1-Ski Quiver: Reviewers’ Choices (17/18)

Scott Nelson (see Bio)

I. What’s your 1-ski quiver (of currently available skis) for where you ski most?

I currently split up my time 70/30 between the parks of Keystone & Breckenridge, and the steeps and trees of Arapahoe Basin. I enjoy hitting big jumps in Breckenridge’s Freeway park when the weather cooperates, as well as fast laps through Keystone’s rail lines on windier days. I also have a serious soft spot for the terrain accessed by A-Basin’s Pali Chair. A 1-ski quiver that can handle all of this must be fairly stiff, but not so stiff that it sacrifices playfulness. It has to be a ski that is simply ‘fun’ in all conditions, but also doesn’t have me feeling nervous at the top of a steep chute.

For me, the Faction Candide 2.0 fits this description well, with a fairly stiff flex underfoot that softens a bit through its moderate rocker profile in its tips and tails. It’s a buttery and surfy ski that can jib the mountain, but it can also handle high-speed chop pretty well for what many might consider a park ski.

II. What’s your 1-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location?

As I get older, I find myself spending more and more time away from the park, and the skis I use in the park are getting wider and wider anyway. So I’m excited to get on more stiff and wide skis to use in and out of the park over the next few years. The RMU Apostle 98 was my stiffer daily driver for both spring park days and fast steeps at A-Basin toward the end of last season. The Apostle 98 has a remarkable ability to blast through crud and slush, handle big-jump landings, and also still maintain a playful feel on jibs.

III. What ski was the most difficult to leave off your list?

The J Skis Allplay was a close runner up to the Candide 2.0 for many of the same reasons that the 2.0 works for me as a 1-ski quiver. It’s surfy and buttery around jibs in the park, and is a really enjoyable all-mountain jib ski. The Candide 2.0 maintains the slight edge over the All Play in terms of stability on bigger jumps and around the mountain, making it a more practical 1-ski quiver for me.

IV. 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’m hoping to get on the ON3P Kartel 108. It’s a stiffer and burlier all-mountain freestyle ski that seems to offer a very good blend of stability and playfulness, and yet it’s also becoming the daily driver of an increasing number of park skiers. For all of these reasons, I’m also hopeful to get on the RMU Apostle 106 and see how the two skis stack up against each other as all-mountain jib tools.

NEXT: Kara Williard’s 1-Ski Quiver Selections