playfulness: 7.1
• Responsiveness: 7.4
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 6.7
• Quickness: 7.5
• Stability at Speed: 7.1
• Carving: 7.1
• Flotation: 6.1
• Forgiveness: 6.5

The Specs

• Price: $850
• Lengths: 159, 166, 173, 180, 187
• Dimensions: 129-97-120
• Radius: 18m (180)
• Level: Intermediate, Advanced

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Quickness (#4), Responsiveness (#7)
• Cons: Flotation (#12), Hard-Snow Integrity (#12)

The Ranger line has been a strong performer for Fischer over the last several years, so it was a surprise for testers to see a completely redesigned Ranger 96 at the ski test this year. Fischer spent over 30 months overhauling the Ranger line, and it paid off. Testers found the Ranger 96 to be a balanced option for skiers looking to spend equal amounts of time on and off-piste regardless of conditions. “The 96mm-width is the ideal ‘I ski everywhere’ dimension,” said tester Adam Jaber, an East Coast skier. “I felt totally capable on it regardless of the conditions.”

Testers most appreciated the Ranger 96’s quickness and responsiveness, traits that can largely be attributed to Fischer’s shaped Ti construction, which uses different thicknesses and shapes of high strength alloy depending on the ski’s geometry to provide optimal grip and stability for all-mountain skiing. Tester Otto Gibbons points out that this construction technique is what allows the Ranger 96 to “contour with variable snow” and still manage to “offer a strong balance of stability and maneuverability.”

Not only is the Ranger 96 adaptable to variable terrain, but also to different skier ability levels. Testers were confident that the Ranger 96’s predictable nature would allow intermediates to ski confidently; when driven by a more advanced skier, this ski comes to life and offers lots of energy and rebound out of each turn.

Related: See How the Fischer Ranger 96 Compares to Its Competition

But at its core, most testers described the Ranger 96 as an easy-going ski, not one of the more aggressive all-mountain chargers of the category. “It’s a laid-back ski for those who like to play in the crud and loose snow,” said tester Chad Jacob, a race coach from New York. Thanks to Fischer’s Freeski Rocker the Ranger 96 can (and should) be skied from a more modern neutral stance, making it a great choice for skiers with a more relaxed and playful style. Aggressive skiers who are used to driving their skis from the front of their boots might find they easily overflex and overpower this ski, especially in the shorter lengths.

Tester Nick Loomans, a former racer, didn’t think the Ranger 96 were aggressive enough for him or for others with his skiing style. “Really aggressive skiers and former racers would be left wanting a little more out of the carving aspect,” he said. Other testers agreed that this ski wasn’t one of the top performers in the Hard-Snow Integrity department, since it didn’t seem as at home on edge on firm snow.

But the lack of aggressiveness in these areas was also seen as a positive by several testers who identified the Ranger 96 as being more accessible to novices. What the Ranger 96 lacks in edge performance on firm snow it makes up for in its ability to skis and slash the exit of a turn, qualities that earned it high scores in Quickness and Playfulness.

This makes the Ranger 96 particularly appealing to skiers who are still working on their skills on and off the groomed, as well as more advanced skiers who prioritize playfulness and agility over stability and power in an all-mountain ski. “Could happily grab this ski, fly anywhere, and have a good time,” summed up tester Otto Gibbons, an expert skier and ski buyer for Sturtevant’s Ski Shop in Bellevue, Wash.

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The Scores (out of 10)

• Overall Score: 7.66/10
• Rank: #8
• Versatility: 7.6
• Crud Performance: 8.2
• Playfulness: 7
• Responsiveness: 7
• Hard-Snow Integrity: 7.2
• Quickness: 7.8
• Stability at Speed: 8
• Carving: 7.6
• Flotation: 7
• Forgiveness: 6.8

The Specs

• Price: $729
• Lengths: 159, 165, 171
• Dimensions: 132-99-121
• Radius: 16
• Level: Advanced to Expert

In a Nutshell

• Pros: Crud Performance (#3), Stability at Speed (#4)
• Cons: Forgiveness (#10), Playfulness (#13)

This ski has been around for a number of seasons and is an all-mountain staple at this point. But every year, we have a few testers who have never skied the MSP CC (or any 4FRNT, for that matter) and then go home ready to buy it for themselves. This year, that tester was Avery Pesce, an experienced hardgoods buyer for Boston Ski and Tennis and skier from the East. “I did not expect this ski to be so smooth, balanced, and energetic,” said Pesce. “First glance at flex, sidecut, and profile, I thought this was going to be a twitchy, chattery little whip—but boy, was I wrong. Smooth as butter and fun as hell. This ski blew me away!”

The rest of the test group who’ve had the privilege of skiing the MSP CC in years past continue to love it for its stability and dependability, no matter the snow conditions or the terrain. Thanks to a poplar wood core reinforced with a Titanal laminate, this ski is damp without feeling overly stiff or burly, which makes it one of the best in the all-mountain category for charging crud and manky snow. It also holds an edge nicely on groomers, though testers acknowledge it does this better on softer snow than on true boilerplate.

Related:ÌęSee How the 4FRNT MSP CC Compares to Its Competition

Most testers describe the MSP CC as smooth, dependable, balanced, and stable, and pointed out that it comes alive at speed and when driven with a firm hand. Not many would call this ski nimble or particularly agile, and testers who gravitate towards a lighter-weight ski for these characteristics found the MSP CC a touch stiff and lifeless.

Therein lies this ski’s one shortcoming: You need some skill and weight to appreciate all of its greatness. Because it is one of the stiffer, wider skis in the category, petite testers didn’t feel like they could tap into the MSP CC’s energy, and found it a little boring as a result. “Hardpack performance is hard to tap into for non-aggressive skiers. It also feels like it lacks energy,” said Ariella Gintzler, an advanced skier and one of our more petite testers.

But the stronger and more aggressive skiers didn’t have this issue and called the ski one of the best all-rounders in the category for hard-charging women. “Whips around trees easily, is fun in the bumps, and holds up on a rail turn,” said Jackson Hole ski patroller Michelle Nicholson. “Outstanding women’s all-mountain ski that charges the terrain top to bottom.” “Floaty and nimble in the trees and responded to my every demand,” added Pesce. “On-piste they hold a turn like a set of Pirelli tires with a smooth release into the next turn. An incredible all-mountain ski I would reach for every time, regardless of the conditions.”

Jenny Wiegand is SKI’s managing editor. Born and raised in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Jenny grew up exploringÌę on skis, bikes, and her own two feet. She has since traded in the Alps for the Rockies to seek new trails, new adventures, and write about her favorite sport—skiing—in her new home of Boulder, Colo. Since joining the SKI Magazine editorial team in 2018, Jenny has written and edited stories for SKI’s print and digital outlets.ÌęA lifelong skier and former club racer, Jenny is also a self-proclaimed gearhead and puts that knowledge to good use as one of SKI Magazine’s officialÌę.

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