Intro
Well, it’s once again that time of year. Many 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 your first day on snow and between early-season storms is to fantasize about your dream ski quiver.
Assembling a ski quiver (whether hypothetical or real) is certainly fun, and it’s also a great way to procrastinate and make the hours at work just fly right by.
But it can also get a bit tricky — and make the more obsessive among us start going mad. We get a lot of questions about whether ski X is too similar to ski Y to have both, and even more questions about how, in general, to think about putting together an effective quiver.
So the first things to figure out are:
(1) Whether for you, personally, it’s worth owning more than a single pair of skis. And then,
(2) How to put together a group of skis that will help you get the most out of every day on the mountain.
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 for more detailed info on the specific skis we discuss in these quiver articles, be sure to click around to read our reviews of the individual products.
If you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own ski quiver, then become a BLISTER+ Member, submit your question via the Member Clubhouse page, and we’ll get you sorted out.
How Many Skis?
This year, we’re once again starting with our picks for hypothetical 5-ski quivers, which is obviously pretty sizeable, but each reviewer will outline what roles each ski will serve in their quiver. And even if you’re opting for a 1- or 2-ski quiver, seeing how we think about assembling a larger quiver may still be beneficial in terms of you sorting out the compromises you’re willing to live with.
Over the course of the coming weeks, we’ll be narrowing it down to our 4-, 3-, 2- and 1-ski quivers.
Five 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 5-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 5-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
V. Since we get this question a lot, what would your ideal quiver look like if we dropped the 5-ski limit?
Three Additional Notes
(1) For our quivers, we’re including skis that we’ve actually spent time on, but we will allow some minor exceptions and/or speculation regarding skis that we think might fit into our quivers once we get to ski them / ski them more.
(2) Some of our reviewers will also expand on which bindings they’d put on which skis if there are some particular reasons they made those choices.
(3) We will be updating this post with more options from some of our other reviewers in the near future, but we’d also love to hear your answers to some or all of our four questions, too, so please do so in the Comments section.
Luke Koppa
(5’8”, 155 lbs / 173 cm, 70 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 5-ski quiver, and why?
Ski #1: Armada Declivity X 102, 180 cm + alpine binding
This is my daily driver slot for skiing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort. And, as will be a theme in my picks, it’s a carryover from last year.
That’s not to say I haven’t skied a ton of do-everything skis that I love since last year’s quiver articles. I definitely have. However, I haven’t found any that (1) do all the little things I prioritize as well as the Declivity X 102 and (2) I’ve spent enough time on to be totally confident in.
For reference, I want my all-mountain ski to be fun to carve on piste, even when the snow is pretty firm. I also want it to be quite quick, loose, and energetic in moguls, suiting a dynamic, light-on-my-feet style. And I want it to work with a variety of skiing stances, from quite forward to pretty centered. And I want it to do all of this without feeling overly harsh / chattery (for my preferences) in variable snow.
I.e., my preferred daily skis tend to lean slightly toward the more agile, maneuverable, and playful sides of the spectrum, rather than being notably damp and stable, but I don’t necessarily want a super freestyle-focused nor a firmly directional platform.
I’m definitely not saying that the Declivity X 102 is the best all-mountain ski on the market. However, it fulfills enough of my (highly particular) preferences to just barely set it apart from a ton of other skis I love in most scenarios, so it’s once again my top pick for most of my resort days. And I’m sure you’ll be seeing it a lot more as we get to the smaller quiver articles.
As for alpine bindings, I still don’t have a strong preference, despite testing the majority of them back-to-back on the same ski on the same runs. There are minor aspects I like and dislike about nearly every alpine binding on the market. But, realistically, I’d probably just choose the binding I can get at the best price, provided that it works for my preferred release values and boot sole type.
Ski #2: Black Crows Mirus Cor, 178 cm + alpine binding
This is the ski that I’d spend the most time on for the first few weeks of the season, when we’re primarily skiing man-made groomers on low- to moderate-angle slopes. It’s also what I’d break out when I want to get the most out of any groomer (and the sidehits that border them).
I was really, really close to swapping this for a similarly tight-radius but more traditional carver like the Volkl Peregrine 72, Head Supershape e-Magnum, or Rossignol Forza 70°. I really love all of those skis. And, compared to the Mirus Cor, all of them feel more powerful and arguably encourage better technique on piste.
However, none of them open up as many non-traditional skiing opportunities as the Mirus Cor. This ski needs very little speed to be enjoyable, enabling snappy, Slalom-like carves on early-season slopes (even when it’s icy).
But, unlike many skis that can accomplish those things, the Mirus Cor also lets me ski switch without paying attention to patches of deeper snow. And it feels nice in the air. And, despite its 87 mm waist, it can be a fun all-mountain ski, especially when I’m taking laps with friends who are less interested in pushing the limits of steepness and speed.
Ski #3: Dynastar M-Free 112, 190 cm + alpine binding
This is the slot I’m the least confident about. If you ask me in a week, I’d likely give a very different answer.
In the past, I’ve typically picked a 105-110mm-wide ski that’s more playful, forgiving, and maneuverable than my daily driver; the idea being that I basically have two all-mountain skis, but the second one caters to a more playful skiing style than the first one.
However, these days, something like the Declivity X 102 meets those criteria for me on most days at the resort. And if I know the speeds will be slower and the slope angles lower, I’ve got the Mirus Cor. So, as of the particular time I’m writing this, I’m going to instead go with something much more damp and stable than my daily driver, but that still encourages a playful skiing style.
The 190 cm M-Free 112 was, I think, the standout ski for me last season. It’s extremely capable at speed, but still very maneuverable, balanced, and relatively forgiving. And, despite having a ton of overlap with my #4 ski, I think I could still justify it in a 5-ski quiver. The M-Free 112 is far better at dealing with high speeds and choppy snow than the Declivity X 102, but it’s manageable at slow speeds in most terrain. It excels with at least a few inches of fresh, but it doesn’t feel like major overkill if it hasn’t snowed in a while.
So, for the days when I know some more serious lines are on the menu, or there’s more than a couple new inches of snow, this is the ski I’ll be bringing.
Ski #4: Rossignol Sender Free 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
Still my favorite resort pow ski, for all the reasons I’ve laid out in our reviews and prior quiver articles. Skiing resort chop on this ski is one of my favorite things to do on this planet.
Given how I decided to settle on my #3 ski, I’d be conflicted about which ski to take on a lot of 6”–10” pow days. On paper, having both doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But that’s more of a factor of how much I enjoy skiing both skis in soft chop. I made this bed, and I’ll happily sleep in it.
Ski #5: Majesty Superwolf, 178 cm + ATK Raider 12
For reference, most of my time in the backcountry takes place during the early and late parts of the season. At the beginning, I’m usually bootpacking with my powsurf board, so this is primarily my spring touring ski, and the ski I’d use for frequent pre- and post-work skins at the resort.
The Majesty Superwolf retains its spot for yet another year, though there are several contenders in my mind that I just need to spend more time on. For now, the Superwolf continues to be my go-to for all sorts of spring skiing, from icy couloirs to variable slush and crusts. It handles that spectrum of conditions really well for its size, and it skis really well for its weight.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Dozens and dozens.
For Ski #1: Salomon QST 100, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Salomon QST 94, Faction Studio 2, Volkl Revolt 101, Stockli Stormrider 95
For Ski #2: Volkl Peregrine 72, Rossignol Forza 70°, Line Blade, Head Supershape e-Magnum, Fischer The Curv GT 85, Romp Sidehit 89
For Ski #3: not many for how I positioned it this year, but if I reverted back to a more versatile, playful all-mountain ski, the contenders would include: Icelantic Nomad 106, RMU Apostle 106, Volkl Revolt 101, Salomon Depart 1.0, Whitedot Altum 104
For Ski #4: Moment Wildcat 118, Volkl Revolt 114, Head Kore 118 Ti, Icelantic Nomad 112, Line Optic 114, RMU Apostle 114
For Ski #5: Salomon MTN 96 Carbon, Line Vision 96
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?
We just got Romp’s new Sidehit 89 and Zorro 100; by the time this is published, I should have gotten my first laps on at least one of them. Maybe they could contend for my #2 and #1 slots, respectively?
I’m also super excited to hopefully spend some time on Heritage Lab’s skis this season. I know our reviewer, Paul Forward, has been very impressed by a handful of their skis, and I’m eager to try them for myself, especially their “AM” collection.
Then there are already plenty of new 26/27 skis being teased that sound interesting, but we’ll have more to say about those later this winter.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 5-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Same as past years, no company makes five skis that perfectly match my very particular preferences. But here are a few that (I think) I could be pretty happy with:
Volkl: Revolt 101, Peregrine 72, Mantra 102, Revolt 114, Blaze 94
Salomon: QST 100, Addikt Pro 76, Depart 1.0, QST Blank, MTN Carbon 96
Line: Optic 96, Blade, Optic 104 (or Chronic 101?), Optic 114, Vision 96
V. Since we get this question a lot, what would your ideal quiver look like if we dropped the 5-ski limit?
Without limits, I’m guessing my quiver would expand to 10+ skis, all of which I’d likely wait to purchase from shops’ demo fleets or past-season sales. I’d probably add a freestyle-oriented all-mountain ski like the K2 Reckoner 102; a more traditional carver like the Volkl Peregrine 72 or 82; a lighter and more nimble resort pow ski like the RMU Apostle 114; a powder touring ski like the Heritage Lab UT122; and whatever others pop up that pique my interest.
Kristin Sinnott
(5’8”, 140 lbs / 173 cm, 63 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 5-ski quiver, and why?
This quiver is based on my 25/26 plans: skiing at CBMR as much as possible, a late-winter trip to Palisades, and spring skiing at Snowbird. I’m once again keeping the option of backcountry / uphill skiing open — hoping that this is the year I get back to my old routine of weekly skinning sessions. But if that falls through again, I know I’ll at least have some post-season adventures with my husband and son. (I make them skin with me on my birthday and on Mother’s Day.) I wish I could say I spent more time in the backcountry, but it’s just not in the cards right now, and this 5-ski quiver reflects that. When I do go uphill, it will likely be in spring conditions or on-resort.
Over the past few years, I’ve generally gravitated toward skis around 90 mm and narrower for most conditions and terrain. I love making quick, deliberate turns on steep, technical terrain, and the skis listed here tend to let me do that with far less effort from my legs.
Ski #1: DPS Pisteworks 79, 174 cm + alpine binding
I spent a bit of time on these skis at last year’s Blister Summit, and they were extremely fun. During some of our morning ‘corduroy crew’ meet-ups at the Summit, I snagged a pair of these, and you couldn’t have wiped the smile off my face. The Pisteworks 79 is very responsive and holds an edge securely, without leaving me feeling like I was stuck / locked into each turn. I’ve tried other carving-specific skis, but these feel the most approachable while also inspiring confidence.
The Pisteworks 79 is perfect for me during the early season when there are smaller bumps, edgeable snow, and lots of groomer laps. And they would be a great tool for getting a kickstart on my season and working on better turns (and maybe boosting my Carv Ski:IQ). But I would also use the Pisteworks throughout the season when I found myself jonesing for some fast and fun groomer runs. I opted for the 174 cm length, but I think I’d also be happy with 167 cm.
Ski #2: Volkl Mantra 84 W, 170 cm + alpine binding
I’ve been spending more and more time on the Mantra 84 W — early this season and at the end of last — and it keeps impressing me. It carves confidently and helps me push toward higher edge angles (thanks, Carv drills), but it’s also enjoyable off-piste when I’m skiing strong. It feels like a very dependable, versatile companion for most of my CBMR days, with a bit more high-speed and off-piste capability than my Ski #1.
Ski #3: Moment Sierra 96*, 174 cm + alpine binding
The Moment Sierra 96 has an asterisk beside it because I haven’t technically skied the updated version of this ski. This year, Moment tweaked the flex pattern and sidecut, and they added a wider version (Sierra 104). But, on paper, the new Sierra 96 looks similar enough to the prior-gen Sierra I’ve tested, so I’m going to bet that I’d enjoy the new ski as much if not more.
The Sierra is unlike anything else in my quiver — it’s much more rockered, has a more centered mount point, and is generally designed for a more freestyle-inspired style of skiing. I initially didn’t click with it, but once I moved the mount point back and transitioned to skiing with a more upright stance, I started to really look forward to hopping on it every season. In tight, steep chutes and moguls, it’s incredibly easy to maneuver, and its playful, poppy feel encourages me to get a little air — which is always a good thing.
Ski #4: RMU Valhalla 107, 172 cm + alpine binding
The Valhalla 107 is my favorite powder ski: surfy and pivoty when the snow is deep, but still composed enough when everything gets chopped up. It keeps powder days fun without punishing me once the untracked pow gets chewed up.
Ski #5: Ferreol Explo 86, 174 cm + touring binding
This would be my backcountry / uphill touring setup, and I’ll admit this was not an easy choice. I’m genuinely curious about trying a ski-mo-style, ultralight setup — mostly because I’ve never used one and partially because Crested Butte local and future Olympian, Cam Smith’s recent World Cup performance was incredibly motivating. But since I don’t own anything like that (yet), I’m going with the Explo 86.
At ~1400 g per ski, it’s light enough that I won’t dread the uphill, especially paired with light touring bindings (exact binding TBD). And since I don’t have any major backcountry trips planned — aside from a Wasatch tour at the Blister Summit, where I’ll demo something anyway — the Explo 86 fits the bill. It’s an excellent all-mountain ski, surprisingly damp for its weight, and confidence-inspiring on firmer snow.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I typically include a slightly wider directional all-mountain ski in my quiver, but as I noted above, it’s the slightly narrower models that have been standing out more to me.
Still, leaving out the Wagner Summit 106 especially stings. It has been a staple for me for years — though it isn’t one of their custom builds, it feels like it was made for me. But I haven’t skied it recently, so I’m leaving it off for now. If I get back on it, there’s a very good chance it returns to the list.
And while I love the Ferreol Explo 86 as an everyday CBMR ski, mounting it with a touring binding means I won’t be using it for lift-served days, which is unfortunate. I could opt for a much heavier hybrid binding, but in a 5-ski quiver, I think it makes sense to have my uphill setup be more specialized.
The new Head Kore series was also difficult to leave off the list. I have been getting along well with all of them, especially the Kore 87 Ti. For my 5-ski quiver, I opted for the Volkl Mantra 84 instead, as it feels more planted and precise in its turns, especially on firm snow.
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 really enjoyed skiing the new Salomon QST skis at the Blister Summit last season, but didn’t get enough time on them to include them in this year’s quiver selections. I could see the QST 94 or QST 100 easily fitting into this quiver once I spend more time on them.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 5-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
This feels especially tough this year, since my current quiver pulls from five different brands. And, much to my surprise, my answer isn’t one of the five brands in my primary quiver.
For the sake of this exercise, if I had to pick one brand, I would go with Blizzard. I’d choose the Sheeva 11 (powder + charging), Black Pearl 84, Black Pearl 88, Canvas (total wildcard / uknown), and the Zero G 88 W for uphill/backcountry duties.
V. Since we get this question a lot, what would your ideal quiver look like if we dropped the 5-ski limit?
Tough question. I am going to answer this differently than one might expect, as I do have a lot of other skis in my garage that either get used regularly in the winter or that I have no desire to get rid of, since I always hope I can use them at least once each winter. These skis include several pairs of cross-country skis (both classic and skate skis), snowblades, and telemark skis.
Other than those, I’d also add the Blizzard Sheeva 11 (currently mounted with a Look Pivot binding) to my quiver for days when my legs are feeling strong and I want to try charging down the mountain.
David Golay
(6’, 160 lbs / 183 cm, 72.6 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 5-ski quiver, and why?
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
Maybe one of these years, I’ll find a daily driver touring ski that I like better than the Raven, but it hasn’t happened yet. The Raven still stands out for being very intuitive across an especially wide range of conditions, making it an easy ski to grab if I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to encounter on a given day out (or expect a wide range, from pow up high to refrozen garbage down lower, which happens a lot in Western Washington). I know it, I trust it, and can have a pretty good day on it, almost no matter what.
For bindings, various versions of the ATK Raider have been my go-to touring option for a while now, and the Freeraider 15 Evo is my favorite variant to date. I’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the 15 Evo and the Freeraider 14 it replaced from a skiing-performance perspective, but the Evo does away with the annoying push-button brake release on the prior version, which is a welcome, if modest, improvement.
Ski #2: Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm + Look Pivot 15
Sticking with another old favorite here. For reference, I live in a high-snow area (this year’s exceptionally slow start notwithstanding), and my home mountain doesn’t have the most inspiring assortment of groomers. If conditions inbounds aren’t at least kinda decent, I’m more likely to go touring or ride a bike, so a true, piste-focused frontside ski just isn’t a top priority for me.
The Mantra 102 is a pretty engaging carver for its width, while being a whole lot more versatile off-piste than most stuff that carves dramatically better. It’s also notably damp and stable at speed, which is a plus in heavy, cruddy conditions. That’s the right combo for my narrower resort ski.
Ski #3: Heritage Lab RC116, 190 cm + Look Pivot 15
Here’s a snapshot of my reaction to a moment in Ep. #339 of GEAR:30, when Paul Forward described the RC116 as a ski for folks longing for a return of the Blizzard Bodacious:
I’d already bought a pair of RC116s when that episode dropped, and I share Paul’s sentiment. They’re not quite an exact 1:1 replacement for the Bodacious, but they come a whole lot closer than any other current ski I’m aware of — and, if anything, I prefer the RC116 overall.
The Bodacious stood out for being a very heavy, damp, stable ski with excellent suspension, while still being pretty quick to pivot and slash (for what it is, anyway — a ~2,500 g ski with a very traditional mount point). It’s far from being the best ski for untracked pow (despite its 118 mm waist width), but excels in deep, soft chop and heavy maritime snow — especially when skiing fast.
That’s all true of the RC116, too, but the RC116 also floats a bit better and feels a bit more lively and energetic than the Bodacious. Or maybe just less dead; “poppy” is about the last adjective I’d use to describe the Bodacious. The RC116 isn’t quite as unflappably smooth and damp feeling, but I’m pretty happy with that tradeoff — the Bodacious is a massive outlier in that regard, and the RC116 is a little more well-rounded.
More broadly, the RC116 is just an excellent take on a wide, directional charger — a class of skis that has really dwindled in recent years — and one that I’m a big fan of. I’m thrilled that someone is still making skis like it.
Ski #4: Armada Locator 112, 187 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
I’m going for a dedicated powder-touring ski here, but (as has been the case for several years running), it’s the slot where I’m least thrilled with my answer. A few of my favorite options for this slot have either been updated or discontinued (e.g., the K2 Dispatch 120), and I haven’t nailed down an ideal-feeling replacement.
I’m not mad about the Locator 112, though. It floats well for its width, it’s pretty stable for how light it is, and it’s not some 100% pow-specific tool that feels totally out of place in the odd bit of shallower / funkier snow. My ideal ski for this slot would be a little wider and floatier, and probably a little heavier with slightly better suspension (even though it’ll be a dedicated touring ski), but the Locator 112 is the best current option I’ve been on for what I’m after.
Ski #5: Moment Wildcat 118, 190 cm + CAST Freetour
In years past, I’ve put a third, truly pow-specific touring ski here (e.g., DPS Lotus 138). But, for a variety of reasons, I’m going in a different direction this year and slotting in a more playful counterpart to the RC116 here. The Wildcat 118 admittedly overlaps quite a bit in the conditions it excels in, but I’m anticipating doing a higher ratio of riding chairs to touring than I have in recent years, and I like the idea of having a less full-throttle option for soft chop days when I want to take things a little easier / slash around and goof off more.
(I know, the 190 cm Wildcat is still a big, heavy ski. It’s all relative.)
And while I’m not going to do any big touring days on this one, I’ll throw CAST Freetour bindings on for the occasional short sidecountry mission.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I debated putting the 4FRNT Renegade in place of the Locator 112. Both are skis that I like, but don’t quite love, for that slot; they’ve got distinctly different pros and cons, and neither feels like 100% what I’m after.
I also waffled a lot on the Wildcat 118. In this case, my hangup had more to do with quiver construction — it’s still a ski I love, it just overlaps with the RC116 a lot. I thought about putting a narrower all-mountain ski there (probably the Volkl Mantra 88), but I just don’t think I’d break it out that much, given where I live. If I had a current super-fat pow touring ski that I loved, it’d likely get the nod over the Wildcat 118 for diversity’s sake, but I don’t have a dialed option there, either.
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 of skis that I could see taking the place of the Locator 112. The Heritage Lab BC120 is probably the one I’m most intrigued by, but I’m also interested in the ON3P Billy Goat 118 Tour or a custom lightweight version of the Folsom Rapture or Praxis Protest (which has been tweaked since I was last on it).
I’m also quite curious about the Heritage Lab UT122, though it’s probably a little more fully pow-specific than I want in that slot. But if it really clicks, I could see myself shuffling my quiver around to include three touring skis (dropping the Wildcat 118) to include it.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 5-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I admittedly haven’t been on all of these, but I’m going to take a flyer on Heritage Lab: BC100, BC120, and UT122 for touring skis, and FL105 and RC116 for when I’m riding chairs.
I’d also be pretty happy with a 4FRNT quiver of the Raven, Renegade, MSP 99, MSP 107 , and… I guess maybe a Devastator? This one works well at four skis for me, and the fifth is a bonus.
V. Since we get this question a lot, what would your ideal quiver look like if we dropped the 5-ski limit?
Do we get to drop the requirement for the skis to be current models, too? My real-world quiver is *mumbles* skis deep right now, with a lot of older chargers and powder touring skis that aren’t around anymore.
The skis I spent the most days on last year are, in no particular order: 4FRNT Raven (184 cm), K2 Dispatch 120 (186 cm), DPS Lotus 138 (192 cm), Blizzard Cochise (first-generation, 185 cm), and Heritage Lab RC116 (190 cm). And then there are a bunch more that I don’t break out as often, but keep around for the right day, or maybe just nostalgia.