We started with our ever-popular Steals & Deals, but added a new twist: the first phase of our “Tester's Choice.” Tester's Choice is a compilation of our reviewers' favorite 2017 skis. We will stick with the same categories as Steals & Deals, but these are more often the skis that manufacturers feel are their bread and butter, the ones you will find on most ski walls. We still think there aren't many bad skis out there, but these stood out.
Remember, our reviews are in real time: as soon as we get on skis, we let you know what we think. Check out our Gear Review and Comparison forum for previous reviews of many of these skis. As always, we encourage interaction; please feel free to ask questions of me, @Tricia, or any of our other testers.
In each category we also included some of the Steals & Deals winners that we feel are great skis regardless of price, and we have noted where a ski’s sizes are scaled. Stay tuned for Tester's Choice Premium, where we will be talking about high-end offerings.
Hard-Snow Frontside
Blizzard Quattro W 7.4 Ti
Dimensions:118-74-101
Radius:14.5m@162cm
"A sweetheart of a front-side ski." --Tricia
Dynastar Speed Zone 12 Ti
Dimensions: 121-72-106
Radius: 15m@174cm
"Dynastar has reinvented the Course line and named it the Speed Zone." --Philpug
Head Supershape Titan
Dimensions*: 137-81-117
Radius: 14.1m@170cm
"On groomers it was as fast, carvable (in multiple turn shapes), stable and predictable as I wanted."—Drahtguy Kevin
K2 SuperCharger
Dimensions: 127-76-107
Radius: 17m@175cm
"Who are they not for? Eurocentics. These are All American Muscle: red white and blue, apple pie, baseball, and all that." --Philpug
Völkl Flair SC UVO
Dimensions: 122-72-105
Radius: 14m@165cm
"The Flair SC UVO may look like the classic little black dress, but it skis like a little German sports car." --Tricia
Steals & Deals Winner: Head Super Joy
All-Mountain Frontside
Atomic Vantage X 83 CTi
Dimensions: 125-83-111
Radius: 16m@175cm
"The two words that came to mind when I skied the Vantage X 83 CTi were "confidence" and "predictability," and I cannot think of two better attributes that a ski can convey than that." --Philpug
DPS Uschi F82
Dimensions 122-82-104
Radius: 15m@168cm
"First turns on the Uschi put a grin on my face that didn't go away." --Tricia
Völkl Flair 81
Dimensions: 128-81-109
Radius: 13.3m@156cm
"This ski turned on a dime, held an edge, and made every bump in the run feel smooth." --Tricia
Völkl RTM84
Dimensions: 131-84-112
Radius: 15.8@172cm
"Sure you can park and ride ... but why? Don’t waste a great ski by being lazy. So, for the lazy, no RTM for you!" --Philpug
Steals & Deals Winner: Atomic Vantage X 80 CTi
All-Mountain Backside
Head Monster 88
Dimensions: 133-88-114
Radius: 17.4m@177cm
"Why was this my Number 1? Because I felt like a rock star on it! It felt so solid and stable the entire time." --Stephen
K2 AllLuvit
Dimensions: 128-88-110
Radius: 13.5m@170cm
"What it lacks in deep powder performance, the AllLuvit makes up for in fun on groomers and moguls."—Tricia
Dimensions: 128-88-110
Radius:15m@184cm
"The 88 is my favorite Pinnacle. By a mile." --Drahtguy Kevin
Steals & Deals Winners: Armada Invictus 89Ti and Victa 87Ti.
The 98th Percentile
Blizzard Bonafide
Dimensions: 133-98-110
Radius: 21m@180cm
"I always start the day on it when I am testing skis in this category." --Philpug
K2 FullLuvit
Dimensions: 132-95-115
Radius: 14m@170cm
"I’m not sure how K2 made a ski that is so easy to ski but still ready to be skied aggressively." —Tricia
Nordica Santa Ana 93
Dimensions:124-93-112
Radius: 15.5m@169cm
"The Santa Ana 93 isn't the Santa Ana 100's baby sister, it's her sorority sister, looking for a party!" -- Tricia
Dimensions:124-93-112
Radius: 16.5@177cm
"They were possibly the most versatile skis in the test." --UGASkiDawg
Nordica Santa Ana 100
Dimensions: 130-100-118
Radius: 15.5m@169cm
"Every time I get on this ski, I think, Now it's a party!" -- Tricia
Dimensions: 133-100-121
Radius: 18.5m@185cm
"Is this just viral marketing gone wild? If it is, the joke’s on Nordica because this ski truly is an instant classic, one that doesn’t need any extra hype." --Ron
Steals & Deals Winners: Blizzard Samba, Salomon QST 99, Volkl 90Eight/90Eight W
One Oh Somethings
Atomic Backland FR 109 W
Dimensions: 133-109-123
Radius: 17.6m@175cm
"I expected them to have float in the soft snow and charge through the moguls and chop, but I had no idea how much they would hold an edge and rip when it was time to venture on the groomers back to the lift."—Tricia
Atomic Backland FR 109
Dimensions: 133-109-123
Radius: 18.5m@182cm
"This will make a nice wider partner in a two-ski quiver." --Drahtguy Kevin
DPS Zelda F106
Dimensions: 142-106-125
Radius: 18m @178cm
“Dibs.” — Monique
K2 Luv Boat
Dimensions: 139-105-127
Radius: 18.5m@170cm
"They are just that easy, no need to overthink it"--Tricia
Dimensions: 139-105-127
Radius: 19.5@184cm
"The perfect blend of tip & tail rise" -- Philpug
Steals & Deals Winners: Volkl 100Eight/100Eight W and Salomon QST 99
Powder
"Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
Honestly, we did not get on enough powder skis to have a clear judgment as to what were winners. Our testers just did not have the right conditions, and we think it is a disservice to test these skis on days they were not designed for. We don’t think you care about the edge grip of a 117mm ski or how it handles the hard pack. The DPS Wailer and Yvette 112RP2 that won our Steals & Deals would be winners here, too. Skis were in our long-term test fleet for a good part of the season, they did have an inside track. Nordica's Patron and La Nina with their hammerhead design are great skis that have stood the test of time, and the new Völkl Confession is getting accolades from @SkiEssentials and many review sources. So, while we don’t have pure data in this segment, I am sure we can still give you some good direction to narrow down to a model or three.
________________________________________
*Scaled sizing: Some manufacturers go the extra distance in their designs by “scaling” their sizing, which makes the different sizes of skis proportionate.
Example:
Artwork: @Dave Petersen
Last edited: