Intro
We recently published several of our reviewers’ selections for 5-ski, 4-ski, and 3-ski quivers. Now, we’re really getting to the hard decisions, asking them to trim those down to two skis.
As we state in all our quiver selection articles, there is no single perfect quiver for everyone. It all depends very much on where you ski and how you ski. So, our selections below should not be viewed as our answer to the question, “What are the best skis out there?”
Instead, these are our reviewers’ personal picks, along with their rationale for why they would choose them.
As always, we’re interested to hear what you’d pick for your own quiver, so let us know in the Comments section at the bottom.
More Ski-Quiver Guidance
For more general suggestions — as opposed to what we personally would pick — check out our Winter Buyer’s Guide. And for more detailed info on the specific skis we discuss in these quiver articles, be sure to click around to read our reviews of the individual products.
If you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own ski quiver, then become a BLISTER+ Member, submit your question via the Member Clubhouse page, and we’ll get you sorted out.
Seven Questions
For each of our reviewers, we asked them to answer the following questions:
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
III. If you didn’t ride any lifts, what would your 2-ski quiver be for backcountry-only skiing?
IV. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location?
V. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
VI. What ski do you imagine has the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski it, or get to ski it more?
VII. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Luke Koppa
(5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
Ski #1: Armada Declivity X 102, 180 cm + CAST Freetour
For this question, I would opt to trim the Black Crows Mirus Cor from my true do-everything 3-ski quiver. I would dearly miss that ski during the points of the season when I want to make the most of lower-angle groomers. But the Declivity X 102 carves pretty well for its size (I’d probably have its tune freshened up once or twice a season to help in that regard), and I love it for most days at Crested Butte.
That typically means lots of tight, big moguls; catching air off every little side hit, roller, and gap I can find; and laying it over as hard as I can on the groomers in between. As I’ve mentioned many times before, when it comes to a daily driver for Crested Butte, this ski just happens to stand out in a lot of little ways for my particular skiing style and preferences. And, same as in my 3-ski quiver, I’d mount it with CAST’s Freetour hybrid binding system so I still have a setup I can use for post-work skinning laps in the resort and a lot more backcountry time in the spring once the snow has consolidated. It wouldn’t be light, but my tours don’t tend to involve tons of vert or really long approaches.
(Quick Aside: sneaking a peek at Paul’s answers, I might go his route and drill this ski for inserts so I could swap between dedicated alpine bindings and dedicated touring bindings. But I don’t mind touring in hybrid bindings as much as Paul does, so I’d probably do a season with CAST before putting new holes and inserts in these skis.)
Ski #2: Rossignol Sender Free 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
I have seriously considered downsizing from this ski for my 2-ski quiver, but I guess I’m sticking with it, mostly because of how absurdly fun I find it on any day at the resort when it’s snowed more than a few inches.
With only two skis, a 118mm-wide pow ski probably isn’t the most logical choice for a place like Crested Butte. But if I went with any other ski, I know I’d at least slightly regret it on days when deeper snow and (more importantly) deep chop is on the menu. For those conditions, the Sender Free 118 is as close to a perfect ski as I’ve found for my preferences; many of my favorite memories on skis have been resort chop laps on this ski and its predecessor, the Blackops 118.
And, while it takes a toll on my knees and body in general, I still love going fast on it when the snow isn’t deep. If I need a break, I can go back to the much lighter and more agile Declivity X 102.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
For this scenario, the only thing I’d change from my answer to the first question is to swap the CAST Freetour bindings for a regular alpine binding. While I have a lot of faith in the durability and downhill performance of CAST (and most of the other hybrid bindings we’ve tested), there’s no reason to mount a more complex binding to my alpine skis if I’m never going to skin on them.
III. If you didn’t ride any lifts, what would your 2-ski quiver be for backcountry-only skiing?
Ski #1: Majesty Superwolf, 178 cm + ATK Raider or Freeraider variant
This is still my go-to touring ski for firmer / shallower conditions. It’s not a runaway winner; there are a few alternatives I could likely be similarly happy with over the course of a season. But I’ve spent a lot of time on the Superwolf in a very wide range of conditions; I find it very reliable, with a combination of weight and downhill performance that suits my preferences.
ATK’s Raider platform is still my overall favorite binding system for dedicated touring setups. It has the features I prioritize, has been easy to use, is reliable in my experience, and skis better than many bindings around the same weight. I don’t ski nearly as aggressively in the backcountry as I do in the resort, so I’m not very interested in heavier bindings with downhill performance, but I find the Raider’s downhill performance and uphill feature set to be worth the extra 100-200 grams over something like the Dynafit Superlite 150.
I’m not particularly concerned about the weight differences between the Raider variants (spanning roughly ~70 grams), but I haven’t spent enough time on the SL or EVO models to fully commit to a specific version. If I had to buy one tomorrow, I’d probably go with one of the Freeraider versions, since I appreciate the on-snow feel provided by their Freeride Spacer and am not concerned about the extra ~25 grams per foot.
Ski #2: Moment Wildcat Tour 118, 184 cm + ATK Raider or Freeraider variant
In a touring-only quiver, my priorities for my wider ski would be flotation in fresh snow and predictability in weird conditions like crusts, sastrugi, etc.
There are plenty of lighter, narrower touring skis that I really like and would also be fine for this slot — especially since I’d likely be grabbing my powsurf board if conditions are properly deep (and avalanche conditions are likely sketchy).
However, if I’ve huffed, puffed, and sweated my way to get to the top of a line that I think may hold fresh snow, I prefer to have more ski than I need, not less. Given that the Wildcat Tour 118 only weighs 100 to 200 grams more per ski than the narrower alternatives I had in mind — and it’s quite versatile for its width — I feel pretty good about this choice.
I don’t need more than a few inches of fresh (or just soft) snow to have a good time on this ski. It’s not an engaging carver in mellow terrain, but its twinned tail and balanced shape mean that I can always practice my switch skiing to keep things interesting if needed. It truly shines in steeps and unpredictable snow, with excellent composure for its weight, especially when you factor in the fact that it also caters to the sort of playful skiing style I prefer.
The Wildcat platform isn’t a class-leader in terms of pure flotation, relative to width. But if conditions are bottomless (and I’m therefore likely sticking to tighter trees and lower-angle slopes), I can grab my board and just wiggle some (likely terrible-looking) turns on that instead.
IV. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location?
I think I could be pretty happy with my answer to the first question (Armada Declivity X 102 and Rossignol Sender Free 118). We end up skiing a very wide range of conditions throughout the season at Crested Butte, and I think that quiver would cover me well in most locations. I also just know those skis so well — and know I can have a good time on them in the vast majority of on-snow scenarios.
However, I’ll switch it up here for a few reasons. In part because I’m imagining a scenario where I end up at a place where I spend the majority of the winter carving very firm groomers that aren’t all that steep or long; the Declivity X 102 could end up feeling a bit boring if that’s the case, and I probably wouldn’t spend many days on the Sender Free 118. Of course, I could end up in a place like Japan, Alaska, or British Columbia and have the opposite problem, but this season has me more focused on the less-ideal possibility.
Also, I was already debating several different 2-ski quiver structures for question #1, so I might as well shed some light on that, and I think these alternatives could be safer bets if I don’t know where I’ll be skiing.
Ski #1: Faction Dancer 2, 182 cm + CAST Freetour
I considered a ton of different skis for this slot. Right now, I’m going with the Dancer 2 because it (1) is a bit more precise, lively, and engaging on super firm groomers vs. the Declivity X 102, (2) I still very much enjoy it in moguls and steeps, and (3) it comes in at a weight that I like in terms of balancing suspension with agility and the potential for a bit of human-powered skiing.
The Dancer 2 isn’t as forgiving in moguls as I’d like; it’s far from my favorite ski if I’m only going to be carving groomers; and I wish it were a tad looser / surfier off piste But, overall, I think it’d do a good job of keeping me happy when conditions are on the firmer / shallower side of the spectrum.
Ski #2: Dynastar M-Free 112, 190 cm + CAST Freetour
This ski feels like a good compromise, coming from the Sender Free 118. I love the 190 cm M-Free 112 for many of the same reasons I’m so enamored with the Sender Free 118, but I find the M-Free 112 a bit less physically taxing to ski, especially when the snow is firmer or shallower.
I’d be pretty bummed if I ended up in a place like Japan, with deep snow and generally lower-angle terrain, since that’s not where the M-Free 112 excels. But, outside of that scenario, I think I’d have a ton of fun on this ski in most places. It’s great at going fast in pretty much all conditions aside from ice; it’s surprisingly accessible when going slow; and I enjoy it just as much in chop as I do in untracked pow.
V. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
I probably considered about 20% of the skis in our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s Guide, which would equate to roughly 70 models, so there are too many to list here.
The closest contenders for my daily driver for the resort include the Salomon QST 94, Stockli Stormrider 95, K2 Mindbender 89Ti, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Black Crows Serpo, K2 Omen Team, RMU Apostle 96, Line Optic 96, Icelantic Nomad 100, and Rossignol Sender Soul 102.
Most of those skis didn’t make the cut because they (1) aren’t as precise and engaging as I’d like on firm groomers, (2) aren’t as forgiving, maneuverable, and playful enough for my preferences in tight off-piste terrain, and/or (3) have too strong of a preference for more traditional, directional skiing or a more freestyle-focused approach (my style tends to fall somewhere in the middle).
As for my wider skis, the list is a lot shorter. The Sender Free 118 and M-Free 112 are probably my two favorite resort pow / chop skis at the moment, but the Moment Wildcat 118, Volkl Revolt 114, and Line Optic 114 also deserve shoutouts. I also considered the K2 Reckoner 110 as the wider ski in my worldwide quiver; it’s a much better carver and generally more engaging at slower speeds vs. the M-Free 112, but it’s a lot less stable in chop.
On the touring side, I could’ve been pretty happy with the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon or Line Vision 96 as my narrow ski.
For my wider ski, the Wildcat Tour 118 is the only ski around that width and weight I’ve tried that really fits my preferences. However, I was pretty close to choosing one of my favorite, slightly narrower touring skis, most notably the Salomon QST Echo 106. Something like that would be more fun on shallower days and mellower terrain, but I’d be wishing for more surface area on deep days.
VI. What ski do you imagine has the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski it, or get to ski it more?
There aren’t that many that I think have a very good chance of taking the place of my picks; I think I’d be more likely to swap them for one of my honorable mentions listed in my answers to the previous question.
However, I’m very eager to get on the Heritage Lab AM110 and compare it to the Dynastar M-Free 112. That’ll be an interesting A/B test.
Otherwise, I’ll just be eager to get on any new all-mountain skis in the ~90 mm to ~100 mm width range. The all-mountain skis I picked aren’t absolutely perfect for my preferences, and I’d be psyched if I find something that manages to be more fun (for me) on piste without compromising off-piste performance, or vice versa.
VII. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
None of these are perfect, but in a smaller quiver, there are lots of brands that make one ski I’d be very happy with and another that is at least ‘ok.’
Volkl: Revolt 101 + Revolt 114
Salomon: QST 94 + QST Blank or QST X
Line: Blade or Optic 96 + Optic 114
Faction: Dancer 2 + Prodigy 4(?)
Rossignol: Sender Soul 102 + Sender Free 118
K2: Mindbender 99Ti + Reckoner 124 or Reckoner KF
Paul Forward
(6”, 195 lbs / 183 cm, 88.5 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
Ski #1: Heritage Lab BC120, 193 cm + inserts for Marker Jester and Moment Voyager
I really clicked with this ski last season and could pretty happily spend my whole heli season on it. And, at under 1900 g for the 193 cm length, they would also perform very well as my all-season Alaska touring ski. They might feel a little big in the spring, but overall, this is one of the most intuitive and versatile fat pow skis I’ve ever used — and they happen to be quite light as well.
Compared to the heavier R120 version of this same shape, I actually prefer the touring version in all conditions because of its stiffer flex. I found I was overpowering the shovels on the R120. While I prefer my much heavier Folsom Raptures and Rotors for mechanized powder skiing, Heritage Lab’s carbon construction is one of the best I’ve encountered when it comes to damping and stability in a light package.
As we recently discussed on our GEAR:30 podcast, I really don’t like the concept of hybrid bindings. So, since we’re not working with extremely strict rules on the binding front, I would stick with the inconvenience of inserts to avoid having to compromise.
Ski #2: Black Crows Justis, 189 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
As discussed previously, for me, the Justis offers a ‘good but not great’ combination of the traits I’m looking for in a daily resort ski at Alyeska. Most notably: good carvability / on-piste performance, stability, power, damping, and a relatively progressive (-7 cm) mount point.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
To make this more relatable, I’ll also remove my heli-ski guiding from the equation for this question, so here are two ideas for a full season of skiing at Alyeska:
Option 1 (normal Alyeska year):
Ski #1: Moment Wildcat 118, 190 cm OR Moment Chipotle Banana, 193 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
Since I’m removing heli skiing from the equation here, I don’t need anything fatter than 120 mm. DPS killed off my favorite Koala 118/119, so for a charge-y but still loose and balanced fat ski, I think I might be left with the Wildcat 118. I haven’t actually skied the current version, so if I don’t love it as much as my old Blister Pro version, I’d defer to the Chipotle Banana. The Chipotle Banana lacks in floatation for a ski of its width, but it crushes high-speed variable conditions and chop.
Ski #2: Black Crows Justis, 189 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
See Above.
Option 2 (this year at Alyeska so far):
Ski #1 Black Crows Corvus, 191 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
Like many mountains around the world this year, we haven’t yet seen tons of storms in Alaska (at least, not the snowy kinds of storms), so I’ll offer up my thoughts on a 2-ski resort quiver for down years.
I’m not totally in love with the Corvus, but it’s probably the best ~110mm-wide ski (for my preferences) I’ve used recently that is still in production. It’s reasonably damp, well-balanced, and pretty fun in anything soft. It’s likely these will be on my feet when it finally snows again, unless we get more than expected
Ski #2 Black Crows Mirus Cor, 184 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
These are just too fun. I’ve skied them (at least part of the day) on all 19 of my lift-served days at Alyeska so far this season. They’re amazing for making the most of less-than-ideal conditions, especially when I’m lapping groomers (whether solo or with my son).
III. If you didn’t ride any lifts, what would your 2-ski quiver be for backcountry-only skiing?
Ski #1: Heritage Lab BC120, 193 cm + Moment Voyager
See above. These are currently the best powder-touring skis on the market that I’ve used. While I’ve sung the praises of the Armada Locator 112 as a 1-touring-ski quiver for Alaska, if I get two dedicated touring skis, the BC120 is a better, more powder-specific tool for me.
Ski #2: Blizzard Zero G 105, 188 cm + Dynafit Superlite 150
I’d spend most of the season up here on the BC120, but for spring days and super big missions, these are quite nice. I wish they were a little less directional overall, but their combination of weight and stability is quite good for my preferences around a non-powder Alaskan touring ski.
IV. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location?
I’d probably just stick with the BC120 + Justis combo, especially since neither has given me any reason to be concerned about their durability. They’re obviously not ideal for ultra-firm snow, but that’s why my actual quiver spans everything from full-on Slalom skis to some of the widest pow skis ever produced.
V. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
Nothing comes to mind that was really tempting. The Blizzard Rustler 11 in 192 cm could potentially compete with the Wildcat 118, but the Rustler 11 is less stable in chop and doesn’t offer much of a boost in terms of flotation.
VI. What ski do you imagine has the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski it, or get to ski it more?
I hope to spend more time on newer skis in the 100-110 mm width range to potentially find a better replacement for the Justis, as well as alternatives to the Corvus in the 110-120 mm range. Talking to our other reviewers, it sounds like I need to get on the latest Nordica Enforcer 104 as a potential all-mountain ski.
VII. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I’m missing some data points of experience, but the ones that come to mind include Black Crows (Anima or Nocta + Justis), Heritage Lab (BC120 + AM100?), Blizzard (Rustler 11 + Anomaly 102 or Rustler 10?), and Atomic (Maverick 115 + Maverick 105 or Backland 109?).
David Golay
(6’, 160 lbs / 183 cm, 72.6 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
This is getting hard now. These days, I spend more time touring than I do riding chairs, but I want to be able to cover both bases well across a wide range of conditions. 50/50 skis and one-ski quivers (i.e., one ski for resort and another for backcountry skiing) require notable compromises either way, and there are a variety of ways that I could approach this one, with entirely different categories of skis involved. Ask me tomorrow, and I might have a different answer, but here’s what I’m going with right now:
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
Sticking with an old standby for my touring daily driver. See my five-ski quiver for more on my rationale, but as I’ve currently decided to break this down, this is the ski I’d use for the vast majority of my backcountry days. The next ski would be for chairlift-riding and deeper backcountry days:
Ski #2: Moment Wildcat 118, 190 cm + CAST Freetour
I’m kind of taking a Hail Mary here, going for a single resort ski this big, but there’s at least some method to the madness. In this scenario, I’ll be doing a lot of touring if conditions inbounds aren’t pretty good, but that’s a tradeoff I’m largely okay with. And while I’m not going to be doing any super long touring days on this setup, I’ll throw CAST Freetour bindings on here so that I’ve got the option to take the Wildcats for a walk if I really want to on a deeper day, without making any compromises to their inbounds skiing performance the rest of the time.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
This one feels a lot easier — I’ll just run back the two main resort skis from my four- and five-ski quivers.
Ski #1: Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm + Look Pivot 15
The Mantra 102 has been the narrower resort ski in a lot of my quivers over the years, and I’m still a huge fan. It’s a stable, directional ski with very good suspension, carves well for its width, and is generally quite intuitive for my preferences across a wide range of terrain and conditions.
Ski #2: Heritage Lab RC116, 190 cm + Look Pivot 15
The RC116 feels like a nicely modernized take on an old-school, big-mountain charger — it’s heavy, pretty straight, relatively stiff, and features quite good suspension. But it’s also more lively, floats better in deep snow, and is a little looser than some of my favorite skis from yesteryear — first and foremost, the Blizzard Bodacious. The RC116 is a ski I can have a great time on from bell to bell when there’s at least a bit of fresh snow, whether that includes some deep, untracked runs early in the day or just a whole lot of soft chop.
III. If you didn’t ride any lifts, what would your 2-ski quiver be for backcountry-only skiing?
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
If you’re surprised by this one, you haven’t been reading my quiver selections over the years.
Ski #2: Armada Locator 112, 187 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
I still like, but don’t completely love, this pick for my powder touring ski. But most of my favorite options for this slot have either been discontinued or updated, and I’m still searching for a truly ideal, currently available ski for me to slot in here. There are some promising contenders, including the Heritage Lab BC120, Whitedot Ragnarok Carbonlite, and ON3P Billy Goat 118 Tour, but I haven’t been on the current versions of those.
IV. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location?
I live in a high-snow area, and my quiver selections reflect that. If I’m (presumably) skiing a variety of places that don’t get as much average snowfall, I’d be pretty happy taking my narrower resort and touring skis from my bigger quivers and calling that good. I’ll miss having a wider ski on some deeper days, but if conditions are that good, I’ll be having a great time regardless.
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
Ski #2: Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm + Look Pivot 15
V. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
The Moment Countach 110 is arguably a more sensible choice than the Wildcat 118 for my resort ski. My home mountain (Mt. Baker) just has me skiing so much heavy, soft chop that I want to optimize for those conditions, and the Wildcat 118 is a blast there.
I’d also be happy with the Heritage Lab RC 116 in that slot for the resort portion of the program, but the lighter (more accurate phrasing: ‘less heavy’) and looser Wildcat 118 is a more manageable option for some shorter tours on really deep days, so it won out.
The 4FRNT MSP 107 is another ski that I like a lot, and is arguably a more versatile option; if it floated just a bit better in deeper snow, I’d have a hard time looking past it.
VI. What ski do you imagine has the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski it, or get to ski it more?
There are a bunch. My real-world quiver is sizable (by which I mean bloated), so I haven’t put as much effort into finding the most well-rounded, versatile options for me; I focus more on seeking more specialized options for certain conditions.
I love the Raven as an all-rounder touring ski, but for where I live, I’d ideally go with something just a little wider and floatier for a one-ski touring quiver; maybe that’s the 4FRNT Hoji, but I haven’t skied the current version. There’s probably a version of a lightweight Folsom Giver build that I’d like for that use case, and while it’s possibly leaning too far into the powder-specific end of things, I’m really intrigued by the Heritage Lab BC120.
VII. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
My best idea for two skis that I’ve actually spent enough time on to be confident in is from 4FRNT: Raven, MSP 107.