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.
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 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.
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?
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?
To cut to the chase, narrowing down my 5-ski quiver to a 4-ski quiver was very straightforward, simply because I deliberately included a ski that overlapped a lot with another in my 5-ski quiver. So, not much new to say for this one, but things will start getting more interesting soon…
Ski #1: Armada Declivity X 102, 180 cm + alpine binding
Sticking with this as my daily driver at Crested Butte. Here’s what I said in my 5-ski quiver explanation:
“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.”
Ski #2: Black Crows Mirus Cor, 178 cm + alpine binding
Same as before, this will be my ski for lower-angle groomers at the start of the season, jibbing side hits, and other days when the speeds are lower (e.g., less-experienced friends visiting for a weekend). Here’s my previous explanation:
“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: Rossignol Sender Free 118, 186 cm + alpine binding
Here, the Sender Free 118 plays the role it did in my 5-ski quiver, as my resort powder / chop ski. It also absorbs the responsibilities that the 190 cm Dynastar M-Free 112 covered in my 5-ski quiver, in that it’s what I’ll break out when I’m looking to ski faster and go bigger than I normally would on the Armada Declivity X 102, even if there isn’t much fresh snow on the ground.
Often, there’s a lot of hand-wringing when trimming down these quivers. However, given that the Sender Free 118 / Blackops 118 is my favorite ski of all time, this decision was pretty easy.
Ski #4: Majesty Superwolf, 178 cm + ATK Raider 12
Still my touring ski for post-work uphill laps at the resort and backcountry outings, mostly in the spring once our fickle snowpack has consolidated. It skis really well for its weight, and it handles the full gamut of springtime conditions really well for its size.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Dynastar M-Free 112, for the reasons I included it in my 5-ski quiver.
And then the same contenders that I listed in my 5-ski quiver:
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: Moment Wildcat 118, Volkl Revolt 114, Head Kore 118 Ti, Icelantic Nomad 112, Line Optic 114, RMU Apostle 114
For Ski #4: 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?
By the time we publish this, we should now have in hand a couple of Heritage Lab’s “AM” skis in for long-term testing, and I’m super curious to see how I get along with them. On paper, they seem like strong contenders for my daily driver slot.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I wouldn’t be satisfied with any of these, given that no brand makes skis that I love for all of the different slots in my quiver, but these would be the top contenders:
Volkl: Revolt 101, Peregrine 72, Revolt 114, Blaze 94 (biggest compromise)
Salomon: QST 100, Addikt Pro 76, QST Blank (biggest compromise), MTN Carbon 96
Line: Optic 96 (biggest compromise), Blade, Optic 114, Vision 96
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?
My 4-ski quiver looks a lot like my 5-ski quiver, and it’s not due to laziness. My goal this season is to ski every day, and so far I’ve managed to make that happen. (I feel like putting that out there will somehow jinx my goal — but I’ll take the chance.) Living close to the ski area and not traveling during Thanksgiving or Christmas break has made this possible, and it has helped me with my quiver selection — in particular, my daily driver.
Ski #1: Blizzard Black Pearl 84, 170 cm + alpine binding
I’ve already spent many days this season on sub-90mm skis — playing on low-angle groomers and in small, sometimes grassy, bumps. And I spent a lot of time on the same sorts of skis last year, even when the whole mountain was open. So, I know I tend to get along with a narrower all-mountain setup on most days.
In my 5-ski quiver, I opted for the DPS Pisteworks 79 and a Volkl Mantra 84 W. Of all the skis in that quiver, those two had the most overlap in terms of when and where I planned to ski them.
So, going from 5 down to 4, I’ve consolidated my narrow ski, and what I imagine as my daily driver, down to one ski — the Black Pearl 84. I’ve been a fan of the Black Pearl 88 for years, but the 84 feels just a touch more nimble and quicker while also holding an edge well. It doesn’t match the edge hold or power of the Volkl Mantra 84 W, but I find I can maneuver it a little easier in moguls.
Ski #2: Moment Sierra 96, 174 cm + alpine binding
I’m sticking with the Moment Sierra for all the reasons I outlined in my 5-ski quiver writeup:
“The Sierra is unlike anything else in my quiver. 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 #3: RMU Valhalla 107, 172 cm + alpine binding
Just like in my 5-ski quiver, the Valhalla 107 would be my ski of choice for powder days in the resort. As I mentioned in my 5-ski quiver, the Valhalla 107 is “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 #4: Ferreol Explo 86, 174 cm + touring binding
I really enjoy skiing the Explo 86 at CBMR, and while I don’t love the idea of dedicating this ski solely to uphill / backcountry use, I think it would be a fun setup — and one that might motivate me to skip the lifts more often. As I mentioned in my 5-ski quiver, this would be my backcountry / uphill touring setup, and it wasn’t an easy choice.
I’m genuinely curious about trying a more ski-mo-inspired, ultralight setup, largely because it’s something I’ve never done before. Since I haven’t yet tried anything in that category, the Explo 86 feels like a logical place to start.
At around 1400 grams per ski, it’s light enough that the uphill won’t feel like a chore, especially when paired with a lightweight touring binding (exact binding TBD). And because I don’t have any major backcountry trips planned — aside from a Wasatch tour at the Blister Summit, where I’ll likely be on demos anyway — the Explo 86 fits the bill well. It’s an excellent all-mountain ski, impressively damp for its weight, and confidence-inspiring on firmer snow.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
The DPS Pisteworks 79 and the Volkl Mantra 84 were both included in my 5-ski quiver, and it wasn’t easy to remove them from this list. I’ve become a bit obsessed with Carv and analyzing my ski technique the past two seasons, and it’s been fun working on higher edge angles, more consistent skiing in the bumps, and other metrics, and comparing how each ski performs. These two skis are two of my favorites, especially on piste, so they’ll be missed.
I’m also still feeling the loss of the Wagner Summit 106. It has been my favorite ski for years, but I also haven’t had a chance to ski it recently. It’s more of a generalist than a specialist, though, so it might make an appearance in my smaller quivers.
And as I mentioned in my 5-ski quiver, and above, not having an alpine binding on the Ferreol Explo 86 would be a bummer as I do enjoy skiing that ski at CBMR throughout the season. But, a 4-ski quiver is still pretty big, so I feel like it makes sense for me to have a dedicated, lighter touring setup.
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 Salomon QST 94 or 100 both have a very good chance to make it on this list; I got along well with them at the Summit. I’m also curious to try the Moment Sierra 104, as well as a lighter touring setup.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I’m going to stick with a very similar answer to the one I gave for my 5-ski quiver. I’d go with Blizzard and choose the Sheeva 11 (powder + charging), Black Pearl 84, Canvas (total wildcard / unknown), and the Zero G 88 W for uphill / backcountry duties.
Alternatively, I think I could be happy with a Nordica lineup of: Santa Ana 87, Santa Ana 102, Unleashed 114 (powder / chop ski), and Unlimited 88 (backcountry / uphill).
David Golay
(6’, 160 lbs / 183 cm, 72.6 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
I’m also keeping things simple and lopping one ski off my five-ski quiver; we’ll have a bigger shakeup when I go down to three skis.
Ski #1: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
Still my go-to touring daily driver, for all the reasons that it’s appeared in a zillion of my quivers over the years.
Ski #2: Volkl Mantra 102, 184 cm + Look Pivot 15
My narrower resort ski in this quiver. The Mantra 102 gets the nod for being an extremely versatile all-mountain ski that clicks well with my skiing style and preferences, and a pretty good carver for its width.
Ski #3: Heritage Lab RC116, 190 cm + Look Pivot 15
Skiing fast in soft chop is fun. The RC116 is really good at that.
Ski #4: Armada Locator 112, 187 cm + ATK Freeraider 15 Evo
My powder touring ski, and still the one I’m least thrilled about in this quiver. As I wrote in the five-ski article:
“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.”
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Same main answer as in my five-ski quiver: “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.”
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 story again: “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).”
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
All of these involve a fair bit of speculation, given that I test more bikes than skis each year, but I feel fairly good about these three:
Heritage Lab: BC100, BC120, FL105, RC116
4FRNT: Raven, Renegade, MSP 99, MSP 107
Volkl: Blaze 104, V-Werks Katana (or maybe Blaze 114?), Mantra 102, Revolt 114
Mark Danielson
(6’2”, 210 lbs / 188 cm, 95 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
As I mentioned in our 5-Ski Quiver article, my main priority for the 25/26 season is skiing in Crested Butte’s tight, technical terrain. Unlike last year — when I placed even more emphasis on my 1.5-month trip to Whistler — my short trips to Telluride and Breckenridge aren’t very important for my quiver decisions this time around.
Those straightforward priorities make it easy to trim my quiver from five skis to four: I’m simply cutting the ski I previously chose for the open terrain at Telluride and Breckenridge (the Völkl Revolt 114).
Sorry — no dramatic plot twists just yet. But as a bigger guy (6’2”, 210 lbs) with a strong preference for big, heavy skis, at least a few of my picks end up looking a bit different from those of our other reviewers.
Ski #1: Rossignol Sender Free 110, 191 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
I’m not giving up my favorite ski in Blister HQ for all-round skiing at Crested Butte. As I wrote for my 5-ski quiver:
“It’s at its best on the shallow soft-snow days, but also delivers high performance in a wide range of conditions and terrain. On deep powder days, it doesn’t offer the flotation I’d want for my 6’2”, 210-lb build, but it remains fun and reliable even when the snow is firmer.
…It would be my go-to option at CB for most days. …I’m confident this ski will satisfy me in the terrain at Telluride and Breckenridge this year.”
Ski #2: Nordica Enforcer 104, 185 cm + Marker Jester 18 Pro
No change here. Again, there are many tight situations at CB where I want a ski shorter than my 191 cm daily driver above, but I don’t like shorter skis that feel light or jittery. Here’s my previous explanation:
“At Crested Butte, if the 191 cm Sender Free 110 starts to feel like ‘more ski’ than I want in tight terrain or on firmer snow, the Enforcer 104 will bail me out. In the 185 cm length, its lower weight, shorter length, and narrower waist make it a bit quicker and easier to manage — but I still like that this ski has plenty of weight and metal relative to the all-mountain category.”
Ski #3: K2 Reckoner 124, 189 cm + Tyrolia Attack 14 MN Demo
On the very deepest days at CB, I don’t want any regrets about being undergunned, so I’m keeping this pick as my widest, most powder-oriented ski. As I wrote for my 5-ski quiver:
“The 189 cm Reckoner 124 can float my big body, and our pair in Blister HQ weighs a hefty ~2435 g per ski, which helps it stay composed through chop and compressible crud on resort pow days.
Apart from the deepest days, it’s quite possible that I might also enjoy this very wide ski on shallow pow days (or any soft day) at Telluride, especially in its highest hike-to terrain — it all depends on whether there’s a firm, nasty underlayer that day.”
Ski #4: Rossignol Sender Free 118, 186 cm + Tyrolia Attack 17 GW
This ski returns as my shorter, more maneuverable ski for keeping up with fast friends in Crested Butte’s tight, mogulled steeps — whenever there’s any fresh snow, or even just soft conditions. As I explained in my 5-ski quiver:
“At 186 cm, the Sender Free 118 is already on the shorter end of what I’d typically choose. And its substantial tip and tail rocker — paired with my favorite mount position at -4.5 cm from true center — makes it easy to pivot and maneuver in confined spaces. Despite all that agility, this heavy ski remains composed in high-speed runouts.”
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Völkl Revolt 114: Despite cutting it from my 4-ski quiver, I still want to log more time on it to fully evaluate its performance.
Moment Countach 110: I really enjoy the versatility and fun of the Countach 110 in spring conditions, but I prefer the Sender Free 110 for winter snow.
Other great skis I considered: Moment Wildcat 118, Nordica Enforcer 99.
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?
Almost the same as what I wrote in the 5-Ski Quiver article…
Prior Overlord 188 cm (Quad Glass heavy build)
I’d also like to try a very, very heavy custom build of the 192 cm Folsom Rapture, and then I’d A/B/C it vs. the 191 cm lengths of the ON3P Jeffrey 124 & Jeffrey 118. One of those three skis could potentially replace the Reckoner 124 for me.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Prior: Overlord, CBC, Husume, Patroller (all built with the heaviest Quad Glass construction)
Runner-Up:
K2: Reckoner 124, Reckoner KF, Reckoner 110, Mindbender 99Ti
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?
I mentioned in my 5-ski quiver that most of the skis I chose needed to be versatile enough to pack in a ski bag for a winter of travel, and that I’ll be spending a solid chunk of this season in Japan. I found it pretty easy to narrow it down to a 4-ski quiver, since I felt two of the skis in my 5-ski quiver were redundant, though I expect it will be a bit more challenging as I start thinking about a 3-ski quiver.
Ski #1: Volkl Mantra 102 W, 177 cm + alpine binding
If I were spending a bit more time at Crested Butte Mountain Resort this season, it would be much harder to justify my narrowest ski in the quiver being ~102 mm underfoot. But in the case of this winter, spending about two months in Japan skews my quiver to be a bit wider overall than usual.
In this case, I am choosing the Volkl Manta 102 W over the Black Pearl 94 to be my daily driver at CBMR. While it might feel a little wide at this moment in the season (we are currently skiing mostly groomers), it’s an excellent ski for just about any day on the resort, and still a very impressive carver for its size.
Ski #2: Armada ARV 112, 185 cm + Marker Duke PT
I considered swapping this ski for something slightly narrower, such as the Icelantic Maiden 108, which would be more versatile for skiing at CBMR. The Maiden 108 has been under close consideration since I love it on shallow powder days, chop, and crud, and it is just a tad quicker and more nimble than the 185 cm ARV 112. However, I am sticking with the ARV 112 because it’s still quite versatile and is a better choice for bringing to Japan. As I explained in my 5-ski quiver:
“This is one of two skis I will likely bring to Japan this winter, but it also serves as a resort powder ski at CBMR and beyond. The Armada ARV 112 has a few desirable traits for me: it’s highly maneuverable and playful, but it offers impressive suspension and doesn’t get knocked around a ton in variable conditions.”
Ski #3: Salomon QST X, 178 cm + Salomon Shift2 13 MN
If it weren’t for the extended time in Japan this winter, it’s unlikely this ski would make it into my 4-ski quiver. But, given that I hope to be skiing a fair bit of powder, both via lifts and my own two feet, I am keeping it around. Here’s how I explained it in my 5-ski quiver:
“Light, untracked, and deep powder is where the QST X excels. It provides excellent flotation, is super loose and maneuverable, and is an all-round playful ski, which much of Japan’s terrain caters to. It’s light enough for long days on the skin track, and when I know it’s going to be a deep day, the QST X helps me make the most of the conditions without being overly demanding on my legs.”
Ski #4: Salomon MTN 96 Carbon, 182 cm + lightweight touring binding
It still makes sense for me to keep a relatively lightweight, dedicated touring ski in my 4-ski quiver, though I doubt I’ll keep this one in my smaller quivers.
Same as in the 5-ski quiver, the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon is my dedicated touring ski, and it’s one that I could use on anything from backcountry laps on a thin snowpack around Crested Butte to visiting new locations. I wanted this ski to be notably lighter than my others while still offering decent suspension, edge hold, and a predictable ride in a lot of different scenarios, since it can be a mixed bag out there in the backcountry.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
For my daily-driver resort skis, there were many strong contenders. Especially with this 4-ski quiver, it felt nearly impossible to leave the K2 Mindbender 99Ti W off the list as my daily driver. I almost went back and swapped it for the Volkl Mantra 102 W once again. However, the Mantra 102 W offers better overall suspension, which is why I am sticking with it.
For my #2 slot, I also mentioned above why I considered the Icelantic Maiden 108. For similar reasons, there were other skis I could swap for the ARV 112, such as the Line Pandora 106, which made the cut for my 4-ski quiver last year.
Several other fairly versatile powder skis still made sense, such as the K2 Mindbender 116C W and the Blizzard Sheeva 11, but the ARV 112 and Salomon QST X are my current favorites for the terrain and snow I expect to encounter 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?
As mentioned in my 5-ski quiver, there are a few in the 50/50 and dedicated touring categories that I’d like to get more time on. In particular, the Blizzard Zero G 96, and the Majesty Superpatrol. While I feel good about the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon, I’d still like to try more options on the market.
I’d also be interested in how the new Salomon QST Blank compares to the Salomon QST X, now that I have spent significant time on the QST X.
Lastly, I am very curious about the new Blizzard Canvas 118 as a Japan ski.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
I am sticking with Salomon as my answer, but for the purpose of a 4-ski quiver, it looks a bit different than my 5-ski quiver picks. I’d go with the Stance 96 Pro as a daily driver for the resort; QST 106 with a 50/50 binding for shallow pow days and some touring; QST X for Japan; and the MTN 96 Carbon for less deep days of touring.
Blizzard could also work: Black Pearl 94 as a daily driver, Sheeva 10 w/ touring binding, Sheeva 11 with a 50/50 binding, and Canvas 118 for Japan (the last one’s a mystery for now, though).
Paul Forward
(6”, 195 lbs / 183 cm, 88.5 kg)
I. Which currently available skis would you pick for your own 4-ski quiver, and why?
Ski #1: Folsom Rapture, 192 cm + Marker Jester Pro
For reference, in my 5-ski quiver, I included both this 122mm-wide ski and its big brother, the 132mm-wide Folsom Rotor. Here, I’m cutting the latter, with the Rapture serving as both my heli-guiding ski and my resort pow ski for Alyeska.
I’ll miss having a fatter, floatier ski in the quiver, but I could happily ski a full season of guiding on my Raptures. If you’re unfamiliar, check out everything I’ve written previously about this ski. For my skiing style, it just works.
Ski #2: Black Crows Mirus Cor, 184 cm + Marker Jester Pro
It’s an incredibly fun ski for groomer days and skiing with kids. From my 5-ski quiver writeup:
“Last year, I called these the ultimate ‘dad ski’ (I bet they’re among the ultimate mom skis too), and I still think that. Now, my son is a year older, skiing much faster and more likely to drag me into the terrain park and jumps, and these are still the most fun skis I’ve ever used for that kind of thing.
If I get a day to just ski groomers on my own, I still pick the Mirus Cor more often than anything else because I can ski dynamically and achieve high edge angle with only moderate speeds. And, compared to any other frontside carvers I’ve used, the Mirus Cor is dramatically more fun in any off-piste conditions that I might be lured into. Just today, I went up for some groomers and had a blast in some chalky moguls. These skis are just pure fun and have opened up a new style of skiing for me that is much more about playing with turn shape and edge angle than how I’ve typically skied in the past.”
Ski #3: Black Crows Justis, 189 cm + Marker Jester Pro
As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m not totally in love with this ski, but it’s my current pick as a daily driver for Alyeska when it hasn’t snowed a lot recently. Its -7 cm mount, stiff build, and combination of adequate float and stability are a rare combo for my preferences; I opt for it more often than not for days of off-piste chop and crud. Sometimes I tell friends these are great for when skiing gets ‘violent,’ especially for high-speed laps racing the tram on Alyeska’s north face after it hasn’t snowed in a few days. All of that said, I look forward to trying some other skis in this width class this season.
Ski #4: Armada Locator 112, 187 cm + Moment Voyager XVI
I wish the mount point was a little more forward / centered, but, overall, this is a very versatile Alaskan touring ski that does well in just about every backcountry condition I’ve encountered. It continues to be an easy ski to recommend to a wide range of ski tourers who go skinning in search of soft snow.
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
I think it will make an appearance soon, but the Heritage Labs BC120 really impressed me last year as an Alaskan powder-focused touring 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 pretty excited to check out some mega-fat heli-ski options from a few different brands, but I can’t disclose too much right now.
I also really need to try out some more 100-110 mm options, since that’s the ski category where I feel I have the best chance of finding something even better suited to my particular preferences.
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Heritage Lab would probably work, but I haven’t yet skied any of their narrower models. The easiest is probably Black Crows, but, as I’ve said before, I don’t think they really have a ski that is compelling to me as a touring option. Otherwise, that would consist of the Justis, Mirus Cor, and 194 cm Anima. I’d have to add the Draco as my touring setup, but I’m skeptical that it’s worth the weight.
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?
Ski #1: Völkl Peregrine 82, 177 cm + alpine binding
In honor of a season where we are still ripping on groomers on December 19, I’m bucking my customary 4-ski quiver trend, and I’m keeping a dedicated frontside carver here. Which will create a bit of a chain reaction here.
Ski #2: K2 Mindbender 99Ti, 184 cm + alpine binding
Selecting Ski #2 in this section almost broke my brain. I way overthought this one, and changed my mind a bunch of times. Finally, I chose a ski that I know I really like in moguls (firm or soft), but a ski that is still a good all-conditions carver that also feels at home on steep, off-piste terrain when it hasn’t snowed in a week or two, or after smaller storms that leave a fresh 4-6”. Again, a number of skis could more or less fit the bill here, and I’m also curious about a few skis for this slot that we’ll be spending more time on this season. See more in question #2 below.
Ski #3: Dynastar M-Free 112, 190 cm + alpine binding
By skewing narrower on this quiver, I’m giving up my customary ~118mm-wide ski for the deepest of days inbounds. (And I do have a cat skiing trip coming up in February, where I will absolutely want something wider than 112mm; I’m just going to ignore that for now, and wager that there won’t be too many days where I’ll be missing a much wider ski.)
However, this feels like a pretty safe bet. I love the Dynastar M-Free 112 in chop, 6-12” of fresh pow, and then even scraped-off, steep, off-piste sections.
Ski #4: Touring: 4FRNT Raven, 184 cm + Shift2 binding
Still very happy with this as my do-everything touring ski. As I said in my 5-ski quiver:
“No super strong reason to switch things up here. I’ve loved the Raven for years, and I still love it. Most of my ski touring happens in the spring, so I’m less worried about going wide for really deep pow and more concerned with something that will be super fun on good spring corn, the occasional deeper day, and, importantly, the unexpected, awful, mistimed, refrozen coral reef. The Raven continues to be my benchmark ski for those attributes; it has some strong competition (keep reading), but I’m keeping it here for now.”
II. What skis were the most difficult to leave off your list?
Let’s talk about Ski #2. I was very tempted to put the Völkl Mantra 102 there. I was also wondering whether the Stöckli Stormrider 102 would be the right choice, particularly because I love it in moguls so much. But then, if I already have my narrow, dedicated carver, why not go with the ON3P Woodsman 92 or 100, to gain more soft-snow performance over the Mindbender 99Ti? Then there’s also the Wagner Summit 97. And this is not an exhaustive list, but I’ll stop here and move on.
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 ski I’m currently most curious about as a replacement for my Ski #1 is the Faction Dancer 79. If I also really like the Dancer 79 in moguls, it would be easy to replace the Volkl Peregrine 82 as my skinny carver + moguls ski. (Plus, I mean … it’s cool lookin’.) Luke Koppa suspects that I’ll want a bit more stability out of my frontside carver… but the pink topsheets of the Dancer 79 really got me doing some wishful thinking…
IV. If you had to choose a single brand from which to build your 4-ski quiver, which company would you pick?
Simplest move for me to make here is to just pare down my 5-ski quiver:
Ski 1: Peregrine 82, 177 cm
Ski 2: Mantra 102, 184 cm
Ski 3: Revolt 114, 191 cm
Ski 4: Touring Ski: Katana V-Werks, 184 cm
Haha! Luke going full “copy and paste” from the 5 ski quiver is a new move! I worry the team is starting to lose interest in this series! Or, ski companies need to make more compelling skis?
Just a reminder about how we do things: we don’t put forward new answers — fake answers — if our actual answers haven’t changed. Not even to appease the folks who apparently just want to be told that the latest shiny new objects have replaced our personal favorite skis — skis we selected just 1 year ago.
It’s also unrealistic to assume at this point in the history of modern ski development that ski companies will be producing revolutionary skis every single year. Most of our audience understands this, and therefore understands that there won’t be massive changes each year to our personal quivers. So they tune in to see where any changes may have occurred, and why.
Damn! Jonathan needs to understand a little fun ribbing from his audience. We know you all put work and time into this, we get your point, but lighten up.
So many amazing skis these days and awesome that some favorites live on in some incarnation, such as the Sender 118 from the old Black Ops. I have no idea how anyone could keep track of it all without Blister! I wish Volkyl had kept the Mantra from 2013. Might we see some “retro ski re-releases” like you get with sneakers some time soon? The M-Free 108 was my favorite ski last year and I’m psyched to try the 112 if we ever get some snow!
I like Luke’s 4 – mirrors my quiver, where a 5th for me would be a true spring/long distance touring ski.
1 – 90ish frontside ski (K2 MB 89)
2 – 105ish daily driver (J Hotshot)
3 – 115+ pow ski (Praxis GPO)
4 – 105ish touring daily driver (Down CD104L)
(5 – 90ish tour ski, prob K2 wayback 86)
I think if I had to drop to a 4-ski quiver I’d drop my 50/50 pow ski and get a fatter touring ski that can be my midwinter touring ski and resort pow ski. So the quiver would be something like this:
1) volcano ski: light-ish but not ultralight 85-90 underfoot ski with a light pin bindings.
2) winter touring ski that can also be a resort powder ski: 108-112 underfoot with atk raiders. Maybe the wildcat 108 tour?
3) resort do-it-(almost)all: 98-102 underfoot.
4) early and late season resort ski: 80-88 underfoot that’s fun to carve and bounce around in moguls.
I agree with Paul’s and Luke’s comments about the Black Crows Mirus Cor. I’m 5’9″ 185# 175cm 85Kg skiing lots of pre-seasons groomers with a 178cm Mirus Car on Salomon Strive 14. The ski is very quick edge to edge, lets me decide when to quickly release from a turn, comfortable in air, landing on edge, smearing snap turns through hard moguls, and mixing in short and long radius turns on steep groomers. True twin and center mount and no camber helps make them playful, yet I can hold in a 30+mph long high-angle turn. Fun, light, and do more than you’d think for a 13R ski.
Spot on. This is my 3rd season on the mirus cor as my low snow day ski at Alta. It’s the best ski I have ever found for making what would be boring days super fun and compelling.
My personal 4 ski quiver
Low snow and groomer days:
Mirus Cor
Average days of softish snow skiing:
Line Sick Day 104
Anything over 6-8″ of pow: Line Pescado
Touring: Line Vision 108
Based upon currently available and that I have skied and/or own:
1. Head e-Magnum, for carvy days
2. Head Core 94 Ti or Blizzard Anomaly 88 for cruddy days
3. Moment Meridian or M-Free 108, soft snow days
4. Moment Wildcat, deeper days
Following Luke‘s comment in the 5 ski quiver re bigger quivers and buying end of season or second hand, here‘s an alternative one based upon skis I have picked up that are no longer current:
1. Head Monster 88
2. Fischer Ranger 102 FR
3. Head Monster 108 or DPS Koala 111
4. Völkl Katana or Völkl One – the Katana‘s were bought second hand, but brand new/never skied, for CHF124 (effectively $150) including bindings.
That would be pretty fun too! I find the second hand market great as it allows me to buy with little risk – I always get the bindings serviced. Worst case if I don‘t like the ski I move it on.
Obviously Kore
And obviously Koala 111 is still current, duh!
JE, any temptation to go with a 190cm 99ti? I have been eyeing the 99ti but don’t really want to step down in length from the 186 108ti. (k2 mindbender)
I haven’t skied the 190 cm 99Ti, but no, I’m not personally tempted. For where this ski fits into my quiver, it’s going to get used a lot as a moguls ski for when it hasn’t skied in a while, so I want something that will excel at that in CB moguls, and I’m 100% happy with the 184 for that purpose. That said, if moguls are less of a priority, and / or you’re a bigger or stronger skier than me, etc, I could imagine the 190cm 99 being cool, we just don’t have time on it.
1. Solis 173 / Haute Route (+1cm mount=-8) because its the holy grail and the Corvus or Bibby of the touring world,most trustworthy/intuitive ski I know!
2. Sierra 179,104 / Alpenflow89 (rec.@-6) because it knives like a 95-98mm ski on 2-D and slashes like a full-rocker 112 in 3-D @ a nice 50/50 weight!
3. Corvus 188 / Cast 2.0 (rec.@-8) because it can do it all AND by far the best travel ski for North-/South America and Europe!
4. Bibby 184 118 / Pivot2 (rec.@-6) because its the Bibby!
Again used with 3 Italian boots, ZGPT, Lange XT3, RS130 (or Shadow 130).
And if somebody only wants to see current skis then I would have ever so sadly to get rid of the best 1-o-something ever, the former Corvus and would be left in a void of question marks… pretty much the whole damn market is good to okay in the very stacked 104/105-109-ish skis class but when I’m testing new shit out its always not perfect and not really close to the Corvus’ sensation to be honest… so there is no really a substitution for the former Corvus and its (UNREAL!) versatility….(yes you read that right…versatility but in a good way,not just lame compromises here!).
Moreover, the best other 105-109 ski ever (maybe just not @ a reasonable weight for a cast build) was cut out of the blue by those Austrian- Blizzard-corporate bastards, long live the 185 Cochise!!! (maybe even the last 106 one was the best of all iterations, which was truly shocking when you know how good the blue-orange non-carbon 108s were). The new shitty Blizzard Anomaly 102 is not acceptable, if you got to know and love the Cochise feeling, its shockingly worse in pretty much every field of what a modern charger has to bring to the barbecue- so sorry, regression here like with the most brands that came out once with that one monster of a ski or like Blizzard even with a whole line of skis…the whole line now is worse like those flipcore skis back in the I don’t know 2000friggin 15eens???!!!
So because of this whole clusterfuck regarding the most important class of skis maybe now its time to just say ciao ragazzi , grazie mille…turn off your exes Coldplay tape, instead get that old Bodycount album screamin’, get off the insta ad-porn- account, look into the mirror, maybe even smash it out of anger while you do, say fuck you skiing market, even more fuck you ski-corporate Austria/France!!! Refreshed, recalibrated and as a result of this cathartic anger ventilation meditation process (we all have to face eventually) i would silently mold my own sweet dialed veneer topped freeride-ski @Spurart, Innsbrooklyn (thank you “Freeman” Michi for all the bro-mounts, we love you and will bring you fresh Bavarian beer til the end of time!) ….or when nostalgia hits even harder I eventually (especially when I run out of Hellbents) will contact Heritage Lab to bring back not only the stuff I love, need and ride into the sunset with.
Also what happens to all those sweet memories that are closely attached only to the very best planks that were out there once, could deliver that magic sensation in a turn but had to be cut of the program because a random burnout suit draw a red line in the name of revenue or “low cost”?
We need soulful skis again like K2’s factory program had (the K2 Bosses lost their mind when they gave up on their image what the factory skis stood for imho, now look at them….they look like your grandpas undies!), Moment once had (their glory days are way behind them too!)… smaller brands like Praxis Skis still might have ….no fucking ski-lines…no fucking family resemblances (whenever I read this term I have the urgent drive to puke!), no boring same ski names within a line xy98xy108xy118…we need to keep the community alive and kickin’, maybe now its time to kick out the bosses and set a new standard of gold (not old!) before it all goes down to Quiver-Narnia!!!!
In an ideal world I’m still going with 4 pair of Wagner Custom skis from skinny carver to fat floater perfectly dialed to my desired design and specs. If we’re dreaming about the perfect quiver why not make it perfect?
Hey Luke, in the section where you offer up picks if you just had to pick one ski brand, you said “Line: Optic 96 (biggest compromise)…” I’m wondering if you could elaborate on the compromise there. Does it come down to lacking edge hold, carving, and on-piste performance?