Intro
Well, it’s once again that time of year. Some of us in the Northern Hemisphere are already skiing, while the rest of us are champing at the bit. And one of the most entertaining ways to fill time before ski season and between early-season storms is to fantasize about your dream ski quiver.
We kicked things off with giant 5-ski quivers, and now we’re asking our reviewers to narrow it down — just a bit — to 4 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 4-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 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
David Golay
(6’, 170 lbs / 183 cm, 77.1 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
I spend the bulk of my skiing days touring in the Cascades, which entails a lot of deep, often heavy snow, a healthy dose of weird breakable crust at lower elevations, and some long days on volcanoes in the spring. So my quivers are going to have a bit of a touring bias, but with four skis at play, I’m going to go for two dedicated touring skis and two resort ones.
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven 4-Lock, 184 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
I’ve had a pair of 184 cm Ravens in my real-world quiver for quite a few years now, and it’s an extremely versatile, predictable touring ski that handles a wide variety of conditions “pretty” to “very” well. I’d prefer something a little narrower, lighter, and stronger on edge for some spring volcano days but the Raven will handle that duty alright while being a great option for a lot of mid-winter days when it’s not super deep. I admittedly haven’t tried the 4-Lock version of the Ravens, but I know I like the Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 skins they use and I can always revert to a standard skin with a traditional tail clip if I don’t like the 4-Lock one for some reason, so it feels like a low-risk move to give it a shot.
For bindings, I’m a big fan of the Moment Voyager XVI. It skis really well for its weight, I’ve had no issues with pre-releasing over the course of a lot of days on them (in contrast to a lot of other light-ish tech bindings I’ve spent time on), and I like the flatter ramp delta that they offer as compared to the ATK Raider on which they’re based. I don’t love the push-button brake release mechanism, both because I’m not smart enough / have too much time on bindings that don’t require that extra step when transitioning to remember to deploy them reliably, and because it’s really hard to do without taking off the skis. But I’m fine running leashes on them and haven’t yet tried the Voyager Evo / Raider Evo that does away with that limitation.
Ski #2: Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm + Look Pivot 15
I live in a pretty high-snow area and neither of the resorts I spend most of my inbounds days at have an especially great assortment of groomers, so I don’t have a ton of use for anything approaching a dedicated frontside ski — especially since I’m more likely to go touring in search of better snow if things are super firm inbounds. So I’d be very, very happy with the Mantra 102 as my firmer-snow-oriented resort ski. It’s a strong, directional ski that’s pretty stable and composed in weird, firm chop and carves quite well for its width, but is really versatile off-piste, where it’ll spend most of the time for me. There are a few other skis that I’d be quite happy with in this slot, too, but this one was an easy call.
I’d be fine with a variety of alpine bindings on here, but the flatter ramp delta of Pivot 15s works well for me and I trust them to hold up to protracted abuse, stay on when I want them to, and come off when I don’t. So if I get to pick, they’re my call.
Ski #3: 4FRNT Renegade, 191 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
This is the slot most subject to change for me. I log a lot of days on big powder-oriented touring skis while going on walks in search of good snow. (Last year, I’m pretty sure the top 2 skis in my real-world quiver in terms of the number of days used were the K2 Dispatch 120 and DPS Lotus 138.) But since the Dispatch 120 isn’t readily available for 23/24, I’m looking elsewhere. I really like the way the Renegade skis, though it’s heavier than would be optimal for this slot and I’d ideally prefer a length between the 184 and 191 cm versions that 4FRNT actually offers.
Ski #4: Moment Wildcat, 190 cm + CAST Freetour
This one is back again for all the reasons that it’s been appearing in a lot of my quivers for years. Plus, I finally got to ski the latest iteration at Blister Summit 2023, so I don’t need to threaten violence against Luke Jacobson or Jonathan for saying that the Bibby that I know and love is back if that turns out not to be the case for me. They were right.
If I get whatever binding I want, I’ll put CAST Freetours on here. I’m not going to do much touring on these, but it’d be nice to have the option for the odd sidecountry lap or the occasional sled-skiing mission when I can talk someone into taking me out (I don’t own a sled).
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I wouldn’t be at all mad about having the K2 Mindbender 99Ti or 4FRNT MSP 99 in place of the Mantra 102 for my firmer-snow resort ski, but the Mantra 102 is a bit more stable in weird, firm chop than either of those two and that carried the day for me.
I thought pretty hard about putting the Prior Husume in place of the Wildcat for my softer-snow resort ski. I love the Wildcat but it’s about as progressively mounted / playful as I’d want to consider for that slot, and there will absolutely be days when conditions are deep enough for me to leave the Mantra 102 in the car, but where I’d still want a more truly “directional charger” to just go blow up soft chop. The Wildcat does that well, too, but I’m nobody’s idea of a playful skier and sometimes I just want a more traditional directional charger.
I could also see the Rossignol Black Ops 118 having a home in my quiver but I’ve only skied it at the Blister Summit with it mounted on the line, and I’d personally want to go a fair bit back from there. I know Jonathan’s a big fan of that ski with the mount point moved back a bit, and I could see it really working for me mounted at something like -6 from center. But I’d want to try that first before I commit.
[Mostly, I just want the pre-16/17 186 cm Blizzard Bodacious back for this spot. RIP.]
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?
There are a bunch here, especially for my powder-touring slot — I like the Renegade but I’d prefer something lighter for that role. The K2 Dispatch 120 would have been an easy call, but K2 has unfortunately taken them off the market for this season. The WNDR Alpine Reason 120 looks interesting, but isn’t much lighter than the Renegade. The Whitedot Ragnarok Carbonlite might be the best speculative idea I have, but I’ve yet to ski anything from Whitedot so I’m very much spitballing.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
4FRNT: MSP 99, MSP 107, Raven, Renegade
I haven’t skied the MSP 107 and it’s probably narrower than I really want for that slot in my quiver, but I know I’d be happy with the other three, and I could always break out the Renegades for an especially deep inbounds day.
Volkl: Mantra 102, Blaze 106, Revolt 114, Blaze 114
I admittedly haven’t been on either of the Blaze variants, but I suspect they could work pretty well as my touring skis in this quiver. The 184 cm Revolt 114 that I skied at the Blister Summit last year felt a little shorter than I’d ideally want for my bigger inbounds ski, and while I haven’t been on the 191 cm version (and suspect that it’s going to be quite a lot of ski) I think it’d be worth a shot.
Kara Williard
(5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
A 4-ski quiver didn’t feel as clear to me as a 5-ski (or even a 3-ski quiver, oddly), but here’s what I came up with: a daily driver for the resort, a slightly wider all-mountain ski that’s a bit more oriented toward soft / variable snow, a 50/50 and powder ski, and a touring-specific one.
SKI #1: Peak 98 by Bode, 178 cm + Tyrolia Attack 13
I opted for the 178 cm Peak 98 by Bode here because it is a step up in terms of stability and suspension relative to something like the 172 cm K2 Mindbender 99Ti (which was the closest contender for this slot). I really wanted something that I could fully rely on for firm days, but that still provides good all-round versatility. After skiing the Peak 98 a whole bunch at both Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Taos Ski Valley last season, I really enjoyed its stability-to-maneuverability ratio. It’s pretty easy to initiate but feels stable and locked in on edge. Its tail is supportive and snappy but not particularly punishing. All said, it’s a solid ski for most days at places like these. And it carves really, really well, making it a fun option for a whole lot of resort days.
Given how I’ve structured this 4-ski quiver, I’m opting for something a bit more accessible than the Volkl Secret 102 that I had as my main daily driver in my 5-ski quiver (where I also had a much more lively and accessible all-mountain ski).
In this quiver, when I do want something a bit more forgiving, maneuverable, and ideal for softer conditions, I would turn to this next ski:
SKI #2: Folsom Cash 106, 176 cm + Look Pivot 14
This was a tough choice. For this slot, I want a wider all-mountain ski that is pretty loose and maneuverable, but still stable and planted enough for skiing chop and crud in the resort. The Folsom Cash 106 has really impressed me in these regards. I found it pretty easy to handle in tight terrain, with an intuitive and predictable flex pattern, but it’s also heavy and strong enough to push fairly hard in more variable snow. It’s not so wide that I can only justify bringing it out when conditions are soft, and it’s also plenty of fun when there is some fresh snow to be had.
SKI #3: Blizzard Sheeva 11, 180 cm + Marker Duke PT
There were several skis I considered here, but the Sheeva 11 is what I landed on because it offers very good flotation in deep snow without giving up all versatility elsewhere. I look at this ski as a compromise between the K2 Mindbender 106C and the Coalition Snow Rafiki of my 5-ski quiver, with the Sheeva 11 falling between the two in most regards.
SKI #4: Nordica Santa Ana Unlimited 104, 179 cm + Marker Kingpin 13
I can’t seem to stray from this setup when it comes to my touring-specific ski. This is mostly because I am someone who doesn’t always thrive in variable conditions (especially in the backcountry), and the Santa Ana Unlimited 104 is one of the most predictable skis I’ve used in this weight and width class. It’s hard to imagine a day in the Colorado backcountry where I’d feel like this ski was a really poor choice for the conditions and/or terrain. Plus, if it’s looking like it’ll be properly deep, I can always tour on the Sheeva 11.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
It was a toss-up between the Folsom Cash 106 and several other skis that offer some similar qualities. The closest contender was the Peak Skis 104 by Bode. I really came to appreciate that ski on steeps and tight terrain, due to its blend of stability and maneuverability. I also considered the Line Blade Optic 104 for that slot.
I settled on the Cash 106 because it’s a little more forgiving than the Peak 104 by Bode, while still offering fairly good suspension. It’s also a bit more directional and, to me, feels more precise on edge than the Line Blade Optic 104.
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 what I listed in 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 176 cm length soon.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Once again, I’m going to stick to Nordica for this one:
Santa Ana 98 w/ Tyrolia Attack 13
Santa Ana 104 Free w/ Tyrolia Attack 13
Unleashed 108 w/ Marker Duke PT
Santa Ana Unlimited 104 w/ Marker Kingpin
I also think a 4-ski quiver from Blizzard could make plenty of sense for me:
Black Pearl 97 w/ Tyrolia Attack 13
Sheeva 10 w/ Tyrolia Attack 13
Sheeva 11 w/ Pivot 13
Hustle 11 w/ Marker Kingpin
Luke Koppa
(5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
Going from 5 skis to 4, I debated completely reorganizing how I structured my quiver, but I think I’m just going to do the more sensible thing: remove one of the more niche skis from my 5-ski quiver.
Ski #1: Armada Declivity 102 Ti, 180 cm + alpine binding
This one sticks around as my go-to resort ski that I would use for just about anything. I really liked carving this ski, I really like hopping and slashing around on it in techy off-piste terrain, and it’s fairly playful for being an otherwise pretty directional design.
Ski #2: Black Crows Mirus Cor, 178 cm + alpine binding
You might think that this was the most weird / niche / specific ski in my 5-ski quiver, and you’d probably be right, but it’s just so fun in certain scenarios and creates such a different on-snow experience than the vast majority of other skis that I’d want to keep it around in a 4-ski quiver.
Same as in my bigger quiver, the Mirus Cor is what I’d use for low-angle early season groomer laps, days when I don’t feel like pushing my limits off piste, days when I’m skiing with friends who want to take it easy, and/or when I just feel like focusing on carving high-edge angle turns and popping off little stuff. In this quiver, with my 5th ski removed, the Mirus Cor would also be my go-to ski for practicing little tricks in the park and across the rest of the mountain, but I wouldn’t be touching rails with it, in an effort to keep its edges intact.
Ski #3: Rossignol Blackops 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
Each year in my quiver articles, it seems like the Blackops 118 is the embodiment of the Leonardo DiCaprio meme from The Wolf of Wall Street (where he succinctly states that he is not, in fact, leaving).
But yeah, this one stays around as my resort pow / chop / crud ski for all the reasons I’ve spelled out so many times: excellent stability, respectable playfulness, and an otherwise maneuverable, surfy ride.
Ski #4: Majesty Superwolf, 178 cm + Moment Voyager XII
The Superwolf will stay as my dedicated touring ski. I’ll miss having the option of a wider, heavier touring ski (the RMU Apostle 106 in my 5-ski quiver), but I realistically do the majority of my touring in the spring, and the Superwolf handles softer / more variable snow really well for its modest 93 mm waist width.
Plus, if I do end up hunting for pow in the backcountry, odds are, I’ll just want to bring a pow-surf board anyway. And this article specifically only asks about skis…
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
The obvious one is the one I cut from my 5-ski quiver, the RMU Apostle 106. I will definitely miss having a super playful, agile, surfy, forgiving, and freestyle-friendly ski in the quiver for messing around (especially in soft-but-shallow snow).
As for other gaps, I would also appreciate a fairly heavy ski that fills the gap between the Armada Declivity 102 Ti and Rossignol Blackops 118. Something like the 192 cm Dynastar M-Free 108 would be nice to have around when I want to go fast but conditions aren’t all that deep. However, the Blackops 118 can fill that sort of role better than most ~118mm-wide skis I’ve tried.
I’ve also realized that a well-designed, fairly (but not extremely) lightweight ski like the Declivity 102 Ti also just encourages me to ski a lot more dynamically than a longer, heavier ski does, which keeps things interesting in all sorts of off-piste terrain. So if I know I’m gonna be out with a group that wants to hit bigger lines with higher-speed runouts, I could grab the Blackops 118. But for the other non-deep days, the Declivity 102 Ti should keep me plenty happy without feeling unduly twitchy or harsh when I do open it up a bit.
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?
Maybe the Volkl Revolt 114 would be a better fit than the Blackops 118, given what I just went over re: a ski for going fast even when conditions aren’t deep? That’s probably one of the few that might have a chance.
I’m also still curious about Salomon’s latest lightweight, narrower touring skis, most notably the MTN 96 Carbon. The old MTN Explore 95 was one of my all-time favorites in that class, so hopefully we’ll be able to try its successor this year. On a similar note, I’m eager to get on WNDR Alpine’s new Nocturne 88 and Vital 98. The Nocturne 88 in particular looks like it could give the Superwolf a run for its money in my quivers.
Lastly, Heritage Lab quietly added the FR110 to their lineup between winters, and it looks awfully interesting. For those who haven’t seen it, the FR110 bears a strong resemblance to an old, beloved ski that rhymed with “pickle.”
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Over my years at Blister, I’ve carved out some pretty niche, specific priorities in terms of the skis in my quiver, so there are few brands that match all of them. But here are the top contenders:
Line: Blade Optic 96, Blade, Blade Optic 114, Vision 98
This is probably my favorite overall.
K2: Mindbender 99Ti, Mindbender 89Ti, Mindbender 116C (?), Dispatch 101
Main downside here is the pow ski — I have yet to ski the revised Mindbender 116C but it’s pretty different from the Blackops 118.
Moment: Commander 102 (?), Commander 92 (?), Wildcat, Deathwish Tour 104
I just don’t know how the new Commanders ski. Hopefully we’ll find out soon.
Faction: Dancer 2, Mana 2, Prodigy 4 (?), La Machine 2 (?)
I really like the Dancer 2 and Mana 2 as stiff and lively all-mountain skis, but I’m much less sure about the others.
Sascha Anastas
(5’1”, 105 lbs / 155 cm, 47.7 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
I chose a quiver that would be most accommodating to the areas that I ski most (Monarch, Crested Butte, Aspen / Snowmass, and sometimes Taos). I did tweak my selection a little this year to include a dedicated playful ski instead of a more backcountry-oriented setup since I tend to have even less time than in years past for backcountry days.
Ski#1 Dynastar E-Pro 99 W, 170 cm + Alpine Binding
This would be my resort daily driver, serving as my primary on-piste ski, and also as an all-mountain ski for firmer conditions. This ski is impressively precise and remarkably smooth. It is very easy to get on edge, also quick and nimble in moguls and tight trees, and certainly has no problem charging down steeper chalky runs. To me, the E-Pro 99 is an ideal Colorado resort ski for where and how I ski, and could see myself logging the majority of my resort days on it.
Ski #2 Salomon QST Stella 106, 173 cm + Alpine Binding
For many years now, I’ve always appreciated having a ski around 104-106 mm wide because they can typically still be a lot of fun on firm snow, but offer improved performance in soft / deep snow relative to the <100 mm options out there. Last season, the Salomon Stella 106 really impressed me. Even in deep pow (up to 19 inches), I found it really easy to maneuver, but it also had no problem busting through chop and seemed to offer a really nice blend of forgiveness and stability. I’d be breaking out this ski when there was some fresh snow, I just wanted something more maneuverable than the E-Pro 99, and/or I want a more stable pow ski than the lighter Line Pandora 110.
Ski #3 Moment Sierra, 172 cm + Alpine Binding or Shift
As a more directional skier / former racer, I don’t really consider myself a very “playful” skier, so I surprised myself a bit when opting to include the Sierra in this quiver. But after spending time on it last year, I realized how much fun it could be. To feel more comfortable on these more center-mounted, freestyle-friendly skis, I definitely had to adjust my stance to be more upright. But after a few runs, I really enjoyed loosening up my style and found the ski to be extremely maneuverable. Combined with its low-ish weight, it’d be nice to have around as a more playful, easygoing, and maneuverable alternative to my other resort skis. As for bindings, I think I would probably mount it with dedicated alpine bindings, but would certainly consider a “hybrid” touring option such as the Salomon Shift.
Ski #4 Line Pandora 110, 170 cm + Salomon Shift Binding
After spending a good deal of time on this ski at the Blister Summit both last year and the year before, I was excited to once again have a Pandora as one of my quiver selections — but contrary to years past, I’m including the Pandora 110 instead of the Pandora 104. For how light it is, I found the 170 cm Pandora 110 surprisingly capable at higher speeds in soft-ish snow, and it’s also quite good in terms of turn initiation and edge hold for a ski this wide. That said, it would mostly serve as my powder ski and/or side country ski, given its low weight, and I could still enjoy the majority of inbounds terrain with the Shift bindings. While I’ll ski anything from 160-175 cm, depending on the model, the 170 cm Pandora 110 definitely felt like the better fit, due to its notably better stability, relative to the 162 cm version.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free. It was really hard to leave this ski off my quiver list but, ultimately, I chose the Salomon QST Stella 106 since it was slightly more forgiving and a little more playful. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Santa Ana 104 Free makes an appearance in my smaller quiver picks. Another ski that was hard to not include was the Renoun Endurance 98, which was so incredibly versatile and offered a unique ride, thanks to Renoun’s VibeStop construction.
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?
In particular, there are a lot of skis around ~105 mm underfoot that I am really excited to spend more time on this season. I seem to gravitate toward lighter skis but also appreciate skis that are fairly damp and stable, which can be somewhat of a tricky combination to find in a single ski. Based on our other reviewers’ experience, the Renoun Citadel 106 seems to check both of these boxes. I also would like to spend more time on the updated K2 Mindbender 106 C W for similar reasons. Both seem like potential contenders to the Santa Ana 104 Free and QST Stella 106.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
This is such a tough question. I’m going to agree with Kara here and choose Nordica. I think one of the narrower Santa Anas could serve as my firm-snow daily driver, then the Santa Ana 104 Free would be my softer-snow ski for the resort, the Unleashed 98 or 108 could probably serve as my more playful ski, and then I’d likely go with the Santa Ana Unlimited 104 for touring.
Dylan Wood
(5’10.5”, 155 lbs / 179 cm, 70 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
I could drastically switch things up here, but the three widest skis in my 5-ski quiver are also three of my favorite skis of all time, so I’d rather keep those around. So, I opted to basically combine my two narrowest skis from the 5-ski quiver into one ski and keep the other three.
Ski #1: Black Crows Camox, 186 cm + alpine binding
The Camox is one of the most versatile skis I’ve ever been on. It is super poppy, responsive, and impressively powerful off-piste; has a long running length and effective edge that translate to great carving performance; and it almost resembles a wide park ski in some ways, which makes it very appropriate for freestyle-minded skiing. This ski is very hard to get “out of place,” and while I will miss certain attributes of the K2 Mindbender 89Ti and Line Blade Optic 96 here, I do love the Camox and would happily spend many firm-snow days aboard this ski, regardless of where and how I am skiing that day. I’d likely mount +2 cm from the recommended line since this would be my only real “park” ski in the quiver. The Camox is also light enough for me to consider mounting it with a hybrid binding, but given that I will likely be abusing it in the park I’ll just opt for using a set of Daymaker touring adapters here if I want to take this ski uphill.
Ski #2: Rossignol Sender Free 110, 191 cm + alpine binding
I’m sticking with this ski for basically any day when the snow is somewhat soft, up to about 8-12 inches of new powder (deeper than that, and I’d get on ski #3). I’d probably even take this ski out when it hasn’t snowed in a few days or we’ve only received 1-2 inches, since I do love how its personality changes a bit and it becomes more precise and dynamic on firmer conditions. I loved the 191 cm Sender Free 110 for its stability and damping, all while retaining a playful feel. It’s also an excellent carver for its class, which isn’t a huge priority for this sort of ski, but definitely a big bonus. The Sender Free 110 was probably my favorite ski of last season, and likely in my all-time top 5. Mounting on the line here.
Ski #3: Rossignol Blackops 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
Another favorite of mine, I’m keeping the Blackops 118 around for pow days. What makes it unique, though, is how it remains enjoyable when that pow turns to chop, or even crud. It’s different enough from the Sender Free 110 to justify owning both, though there would definitely be some overlap in terms of their ideal conditions. I’d probably mount this one 2 cm behind the recommended line just to get some more ski in front of me in deeper snow.
Ski #4: 4FRNT Hoji, 191 cm + Moment Voyager XII
Also sticking with the Hoji as my touring ski. While I’ve chosen the Raven in the past, these days, I find myself seeking out pow when touring, so I’d be happy with the extra width here. Sure, it’s a heavy touring ski, but I’m also ditching some grams with the relatively light Voyager XII bindings. I’m definitely going with 4FRNT’s excellent 4-lock system here, featuring Pomoca Free Pro 2.0 skins, and mounting the bindings on the recommended line.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Of course, it is hard to ditch the K2 Mindbender 89Ti and Line Blade Optic 96 from my 5-ski quiver. I just wish the Blade Optic 96 offered a bit more precision for those really icy / chalky days.
I think I could have also gone with the J Skis Fastforward for ski #1 here, but the Fastforward lacks the energy that makes the Camox a fun park ski. The Season Kin could have also taken my #1 spot here, but it is a bit too specialized to be suitable for a wide variety of conditions and terrain I am after for my narrowest ski. I also really enjoyed the Blizzard Rustler 9 last season, but again, the Camox works better as a park ski and that’s more of a priority for me. Lastly, I could have gone with the Nordica Unleashed 98 here for ski #1, but I enjoy the extra pop that the Camox has over that ski.
Apart from that, everything I said for this question in my 5-ski quiver 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?
I enjoyed my time on the J Skis Joyride last year, but didn’t spend enough time on it to know if it could serve as my narrow all-mountain / park ski. I’ll be getting on it more early this coming season.
The Head Oblivion 94 also comes to mind. This ski does seem pretty park-oriented, though, so it will come down to how well it handles the entire mountain.
And for the wider skis in my quiver, I’m still curious about the ON3P Woodsman 108 for ski #2 and 190 cm Moment Wildcat for ski #3.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Armada: ARV 94, Declivity 108 Ti, ARV 116 JJ, Locator 112
Lots of guessing here, but this has the right types of skis in the right places.
Line: Blade Optic 96, Blade Optic 104, Bacon 115, Vision 108
This is what I picked for a 5-ski quiver, minus the Blade.
Moment: Commander 92, Wildcat 101, Countach 110, Deathwish Tour
Ditching the Wildcat here, but that should be ok since the Countach works well as a pow ski.
Dynastar: M-Free 99, M-Free 108, M-Free 118, M-Tour 108
This would be a pretty soft-snow-oriented quiver, but I think I’d be happy.
Kristin Sinnott
(5’8”, 130 lbs / 173 cm, 59 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
I’m not changing much when going from 5 to 4 skis. I liked all 5 skis in my last quiver, and, like Dylan, I chose to remove / combine my two narrowest skis and replace them with another one of my favorites. The other three skis remain the same.
Ski #1: Nordica Santa Ana 88, 172 cm + Look Pivot
I am a fan of Nordica’s Santa Ana series and while I didn’t include any of them in my 5-ski quiver, I am happy to include the Santa Ana 88 here. There are several 88mm-wide skis that I enjoy skiing, including the Renoun Earhart 88, Blizzard Black Pearl 88, and Salomon Stance 88, not to mention several slightly wider skis that could have nabbed this spot. But ultimately, the Santa Ana 88 made the list because I love how responsive and snappy it is. The extra energy the ski provides at the end of each turn energizes me and makes for some fun runs. Like the other skis listed above, the Santa Ana 88 initiates turns easily and is a good carver, but unlike some of the others, the Santa Ana 88 feels more energetic and maneuverable (while still being a pretty stable ski overall).
Ski #2: Moment Sierra, 172 cm + Look Pivot
I don’t gravitate toward skis that make me work very hard. My favorite skis are intuitive, easy to turn, and usually have a fairly traditional shape. However, the Moment Sierra is the easiest ski to pivot / slide / slash that I’ve ever been on. If you’ve read our Winter Buyer’s Guide or my previous quiver writeups on the Sierra, you’ll know that I did have to work on my relationship with this ski. Fortunately, I figured out that we got along best when I shifted the mount point 2 cm back, and the rest has been history.
The Sierra is fun in bumps (especially for its width); it’s the most playful ski that I’ve been on; and it motivates me to push myself a bit — change up my technique and let loose slightly more than usual.
Ski #3: Blizzard Sheeva 11, 174 cm + Look Pivot
The updated Sheeva 11 is in the front of my mind whenever I start thinking about my favorite skis or my favorite ski days from last season. I took them out in 12+ inches of light powder, skied them in heavy chop, smooth, carvable chalk, soft and firm groomers, and in refrozen crud. While it’s hard for one ski to perform well in all those conditions, I was surprised by how well the Sheeva 11 did. It’s versatile and predictable — especially for a ski this wide.
Ski #4: Line Pandora 110, 170 cm + tech binding
Not much to say about the Pandora 110 that hasn’t already been said in my previous quiver writeups or Sascha’s additions here. It isn’t very damp and I wouldn’t choose this ski if I planned to ski heavy chop or refrozen crud. However, the Pandora 110 is a very lightweight ski and in powder, other soft snow, or on groomers, it’s a fun ski. A really fun ski.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Honestly, I’m quite happy with this quiver. There will be some different skis on my lists as we narrow things down, but when given the option of having 4 skis, I really like the choices I made.
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 really like to try the Moment Bella in a 172 & 179 cm length and I’d like to try the longer 179 cm Moment Sierra. The Elan Ripstick 102 has also been high on my list for a while, as have the Nordica Unleashed and Santa Ana Unlimited skis.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
This would be a toss-up between Nordica and Blizzard.
Nordica: Santa Ana 88, Santa Ana 104 Free, Unleashed 114, Santa Ana Unlimited 104 (w/ tech bindings)
Blizzard: Black Pearl 88, Sheeva 10 (the Hilaree Nelson Tribute top sheet is gorgeous), Sheeva 11, Zero G 105 (w/ tech bindings)
Jonathan Ellsworth
(5’10”, 180 lbs / 178 cm, 81.5 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
My picks aren’t going to vary too much from my 5-ski quiver, so see that for more background info. But with that said:
Ski #1: Folsom Spar 88, 182 cm – custom build
It’s an extremely fun carver on all but the iciest days, while also being a fantastic moguls ski. It’s still one of the most versatile sub-90mm-wide skis I’ve been on.
Ski #2: Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, 186 cm
I still really love this ski, and I’m happy to be writing about it here again. Good stability, good truly-all-mountain versatility.
Ski #3: Moment Wildcat, 190 cm
My resort-chop destroyer + pow ski.
Ski #4: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm
For all the reasons I’ve laid out over the years in our full reviews, previous ski quiver articles, and buyer’s guides.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm
This one, for sure. In fact, I really need to do another A/B test of the Mantra 102 vs the Enforcer 104…
Rossignol Blackops 118, 186
Still a very strong contender for my resort chop / pow ski.
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 not going to bet money on this, but I am curious whether the Stockli Stormrider 102 could challenge the Enforcer 104 or Mantra 102 here?
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Sadly, I still need to get on a few skis here, and I really hope that happens this winter. But I’m intrigued by this 4-ski quiver:
1: Carving / Frontside / Low Tide: Moment Commander 92, 182 cm
2: All Mountain: Moment Countach 110, 188 cm
3: Chop / Pow: Moment Wildcat, 190 cm
4: Touring: Moment Meridian Tour (187 cm) or Wildcat Tour 108 (184 cm)
For your next blister podcast, can you do it with a panel of “heavy build” skiers, or perhaps someone below can articulate what the challenges are for heavier skiers when picking gear?
I feel like everyone in the comments section likes to either complain that heavy skiers are not represented OR make fun of them for complaining (guilty!) but I’m actually super curious as to what the issues/challenges are for heavier skiers. The only one that comes to mind is stability at speed and edge hold given the mass increase…..but I feel like the super smart engineers at the ski companies have 50+years of data to figure how to tweak the largest ski in a product offering to ensure it works for heavy skiers as intended and thus the review of an average sized skier will hold up for a large person as well.
for example: The same Nike’s giant basketball players wear are the ones I wear and they work for us just the same (traction, cushioning, support) despite there being a significant size difference between NBA players and me. So why is it (claimed) that we need a larger skier to figure how the ski handles? Won’t groomers/moguls/powder on a Moment Wildcat feel the same for Luke and Dylan at a 184 as it would for a larger skier in the 190CM?
With that said, at least where I live in Canada, it is rare to see skiers much larger than 6’3″ and 220lbs and I definitely feel like the vast majority of adult male skiers are between 5’8″ and 6’0′ in height and 150-200lbs so perhaps they are just a tiny segment (but maybe super vocal?) of the market and don’t warrant much R&D spend given the minimal sales revenue? But if that is the case why are people getting mad/annoyed that blister doesn’t have larger reviewers? shouldn’t their frustration be directed at the ski companies?
What am I missing with this one?
I think you raise a lot of very good and often overlooked points here.
[Quick Aside: I just want to reiterate that these particular quiver articles are, unlike the vast majority of content we produce, *not* intended to be recommendations for the general public. They’re personal picks. But ironically, our subjective ski-quiver series always seems to revive the debate about the connection between reviewer size and relevance to readers. If people want advice on what they should get, that’s what our membership program is for.]
With that out of the way, yes, ideally, companies are trying to make each size of a given ski cater to the “average” skiers that would most likely be on that size. I.e., the longer lengths are made with heavier / more powerful skiers in mind, while the shorter lengths are made with lighter / less powerful skiers in mind. And as we’ve been able to get on more skis, get on more skis in multiple lengths, and get multiple reviewers on those skis, we’d say that ski companies generally do a good job of accomplishing this.
We had several ski manufacturers share their thoughts on this topic in this panel from Blister Summit 2022, which is well worth checking out to hear the manufacturer’s side of things. The topic runs from about 12:00 to 30:00: https://youtu.be/9PFyU4mh9M0?si=9FMPvSZwMBDVZXHB&t=727
Meanwhile, on the reviewer side, we have a responsibility to think outside our own personal experience in order to make our reviews as useful to as many people as possible. If our reviews and advice to Blister Members truly weren’t applicable to anyone except those who weigh and ski the same as our reviewers, every review would have a bunch of angry comments from people who had extremely different experiences with the product. In reality, and after publishing thousands of reviews and recommending products to thousands of Blister Members, we’ve found that to be extremely rare.
We understand the desire for every product review to be written by someone with the same height, weight, and skiing style as the individual reading the review. Especially if you aren’t familiar with how we do things at Blister, it’s a lot easier to see some height and weight numbers that look similar to your own and trust the reviewer, as opposed to seeing some very different numbers but then trusting that the reviewer is good enough at their job to make their writing and advice applicable to all sorts of end users. I can totally relate, especially given how unreliable many reviews / reviewers out there can be. But at Blister, we work really, really hard to do things well, in order to help people make informed buying decisions.
We are still always on the lookout for new reviewers of all sizes, but those who are able to do what I described above — articulate product performance in a way that’s useful to as many people as possible, not just those who are similar to you.
Honestly there is so much context in your reviews that people can extrapolate what’s relevant to them, and you include notes on sizing where appropriate.
Although there should be an official count on the site for the number of times a review says you sent a ski up to Paul in Alaska and will add his thoughts later, cuz it never happens haha. Paul hows that 189 jskis hotshot doing?
Hahaha. I’ve been waiting on this review, also.
I think what would be really sensible Luke, considering our similar height and weight (will ignore age and ability), is that you just come and ski the specific skis that I am interested in, in the lengths that I would be interested in, at the specific resorts and runs that I ski. Then I might just consider that a valid ski test from which I could make a sound decision
The sad thing is how many people this joke is going to be lost on.
When I was in the membership program, my inquiry was never responded to anyways… I was kinda like oh well, still love you guys just not a member anymore.
I’m bigger – 6’3″, 205-218 depending on how much beer and how much bike riding I’ve done recently :) Loved the Deathwish for many years, still have a pair for the resort and it’s a blast in pow and late season corn. Enough backbone but can still slash and spin and play! Too long a radius for the really fun carves at the resort, but LibTech (RAD 97) makes amazing carvy fun skis because they are short radius and fun, yet still can get off-groomers better than the Blade. For bindings, I used to rock pivots but now I really like Strive for the resort!
Have the DW Tour but I didn’t like how light it was – it’s fine in powder but bends too easy when ripping corn and gets knocked around too much in sub-par conditions, so I got the Whitedot Altum 104 and it’s amazing, and carves corn better than the DW anyways and skis CO pow just as well, so it’s my main BC ski now with ATK’s all the way! I want a pair for the resort too because they are so good. Gonna go to Japan this year and decided Bent Chetlers with ATKs mounted about -1 from recommended… hope they are good!
Hi Steve!
Commenting on this a year later as I look for some deals on last year models. @lukekoppa if you see this, I would love to hear Paul forward or some of your taller reviewer’s take on this in a podcast eventually.
I’m 6’2 about 185-190 lbs. Here’s the biggest thing that most people don’t think about. A 194 doesn’t fit everywhere that a 185 does. What do I mean by that? Tight chutes, trees, moguls, etc. The terrain we all ski is still the same. So no matter how nimble you make a ski, there is still a reality to a longer ski just always feeling like more ski to put in tight spots. Additionally, ski companies generally do one of two things for longer sizes. They scale all the dimensions up so the ski has a similar radius as smaller sizes or they leave them the same. If they leave them the same, the ski can feel VERY different in different sizes. That said, even if they scale them, they can still feel quite different. A ski engineer is probably optimizing around a 185ish length ski a lot of the time. If I want a 192, and the waist width on the “108mm ski” is actually like 111mm or 112mm in my size which can be pretty annoying. It might turn similarly, but now the edge hold is worse than on smaller sizes. If they don’t scale the dimensions though, you often und up with a much longer turn radius and the 192 isnt just more ski because its longer it is now also a straighter ski.
Finally, height and leverage are something that aren’t always talked about. As a taller guy you can put a lot of power into the tips of the skis just because the mass you are pushing forward is higher up. If you are landing a cliff in soft snow, this means anything with a soft tip and a lot or rocker needs to be sized up so you don’t go flying over the tips. It also will give you a sensation of many skis “folding” in the tips. Generally as a tall guy I am looking for a supportive ski that is also nimble to adjust for this.
All that being said, even though Luke is way smaller than I am, we like a lot of the same skis. So in my opinion, reviewer size shouldn’t be the end all be all determining factor. Instead, I just don’t even look into skis that don’t make a 190 or longer (generally). For me, skier style/technique is much more important. I tend to be a pretty powerful and dynamic skier that still likes to play with the terrain (racing and big mtn background). I lift my feet a lot between turns and move with the terrain or I am on a high edge angle pushing through it. For me, it seems like Luke skis pretty similarly. Even though Jonathan is closer in size to me, I find many (not all by any means) of his favorite skis to be a little lack luster for me. I think that’s because Jonathan is more of a “power through” the terrain type of skier.
Ah, you Colorado types always have a quiver of fat skis, i guess you are fortunate to have the snow to support this choice.
For me, the first 2 skies in any quiver are a 165 SL and a 185 GS, then the resort days are covered. If you are not skiing these types of skis you are missing out ;)
Everything else is then just a matter of offpiste depth.
Ha, I’ve been eagerly eyeing our pair of Slalom skis in Blister HQ all fall. Can’t wait to get back on them (and a whole bunch of other piste-specific skis) in a few weeks.
Get them out and rip up short and short/medium turns on rails; nothing better.
David in here with the most sensible quiver in this series. Firm and soft snow skis for resort and backcountry, that’s it. The bike guy knows what he’s doing!
BS. Most of these are too wide. How about a narrow slalom ski for frontside, or something close? Similar for chop. Maybe a detuned GS style. Pow is different, but how much is there, really? 2 hours of 6”? Fat skis are generally not good or fun. I suppose that a constantly changing style is great for the ski manufacturers.
Well, if they are not good or not fun, why are they choosing them?
Unlike most people, Blister reviewers actually ski a huge variety of skis, and not just for a few runs at a demo, and they can adjust bindings and check tune to make sure that is good.
Unlike some reviewers, there is ZERO financial incentive, so that not it either.
So if, after trying all those skis, they choose these particular ones, I’d say they chose them because they ARE “fun and good”.
Am struggling with how someone’s personal choices on what they would buy can be deemed BS and too wide? My impression over a few years of Blister membership is that there are an awful lot of people skiing these types of skis and if there weren’t the manufacturers would not be making them.
Thanks to Tjaard and Cholmeski for handling these replies. I’m so tired of these bizarro claims & comments. Really not sure why some of these folks can’t just say, “For me, I love having a slalom ski, etc, etc. Just tell us what *you* would choose and why … just as *we* lay out our choices & why.
I’m curious as to why the Mirus Cor always seems to beat the Season Kin in these quivers – based on the deep dives, it seems like they are very similar (and I myself got a pair of Kins, which have been lots of fun). Does the Mirus Cor just have that much better edge hold? Or is there something else I’m missing?
I’m a big fan of both. For me, it mostly comes down to width and sidecut radius. In my quivers, the purpose of that sort of ski is to be super different from my other skis, and in particular, to make early-season and lower-angle groomers as fun as possible. The Mirus Cor’s narrower waist (and probably core construction, too) equates to both better edge and notably quicker edge-to-edge transitions. And in roughly equivalent lengths, the Mirus Cor’s sidecut radius is just a touch tighter, equating to even quicker turn initiation. I’d pick the Kin if I was more focused on all-mountain or park performance, whereas I prefer the Mirus Cor overall when it comes to on-piste performance.
personal choice is always interesting to read and skier stats about there style but with all your tech how about video of each tester skiing numerous types of turns and terrain and let us pick which tester matches our ability . The variation in technique would sho w right up . I have been around a lot of tester for many years and learned from past experience what their ability was and what type of skis that they personally would like , including myself . Has blister ever thought about doing something like that ?
cheers
Yep! We’ve got big plans for ramping up videos / our YouTube channel, and this is something we’ve had in mind for quite some time, so stay tuned.
Love to hear this. For those of us who have never been to Mount CB the vids of telemark and blades were great for seeing a bit of the resort and the runs you refer to. Would love to see more of that so that I can at least try to relate when you write about x ski on y run. And look forward to whatever else you have planned
that will be great remember no editing and any falls the tester owes beer !
My uninformed opinion: skinny skis just aren’t as relevant as they used to be and are now more of a niche product. Back in the day you basically had two options (1) skinny frontside skis with very little rocker or (2) 85-90 underfoot powder skis that were soft with lots of rocker and totally sucked in firmer conditions. Today there are so many well-rounded 90-100 underfoot skis that have well-rounded designs, torsional rigidity and grip that perform very well on ice and firmer conditions and also in funky or off-piste conditions. Just look at the Mantra 102 and even the M6. So you no longer need a skinny sky to condense skiers weight on a smaller area creating more force to perform well on ice. And on the flipside, the M102 is a lot more stable at speed than its skinnier siblings because it has more mass behind it and is heavier, so there’s not much benefit if any going skinner in terms of grip and you lose a fair bit of top-end stability. One exception is tight firm moguls where a big ski can be a lot of work if you ski with a traditional weight forward stance, but not too many people prioritize that these days.
Of course there are other benefits to skinny front-side skis but my point is that they’re not the right tool for the vast majority of skiers today, but used to be the right tool for the vast majority of skiers back in the day. And it makes total sense to me that for a lot of people, even a quiver of 5 skis wouldn’t include them anymore.
Oh there is absolutely an argument for ‘skinny’ skis. If you have ever skied the big open groomers of Austria, Italy or Switzerland, nothing beats a 187/191 GS ski with a 27m radius side cut for stability and power.
But, its also a function of how you ski and what you enjoy. If you have spent enough time on SL and GS skis, the wide ones just do not cut it in firm and fast conditions. I also do Masters races, so they are the skis i most enjoy free skiing. And in fact, a 23/25m radius 185GS ski is perfectly fine for up to knee deep, you get to ski in, not on the fresh.
However when it gets deep in teh trees, yes, a wider terrain specific tool is much more suited.
However, the beauty of skiing is you ski what you like, where you like, with your mates and have fun, plus a few schnapps for icing on the cake.
Wow, I’m surprised (and not just a little jealous) that David’s kost used skis were fat powder touring skis last year.
But perhaps that’s a reflection of the fact that you can mtb year round in your area, so you only go skiing if it’s good?
Yeah, it’s a combination of a few factors. For one thing, I’ve just been finding myself increasingly drawn to touring over skiing inbounds in recent years, and am spending more days doing that than riding chairs by a pretty wide margin. And it snows a lot here, we often get pretty good stability even with a bunch of new snow, and like you said, there’s good mountain biking to be had most of the time if skiing conditions aren’t great.
I think 4 is the most sensible quiver, 3 inbounds skis and 1 touring ski.
-hard snow inbounds: Heritage lab R99 comp 188 (head monster 108 184 would be here if they still made it)
-All-round inbounds: heritage labs R120 comp 185 (in place of blizzard bodacious)
-soft snow inbounds: 190 moment wildcat
-touring: Heritage labs C113 187 with Atk freeraiders (or 191 vwerks katanas).
Basically of my house burned down and I had to rebuild my quiver I’m very thankful Marshal started up his HLS project
Head spinning a bit from Stöckli actually making it into the quiver selections (well almost)
Forgot to post my ideal 4 ski quiver:
Piste based ski Fischer RC4 The Curv or Head eMagnum or Stöckli Montero AX or more likely AR
Hard snow conditions Head Monster 98
All mountain / off piste Moment Meridian
Resort powder Dynastar M-Free 118
Not tried the last two yet so a degree of wish list speculation