Intro
We recently published several of our reviewers’ selections for 5-ski, 4-ski, and 3-ski quivers and 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 if you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own ski quiver, then become a Blister Member, submit your question via the Blister Member Clubhouse page, and we’ll get you sorted out.
Six 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. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
V. 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?
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Dylan Wood
(5’10.5”, 155 lbs / 179 cm, 70 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
I’m prioritizing resort skiing here since I spend 80%+ of my days at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, but still factoring in that I will be getting some touring days in mid-winter, mostly for seeking out powder.
Ski #1: Black Crows Camox, 186 cm + alpine binding
Once again, the Camox sticks around. Seriously, this is one of the most versatile skis out there. This ski will cover me for firm snow days, whether I spend them on groomers, on chalky steeps, or in the park. Mounting +2 cm here to gain a more balanced platform for freestyle. I might take these out touring using Daymaker touring adapters, but I don’t want to put a hybrid binding on it due to the abuse it will likely receive in the park.
Ski #2: Moment Countach 110, 188 cm + Cast Freetour Look Pivot 15
I’m switching from the Sender Free 110 (in my bigger quivers) to the Countach here for a few reasons. First, I think the Countach is a slightly better powder ski, and since this will be my widest ski, that is more of a priority than in previous quivers. Second, the Countach is lighter and less fatiguing to drag uphill as a touring ski, and this will be the ski that I’ll use for most of my touring days. I’m definitely making some sacrifices here, mostly in terms of suspension and freestyle capabilities, but that’s what you have to do with a smaller quiver. Mounting on the line here.
[Editor’s Note: we’ll be publishing our full review of the Countach ASAP; we mostly just need a bit more time on the 188 cm length.]
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
Ski #1: Black Crows Camox, 186 cm + alpine binding
Sticking with the Camox here since it is very hard to get this ski feeling truly out of place in a resort setting.
Ski #2: Rossignol Sender Free 110, 191 cm + alpine binding
Going back to the Sender Free here since weight is no longer a concern. It is still a good enough powder ski for me to be okay with it as my widest ski.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
Hmm, Crested Butte is pretty average when it comes to snow totals when looking at the whole world, and it’s definitely more demanding than most places in terms of durability, so I don’t think I’d change anything here.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
Not much new here, I would miss the Sender Free 110 in my resort quiver, but other than that, the skis I mentioned in prior quivers apply.
V. 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?
Perpetually curious about the Woodsman 108. This season!
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Many, many options here. Here are my top picks:
Moment: Wildcat 101, Countach 110
This is more soft-snow-oriented than I’d like but I am ok with it.
Black Crows: Camox, Atris
Atris would be a 50/50 ski here.
Atomic: Bent 100, Bent 110
Basically a double-50/50 quiver here.
Kara Williard
(5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
As we pare down the quivers, it brings a bit of clarity (to me at least). I know I want to prioritize resort skiing, focus on skis that are exceptionally versatile, and settle on skis that offer a nice balance of stability and accessibility, given the wide range of scenarios in which they’ll need to perform and be enjoyable.
Ski #1: K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, 172 cm + alpine binding
This ski was a staple in my ski quivers last season; given that it hasn’t changed and I still find it to be one of the most versatile skis out there, it still makes sense in my 2-ski quiver. It’s fairly lively and maneuverable, yet still quite damp and stable. I can take it just about anywhere in a huge range of conditions and feel pretty good about it, so here it is again.
Ski #2: Majesty Vadera Ti, 176 cm + Duke PT
The Majesty Vadera Ti seems like a very solid choice here as a resort powder ski, backcountry ski, and a wider all-mountain option for variable conditions. It’s pretty quick and playful, but also impressively stable and feels quite precise on edge for its size; this type of well-rounded versatility is exactly what I am after in a smaller quiver.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
I am not sure I would change anything, here. At ~1861 g per ski, the Majesty Vadera Ti isn’t wildly heavy nor super light, which made it a great contender as a 50/50 ski, but I’m still pretty impressed by its stability, even when conditions aren’t wildly soft. I might opt for a ski with slightly better suspension and a bit more weight / girth to it, in which case the Blizzard Sheeva 11 would be near the top of my list. I think the Vadera Ti offers comparable flotation, but it’s a bit quicker and more manageable in tight terrain.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
Hmm, it likely wouldn’t look all that different, but I do think I would opt for something just a bit narrower as my 50/50 ski for resort powder and backcountry touring. I’d look to something like the Salomon QST Stella 106 or K2 Mindbender 106C W, which would provide me with a more playful alternative to the Mindbender 99Ti W, while also being solid choices for some resort powder skiing.
I also contemplated swapping the Mindbender 99Ti W for the Peak 98 by Bode, since the Peak 98 felt just a bit more stable (especially on really firm snow). While I can’t speak to the long-term durability of the Peak 98, I think it’s a really solid contender as a daily driver for most resort skiing.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
There were quite a few. I considered swapping the Majesty Vadera Ti for the Nordica Unleashed 108, but the Unleashed 108 is about 200 g heavier per ski and therefore less ideal for touring. I also considered the Salomon QST Stella 106 and Mindbender 106C (I explained some of that rationale above). The Folsom Cash 106 and Faction Dancer 3X were in the conversation for similar reasons, but the Majesty Vadera Ti beats those skis in terms of flotation, while still being pretty impressive in terms of its balance of playfulness and stability in a wide range of conditions, and I feel pretty solid about that pick, all in all.
When it came to the daily driver slot, I also considered the Peak 98 by Bode and the Volkl Secret 102, but the Mindbender 99Ti is just a tad more lively, forgiving, and playful than both. I appreciate that, especially when I find myself stepping into more challenging terrain and wanting to progress / test myself throughout the season.
V. 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?
As mentioned in previous quivers, I am still very intrigued by the Salomon Stance 102.
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
It’s already somewhat spelled out above, but I think the clear choice would be from K2:
Mindbender 99Ti w/ alpine binding and Mindbender 106C W w/ Duke PT.
And another reasonable option would be Nordica:
Santa Ana 98 w/ alpine binding and Unleashed 108 w/ Duke PT.
David Golay
(6’, 170 lbs / 183 cm, 77.1 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
This was the hardest quiver for me to put together of the bunch. I’d stuck with two touring skis through my 3-ski quiver, but if I only get two skis, I’m going to narrow things down to a single touring ski and a single (mostly) inbounds one.
The problem is that I don’t have a mid-fat touring ski to swap in that I’m entirely thrilled about. Given that I’ve been going with a 4FRNT Raven + Renegade touring combo up to this point, the 4FRNT Hoji would seem like the obvious choice but I (1) haven’t skied the current one and (2) didn’t click with the prior-gen one as well as I have with either the Raven or the Renegade.
I’ve also just had a hard time picking a single do-it-all touring ski in general, and I think the fact that I spent a whole bunch of time on the entire (sadly and abruptly departed) K2 Dispatch family last season illustrates the problem pretty well. I loved the Dispatch 120 as a powder touring ski, and I live somewhere with a combination of a lot of snow and often pretty good mid-winter stability that lets me put a ski like that to use regularly. And while it wasn’t quite the lovefest that I had with the 120, I got along pretty well with the Dispatch 101 as a ski for firm-ish to soft-but-not-deep conditions.
The Dispatch 110 just didn’t fit into my quiver very well, though — not because I didn’t like it or had anything in particular that I wanted to change about it, but because it just sort of landed in between a bunch of my realistic use cases and wasn’t ideally suited to any of them. If there was any significant amount of new snow, I just wanted to be on the 120. If there wasn’t, the 110 was still wider and softer-snow-oriented than really made sense. I think that ~110 mm waist width works well as a do-it-all resort ski for me around here, but it doesn’t add up as well for a touring ski, where conditions are generally more consistent (either relatively untracked or just firm).
So, with that lengthy ramble out of the way:
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
I’ll stick with the Raven as my main touring ski. It won’t be ideal for a lot of my deeper mid-winter days, but the Raven floats well enough that I’ll still have a great time, and it’ll be a lot more manageable than various wider options that I might have subbed in here when things firm up.
Ski #2: Moment Countach, 188 cm + CAST Freetour
For the #2 slot, I’m going to go with something that I’m mostly going to ski inbounds when I expect things to be reasonably soft (with the thinking that I’ll go touring or ride a bike if it’s not) and can take for the odd tour if it’s going to be deep and I really want something with a little more float than the Raven.
I’d miss having a more full-on charger for inbounds duty, and this combo is heavy enough that I wouldn’t be that excited to take it on any really long tours, but we’re deep into compromise territory with just two skis so…
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
I’m spending way more days touring than riding lifts these days, so mostly this question just makes me sad. But I’ll go back to the two resort skis that I had in my 4-ski quiver — the 184 cm Volkl Mantra 102 and 190 cm Moment Wildcat — for all the same reasons I stated there.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
This is easier than my 2-ski quiver for my home area. Operating under the assumption that I’m going to be skiing some lower-snow areas than the Pacific Northwest, I’ll stick with the Raven as my touring ski and then go for a Blizzard Cochise 106 as my do-it-all resort ski, for the same reasons that I stated in my 3-ski quiver.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
There are a whole bunch of options that I considered for my #2 ski, depending on the exact compromises that I wanted to make. Ask me again tomorrow and there’s a decent chance I’d pick something else off this list — none feel truly ideal, and we’ve winnowed things down enough that the compromises are starting to get very real.
The Volkl V-Werks Katana, Moment Wildcat, K2 Mindbender 108 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 11, and Folsom Primary 110 all crossed my mind as options. The fact that there’s such a wide variety of skis in there speaks to how hard a time I had with this one.
V. 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?
The Raven is an excellent ski, but I think I’d ideally have something just a little wider and more soft-snow-oriented (but still pretty versatile) as my main touring ski. Is that the latest 4FRNT Hoji? ON3P Woodsman 108 Tour? Armada Locator 112? WNDR Alpine Intention 108? Not sure.
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Moment: Countach, WIldcat Tour 108
Volkl: Mantra 102, Blaze 106
4FRNT: Raven, MSP 107
Noah Eckhouse
(5’10”, 210 lbs / 178 cm, 98 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
As previously mentioned, I split my winters between the East (December and March) and West (January and February), with my time out west mostly spent in Crested Butte, plus a smattering of days at other Colorado resorts.
I opted to outline my 3-ski quiver largely based on location, but I think the more useful way to think about these quivers is by directing my thinking toward snow conditions. We all know there is good snow in the East (sometimes) and crappy snow out West (sometimes) — no specific location is a monolith in terms of conditions. So with that thinking in mind, reducing my quiver to two pairs turns out to be pretty simple: an all-mountain ski and a ski for looser / softer snow.
Ski #1: Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, 178 cm
The Sender 104 Ti would make me quite happy as my daily driver. I like its flex pattern, it’s responsive, it carves well, and it delivers a big smile at speed. I could use it on hard and “average” snow days, and it’s wide enough that I could have a great time on it if the snow begins piling up throughout the day. Also, when I ski steeps out West, I want a ski that won’t surprise me with uninitiated turns, tips or tails that fold up, and/or a rocker profile that limits my edge contact when I’m catching my breath at 11,000 feet. The Sender 104 Ti hasn’t presented any of those issues for me. Like an old school James Bond character, the Sender 104 Ti has been unflappable and kept its cool, allowing me to try to do the same.
Ski #2: Vokl Blaze 114, 184 cm
For loose snow (aka, anything not firmly packed down), I continue to find myself drawn to this floaty, nimble, and responsive sk. In a 2-ski quiver, I’d opt for the longer 184 cm version for the extra flotation. After further reflection following my 3-ski selections, I challenged myself to imagine skiing the Blaze 114 on a thick, wet snow day at Stratton and concluded it would still be really fun. The truth is that, on a morning with soft snow, I could have a blast in the trees or trail edges on these skis, and if everything was scraped off by 1 pm, I’d probably just call it a day. (As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that the definition of a good ski day is a function of quality turns and snow considerations, not hours on the hill or vertical feet skied.)
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
This is exactly what my list contains (as noted in my 3-ski quiver picks, I don’t currently skin enough for it to be a priority here). I guess if I had to go uphill on either ski, I’d make it work and consider the extra weight a workout enhancer. This has always been my attitude when it came to high-end cycling gear; I could just skip breakfast and save myself $5k in carbon and titanium parts.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
I’ll stand by my quiver above since I picked those two skis with it in mind that I’d be skiing at mountains that cover a very wide range of conditions. On the durability front, both brands and ski models have a pretty good track record (including in our own experience at Blister). Unless I do some serious damage via rocks, they’re probably going to hold up and ski well for 3-4 seasons with the occasional tune.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
I’m pretty happy with this set of options for the way I ski. Obviously, there is no super-wide option, nor a very narrow ski for carving dense and icy snow. But at this stage of my life, if the downhill skiing isn’t good, I’d rather get some exercise going uphill or Nordic for the day.
V. 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?
The Elan Ripstick 106 remains a ski that I really want to try this winter. Based on what our reviewers and several of my friends have said, it sounds like it could be a great all-round option. But until I test them, it’s just an idea…
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Rossignol. Luke swears by the Black Ops 118 so that might pair nicely with the Sender 104 Ti. I’ll let you know at the Blister Summit this February.
Kristin Sinnott
(5’8”, 130 lbs / 173 cm, 59 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
As mentioned previously, my on-snow days will largely be spent at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, with some backcountry time and uphill travel at the resort mixed in.
For my 2-ski quiver, I’m opting for a 50/50 ski and a dedicated resort ski. I want the option to comfortably ski both pairs of skis in the resort so I opted for hybrid binding that’s tested to the same standards as alpine bindings.
Ski #1: Elan Ripstick 94 W + Salomon Shift
I’d plan to ski the Ripstick 94 W on both firm and soft snow days, but I’d avoid deep powder days, since skiing them in the chop won’t be as fun as it would be on the Sheeva 11. But overall, they’re a nice, do-everything all-mountain ski for my preferences.
The Ripstick 94 W weighs approximately 300 g, 0.7 lbs, or 300 paper clips (see this video for reference) less per ski than the Blizzard Sheeva 11, so it’s the easier choice for my 50/50 setup. That weight difference might not seem like much, but mounting a fairly heavy AT binding on Ripstick 94 W won’t make the ski any lighter. I’m not a huge fan of skiing on touring bindings while spinning lifts, in general, but I’m more of a finesse skier, so the Ripstick + Shift binding should work just fine for me on resort.
Ski #2: Blizzard Sheeva 11, 172 cm + Look Pivot
I’m really excited to hop back on these in a week or so, regardless of whether the snow really warrants a ski this wide. While the Sheeva 11 would primarily serve as the soft-snow and pow-oriented ski in my 2-ski quiver, it still skis well on groomers and in tight terrain.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
I’d keep the quiver the same but put a dedicated alpine binding on both pairs of skis.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
I think I’d be very happy with these 2-skis for the next 3 years, regardless of location.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
A narrower ski like the Salomons Stance 88, Nordica Santa Ana 88, or Blizzard Black Pearl 88 — those are all skis that I get along with well. The Moment Sierra was also a contender, but I didn’t want to shake things up too much — at least not in regards to my non-playful ski style.
V. 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 very intrigued by the Moment Bella — I know a lot of women who love that ski. I’d also like to try the Elan Ripstick 102 W and get more time on the Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free.
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I think I could be happy with both of theses:
Elan: Ripstick 94 W & Ripstick 102 W
Blizzard: Black Pearl 88 and Sheeva 11
Luke Koppa
(5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
There was a lot of hemming and hawing involved here, but ultimately, I tried to be rational and think about some numbers. I probably spend at least 80% of my ski days riding lifts, and my touring days don’t often involve massive approaches and tons of vert (with a couple exceptions each year).
So, thinking about all my time on snow for a given year, I feel like I really ought to prioritize what I’ll be doing most, and that’s lapping Crested Butte Mountain Resort. And given that my resort daily driver ski from my bigger quivers isn’t absurdly heavy, I’m just gonna keep the same resort quiver and swap standard alpine bindings for burly hybrid ones.
Ski #1: Armada Declivity 102 Ti, 180 cm + CAST Freetour
This stays here as my everyday resort ski for all the reasons I’ve outlined in my larger quivers. It’s a ski that I can reliably enjoy in the vast majority of terrain and conditions that I frequent. It’s not really the “most” anything, but there aren’t that many scenarios I end up in where the Declivity 102 Ti is going to be a serious liability or a major bummer for me.
In this quiver, I’m gonna have to start hitting the gym a bit and/or train for spring touring season a bit earlier via resort skinning laps, since my touring setup will not be particularly light. But the Declivity 102 Ti isn’t super heavy for what it is, and this setup is still lighter overall than some I’ve previously used without serious complaints.
As for bindings, I debated between the Marker Duke PT 16 and CAST Freetour, but I know more people who have put in more time on the CAST system without issue, including friends who ski way harder than me, so I’m favoring reliability here, given that this setup will probably see close to 100 days in the resort.
Ski #2: Rossignol Blackops 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
Somehow, I’m still rationalizing keeping around this very wide, very heavy ski in this small quiver. However, it gets more rational when I think about the days and specific runs I’ve had on this ski — very few skis I’ve tried have created as many lasting memories, and that’s why this one is sticking around. Realistically, our non-pow days far, far, far outnumber our pow days, so if I’m gonna keep a slot for any pow-oriented ski, I might as well go all-in with my favorite of all time. Plus, the Blackops 118 will also serve as my charge-y ski for whenever I know I’ll be going big and/or fast in soft to variable conditions. It’s tons of fun outside of untracked snow.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
Given how I’ve constructed my “true” 2-ski quiver above, the only thing I’d change would be to swap the CAST system on the Declivity 102 Ti for a true alpine binding.
So instead, I’ll answer a different question: what would your 2-ski quiver be for only human-powered skiing?
Great question! (And we’ll probably add that in for everyone next year…)
I’d go with the 178 cm Majesty Superwolf for my firm- and shallow-snow ski, and just for when I know I’m in for a lot of vert. It’s a fairly light 93mm-wide ski that holds an edge when I want, without being twitchy, hooky, and harsh like some of the lighter alternatives in its class. I.e., it basically lets me ski how I like to ski, which has been very rare in my experience with the class of <100mm-wide, directional, light-ish touring skis.
As for the 2nd slot, that’s a tougher one. I’m tempted to just go with something goofy like the Armada ARGII UL and truly make the most of the mid-winter pow laps. But in a 2-ski touring quiver, this ski would see much more than just pure pow, and if it’s super deep, I’ll probably just grab my pow-surf board. So instead, I’d want to go with something that excels in soft snow but can still handle more variable conditions. Right now, I’m hemming and hawing between the 183 cm Line Vision 108 and 181 cm Salomon QST Echo 106. The Vision is lighter, floats a bit better, is more engaging at slow speeds, and feels a bit more freestyle-friendly. The QST Echo 106 is more damp, more stable at high speeds, and I’d probably trust its edge hold a bit more. Given that I have more time on the Vision 108, I think I’ll go with that for now.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
I think this is where I can no longer justify the Blackops 118. I know I love it in a wide range of conditions (not just deep snow), but if I’m considering all locations, there’s a very good chance I’d do a lot more touring, and therefore my quiver wouldn’t be as resort-biased.
There are so many ways I could potentially set this up, but here’s what I’ll go with at this particular moment:
Ski #1: Armada Declivity 102 Ti, 180 cm + CAST Freetour
We get a pretty wide range of conditions at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, from man-made ice to perfect chalk to slush and refrozen crap, so I think I’d be pretty happy with my resort daily driver for CBMR being used as my daily driver for just about anywhere. It’s not going to be the best option in most scenarios, but that’s not the point of this hypothetical.
(I’m basically treating this as a resort-only setup, but given how much abuse I’ve seen the CAST system withstand, I figure I might as well throw that on instead of a pure alpine binding.)
Ski #2: RMU Apostle 106, 184 cm + CAST Freetour
This one is really tough, since it’ll be my soft- and deep-snow-oriented resort ski, as well as my sole touring ski, as well as my ski for when I just want to ski more playfully. But I know that I can have fun on the Apostle 106 just about anywhere, given how playful and versatile it is, so I’d be fairly content.
Given its lack of a properly heavy ski, this quiver would leave me really, really bummed if I ended up in a resort on a pow day with deep, heavy snow, but maybe I’d be able to change my technique and enjoy skiing more slowly in deep, dense chop. Or I’d just go pow surfing.
And while it’s a bit odd, on paper, to have two skis so close in waist width and weight, the Declivity 102 Ti and Apostle 106 encourage me to ski in very different ways. So, rather than going with a much narrower and much wider ski, I’m going with two very versatile skis that cater to different skiing styles.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
The most obvious is the Majesty Superwolf — I love it as a light, shallow-snow-oriented touring ski.
In my larger quivers, I mention all the other contenders for the slots currently taken by the Armada Declivity 102 Ti and Rossignol Blackops 118. There are a lot of close seconds and thirds.
For my “any location quiver,” I was tempted to go narrower on the daily driver, with something like the Salomon QST 92, Folsom Cash 88, or Black Crows Serpo, but I don’t feel that the Declivity 102 Ti’s performance on piste is different / worse enough from those skis to justify its notably better performance in more variable conditions, soft snow, and tight, off-piste terrain.
As for the 2nd ski in that quiver, I was really close to picking the 4FRNT Hoji, RMU North Shore 110, Faction Mana 3, Moment Countach 110, Salomon QST 106, and Black Crows Atris.
V. 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 spent most of my time on the 183 cm Moment Countach 110 last season, so I’m curious to see if more time on the 188 cm version changes my overall view of that ski.
As mentioned in other quivers, the Volkl Revolt 114 is a strong competitor against the Blackops 118, but I doubt it’ll be perfect for me.
Maybe the updated 4FRNT MSP 99 will replace the Declivity 102 Ti? My initial impressions were quite positive…
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
There are lots of brands I could go with and be reasonably happy, whether I went with a combo similar to what I did above, or set it up entirely differently:
Rossignol: Sender 104 Ti (50/50 binding) & Blackops 118
Black Crows: Serpo & Atris (50/50 binding)
Faction: Dancer 2 (50/50 binding) & Mana 3
Moment: Commander 102 (50/50 binding) & Wildcat
Wagner: Summit 97 & Summit 106 (50/50 binding)
Line: Blade Optic 96 (50/50 binding) & Blade Optic 114
Armada: Declivity 102 Ti (50/50 binding) & ARV 116
Paul Forward
(6”, 200 lbs / 183 cm, 90.7 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
The answer to this question really depends on how much heli-ski guiding I’ll be doing versus how much resort skiing I’ll be doing. In a normal year, I probably spend as many or more full days guiding as I do riding lifts at Alyeska. So if that’s the case, then I’d go for:
Ski #1: Folsom Rapture, 192 cm, SRC custom build + Marker Jester Pro
I’ve already talked a whole lot about this ski in our full review, other quiver articles, podcasts, etc. But in short, this has been my favorite all-round Alaska ski for several years and it’s the perfect companion for just about any day of guiding. And despite its 122 mm waist, it remains relatively versatile for inbound powder days. It will feel huge on days at the hill with no new snow but, most of the time when I spend a full day under the lift, I’m chasing powder anyway.
Ski #2: Armada Locator 112, 188 cm + Moment Voyager
As I noted in my 3-ski quiver picks, I have found the Locator 112 to be my new favorite all-round touring ski for Turnagain Pass and I’d be happy to use it all season. Aiming to get a Flash Review and Full Review published for this ski ASAP.
Now, if I knew that I was mostly going to be skiing Alyeska for the season and not really heli skiing very much, I’d swap the Rapture for the:
Alternative Ski #2: Folsom Giver, 190 cm, SRC custom build + Marker Jester Pro
Last season I was extremely impressed by the overall versatility of the ski and would be happy with it on all but the deepest of powder days, in addition to essentially every other day that I’m up skiing at the hill. It doesn’t have quite the top-end stability as some of the heavier skis I’ve enjoyed in the past, but it’s overall easier to ski and more forgiving. It will be enjoyable for everything from chasing my four-year-old around to big days of tram laps.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
I’m going to lump in heli-ski guiding with backcountry touring here. And in that case, I would stick with the Rapture and probably swap the Locator 112 for the Giver 110. I would be tempted to include the Volkl Mantra 102 instead of the Giver 110, but for the reasons I just outlined above, I think I’d stick with the easier and wider Giver 110.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
For this, I would go with the Giver 110 and the Locator 112. I think I could go anywhere in the world with that combination and have a great time no matter what I encountered, unless I ended up someplace with very little new snow, but I tend not to end up in those kinds of places very often.
[Editor’s Note: Paul seems like a great person to plan ski trips with…]
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
A 2-ski quiver is difficult for me because I spend my season pretty evenly divided between three very different skiing situations: heli-ski guiding, inbounds laps under the lifts at Alyeska, and human-powered ski touring in the surrounding backcountry. It would be difficult for me to not have at least one dedicated ski for each of these, given their disparate requirements. Trying to pick one ski that will cover both heli skiing and resort laps is a real challenge. Similarly, I don’t want my touring ski to be my heli ski because I really don’t want to be guiding on any kind of touring binding; on the flipside, I don’t want to tour on any kind of binding that I might be willing to heli ski on.
V. 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 very excited to try the new Folsom Rotor, which will build on the things that Folsom’s Mike McCabe learned from skiing the Rapture and the G-Wagon in Alaska.
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I’m a pretty big fan of several Folsom skis right now. Maybe it’s the stage of life I’m in or just my skiing style, but the shapes of the Giver and Rapture, combined with Folsom’s shallow reverse-camber profile (SRC), really work well for my skiing style and location.
Jonathan Ellsworth
(5’10”, 180 lbs / 178 cm, 81.5 kg)
I. What’s your 2-ski quiver for where you ski most, and why?
Those of you who aren’t new to Blister know that I do not believe in change for change’s sake — it’s stupid, and it seems suspect to me. (If every new ski is labeled as the new best thing ever, well, first, that can’t be true, which is why when you see it, you should ask yourself what sort of advertising deals or revenue models might be driving the choices.)
So for this first question, I’m sticking with my answers from last season:
Ski #1: Customized Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm
Till somebody makes a sub-90mm-wide ski that I personally like better for carving up groomers and truly all-mountain, off-piste use … I’m sticking with the Spar 88. (But see question V below.)
Ski #2: 4FRNT Hoji, 184 cm + Shift binding
I spent more time on the Hoji last season, underscoring my feelings about it as a ski that I can happily break out when conditions are soft or deep in Crested Butte, both inbounds and in the backcountry. But even when hitting really firm — or atrociously firm snow (frozen sun cups, runnels, etc) — the Hoji (like my beloved, narrower, 4FRNT Raven) stays quite predictable and intuitive, which is all I really want from my ski in such conditions.
II. If you didn’t do any backcountry touring, what would your 2-ski quiver be for inbounds-only skiing?
Ski #1: Customized Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm
Ski #2: Moment Countach 110, 188 cm
I was very tempted to go with the 190 cm Moment Wildcat or the 186 cm Rossignol Blackops 118, but I’m going to run a bit of an experiment here, go a bit narrower, and see if I feel like the Countach proves to be a bit more versatile on firmer conditions, while still floating well on the deep days of the season. It could end up being a mistake, since the Wildcat and Blackops, while being wider, are still holding the top 2 spots in terms of their capabilities on firmer stuff for ~118mm-wide skis.
III. What’s your 2-ski quiver for the next 3 years, regardless of location? (We’re framing the question this way to emphasize (a) versatility and (b) durability — these skis need to hold up for at least 3-4 years.)
Same choices as last year:
Ski #1: Customized Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm
Ski #2: Wagner Summit 106, 186 cm + Shift binding
This combination has me covered inbounds (except for the deepest days of the season), and I’m happy having the Wagner Summit 106 as my every-single-day touring ski. Plus, I feel really good about having the Summit 106 as my single travel ski for the next 3 years, which is still where I really think the Summit 106 stands out.
IV. What skis were most difficult to leave off your list?
The most honest answer is the Rossignol Blackops 118. While I’m hoping to get more time on the 190 cm Moment Wildcat this season in Crested Butte, I’m already certain how well the Blackops 118 works for me here.
And especially if I paired the Blackops 118 with a wider ski than the Folsom Spar 88, well then I’d be opening the door for several of the very good ~102mm-wide skis that I like so much on lower-tide days in Crested Butte: Nordica Enforcer 104, Volkl Mantra 102, etc.
V. 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 don’t know how likely it is to replace any skis here, but I am very interested to get on the Stockli Stormrider 95 this season. If that ski carves well enough to not make me miss having a narrower ski in the quiver, while also proving to be more versatile in thicker, punchier, off-piste snow, it will have my attention. We’ll see.
The other ski I’m now extremely curious about is the 184 cm Volkl Revolt 114, entirely since Luke Koppa keeps telling me that this is a ski I need to check out. Unlike the other skis in the Revolt line, the Revolt 114 has a more set-back mount point (around 8 cm back), and its heavier weight and shape are all things that tend to be right up my alley.
VI. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 2-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Folsom:
1: Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm
2: Folsom Giver, 188 cm (it’s 110mm wide) + Shift binding
Paul Forward’s comments about the Giver have me intrigued enough to see about making it my resort pow ski + single touring ski. I’m going to try to make this happen and find out for sure this season.
It’s fun reading these. There’s a part of me that gravitates towards more freestyle oriented options as it’s fun to imagine myself 360ing off of everything. In reality, though, I end up enjoying more directional skis that resemble David’s picks.
Excited to read that Dylan is expecting to get on some ON3P skis this season, hoping they make an appearance in next year’s publication
Would love to see a 2-ski quiver for resort only, tour only, resort + tour! Always curious about the hardpack/spring + powder combinations that you prefer.
The moment Countach’s are just such a sick ski… I got mine late last season and stoked to see them well represented here
V-Werks Katana + Stockli Montero AR
Surprised the V-Werks Katana isn’t on any of these lists but put a Duke PT or Shift on it and it can do almost everything very well.
That would be an amazing pairing
I’m deeply offended you would suggest anyone own only two pairs of skis.
Some forms of offense are stupid. (Ironically, lots of examples arise each year in the comments sections of these writeups about our *personal* ski quiver choices.) But I think that the deep offense you are experiencing here is justified. And on behalf of the whole Blister team … I apologize.
This is maybe the best and most hilarious comment one could make!
Thank you!
My two-ski quiver for the east coast would be something pretty similar to what I’m already trying to build.
1) K2 Mindbender 89Ti, 182cm + alpine binding
– I had these out for the first time on Friday at Sugarloaf and they were super fun. Light, intuitive, poppy, but still plenty strong on firmer snow
– I also considered the M6 Mantra and Enforcer 94 in this category, but got a screaming deal on the K2s. Would probably have gone 99Ti if I skied out west more – I was torn here.
2) Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited + Shifts
– I absolutely loved the way the 104 Frees handled wacky May powder conditions at Palisades last spring. I think the Unlimited version will be perfect as a 50/50 ski for the type of touring i’ll do, as well as east coast resort “pow” skiing, which largely involves noodling through tight trees looking for stashes.
– I am also strongly considering the Blaze 106 in this category, as they can be had pretty cheap right now (in comparison to the Enforcer). I’ll probably end up going this direction if I can still find a pair of last years graphics on sale after my next paycheck.
– I’d be very interested in other suggestions to fill this niche of a ~105mm underfoot 50/50 ski
nordica?
Being an 80/20 on piste heavy PNW skier I have a two-ski quiver of the Nordica Enforcer 100 as my daily driver and off-piste ski and the Nordica Dobermann Spitfire 80 RB for those groomer and firm snow carving days. I am way past any touring.
I am seriously thinking about switching up to the Peak 88 by Bode as my daily driver and the Peak 110 by Bode for soft snow days. I don’t see any love from the Blister riders for the Peak skis, and wondered why.
As we get closer to the “1 ski quiver” selections I keep thinking about how sad I am that the old school Ranger 102 FR won’t be part of that list…and it makes me think that maybe I should start a GoFundMe page to raise money to have the Blister crew start lobbying Fischer to bring the old school version of the Ranger 102 FR back! It worked for the Moment Bibby/Wildcat so there definitely is a playbook out there on how to get it done!
This could be a new source of income for Blister, ski company lobbying!!! And for Ski companies, they could take a page out of the sneaker business and start bringing back retro skis, the same way Nike brings back retro Jordans all the time and makes gobs of money. Zero R&D costs, just grab the old blueprints and molds and fire out some retros! Actually, I’m pretty sure Moment does this already with their limited release skis so obviously it works!!
What if you did one where you showed the reviewers actual quiver? Whether that was 10 or 2 and older models or new.
Great idea!
My 2 ski quiver for the west coast is the Deathwish 112 with Pivot 15s, and the Deathwish Tour 112 with Voyager XVIs.
Last season I hauled them up to the summit of Shasta, ripped hardpacked groomers at Whistler, floated through waist-deep pow off KT-22, made huge slushy spring turns on Lassen… Idk if there’s a more versatile ski out there. Maybe I’m crazy.
In an ideal world… Two pair of Wagner full custom skis.
1. Firmer snow versatile width/specs.
2. Crud & soft snow width/specs (pow lasts a nanosecond here).
Blackcrows Mirus just because they are so much fun mounted up with Pivots
Ronin 108’s with ATK freerider bindings as they shred hard in the stiffer construction
I am not up to date on Gear 30 podcasts so may have missed it, but what’s the story with the Dispatch skis? They were really only around 1 or maybe 2 seasons (I think). Expensive endeavour to bring to market and then promptly remove them. Are they redesigning, tweaking etc with a view to realunching? Funny cos I recently listened to Jed Yeiser on one of the Summit podcasts talking about exactly this issue of getting it wrong. Be an interesting podcast in its own right, brands talking about the ones that went wrong and what they learned from it, rather than the successes.
I’m curious about this too, especially given the positive initial impressions of the 110 & 120 in particular. I’ve seen some speculation online that this a temporary pause while they sort out durability issues, but I haven’t seen any official information anywhere…
Hi Luke
Why the Armada Declivity 102 Ti and not the Bent Chetler 100?
Cheers
Jamie
One Brand Aspirational Entry: K2 Mindbender 89ti and 108ti.
Reality-Based Entry: Rossi Experience 86ti and Mindbender 99ti.
If there was ever a need for me to limit to two skis:
189 Blizzard Bonafide w Pivots
194 Black Crows Anima w Cast Pivots.
The Bonafides are fun on anything from hardpack to sub 10” powder days. Feel like a wide GS ski to me. For more cash, I’d consider Stockli SR 95s
The Anima’s are fun if it’s snowed anytime in the last week and it hasn’t hit melt freeze cycles. And frankly, they are even fun on groomers as they carve better than they should for their width. I’d love to try the new Rustler 11, the only other ski I see replacing my Animas right now.
1. Two ski quiver for Western Washington/BC. 6’2″, 205 lbs, athletic, 65+ days per season, 60/40 resort/tour, early 40s.
a. Blizzard Zero G 105 188cm with Dynafit Rotation 14, Pomoca Blue, Technica Zero G Pro tour. Ideal west coast touring ski for me, solid, dependable, lightweight, deals with marine snowpack like a champ.
b. Salomon QST 106 189cm with Strive 16, Technica Mach 1 MV 130. Biased more towards soft snow, but the QST is surprisingly fun on low tide days too.
2. No Touring two ski quiver:
a. Volkl Kendo 88 184cm with Strive 16, Technica Mach 1 MV 130. Great carver, solid all mountain ski for low tide days.
b. Salomon QST Blank 194cm with Strive 16, Technica Mach 1 MV 130. One of the best in bounds powder skis out there imo, I also love the 192 Rustler 11 in this slot, but the extra mass in the blank is handy for the cut up mess that is the afternoon of a powder day.
3. 2 ski quiver regardless of location
a. Blizzard Zero G 95 185cm with Dynafit Rotation 14, Pomoca Blue, Technica Zero G Pro tour. Ideal west coast touring ski for me, solid, dependable, lightweight.
b. Blizzard Rustler 9 186cm with Strive 16, Technica Mach 1 MV130. This is a fantastic all mountain ski, there are very few places that this thing is not excellent. Lighter weight, skinnier, better carver than the qst-106. Very tempted by the 184 Mantra 102 for this slot (current daily driver) but it is a big heavy game on ski, and there are places where something like the rustler would be preferable.
4. Difficult skis to leave off:
a. QST 106 Echo. Love this thing, but it is pretty heavy for serious touring, more of a 50/50 ski.
b. Mantra 102. One of my favorite all time skis, damp, stable, chargey, great carver. This thing does it all.
c. Dynastar M-Pro 90/99. This ski is just fun, great in steeps, bumps and an above average carver.
d. Majesty Superwolf. Great touring ski
e. Volkl Revolt 114. Rad crud buster.
5. What ski could make the list if I get to ski it
a. ON3P Billy Goat. Designed for two of my home mountains, somehow I have never been on a pair. Need to fix that this season.
b. Rossignol Sender Free 110. Lot of hype around this one, interested to see what its all about.
c. The updated Salomon Stances. Interested in the 90 and the 102.
6. Single Brand Quivers:
a. Blizzard: Zero G 105, Rustler 10
b. Salomon: QST 106 Echo, Stance 96/102
c. Volkl: Blaze 106, Mantra 96/102