I was quite intrigued when Phil reached out and let me know he had an Augment 77 in an 159 (121.5/77/107.5, 14m radius) available for testing. I've only read about Augment on Pugski, but have yet to see one in the wild in Tahoe. And I have a 2018 Stockli Laser AX in a 159 (123/78/109, 13m...
augment 77
augment skis
austrian skis
carving ski
is not a ski for the lazy
joy-inducing front-side ski
purchaser can select a stiffness from 1-10
quick edge-to-edge transition
skicagematchski compare and contrast
stockli laser ax
stockli laser ax skis
stockli skis
swiss skis
Here is a good old-vs-new-guard Cage Match, the Blizzard Bonafide and the K2 Mindbender 99Ti. In about 2010, the Bonafide tore the torch away from the Völkl Mantra to become the reference ski in the 98mm category; it carried that torch until the golden child, Nordica Enforcer, started shining...
This Cage Match is more like a sibling throwdown. With the introduction of the Santa Ana 88, Nordica has forced the question, "Which is better for me, the 88 or 93?" At first glance, the differences in waist width and turning radius seem negligible, which may leave you scratching your head...
astral 88
looking for a complement to your powder ski
nordica
nordica skis
one-ski quiver
santa ana 88
santa ana 93
sibling throwdown
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
Sibling rivalries ... why can’t we all just get along? No more long car rides with “He’s touching me” or “She’s looking at me.” As we discovered last year, Liberty became an overnight success with our readers, and it only took the company a bit over a decade to do so. How did this newfound love...
evolv 90
extended sidecut and low tip profile
liberty skis
liberty skis of colorado
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski sibling rivalries
v92
vertical metal technology (vmt) construction
vmt construction
Yes, Liberty is the overnight success that started well over a decade ago but really caught our attention last season with the oh-sooo-good V-Series collection, with its Vertical Metal Technology construction and unique low-rise tip with a good amount of flare (… and more than just 15 pieces of...
liberty skis
liberty skis of colorado
replacing the koroyd
salomon
salomon skis
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
v-series collection
vertical metal technology construction
wide carver
It is a brave new world when an upstart boutique ski builder from sleepy northern Vermont makes one of the reference skis in the hotly contested One Oh Something category. The Citadel 106 is Cyrus’s baby; he made the Z-90 and Endurance 98 first so that he could afford to make a lightweight 106...
Here is the Cage Match I have had more than a few requests for, the Fischer RC One GT Multiflex and the Salomon S/Force Bold, two new skis that have been the topics of many preseason discussions. Honestly, I think it is a Cage Match that is going to disappoint many here in that these skis are...
a tale of two tails
can be worked into any turn shape
fischer rc one gt 86 multiflex
fischer skis
groomer versatility
revolutionary ski
salomon s/force bold
salomon skis
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
wide carver
Two well-established names in Völkl and Nordica are attacking the upper 80-90mm segment in two different ways, but with model names that have been around for a while. The Kendo 88 has an all-new shape, and the Enforcer 88 is steamrolling into a whole new segment for itself.
It is no secret that...
There is no question that K2 has shifted gears over the past few years with new designers, new skis, and a new attitude. We have also seen a shift at Liberty with brand new collections, including the Evolv 100 featured here. Why did I choose these two to go against each other? First, they are...
extremely stable in crud
k2 mindbender 99 ti
k2 skis
liberty evolv 100
liberty skis
liberty’s vmt construction
reference ski in the 98-100mm category
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
vertical metal technology
This comparison wasn't on my radar initially, but it was brought up by a few members who were considering both. So, how do these smaller, specialty brands stack up with their offerings of similar dimensions? Well, let's check 'em out.
We will start with the golden one, the Stöckli Laser AX...
Which one? That is the question I have to ask whenever someone inquires about a Mantra, the new M5 in particular. "I owned" "My buddy owned" "I read about" ... the Mantra. I always have to answer, "Which one?" The reply is usually, “What do you mean, 'Which one?'"
There have been several...
Ah, 76, 78, 79. This seems to be the sweet spot for a ski that can carve up the groomers, rip a zipper line, or help someone work on technique. For me, it is the sweet spot for a ski that puts a smile on my face. I was fortunate enough to be able to ski all three of them early in their lives...
blizzard black pearl 78
blizzard skis
dps alchemist cassiar 79
dps skis
drake powderworks
liberty skis
liberty v76
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
stephan drake
In all its wisdom, Blizzard played it safe when redesigning the Brahma. It had a good thing going and decided to tweak things rather than start over. So, the new Brahma got a slightly more rounded shovel, a slightly more aggressive sidecut, and a slightly more balanced flex compared to the model...
The Liberty V-Series V76 takes on the Head Supershape iRally. Am I really going there? Am I really going to put the all-new, relatively unknown, mostly unproven Liberty up against the reference ski in the segment? Hell yeah. Because this very good Liberty has everything to gain and nothing to...
One thing we can say here at Pugski.com is that we do love them there hard-snow skinny-type skis. This comparison comes from the people who give us toast, fries, and kisses -- yes, we are talking about the French. Dynastar quietly introduced the Speed Zone 12 a few seasons back, and it is a ski...
Two skis from two brands under the same umbrella: one would think they might have some similarities, and they do. But as much as they are similar, they are also quite different.
The Dynastar Legend W84, with its five-point sidecut and two layers of Titanal, is a frontside carving ski with...
dynastar legend w84
dynastar skis
five-point sidecut
frontside carving ski
rossignol experience 84 ai w
rossignol skis
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
solid edge hold
two layers of titanal
After we requested ideas for Cage Matches, many asked us to compare this against the new Rossignol Experience 94 Ti or that against the new Völkl Mantra M5. So we decided that instead of doing a bunch of one-to-one comparisons, the Rossi and Völkl should take on the world. But first, go back and...
atomic vantage 97 ti
blizzard rustler 9
dps foundation cassiar 94
dynastar legend x96
elan ripstick 96 black edition
fischer pro mtn 95ti
head kore 93
kästle fx95 and fx95hp
rossignol experience 94 ti
rossignol skis
skicagematchski compare and contrast
ski reviews
volkl mantra m5
volkl skis
Here is a Cage Match that could have happened last year, but no one requested it. It is hard to argue with what Head is doing right now. It is hitting on all cylinders, and the Kores are no exception. Head has been able to produce a light yet powerful ski with the Kore, and it’s a winner ... but...
Stöckli vs Kästle, Kästle vs Stöckli, these are the comparisons that keep people coming to Pugski. I feel like a ring announcer in Vegas: "In this corner, measuring in at 74mm underfoot, the Kästle MmmmmmmX Sev-en-ty Fourrrrrrr, and in the far cornahhhh, measuring in at 77mm underfoot, the...
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