Intro
We recently published several of our reviewers’ selections for both 5-ski and 4-ski quivers and now we’re once again asking them to cut those down, this time to three 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.
Four Questions
For each of our reviewers, we asked them to answer the following questions:
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Kara Williard
(5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
As the quiver gets smaller, there are compromises in all directions. For me, it’s about finding the right balance of skis that are stable, skis that are playful, and skis that can cater to not only different conditions and terrain, but sometimes just the given day and how I am feeling. While I’m a directional skier who appreciates stability, I still gain a lot of confidence when on skis that are maneuverable and not too demanding. So while there might appear to be some overlap between some of these skis, I see them as all serving several different purposes.
SKI #1: Nordica Unleashed 108, 180 cm + Marker Duke PT
I really came to like the Nordica Unleashed 108 last year. Similar to my first experiences on the Unleashed 98, I found it to be more damp and stable than I expected, but also quite playful and maneuverable. It offers plenty of flotation for most *realistic* resort powder days, but it’s not so wide or so heavy that I’d really hate bringing it out on the occasional tour.
SKI #2: K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, 174 cm + Tyrolia Attack 13
On trend with my picks from last season, the K2 Mindbender 99Ti is back. This ski is still a true standout in terms of its versatility and I still find it to be so darn fun across a variety of terrain and conditions. I haven’t grown tired of it, and I’m not sure I will. I enjoy the Mindbender 99Ti W on anything from firm groomers to massive moguls and chalky steeps, and I am happy it’s back within my quivers for the upcoming season.
SKI #3: Faction Dancer 3X, 172 cm + Look Pivot 15
This was once again a toss-up. I could have easily opted for the Folsom Cash 106 or the Line Blade Optic 104, here. I decided on the Faction Dancer 3X because it offers nice suspension and high-speed composure while still being quite lively and quick. I have enjoyed this ski in tons of different conditions and I think it’s a solid option for anything from chop and crud to dust on crust and even powder days. It’s also quite fun to ski fast through bumps, whip around in tight terrain, and more. And since my daily driver is a bit more forgiving in this case (than with my 4-ski quiver), I think opting for a slightly more stable, wider all-mountain ski makes sense here (or none of this makes sense and I am just really bad at making decisions…).
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I think settling on my 50/50 ski was the toughest, since there were several solid options. The closest contender was the K2 Mindbender 106C, but I also considered the Peak 104 by Bode, Line Blade Optic 104, and Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
Not much to change from my 5-ski quiver, but I do think the Salomon Stance 102 could be a standout, especially as we narrow down our quivers, so I am curious to see where I land on that. I’m hoping I get some time on the shorter length (176 cm) soon.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
K2: Mindbender 108Ti w/ Look Pivot 13, Mindbender 99Ti w/ Tyrolia Attack 13, and Mindbender 106C with Duke PT.
Salomon: QST Stella 106 w/ Duke PT, Salomon Stance 102 (conjecture) w/ Tyrolia Attack 13, Salomon QST Blank w/ Look Pivot 13.
Luke Koppa
(5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
Once again, I debated several approaches when trimming the quiver from 4 to 3 skis. In the end, though, I think it makes sense to just stick with the skis that I know I like in a really wide range of conditions and terrain. For more background on my bigger quiver picks, see our 5-ski and 4-ski quiver selections.
Ski #1: Armada Declivity 102 Ti, 180 cm + alpine binding
This is the slot that was the most difficult for me, largely because its purpose is to do just about everything in the resort fairly well. That generalist all-mountain category includes a ton of skis that check that very vague box, but then every one of them has its own unique spin on the “all-mountain” concept, so it’s tough to pick which combo of traits I want to choose when it comes to the ski that I would use for the vast majority of my lift-accessed days.
Realistically, there are probably 5-10 skis I could choose for this spot and I don’t think they’d drastically change how much fun I had over the course of the season (skiing is just plain fun, after all). So I’m going to stick with one of the versatile all-mountain skis that just stood out to me last season for whatever reason, the Declivity 102 Ti. Apart from high speeds in heavy, cruddy snow and low-speed jibbing, there are very few scenarios where it feels out of its element (for my preferences). I will dearly miss having a narrower, piste-focused ski for ripping really tight turns and firmer days, but the Declivity 102 Ti is still really fun on piste, relative to how adaptable it feels in ungroomed terrain. And while I thought about going wider for a more maneuverable and/or stable ride in Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s steeps, I think this ski fills a good middle ground for me.
Ski #2: Rossignol Blackops 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
This ski sticks around for powder (i.e., chop) days in the resort, as well as any other days when I want maximum high-speed stability. When I get dragged into CBMR’s more consequential zones with mandatory straight lines / runouts, I’ll be happy to have the Blackops 118 around. It’s definitely a pretty big ski for non-pow days, but it’s also way more versatile than almost any other ~118mm-wide ski I’ve used.
Ski #3: Majesty Superwolf, 178 cm + Moment Voyager XII
The Superwolf returns once again as my touring ski. It’ll mostly be used in the spring, but also for pre- and post-work skin laps at the resort. I’ll wish for something longer and wider if I end up in some properly deep snow, but if the conditions are trending that way and I’m headed to the backcountry, I’ll probably just go pow-surfing instead.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
There were a whole bunch that almost made the cut.
For my #1 slot / daily driver, I came close to choosing the Faction Dancer 2, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Line Blade Optic 96, Salomon QST 92, Salomon Stance 102, and Rossignol Sender 104 Ti. I like every one of those skis more than the Declivity 102 Ti in at least one specific regard, but the Declivity 102 Ti seemed like the best blend of the traits I prioritize.
For my pow / charge-y ski, as always, the Moment Wildcat was a very close 2nd to the Blackops 118. The Blackops 118 wins when it comes to suspension / stability, but the Wildcat is definitely a quicker and less-tiring ski to ski. The Blackops 118’s sizing also just works a bit better for me.
As for the touring ski, I really debated going with the Line Vision 98 since it’s more fun than the Majesty Superwolf in deep snow and lower-angle slopes, but realistically, most of my touring these days takes place in spring-like conditions, and the Superwolf is more trustworthy in steep, consequential terrain.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
I listed the Volkl Revolt 114 in this section for my bigger quivers, and it’s arguably even more interesting in this 3-ski quiver, where my wider resort ski is going to be used more often even when conditions aren’t all that soft. Could it be viewed as a more directional, slightly more versatile Blackops 118? We’ll find out this season…
I’m also looking forward to getting more time on the revised 4FRNT MSP 99 and MSP 107. I briefly skied them at Blister Summit 2023 and was a fan of the updates, and the previous versions were already really versatile all-mountain skis. My main question to answer this season is just how much added energy and personality the new versions offer, and whether I notice any downsides to the new construction.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Line: Blade Optic 96, Blade Optic 114, Vision 98
I’d be pretty happy with this one. I wish the Blade Optic 96 held an edge a bit better on icy snow, and I’d say the same for the Vision 98, but I’d otherwise be stoked.
Salomon: QST 92, QST Blank, QST Echo 106
Also pretty good. The QST Blank isn’t my absolute favorite resort pow ski, but it does a pretty good job of being stable in chop and still pretty maneuverable. Salomon’s MTN 96 Carbon probably makes more sense for my touring ski but I haven’t skied it, and I know that I really like the QST Echo 106.
Moment: Commander 102, Wildcat, Deathwish Tour 104
I’m guessing a bit here, since I haven’t skied the Commander 102 and have only skied the non-tour version of the Deathwish 104, but I suspect I’d be pretty happy.
Faction: Dancer 2, Prodigy 4, La Machine 2
I know I’d be happy with the Dancer 2, I have a strong hunch I’d get along well enough with the Prodigy 4, and I at least suspect La Machine 2 would work alright for my preferences.
David Golay
(6’, 170 lbs / 183 cm, 77.1 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
My ski days have been increasingly touring oriented in recent years, so I’m going to go for the same 2-ski touring quiver I went for in my 4-ski quiver, and pare the resort part of the program down to one. So:
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
See what I wrote in the 4-ski quiver — the Raven once again gets the nod as a super versatile touring daily driver.
Ski #2: 4FRNT Renegade, 191 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
Another carryover from my 4-ski quiver for all the same reasons, though this one still feels subject to change if and when I get on something that feels more dialed for my particular use case.
Ski #3: Blizzard Cochise 106, 185 cm + Look Pivot 15
If I’m only giving myself one resort ski, I want a fairly stable directional charger that’s at home in a pretty wide range of conditions, is composed and predictable in soft to not-so-soft chop, but that doesn’t feel super demanding and hard to manage late in the day when I’m getting tired and lazy. The Cochise 106 fits that bill really nicely.
There will probably be a few deeper days where I’m mad at myself for not picking something wider and float-ier, but up here in the Pacific Northwest we’re forecasted for an El Nino year so I’m erring more on the firmer-conditions end of the spectrum than I might in other seasons. Here’s to hoping that’s a mistake.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
There are a bunch of skis that I considered for my resort ski slot. If I was feeling more bullish about the forecast for this season I’d readily consider the Prior Husume or the Moment Wildcat in place of the Cochise (and just be more eager to go touring if it hasn’t snowed in a minute). I also really clicked with the Moment Countach 110 last season and think I’d be pretty happy with that in the resort slot, but the suspension and stability of the Cochise 106 won out.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
I’m once again on the hunt for my ideal powder touring ski since the K2 Dispatch 120 isn’t back for this season, so see what I wrote in the 4-ski quiver article there.
There are also a bunch of skis that I could see clicking with for my single resort ski slot here. The Dynastar M-Pro 108 is high on my list of things to get on. I’m pretty sure I’d want a bigger ski than the 182 cm length and the 192 cm one feels a little intimidating, but I’d like to at least give it a shot. I’d love to get on the ON3P Wrenegrade 110 Pro before it goes away next year, and bet I could work out a version of the Folsom Primary 110 or Giver that would do it for me.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
4FRNT: Raven, Renegade, MSP 107
Pretty straightforward, given my touring-ski picks above.
Kristin Sinnott
(5’8”, 130 lbs / 173 cm, 59 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
This quiver was tricky — it stumped me for a while. Initially, I thought I’d take the Blizzard Sheeva 11 from my 4-ski quiver selections and make it a 50/50 ski. However, the thought of putting a heavy binding on that ski for uphill travel — on top of it not being that light to begin with — made me a little hesitant (especially since the lightweight Line Pandora 110 setup in my 4-ski quiver gave me visions of effortless uphill travel).
I’ve also really been enjoying the thought of skiing the Moment Sierra and the Blizzard Sheeva 11 in the resort, and the thought of cutting either of them gave me pause. But not having a narrow ski like the Santa Ana 88 didn’t sound right, either. Ugh. The epitome of first-world problems here. Just pick 3 skis.
Ski #1: Elan Ripstick 94 W, 171 cm + Look Pivot
The Ripstick 94 has been a favorite of mine for years; I love how easy and intuitive it is. Short- or large-radius turns at a variety of speeds work well on this ski and it never feels demanding or exhausting. At least in terms of how they perform for me and my preferences, the Ripstick 94 W has few downsides. In this quiver, the Ripstick 94 would get skied a lot at the beginning of the season and consistently throughout the rest of the winter whenever I wanted to prioritize quicker, more nimble turns.
Ski #2: Blizzard Sheeva 11, 174 cm + Look Pivot
I have a voice memo from a particularly good day of skiing last March on the Sheeva 11. In the memo, I noted that this ski would be a very good contender for my ski quiver selections. I still agree with myself and it’ll stay put. I’ll use the ski on resort powder days, in any sort of soft snow and chop, on chalky days, and just about any day when I want improved stability and flotation, relative to the Ripstick 94 W.
Ski #3: Line Pandora 110, 170 cm + tech binding
Despite its size, the Pandora 110 is really light (1336 & 1440 g for our 170 cm pair), and when paired with a tech binding, I picture myself gracefully skinning up anything. I know this is delusional, but I like the ski and it will make for a very nice dedicated touring set-up. I know from experience that it handles a wider range of conditions and terrain better than many skis this wide, though I would still be a bit careful when determining whether or not I wanted to hit the backcountry (e.g., I’ll probably just lap the resort if the backcountry is refrozen).
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
As I mentioned above, it was hard to leave off the Nordica Santa Ana 88 and Moment Sierra. Both were in my 4-ski quiver. I considered both of them instead of the Elan Ripstick 94, but ultimately, the Ripstick won out since it’s a bit more versatile and it helped that its waist width fell between the other two.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
Despite being initially stumped, I’m quite happy with my choices and it will be hard to bump any of the skis in this quiver. That said, I am interested in trying the Moment Bella, Nordica Unleashed 108, and the Elan Ripstick 102.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I think both of these could work well:
Nordica: Santa Ana 88, Santa Ana 104, and Nordica Unleashed 108
Elan: Ripstick 94 W, Ripstick 102 W, Ripstick Tour 94 W
I’ve only skied the Ripstick 94 W, but I think I would get along with the other skis.
Dylan Wood
(5’10.5”, 155 lbs / 179 cm, 70 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
As I cut down my quiver from 4-ski and 5-ski picks, I am forced to further consider what my biggest priorities are with regard to how I ski, the terrain and conditions I find myself in most often, and what my preferences are in terms of ski characteristics. I’m not making any huge changes here but I am pretty happy with what I’ve settled on.
Ski #1: Black Crows Camox, 186 cm + alpine binding
I’m sticking with the exceptionally versatile Camox here to handle everything from early season groomers to laps through the park, chalky mid-season steeps, and more. I’d mount +2 cm from the recommended line for a more freestyle-friendly platform in the park, and I might take these out touring using Daymaker adapters.
Ski #2: Rossignol Sender Free 110, 191 cm + alpine binding
This slot is a big priority for me, since I often end up spending the majority of my resort season on some sort of “freeride” ski that excels in Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s steep and technical terrain. I’m going to stick with the Sender Free 110 here to handle basically any day that the snow is remotely soft. I’ll be mounting on the recommended line here.
Ski #3: Line Vision 118, 189 cm + CAST Freetour w/ Look Pivot 15
I’m switching things up here by basically turning my pow ski (Rossignol Blackops 118) and touring ski (4FRNT Hoji) from my 4-ski quiver into one ski. While I’ll definitely be making sacrifices on either end, that’s what you have to do with a smaller quiver. Regardless, I really enjoyed the Vision 118 because of how playful it was while still being predictable enough to be skied hard in good conditions. And if I want to ski very hard on a bluebird pow day with a foot of fresh snow or less, I’ll probably take out the Sender Free 110 because it is a much more stable ski. But on the more common powder day with poor visibility, lots of time spent in the trees, and delays on extreme-terrain openings, I’ll opt for the Vision 118. I’ll also tour with this ski for basically any mid-winter day when the snow is soft. Mounting on the line here, too.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Obviously, it’s hard to give up the Blackops 118 and Hoji here, since those are two of my favorite skis. Other than that, most of what I said in my two previous bigger quivers applies.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
For this particular group of skis, I had the least confidence in my third slot, and the Head Oblivion 116 almost made the cut there. I still need more time on that ski, but so far, it has proven to be an impressive lightweight pow ski that allows me to charge pretty hard but also navigate tight terrain. It does, however, lack some playfulness that I’d be getting out of the Vision.
As far as what I have not yet spent any time on, I’m most curious about the Armada Whitewalker 116. If it is more stable than the Vision 118, still somewhat playful, and comes in at a good weight for touring, it would make a compelling case.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I’m also not mixing things up too much here, relative to my bigger quivers:
Moment: Commander 92, Wildcat 101, Countach 110
I’d be using the Countach as a 50/50 ski here.
ON3P: Jeffrey 100, Woodsman 108, Custom Billy Goat 118 with the 50/50 layup
I’m guessing a lot here but I think it’d be a safe guess.
Armada: ARV 94, Declivity 108 Ti, Whitewalker 116
Another very speculative quiver but I think it would work well for me.
Sascha Anastas
(5’1”, 105 lbs / 155 cm, 47.62 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
I feel like the skis I selected for my 4-ski quiver are all capable all-mountain skis in most conditions here in Colorado, so I won’t be changing a whole lot here. But I did take out my more playful ski option and switched out my narrower all-mountain model from the Dynastar e-Pro 99 to a more playful and versatile ski in an effort to sort of combine those two slots from my 4-ski quiver.
Ski #1 Liberty Genesis 101, 171 cm + Marker Griffon
In the past 7 years of reviewing skis, I have probably logged the most days on various models of Liberty’s Genesis series, and I really get along great with all the versions I’ve tried. I think they are an excellent do-everything option for where and how I ski, and can accommodate a wide range of skier abilities. With that in mind, I know that I would be happy to grab this ski on almost any day at the resorts I ski.
Ski #2 Salomon QST Stella 106, 173 cm + Marker Griffon
Sticking with the same ski here for my wider all-mountain ski to handle softer and/or deeper snow. The QST Stella 106 is probably my favorite ski I tried at the last two Blister Summits. The 173 length felt appropriate and while I didn’t get a chance to get on a shorter model to compare, I felt plenty happy on the 173 and didn’t feel too overwhelmed by the length. I am hoping to spend some more time on the shorter length and report back this season, but especially in this quiver, where the Stella will mostly be used in soft-ish snow, I’ll appreciate the extra flotation and stability of the longer length.
Ski #3 Line Pandora 110 170 cm + Shift Binding
This ski also returns from my 4-ski quiver. I get along really well with the Pandora 110 and, despite its width, I’ve enjoyed using it in plenty of conditions outside of pure powder. For a 110mm-wide ski, it’s an impressive carver and is quick and easy to maneuver in tighter steeps, thanks to its low weight and deep rocker lines. So as far as the resort goes, both the Pandora 110 and QST Stella 106 will be soft-snow-oriented skis, but the Pandora 110 is the much more agile, playful, and less stable of the two. Again, I would opt for a binding that I could comfortably use in the resort, sidecountry, and backcountry. Of course, it won’t be a particularly light setup, but there’s always going to be some compromise.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I really had to weigh the pros and cons when it came to deciding between the Dynastar e-Pro 99 and Genesis 101. Ultimately, I had more experience with the Genesis 101 in a larger range of conditions, and given that it would be used even more in this smaller 4-ski quiver, I opted for the Genesis. And, as always, it’s hard to leave out the Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
Same answers here as in my 4-ski quiver. I really want to spend more time on the latest models in the K2 Mindender series. Another ski that both Kara and I were impressed by at the Blister Summit was the 4FRNT MSP CC; I didn’t get to try the updated version, which is supposed to be a bit more energetic / lively, so I’m excited to get on it at this year’s event.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I think I’ll stick with Nordica:
Nordica: Santa Ana 98, Santa Ana 104 Free, Unleashed 108 (or Unleashed 114?)
Jonathan Ellsworth
(5’10”, 180 lbs / 178 cm, 81.5 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
Similar to my approach when trimming from 5 skis to 4, my 3-ski quiver maintains a couple of versatile resort skis, but then I’m opting to combine my touring and pow skis from my 4-ski quiver.
Ski #1: For Groomers + Low-Tide All Mountain
Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm + alpine binding
Ski #2: Variable Conditions All-Mountain
Blizzard Cochise 106, 185 cm + alpine binding
This is the spot where I always go back and forth between placing the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free or Cochise, and honestly this year, I also kept thinking about … well, I’ll save it for the next question.
Ski #3: Resort Pow Ski + Touring Ski
4FRNT Hoji, 184 cm + Shift binding
Given that the Hoji will be serving as my inbounds pow ski as well as my touring ski, the compromise here of having a heavier and wider touring ski (than the 4FRNT Raven) is one that I can live with — and actually be pretty psyched about.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Hardest to Leave off — and where the stiffest competition lies for me — is in the slot for my #2 ski. I still love the Cochise 106, and at 10:30 pm on Thursday evening after a long day and week, I find myself remembering how shockingly willing this current iteration of the Cochise was to float in very deep snow (especially relative to past iterations).
But I also find myself thinking about how “comfortable” the current, recently updated Salomon Stance 102 is, and I can’t say that I’d find myself being disappointed if that ski was my middle ski. And then, there’s the latest Volkl Mantra 102, which I’m looking forward to getting back on this season.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
The 3-ski quiver is tricky here, because the way I have this set up, I need my resort pow ski to double as my touring ski. And I am wondering a bit (as is Paul Forward) how well something like the 110mm-wide Folsom Giver could work in this slot. We might need to find out.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
This is a tentative choice, since I need to get on skis #1 and #3. But if I dig them, this quiver could be pretty great:
1: Carving / Frontside / Low Tide: Moment Commander 92, 182 cm + alpine binding
2: All Mountain + Resort Pow: Moment Countach 110, 188 cm + alpine binding
3: Touring: Moment Meridian Tour, 187 cm or Wildcat Tour 108, 184 cm + Voyager XVI binding
Noah Eckhouse
(5’10”, 210 lbs / 178 cm, 98 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
I split my winters between Boston / New England and Crested Butte, Colorado — with other occasional ski trips thrown in. My time at Crested Butte includes everything from firm to chalky to (hopefully) soft snow, as well as steeps, trees, and as many bumps as my 57-year-old knees can handle (which is not much!). As you’d expect, New England’s ski conditions are more variable, ranging from blue ice to snow-gun washboard, heavy wet snow, rain, and rocks / dirt in mogul troughs. And night skiing! In any case, while I grew up racing slalom skis at Berkshire East in the 80s, I have since found myself gravitating toward wider, more generalist models since I find that they work great for me in a wider variety of conditions than most of the <80mm-wide skis I’ve tried.
I do some touring in both paces, largely centered on the exercise and joys of going up. But a pure touring ski isn’t going to be a part of my 3-ski quiver, so all these skis will get alpine bindings.
Ski #1: Dynastar M-Pro 99, 178 cm
For skiing the East, I want a ski that is torsionally rigid and that can hold an edge on anything from packed powder to groomed man-made snow and icy bumps. At the same time, I don’t want the ski to initiate a turn until I tell it to, because uninitiated turns can become edge catches — and they get painful when you land on hard snow. The M-Pro 99 represents what works best for me these days: a ~100mm-wide, relatively stiff ski that requires me to drive it through turns, and one that tolerates variable stance positions as I transition from good snow to bad snow and back, often in the same turn. I first skied these in the 186 cm length and immediately felt they were too long; successive time on the 178 cm version felt much better.
Ski #2: Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, 178 cm
The Sender 104 Ti is one of my favorite skis for splitting the difference between east- and west-coast skiing (i.e., you’ll probably be seeing it in my smaller quivers). It’s been one of my favorites when I’m at Crested Butte but want to do a “let’s pretend we’re back East at Sugarbush or Stowe or Waterville” day. This usually means lots of laps on International, which is a frontside black diamond run that receives a lot of early season snowmaking and then hosts intermittent races all season long. Fresh snow is quickly scraped off the steep sections, revealing the bulletproof man-made base (which often doesn’t melt until June or July.)
The Sender 104 Ti is surprisingly great on these steep, groomed, scratchy conditions, and it’s also quick in not-very-fresh bumps and quite planted on steeps like Headwall or the North Face. The 104 mm waist seems almost fat, but it doesn’t ski that way — it really is an excellent carver. Plus, the extra width (and wider, less tapered shovels) over the M-Pro 99 means that the Sender 104 Ti floats notably better, making it more rewarding when I can find stashes of fresh snow in the trees.
Ski #3: Vokl Blaze 114, 176 cm or 184 cm
I got on the new Blaze 114 at the 2023 Blister Summit and I loved it from the first five turns. It’s a wide, lightweight ski that easily floats on top of lumpy, chopped-up resort powder, but has enough sidecut and bite to hold an aggressive line through soft bumps and trees. At the bottom of a tree run, the Blaze 114 was equally calm and planted as I pushed its wide shovels into deep GS turns at speed on the way back to the lift. I skied the 176 cm but would consider going up to the 184 cm length. That may fit my weight profile better for soft snow days. The Blaze 114’s low weight initially made me hesitant about how they’d perform in resort powder conditions but they quickly changed my attitude.
This will definitely be a west-coast ski for me, though. While it’d be fun to have it in the East for a stormy hour or two, I don’t view the Blaze 114 as an all-day ski for eastern conditions. The beauty of this ski is its ability to float on top of everything, but bottoming out in shallower fresh snow, particularly on a hard, scratchy base underneath, would be quite jarring, and that scenario is more common for me out east.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
If I had one more slot, I’d add a light, fast, uphill ski. As mentioned above, I don’t have the turns or avvy savvy to go big in the backcountry, but going uphill with skins on and tunes playing can put a big smile on my face. I’ve had an absolute blast doing uphill laps at Stratton with the sun shining. I’d rather save on the weight and sacrifice some turning capability on the way down. Side note: I sweat so much headed up that coming down is an exercise in extremity freezing as much as carving the perfect turn. YMMV. One ski that stands out is the Scott Superguide 95. It’s very lightweight but wide enough to support my taco-laden physique in deep snow. I’d probably pair that with the Salomon Shift binding (see earlier comments about the condition of my knees) and call it a great BC setup for Noah.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
I’ve heard so many great things about Elan’s Ripstick series but have never really skied them. This winter I’m going to make a point of skiing several models, from the Ripstick 106 to the Ripstick 116 and Ripstick Tour 104. Perhaps they will make it to next year’s quiver? Stay tuned.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I’d go with either Volkl or Rossignol. I want multiple ski options, affordability, and consistent build quality. Blowing an edge is easy to do, either on eastern mogul-trough rocks or spiny western ridges. And while we don’t discuss it much in these articles because we’re talking about hypothetical quivers, to me, cost is always a consideration (hypothetical or not), and I feel the bigger brands like Volkl and Rossignol offer more affordable all-round options for building large quivers. For Rossi, I’d go with the Sender 104 Ti, Blackops 118, and the Sender Free 110. For Volkl, I’d grab the M6 Mantra, Mantra 102, and Blaze 114.
Paul Forward
(6”, 200 lbs / 183 cm, 90.7 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 3-ski quiver, and why?
My situation remains somewhat unusual in that I spend a lot of my early season ski touring but then, by late February, transition into mostly skiing at Alyeska resort and heli-ski guiding at Chugach Powder Guides. As a result, I’m looking to cover a very wide range of conditions, terrain, and scenarios with very different requirements / priorities.
Ski #1: Folsom Rapture, 192 cm, SRC custom build + Marker Jester Pro
This is my work ski for heli-ski guiding and my powder ski for Alyeska on the deeper days. It’s only mid-November and we’re already up to 4” / 10 cm of SWE for the season — hopefully that keeps up and shapes into a very powdery winter up here. The Rapture is the best work ski I’ve used for heli-ski guiding and is still fun on the deep days under the lifts.
Ski #2: Folsom Giver, 190 cm, SRC custom build + Marker Jester Pro
I’d prefer that my daily Alyeska ski be a little narrower but I really clicked with these skis last season and they work for me whether I’m out for a mellow afternoon of skiing with my 4-year-old or if I want to ski as fast as I can on Alyeska’s North Face — and everything in between. Basically, these are my ideal do-it-all resort ski for living in Girdwood / skiing at Alyeska.
Ski #3: Armada Locator 112, 188 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
This is my current favorite all-round touring ski for Southcentral Alaska. Skinnier than my usual choices, the Locator 112 still provides great flotation in big terrain and deep snow, but doesn’t feel super unwieldy on firm snow and would still be fun through the spring cycle. At a little over 1600 grams for the 188 cm length, it’s light enough for big days of ski touring and I’d be okay spending my whole season of human-powered skiing on this setup. I might opt for the Dynafit Superlite 150 to save a couple hundred grams but I’m leaning toward the more fully featured Voyager for now.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
This is the first year in a while that none of my quivers included the Volkl Mantra 102. The Folsom Giver will feel pretty fat on certain days and doesn’t have the stability at high speeds in rough snow as the Mantra 102, but I’m going to go for a little bit more soft-snow performance in my daily Alyeska ski this year.
III. What skis do you imagine have the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ski them, or get to ski them more?
I’d love to spend more time on the latest batch of titanal-laminate 100-110 mm skis, such as the Salomon Stance 102, updated 4FRNT MSP 107, and the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free. I could see any of those being a good daily lift-served ski for me.
For powder skiing / guiding, I’m most excited about the upcoming Folsom Rotor.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 3-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
It still feels like cheating to choose a custom ski brand, but I’ve been getting along so well with some of the Folsom shapes that they seem like the obvious choice here. I’d have the Giver and Rapture and then the lightest possible build of the Giver, Primary, or Cash as my touring ski.
Hey luke what made you decide against the blade optic in your quivers this season? Seemed like you were high on that ski last year
Yeah, I definitely was and still really like it overall. However, last season I just kept finding myself drawn to slightly stronger skis and, particularly, those that offered better edge hold on really firm groomers. While the middle part of the Blade Optic 96 provides some nice bite on that snow, it’s a fairly short contact patch and I wanted something that would be a bit more fun to carve on everything from early-season, very firm slopes to slushier ones in the spring. I’ll miss the easy maneuverability and balanced feel (for getting in the air) of the Blade Optic 96, but I surprised myself many times last season in terms of how much I enjoyed more directional skis like the Declivity 102 Ti, Salomon Stance 102, Salomon QST 92, and Faction Dancer 2.
Must say that I demoed the Blade Optic early last season and I wasn’t a fan. For me the tip deflected like crazy every it hit some not-smooth not-soft obstacle, groomer death cookie or hard to rut in the snow etc. And then the ski would regrip in a different spot. And then the rest of the ski would warble. 100% no-go for me, wildly, unstable.
I’m 6’3 195lbs and ski fairly hard. The Mindbender 99TI is my exact wheelhouse. Love it. So to some extent I was overpowering the Blade Optic I’m sure. On the other hand, I’m not that heavy, and I’m not a Mantra/Cochise type either.
Maybe somewhere with always softer snow than the coastal PNW? But then again, no. The amount that this ski was suddenly pushed off track by even little interference makes it a complete nogo to my skiing. YMMV!
Hank, curious which length/width you were on? I’m quite a bit smaller than you, at 5’11 and ~165lbs, but have noticed none of this instability on the 114 in 186, even with them mounted at -1 from true centre. I found them to be a total stomp machine, not quite as unflappable as my 193 Chipotle Bananas, but much more balanced and maneuverable in the air.
Important to note: the Blade Optic 114 is a very different ski compared to the narrower ones. The 114 is much stiffer, has a much longer sidecut radius, and generally feels like much “more ski.” As with most ski “families,” each model is different, but in this case, the Blade Optic 114 is a clear outlier compared to the rest of the series. And overall, I’d say the Blade Optics go from least to most stable as you move from the 92 to the 96, 104, and 114.
Longest size of the 96.
Luke, thanks for the clarification regarding how stability increases going up widths. Much appreciated.
+1 on the Blade Optic question. I still haven’t skied any of them but am eager to try, especially the 104 and 114. Also just a note that these quiver articles are some of my favorites of the year. Keep up the good work.
Luke does your editor in chief actually write anything anymore or do you guys just re-write his love affair for Folsom spar / Cochise sooooo good for a few years before switching back to e104 sooooo good
Hey Luke you referred to a commander 102. Might there be a review forthcoming?
Moment didn’t finalize the new Commanders until late last season so we haven’t skied them yet, but they’re definitely a priority for us this season.
Hey, What did Atomic do to upset ya’ll.
Other than Atomic not being represented anywhere, I am enjoying reading the experts choices, and the readers telling them why they are wrong.
Btw I got back into skiing last yr, and at 55 yrs I was fan of 1980s Atomic RS Red Sleds. Yes the cool Bill Johnson ski, but being college i didn’t have the money to buy them. So I bought the Maverick 95s as they are All Mtn, Atomics, and well Red. After a season back in the game, they are the perfect ski for what I need in a ski. West Coast, steep groomers, and bumps. I tried to shop for a bump ski and Dylan said “who said you can’t ski bumps with a Maverick 95”. So it’s Bump lessons, and a 1 ski quiver for me. However, that Atomic Bent 100 for powder days is getting my attention, because N+1 and it looks cool. Not that I am chasing POW. Funny K2 would be my second choice yep the Mahre Bros. And that Mindbender series 89 99, and 104 would cover everything. ;>) .
Trying to figure out if a Pivot 13 is a typo or a binding that hasn’t been released yet.
Typo – if only every brand could decide on the same DIN numbers…
personal choice is what makes the world go around . It would be interesting to list the ski available to testers and the days spent on them , there has never been a time that the industry has this many quality skis being built. Elan ripsticks have been my quiver choice for years now . 96 , 106 and 116 make my day fun !
I suspect we’ll see a bit more of this as quivers get smaller – eagerly awaiting those articles – but nonetheless I’m curious how your choices might change given a more backcountry focus during midwinter. I.e, what touring ski(s) can best handle the crossover between midwinter touring (looking for pow but skiing lots of variable in the process) and spring days (mix of firm/corn/slush)? Raven comes to mind, though I would worry (perhaps unfairly) about not having enough float on deeper days midwinter (and maybe there are better options for those extra-firm spring days? I ski in the same general areas as David). In last year’s quivers, the Dispatch 110 came into the conversation, but seeing as those are discontinued (?) what do you guys think? Deathwish tour (shoutout to Cy)? Intention 108? I’ve personally been skiing Wildcat 108s for this purpose. I’m sure the correct answer is multiple skis, but for the sake of the thought exercise…
PS: I was reading a review of the Raven on a different publication (that will remain nameless) that not only tested the raven on groomed snow, but said it carved “masterfully”. I haven’t skiied it personally, so who am I to say, but I couldn’t help but smile and picture Jonathan’s reaction.
Kara, interested in why you chose 2 different bindings on your alpine skis?
My current 3-ski quiver:
182cm K2 Mindbender 89Ti (brand new)
182cm Rossignol Experience 100HD (2016)
186cm Deviation The Proof mounted with Shifts
What I’d like to have:
182cm K2 Mindbender 89Ti
186cm Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited with the shifts (maybe the Free, undecided here)
some ~95cm dedicated touring ski (Blizzard Zero G maybe?)
Skiing the ice coast with maybe one week a year out west.
50 yo, 5’10” 180lb current Tahoe 3-ski quiver:
178cm ’23 Elan Wingman 86Cti for groomer days
180cm ’24 Rustler 9 daily driver
180cm ’23 Ripstick 106 Black Edition for resort pow days
Love the Ripstick’s float, but wish they were a little more damp through chop. Thinking hard about adding as a 4th ski or replacing the RS with Moment 184mm Countach, Rustler 11s (180 or 186cm?), or 184cm Sender 110 Frees. Look forward to Blister full reviews and deep dives on them!
For those putting shifts on skis, do you plan on using two different boots with the ski? Touring in a crossover boot sucks and skiing resort in a touring boot that walks well also sucks. But fiddling with the shifts afd and forward pressure…also annoying especially since if you get it wrong they pop out.
Why I switched to pivot cast system. Shifts have pre released on me too.
Personally, I’m using the same boot. I’m in a Dalbello Lupo AXHD. I find that it walks great, especially with the tongues off, and if I need to lose weight I should do it by reducing my beer consumption anyway. At the resort, I do occasionally wish that I had a bit stiffer and less upright boot, but the excellent fit I was able to get in the Dalbello more than makes up for it now that I’m a weekend skier on the ice coast.
Obviously there are performance sacrifices everywhere in my setup, but the ability to have a 2-ski, 1-boot quiver that works for most conditions you’ll encounter in and out of the resort is pretty great for someone who lives in a studio apartment and doesn’t make enough money to just buy all the skis.