Ski: 2024-2025 Icelantic Maiden 102, 176 cm
Test Location: Crested Butte Mountain Resort, CO
Days Skied: ~5
Available Lengths: 155, 162, 169, 176 cm
Blister’s Measured Tip-to-Tail Length (straight-tape pull): 173.1 cm
Stated Weight per Ski (176 cm): 1833 grams
Blister’s Measured Weight per Ski (176 cm): 1830 & 1835 grams
Stated Dimensions:137-102-129 mm
Blister’s Measured Dimensions: 134.5-100-126.5 mm*
Stated Sidecut Radius (176 cm): 18 meters
Measured Tip & Tail Splay (ski decambered): 69 mm / 57.5 mm
Measured Traditional Camber Underfoot: 5.5 mm
Core Materials: poplar + carbon stringers + fiberglass laminate
Base Material: sintered ISOSPEED 7200
Factory Recommended Mount Points:
- BC: -6.8 cm from center / 79.8 cm from tail
- PC: -4.8 cm from center / 81.8 cm from tail
Boots Used: Lange Shadow 115 LV W
Bindings Used: Tyrolia Attack 13 MNC
*Note: our test pair of the Maiden 102 was one of the first to come out of the factory and is 1-2 mm narrower overall than production skis
Intro
Earlier this spring, Icelantic announced that they overhauled their best-selling skis, the Nomad and Maiden series. These skis have looked mostly the same for over a decade, but for the 2024-2025 season, Icelantic updated all of them.
We’ve been spending time on the women-specific Maiden 102 and Maiden 108 since mid-January, giving us plenty of time to test them in a variety of conditions, and our male reviewers have been skiing the new Nomad 100, 106, and 112.
(To see Luke Koppa’s thoughts so far on the Nomad 106, BLISTER+ Members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out his Flash Review of the Nomad 106.)
So, what drove Icelantic to alter the skis they are best known for, and how significant are those changes? We’ll dive into all of that below, but for the whole backstory, check out our video from Blister Summit 2024, where Luke Koppa sat down with Icelantic’s Global Operations Director, John Douthit:
What Icelantic says about the Maiden 102
“Replacing our best selling women’s ski of all time (Maiden) wasn’t going to be easy, so it was really important to us that we do this right. Our solution? Simple. Make the BEST women’s ski we’ve ever made. We’ve done exactly that. The Maiden needs to have more energy? Check! We doubled the camber height and added carbon stringers tip to tail to exaggerate the much desired pop underfoot. “The Maiden 101 needs a lighter swingweight.” Copy that! Our new FLY-cap construction does exactly that without needing to reduce surface area. “The Maiden 101 is great, but I wish it carved a little better.” Good news! All of this plus a more symmetrical tip/tail and an updated mount position, marries the familiarity and reliability of the Maiden you know and love with a lively, poppy, and even more FUN ski you always knew it could be. The Maiden 102 combines the rare qualities of playfulness and dampness into a ski that delivers the versatile freeride performance that pushes you to take on the whole mountain with the utmost confidence.”
Construction
Most of the biggest updates for the 24/25 Maidens and Nomads come down to their core constructions. They all feature a poplar wood core, carbon stringers above and below that core, and a triaxial fiberglass laminate. As with all of Icelantic’s skis, they’re manufactured in Never Summer’s factory in Denver, CO.
Those carbon stringers are a new addition, and combined with increased camber heights on most of the skis (excl. Maiden 108 & Nomad 112), they’re part of Icelantic’s goal to make the new skis more lively / energetic.
The revised skis also feature what Icelantic is calling their “FLY-cap construction,” which extends the wood cores farther toward the end of the ski, reducing the amount of plastic that would typically be used there, and in turn, decreasing the swing weights of the skis.
As far as distinctions between the Nomad and women’s Maiden series, they feature very similar overall designs and constructions, but with a few differences. For starters, the Maiden series comes in slightly different width options, at 94, 102, and 108 (compared to the Nomad 94, 100, 106, and 112).
The Maiden skis also feature slightly stiffer tips and tails in equivalent sizes, and the Maidens come in shorter lengths; for 24/25, Icelantic added a longer 176 cm option for the Maiden 102 and Maiden 108.
One other tweak for 24/25 was a switch to a matte, scratch-resistant top sheet material, which replaces Icelantic’s previous “Carbonium” top sheet. The goal there was to show the artwork more clearly, both when the skis are new and when they’ve been skied and scuffed up a bit.
Again, for full details on the new lineup, be sure to watch our video on it, above.
Shape & Rocker Profile
The Maidens have by no means become unrecognizable from their predecessors — the new skis maintain pretty similar shapes and rocker profiles. They still feature minimally tapered tips and tails, deep tip and tail rocker lines, and camber underfoot.
That last part is where several of the new skis have been tweaked — Icelantic added more camber height to the Maiden 94, Maiden 102, Nomad 94, Nomad 100, and Nomad 106. As noted above, the main goal with that change was to increase rebound / pop.
Icelantic did slightly tweak the shapes of the new skis, opting to widen the tails a few millimeters to make the overall shape a bit more symmetrical.
Flex Pattern
Here’s how we’d characterize the flex pattern of the Maiden 102:
Tips: 5.5-6
Shovels: 6-7.5
In Front of Toe Piece: 8-10
Underfoot: 10
Behind the Heel Piece: 9.5-8
Tails: 7.5-6
Compared to the rest of the ~100mm-wide all-mountain class, the Maiden 102 is fairly soft through the rockered portions of the ski, strong around the middle, and has a more symmetrical flex pattern than many of the more directional options in this category.
Compared to the previous Maiden 101, the new Maiden 102’s flex pattern is pretty similar, but the new ski is appreciably stiffer overall
Dimensions
Across the Nomad and Maiden lineup, Icelantic changed their model breakdown / width options. On the Maiden side, the lineup went from the 23/24 Maiden 91, Maiden 101, and Maiden 111 to the 24/25 Maiden 94, Maiden 102, and Maiden 108.
Sidecut Radius
With a stated sidecut radius of 18 meters, the 176 cm Maiden 102 is just about average for its class.
Mount Point
Rounding out their updates, Icelantic also tweaked the recommended mount points of the new Maidens and Nomads. For reference, the previous skis’ recommended mount points were typically around -8 to -9 cm from true center.
The new skis are designed around slightly more forward / centered mount points, in part because so many folks (including some of our reviewers) were already mounting the previous skis forward of recommended.
For all the 24/25 Maidens and Nomads, Icelantic has listed two possible mount points: “BC” (Boot Center, recommended for most skiers) and “PC” (Progressive Center, for freestyle-oriented folks), the latter of which is 2 cm forward of the BC line.
On the Maiden 102, the BC line is about -6.8 cm from true center, while the PC line is about -4.8 cm. Both are closer to center than most directional skis, but the BC line is a bit farther back than the mount points on most freestyle-specific skis.
Weight
At about 1830 grams per ski for the 176 cm length, the Maiden 102 falls on the lighter end of the spectrum when compared to a lot of the other similarly sized women’s skis we’ve been testing, though the Maiden 102 isn’t a big outlier in this regard — there are several comparable skis that are similar in terms of weight.
Comparing the stated weight of the 169 cm 23/24 Maiden 101 to the stated weight of the 169 cm 24/25 Maiden 102, Icelantic says the new model is only about 25 g lighter per ski. We haven’t weighed a previous Maiden in the same 176 cm length (Icelantic didn’t offer the Maiden 101 in a 176), but FWIW, our measured weight for the 176 cm Maiden is almost identical to Icelantic’s stated weight.
For reference, here are a number of our measured weights (per ski in grams) for some notable skis. Keep in mind the length differences to try to keep things apples-to-apples.
1550 & 1603 Elan Ripstick 94 W, 168 cm
1676 & 1700 Majesty Vadera Carbon, 176 cm
1690 & 1700 Blizzard Black Pearl 84, 170 cm
1693 & 1710 Moment Sierra, 172 cm
1711 & 1712 Majesty Havoc 90 Ti, 176 cm
1741 & 1747 Nordica Unleashed 98 W, 174 cm
1752 & 1751 Blizzard Sheeva 9, 172 cm
1744 & 1921 Atomic Maven 103 CTI, 178 cm
1761 & 1778 Zag Slap 104, 176 cm
1762 & 1779 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W, 170 cm
1773 & 1785 Blizzard Black Pearl 88, 170 cm
1787 & 1798 Faction Dancer 2X, 172 cm
1792 & 1792 Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, 172 cm
1797 & 1839 Rossignol Rallybird 102, 170 cm
1797 & 1839 Rossignol Rallybird 104 Ti, 171 cm
1815 & 1825 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti, 176 cm
1821 & 1827 Icelantic Maiden 108, 176 cm
1822 & 1843 Armada Reliance 92 Ti, 172 cm
1830 & 1835 Icelantic Maiden 102, 176 cm
1835 & 1820 Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, 185 cm
1836 & 1838 Armada ARW 106 UL, 180 cm
1847 & 1854 Wagner Summit 106, 172 cm
1851 & 1856 Blizzard Sheeva 10, 180 cm
1860 & 1862 Majesty Vadera Ti, 176 cm
1878 & 1891 Salomon QST Stella 106, 173 cm
1885 & 1907 Salomon QST Lumen 98, 176 cm
1928 & 1945 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, 172 cm
1933 & 1953 Blizzard Black Pearl 94, 176 cm
1933 & 1975 Volkl Secret 96, 170 cm
1955 & 1990 Coalition Snow SOS, 173 cm
1958 & 1960 Faction Dancer 3X, 172 cm
1959 & 1986 Blizzard Sheeva 11, 180 cm
1961 & 1985 K2 Mindbender 106C W, 176 cm
1969 & 1988 4FRNT MSP CC, 171 cm
1994 & 2001 Peak 98 by Bode, 178 cm
2010 & 2063 Volkl Secret 102, 170 cm
2035 & 2083 Nordica Unleashed 108 W, 180 cm
2045 & 2070 Nordica Santa Ana 92, 179 cm
2057 & 2061 Fischer Ranger 102, 176 cm
2074 & 2088 Line Blade Optic 104, 178 cm
2178 & 2166 Coalition Snow Rafiki, 180 cm
With all the tech and specs out of the way, let’s get into how all of that translates on snow:
FULL REVIEW
Kara Williard (5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg): We started testing the all-new Maiden 102 and Maiden 108 this past January, both in their new 176 cm length options, and I was pretty excited from the start. I have admired the Maidens and their amazing Travis Parr graphics for several seasons, but most of them were only available up to a 169 cm length, which was too short for me.
So, this winter, I not only got to try them in appropriate lengths, but also across a wide range of conditions to see where the new skis excel and what sorts of skiers should be considering them.
Also, if you’re curious about how the new vs. old Maidens and Nomads compare, you can read our Flash Review of the Nomad 106, watch our video on the new skis from Blister Summit 2024, and stay tuned for more from our male reviewers, who spent time on the Nomad 100, Nomad 106, and Nomad 112.
Moguls, Trees, & Tight Terrain
I found the Maiden 102 to be intuitive from the start, which made it a comfortable and confidence-inspiring partner to use when venturing into tighter and more technical terrain.
Two defining aspects of the Maiden 102 are its low swing weight and generally accessible ride. The Maiden 102 releases and pivots without much effort, and it doesn’t require an aggressively forward stance to feel quick and maneuverable in tight terrain. It’s quite adaptable in terms of stance and skiing style, allowing me to drive it on edge, slarve between moguls and obstacles, or hop and flick it around in the air.
In line with Icelantic’s claims about the new skis, the Maiden 102 produces a lot of rebound, making for a lively and playful ride.
Now, as I noted, I got along well with this ski quite quickly. This came as a bit of a surprise, given that I am a directional skier who often enjoys pretty traditional, directional skis. But I found the Maiden 102’s slightly more symmetrical design and more centered mount point to work mostly well for me, especially in tight terrain and moguls.
That said, there were occasional instances where I had to adjust my technique a bit, especially if I had previously been skiing a less rockered, stiffer, and/or more rearward-mounted ski. E.g., I sometimes found the Maiden 102’s turn initiation just a bit vague / not super precise, likely due to its deep tip rocker line. I also sometimes felt a bit “short-shoveled” by the ski if I was driving its shovels hard and hit an unseen obstacle, clump of snow, etc.
I was able to adjust and very much enjoy the Maiden 102, but it encourages a slightly more centered stance and a slightly more skid-oriented approach than some more directional all-mountain skis, such as the Nordica Santa Ana 102 or K2 Mindbender 106C W. (For more thoughts on the mount point of the Maiden 102, keep reading.)
On the other hand, the Maiden 102 also has a more forgiving tail and is much easier to pivot than skis like those (and several others in this class), making the Maiden 102 feel more accessible and easygoing in moguls and tight terrain.
Powder & Soft Chop
The Maiden 102 is a lot of fun in untracked snow, but even more so when it comes to soft chop. I definitely prefer the wider Maiden 108 for deep days, but for the shallower or quickly tracked out resort days, the Maiden 102 felt pretty ideal.
The Maiden 102’s wide, deeply rockered shovels do a good job of planing atop new snow and the ski is quite surfy for its width, even in dense pow. Overall, it performs very well in soft conditions — it’s one of the better powder skis I’ve used in the ~100-105 mm class.
As things get skied out, the Maiden 102 remains loose and nimble, but it’s also surprisingly composed and stable. I first skied the Maiden 102 on a shallow resort “powder” day and I wasn’t sure how it would react as things got firmer and more scraped off, given that it’s a fairly soft, very rockered, and not-super-heavy ski. But the Maiden 102 was quite composed in soft, tracked-out powder, especially considering how easy and maneuverable it is when you don’t feel like charging.
There are a few skis in this class that are even surfier / looser than the Maiden 102, and there are more that offer better composure for hard-charging skiers (see our Deep Dive comparisons for the Maiden 102). But the Maiden 102 strikes a nice balance between those ends of the spectrum, standing out for its flotation and maneuverability but still offering enough stability to ski fast in soft conditions.
Firm Chop & Crud
As I just spoke to, the Maiden 102 is well-balanced in terms of maneuverability and stability. While it stands out more for the former than the latter, the Maiden 102 is still surprisingly composed and stable, especially given its low swing weight.
I didn’t notice the Maiden 102 getting knocked around that much, even when skiing pretty fast in variable conditions. As I alluded to in the Tight Terrain section, its shovels don’t feel very precise / locked-in when driving them hard in these conditions, but overall, the ski feels pretty predictable in chop and crud (especially if there aren’t icy patches between clumps). That said, the Maiden 102 is also happy to take it easy, and its maneuverable ride in soft snow translates to less-than-ideal conditions.
I was actually surprised that, when skiing the Maiden 102 in chop and crud, I found myself skiing less conservatively than I would on many stiffer, heavier, less rockered skis, such as the Volkl Secret 102 or Nordica Santa Ana 102.
The forgiving nature of the Maiden 102 meant that even I (a fairly conservative skier) found myself taking a slightly looser and faster approach; because the Maiden 102 is easy to slash and shed speed, even from a less ideal stance, I didn’t have to worry as much about making a mistake and getting punished for being slightly off balance.
Overall, the Maiden 102 is best suited for folks who’d rather sacrifice a bit of suspension and precision for a lighter, looser, and more playful ride in firm chop and crud. However, the Maiden 102 manages to check those boxes while also being pretty predictable and composed when you do feel like skiing harder, and it isn’t quick to punish the mistakes that often come with more aggressive skiing.
Groomers / On-Piste
For a wider all-mountain ski, the Maiden 102 does a fairly good job on piste, but there are plenty of ~102mm-wide skis that offer more precise, stable, and/or powerful rides on groomed snow.
The Maiden 102 is pretty easy to bend and offers enough support and edge contact to carve pretty hard, especially when the snow is on the grippier end of the spectrum. When the snow fits that description, you can utilize the Maiden 102’s long effective edge (due to its lack of tip / tail tapering) and engage most of the ski on edge. As things get scraped off, the Maiden 102’s very deep rocker lines feel more obvious, and it’s not a ski that I trust to hold if I want to carve at high-edge angles on steeper and firmer groomers.
The Maiden 102 is pretty adaptable in terms of turn shapes, and it by no means demands that you keep it on edge 100% of the time. It’s an easy ski to feather in and out of turns, slarve / skid around, and doesn’t require much force to bend into tighter turns. It’s not what I’d pick if you want to properly carve a bunch of really firm groomers, but the Maiden 102 feels lively and intuitive on softer slopes.
Length
For reference, I’m 5’9”, 170 lbs (175 cm, 77 kg), and tend to get along with skis in lengths anywhere from 170-185 cm, depending on the type of ski. On more forgiving / playful skis, I tend to prefer longer lengths; the previous 169 cm Maiden 101 felt significantly too short for me.
With that context in mind, I was (selfishly) very excited about the addition of the 176 cm option for the 24/25 Maiden 102, and it has felt like a suitable length for me.
It’s still far from the most stable ski I’ve tried in this class, but the 176 cm Maiden 102 was almost always composed enough for my preferences (especially in soft-ish conditions), and still notably playful and forgiving. I could probably get away with a longer version if they made it, but the 176 cm Maiden 102 felt pretty ideal for me, especially in tighter terrain and in powder, chop, and slush.
It might be a good call to go up a size on the Maiden 102 if you want to prioritize stability and/or you’re coming from less rockered, stiffer, more directional skis; the Maiden 102’s rocker profile, flex pattern, and mount point all make it ski a bit shorter than its on-paper length might suggest. And if the 176 cm Maiden 102 sounds too short for you, check out Icelantic’s Nomad 100 or 106; they’re available in 182 cm and 188 cm lengths.
(Check out our GEAR 101 video and article on ski length for more on the factors that contribute to how long a given ski feels when you’re actually skiing it, and why you might want to size up or down on a particular model.)
Mount Point
I found the Maiden quite intuitive mounted on its recommended “BC” mount point, which is about -6.8 cm from true center. But that’s a bit closer to center than many skis I get along with, so I was curious about trying it with the bindings bumped back a bit. After my first several days, I experimented with that; I tried -1 cm and -2 cm from BC, which translated to roughly -8 and -9 cm from true center, respectively.
Moving the bindings back did allow me to drive the Maiden 102’s shovels a bit more, but I also found it a little harder to access / utilize the energetic rebound derived from the center of the ski. It felt just a bit less playful in that regard, and slightly more sluggish. The tails also felt like they were washing out a bit more easily and the ski itself didn’t feel quite as intuitive overall, though I did feel more support and engagement from the shovel. This was most noticeable on really firm and scraped-off snow, where I found it a bit easier to ski with my forward, directional stance.
[Side Note: moving the mount point back -1 cm from BC was more helpful and intuitive for me on the wider Maiden 108 than it was on the Maiden 102. I have a harder time adapting my stance in powder than I do elsewhere, and this adjustment allowed me to drive the Maiden 108’s shovels a bit more without feeling like doing so would cause them to punch / dive down below the snow.]
So, I think most folks will enjoy the Maiden 102 mounted on its recommended “BC” line; it might require a bit of an adjustment for directional skiers, but I think it skis most intuitively mounted there. Its more forward “PC” mount point (+2 cm from BC) might be a better call if you have a freestyle background and/or want to play around more with airs, spins, rails, skiing switch, etc.
Who’s It For?
The phrase “sweet spot” could have easily been overused in this review, and that’s because, in many ways, that’s where the Maiden 102 sits.
For starters, it offers an excellent maneuverability-to-stability ratio. It’s also adaptable to different skiing styles and stances, and it feels comfortable in most snow conditions, with a slight bias toward softer snow. All of this makes it a viable option for lots of skiers.
Given that, it’s probably most efficient to just outline who the Maiden 102 isn’t for:
There are several heavier, stiffer, less rockered alternatives that offer better composure in chop and crud, especially at high speeds. So if that’s your top priority, look elsewhere. Same goes for those who want to truly carve very firm groomers on their ~100mm-wide all-mountain ski. And while it can be intuitive to directional skiers like me, the Maiden may require a bit of adaptability on the skier’s behalf, in order to align with the looser, more centered, and more playful skiing style it encourages.
The Maiden 102 isn’t the most forgiving ski out there, but it’s certainly on the more forgiving end of the spectrum. I think many intermediate and beginner skiers could get along with (and progress with) it, while experienced skiers who ski more playfully (or want to) could also really enjoy it, especially since it’s a ski that rewards good technique and skier input with more rebound / energy.
If you’re not sure what ski is right for you and/or don’t even know where to start, you can always become a BLISTER+ member, send us a note via the Member Clubhouse, and one of our reviewers will work one-on-one with you to figure out what would make the most sense for your particular case
Bottom Line
The Icelantic Maiden 102 isn’t ultra-stable, nor is it the absolute most playful ski out there, but it does offer a really appealing combination of maneuverability and stability, occupying the grey area between directional and freestyle skis. Turns out, that grey area can be a good place to be.
The Maiden 102 feels predictable and reliable in a wide range of conditions and terrain, and it can cater to a variety of skiing styles. So if you’re after a versatile all-mountain ski, especially one that’s pretty playful and agile but still composed in soft-ish conditions, it warrants a close look.
Deep Dive Comparisons
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out our Deep Dive comparisons linked below. Not a member? Become a BLISTER+ member today or get our Digital Access Pass to get access to this and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Deep Dive: Icelantic Maiden 102
We compare the Icelantic Maiden 102 to the Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Moment Sierra, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Faction Dancer 3X, Zag Slap 104, Armada ARW 106 UL, Nordica Unleashed 108 W, Atomic Maven 103 CTI, Fischer Ranger 102, Nordica Santa Ana 102, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, Volkl Secret 102, DPS Kaizen 105, Line Optic 104, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, & Salomon QST Stella 106.
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