Warning: slight thread hijack. Sorry.
The Rustler 9 and 10 are kind of an anti-ski for (in general) the Blister culture. I base this off of their 3-ski quiver picks, in that you are hard pressed to find someone there that picks a ski under 100 as their narrow ski, and none went for anything under 90. Think about that. Not one of their crew spends enough time on hard snow, or simply wants to enjoy a precisely carved turn to warrant a ski (again, in general) dedicated to the stuff (e.g. rec carver or race), let alone under 100mm. One of them almost went with the Titan (great choice); alas, it got left on the cutting room floor.
Anyway, back to the Rustlers 9&10, which are very similar to each other. I called them anti-Blister skis because of their turniness, they have a tip shape/flex that really likes to engage, even at lower speeds (like when you might be skiing with your kiddies), and a tight sidecut to back it up. There are better choices if you want to rage at mach shnell, but that’s not what the OP is asking for.
Liberty Origin 96 in 182 cm is my recommendation. I ski the 187 length, my son is on the 182. I love them in the trees, it is my dedicated tree ski and close to my daily driver. I live on the east coast. The ski is best in soft snow, so that says something about it as an East Coast daily ski. I do put a race tune on it (0.5/3.0) and dull the tips and tails back to the contact point. I think Blister is spot on with their review of the ski. If it appeals to you, it is a relatively low cost ski. It is about 4 seasons old and is holding up well.
^^^ THIS!
I actually Loved the Rustler 10 in 188cm (preferred it to the Rustler 9 in the same length). It made medium and long radius turns no problem, held a great edge on firm snow and was stable at speed. Fun ski, felt like a lighter and easier Bonafide. So I am confused by the Blister review of that ski. Maybe they got a dud? For trees I would choose the 180cm length for sure although the 188cm doesnt ski super long.
The Kore 99 is more of a charger than a ski for tight trees. The Kore 93 in 180cm would be perfect for tress though.
For tight trees with deep powder I would look into wider skis with full rocker.
A friend of mine demoed them on an icy day and said the were great...Quick,easy , trees coupled with western conditions, Tromano you are describing the Soul 7.
Just don’t be the guy who takes them on east coast ice and says they suck!
I would not dismiss the Ranger 102 either.Demo list:
Fischer Ranger 98ti (180cm): Reading some discussions it sounds like this is very similar to the 86ti with a more tip and tail rise and a more normal shaped tip.
I think that's the second time that Liberty has been mentioned in this thread. I will see if libertys are available to demo locally and take a look. The shape and rocker profile as well as the flex described in the review sound interesting.
I would not dismiss the Ranger 102 either.
Skis not on your list that I like...
K2 Pinnacle 105, one of my favorite playful tree skis.
Blizzard Rustler 10, just works.
For me personally (2 inches taller, 10ish lbs heavier) the Enforcer 100 would be a good mellow tree ski. I’m assuming you’ve demoed them, why did you count them out for this duty?
Quick,easy , trees coupled with western conditions, Tromano you are describing the Soul 7.
Just don’t be the guy who takes them on east coast ice and says they suck!
A friend of mine demoed them on an icy day and said the were great...
Id take the SOul RIder of you list.... The 185cm E100 is easier in powder going slow than the SR.
I would say if you get the QST go to 188cm even though you want chill, its pretty soft, its actually a fun ski, and the 188 feel fine in the east.
I also am still El capos and just making sure they are flat, I actually like mine going slow in powdery woods more than my E100 or E93 because its easier to stay on a flat ski while going slow, not that the E100 is hard though its not.