Testing the 2020 skis was particularly exciting for me because some manufacturers are making huge strides in women-specific ski design, strides far from the old mantra of "shrink it and pink it." Companies are leaning on female teams who are involved with research and development; no more pigeonholing women into the generalization that we are "all like this,” but instead imagining women’s ski gear for the variety of women’s needs.
The work I’ve done here on Pugski has put me in the position of being recognized as a key influencer by several of these manufacturers and afforded me the opportunity to ski some of these skis early on, and I’m super excited to share my experience with them.
One standout for me while beginning the review process at Copper was the change in sizes available for women. In the past, I was always able to find skis in a good length for me, yet @SkiNurse always struggled to find the right size for her. This year, most manufacturers offered women’s skis in petite sizes and I was the one struggling to find average lengths -- but I can imagine it was a refreshing experience for @SkiNurse.
Mammoth
At Mammoth we experienced some incredible snowfall, so much so that a third of the reps were unable to get to the demo. The good news is that we got to ski fat skis in the environment for which they are intended; the bad news is that the winds and avalanche danger prohibited us from skiing some of the steeper terrain that these skis beg to charge. The best news is that we got out on a lot of skis and are eager to tell you about it.
Copper
The Copper On Snow tends to be a great time to get on a variety of skis, from carvers to chargers and everything in between. If you know the mountain well, you probably know some secret stash of leftovers for testing powder skis. This year we had a two-day break in between the Denver OR show and Copper On Snow, which served as a good opportunity to regroup before hitting the test tents. Copper delivered some of the best conditions we’ve had for a demo, ranging from perfect groomers to a few inches of fresh, giving us a good feel for the daily drivers that most skiers seek.
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Armada ARW 116 VJJ
Dimensions: 139-116-135
Radius: 17m@175cm
Sizes: 165, 175
Size tested: 175
Design: New Construction
I was at the Armada tent waiting for a Trace 108, but it wasn’t available so the rep hooked me up with the VJJ. Because I tend not to like skis quite that wide, I was hesitant, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nimble this ski felt in the low-angle terrain that was available to us. It cuts through the chop and is easy to turn when the conditions demand it.
Armada Trace 108
Dimensions: 133-108-125.5
Radius: 18m@172cm
Sizes: 156, 164, 172
Size tested: 172
Design: Carryover
This is a ski that I was waiting to get on, especially knowing how much I enjoyed the Trace 98 last year. The 108 didn’t disappoint. It has enough float to limit those surprise tip dives, but enough strength to charge through crud when the fresh snow gets skied out or the lower mountain is experiencing "challenging" powder. The Tracer 108 is definitely one of my top two picks in this category.
Dynastar Legend W106
Dimensions: 139-106-123
Radius: 15m@173cm
Sizes: 173
Size tested: 173
Design: Carryover
There seem to be a lot of really good skis in the 106 part of the world. For me, this is the sweet spot for a deep powder day; going much wider just doesn’t feel necessary. The Dynastar Legend W106 is a “best of both worlds” ski: wide enough to float in powder, but with the turn shape and power to slice through skied-out terrain. One of its standout attributes is nimbleness, even while it just wants to hit the go button.
K2 Mindbender 106 Alliance
Dimensions: 139-106-124
Radius: 15m@167cm
Sizes: 159, 167, 175
Size tested: 175
Design: All New
It’s not very often that we get to try wider skis in the proper conditions, but this has been a year for big skis in big snow. At 106 underfoot, the Mindbender 106 Alliance is the perfect width for most of the powder skiing we experience; it's wide enough to float just the right amount and strong enough to slice through the leftovers. I was trying hard to find something this ski couldn’t handle, but it just blew through everything a storm day at Mammoth could throw at it.
K2 Mindbender 115 Alliance
Dimensions: 140-115-129
Radius: 20.4m@172cm
Sizes: 165, 172, 179
Size tested: 172
Design: All New
The big sister in the Mindbender Alliance lineup is more than a big sister. We had a great snow day at Mammoth, but the upper mountain was on wind hold so I was only able to put her through paces on the lower part of the mountain. While the 115 skied well and let me work her in the low-angle terrain, I could tell she needed more mountain to let her strengths really shine.
Nordica Santa Ana 110
Dimensions: 138-110-127
Radius: 15.5m@169cm
Sizes: 161, 169, 177
Size tested: 161
Design: Carryover
This is one of the skis that was unavailable in a length I would normally ski, but I figured if @SkiNurse can adjust for a bigger size, then I can adjust for a shorter size. It was the first ski of the day for me, so I was able to ski it in untracked snow as well as some chopped-up, skied-out stuff that varied from wind buff to lower-elevation snow that didn’t much resemble powder. The Santa Ana 110 definitely has the grrr to handle it, but this shorter length bounced me around a little. I would really like to get on a 169 and let her run. All in all, I think Nordica has done a good job with the Santa Ana line, adding metal and giving it the torsional stiffness to slice through the chop after the powder is skied out.
Salomon QST Stella 106
Dimensions: 138-105-124
Radius: 18m@174cm
Sizes: 159, 167, 174, 181
Size tested: 174
Design: New Construction
The QST Stella 106 name has been around for a few years, but this year she got a makeover -- and it was more than just a trip to the spa, more like a trip to the operating room. Cork replaced the Koroyd, giving the new improved Stella a refined feel missing from the previous version. The smooth feel instills confidence and breathes life into your legs. It almost makes you wonder if the cork was recycled from your favorite bottle of Zinfandel.
Völkl Secret 102
Dimensions: 140-102-123
Radius: 18.1m@170cm
Sizes: 156, 163, 170
Size tested: 170
Design: All New
The Secret is out of the bag. Völkl is adding more great skis to its lineup, and the Secret 102 is sure to take a front seat at the show. With 3D sidecut, carbon tips, and a Titanal frame, it is nimble and charge-y. This is another one of the skis I took out at Snowbasin when we had heavy powder and chopped-up conditions, and it was another ski that handled the conditions with ease. I would love to try this ski on a real light powder day.
The work I’ve done here on Pugski has put me in the position of being recognized as a key influencer by several of these manufacturers and afforded me the opportunity to ski some of these skis early on, and I’m super excited to share my experience with them.
One standout for me while beginning the review process at Copper was the change in sizes available for women. In the past, I was always able to find skis in a good length for me, yet @SkiNurse always struggled to find the right size for her. This year, most manufacturers offered women’s skis in petite sizes and I was the one struggling to find average lengths -- but I can imagine it was a refreshing experience for @SkiNurse.
Mammoth
At Mammoth we experienced some incredible snowfall, so much so that a third of the reps were unable to get to the demo. The good news is that we got to ski fat skis in the environment for which they are intended; the bad news is that the winds and avalanche danger prohibited us from skiing some of the steeper terrain that these skis beg to charge. The best news is that we got out on a lot of skis and are eager to tell you about it.
Copper
The Copper On Snow tends to be a great time to get on a variety of skis, from carvers to chargers and everything in between. If you know the mountain well, you probably know some secret stash of leftovers for testing powder skis. This year we had a two-day break in between the Denver OR show and Copper On Snow, which served as a good opportunity to regroup before hitting the test tents. Copper delivered some of the best conditions we’ve had for a demo, ranging from perfect groomers to a few inches of fresh, giving us a good feel for the daily drivers that most skiers seek.
---------------------------------------------------------
Armada ARW 116 VJJ
Dimensions: 139-116-135
Radius: 17m@175cm
Sizes: 165, 175
Size tested: 175
Design: New Construction
I was at the Armada tent waiting for a Trace 108, but it wasn’t available so the rep hooked me up with the VJJ. Because I tend not to like skis quite that wide, I was hesitant, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nimble this ski felt in the low-angle terrain that was available to us. It cuts through the chop and is easy to turn when the conditions demand it.
- Who is it for? A woman looking for a nimble powder ski for trees.
- Who is it not for? A woman who prefers bluebird days.
- Insider tip: Don’t be afraid to take this fat girl for a ride.
Armada Trace 108
Dimensions: 133-108-125.5
Radius: 18m@172cm
Sizes: 156, 164, 172
Size tested: 172
Design: Carryover
This is a ski that I was waiting to get on, especially knowing how much I enjoyed the Trace 98 last year. The 108 didn’t disappoint. It has enough float to limit those surprise tip dives, but enough strength to charge through crud when the fresh snow gets skied out or the lower mountain is experiencing "challenging" powder. The Tracer 108 is definitely one of my top two picks in this category.
- Who is it for? A woman who wants a capable powder ski for resort or backcountry.
- Who is it not for? A woman who calls it a day because "there’s too much snow.”
- Insider tip: If you’re looking for a wider ski, check out the VJJ.
Dynastar Legend W106
Dimensions: 139-106-123
Radius: 15m@173cm
Sizes: 173
Size tested: 173
Design: Carryover
There seem to be a lot of really good skis in the 106 part of the world. For me, this is the sweet spot for a deep powder day; going much wider just doesn’t feel necessary. The Dynastar Legend W106 is a “best of both worlds” ski: wide enough to float in powder, but with the turn shape and power to slice through skied-out terrain. One of its standout attributes is nimbleness, even while it just wants to hit the go button.
- Who is it for? A woman looking for a playful powder ski that likes to turn.
- Who is it not for? Straightliners.
- Insider tip: If you’re looking for more of a daily driver, check out the Legend W96.
K2 Mindbender 106 Alliance
Dimensions: 139-106-124
Radius: 15m@167cm
Sizes: 159, 167, 175
Size tested: 175
Design: All New
It’s not very often that we get to try wider skis in the proper conditions, but this has been a year for big skis in big snow. At 106 underfoot, the Mindbender 106 Alliance is the perfect width for most of the powder skiing we experience; it's wide enough to float just the right amount and strong enough to slice through the leftovers. I was trying hard to find something this ski couldn’t handle, but it just blew through everything a storm day at Mammoth could throw at it.
- Who is it for? A woman looking for a versatile powder ski.
- Who is it not for? Fair-weather skiers.
- Insider tip: If you want something that charges steeps, look to the Mindbender 115 Alliance.
K2 Mindbender 115 Alliance
Dimensions: 140-115-129
Radius: 20.4m@172cm
Sizes: 165, 172, 179
Size tested: 172
Design: All New
The big sister in the Mindbender Alliance lineup is more than a big sister. We had a great snow day at Mammoth, but the upper mountain was on wind hold so I was only able to put her through paces on the lower part of the mountain. While the 115 skied well and let me work her in the low-angle terrain, I could tell she needed more mountain to let her strengths really shine.
- Who is it for? A woman looking for a big-mountain or heli ski.
- Who is it not for? Someone who prefers low-angle tree skiing.
- Insider tip: For a more versatile resort powder option, try the Mindbender 106 Alliance.
Nordica Santa Ana 110
Dimensions: 138-110-127
Radius: 15.5m@169cm
Sizes: 161, 169, 177
Size tested: 161
Design: Carryover
This is one of the skis that was unavailable in a length I would normally ski, but I figured if @SkiNurse can adjust for a bigger size, then I can adjust for a shorter size. It was the first ski of the day for me, so I was able to ski it in untracked snow as well as some chopped-up, skied-out stuff that varied from wind buff to lower-elevation snow that didn’t much resemble powder. The Santa Ana 110 definitely has the grrr to handle it, but this shorter length bounced me around a little. I would really like to get on a 169 and let her run. All in all, I think Nordica has done a good job with the Santa Ana line, adding metal and giving it the torsional stiffness to slice through the chop after the powder is skied out.
- Who is it for? You need a big-mountain or heli ski.
- Who is it not for? Someone looking for a playful powder ski for low-angle trees.
- Insider tip: If you’re looking for a less serious option, the Santa Ana 100 may be a better choice.
Salomon QST Stella 106
Dimensions: 138-105-124
Radius: 18m@174cm
Sizes: 159, 167, 174, 181
Size tested: 174
Design: New Construction
The QST Stella 106 name has been around for a few years, but this year she got a makeover -- and it was more than just a trip to the spa, more like a trip to the operating room. Cork replaced the Koroyd, giving the new improved Stella a refined feel missing from the previous version. The smooth feel instills confidence and breathes life into your legs. It almost makes you wonder if the cork was recycled from your favorite bottle of Zinfandel.
- Who is it for? A woman who likes cork in her Zin and her skis.
- Who is it not for? A woman prefers a ski that is more like Zima.
- Insider tip: If you can’t find one in your size, try the men’s QST 106.
Völkl Secret 102
Dimensions: 140-102-123
Radius: 18.1m@170cm
Sizes: 156, 163, 170
Size tested: 170
Design: All New
The Secret is out of the bag. Völkl is adding more great skis to its lineup, and the Secret 102 is sure to take a front seat at the show. With 3D sidecut, carbon tips, and a Titanal frame, it is nimble and charge-y. This is another one of the skis I took out at Snowbasin when we had heavy powder and chopped-up conditions, and it was another ski that handled the conditions with ease. I would love to try this ski on a real light powder day.
- Who is it for? A woman who prefers her powder ski on the narrow side.
- Who is it not for? Someone who stays on piste.
- Insider tip: This ski and a Yumi would make a great two-ski quiver.
