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
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.