All Mountain Ski Showdown - The Big Comparison
UPDATE: See the 2014 all mountain ski comparison here.
If you've taken a look at our blog, you've probably noticed we've paid a lot of attention to 98(ish) mm underfoot all mountain skis. These are the quiver-of-one skis for many skiers, especially out west - the daily driver skis for almost any conditions.
The question is which one is the quiver-of-one for you? We picked eight for our shelves: The K2 Hardside, the Dynastar Cham 97, the Rossignol Experience 98, Rossignol S3, the Blizzard Bonafide, the Nordica Enforcer, the Volkl Mantra, the Line Prophet 98 and the Kastle BMX 98.
This blog aims to help you narrow it down from that list to the right one for you. We'll tell you the comparative strengths and weaknesses of each model and tell you who we think each ski is best for.
Strengths: The Blizzard Bonafide really does everything well. It's subtle rocker-camber-rocker profile that matches perfectly with the sidecut and medium flex dampened with metal makes this the go-to ski for a lot of skiers in our shop. Groomers, crud, powder - it's good to go.
Weaknesses: For those who are looking for soft and playful - particularly lighter skiers, this isn't the softest. The metal takes a little muscle and technique to get the most out of it, but it isn't unforgiving by any stretch.
Who it's for: Almost any skier should enjoy the Blizzard Bonafide - it can rail groomers, bust through crud and slarve around in the soft stuff. If the metal and flex have you concerned, Blizzard even makes a metal-less version, the Blizzard Kabookie!
Full Blizzard Bonafide review
Strengths: This is the new kid on the block and it's getting a lot of attention. Big rockered shovels, stiff flex with camber in the middle and a flat, tapered tail add up to a speed freak that can also make a quick turn, surf the powder and bust through crud like no other. This is a charger's ski, but won't fight you when you need to make a quick turn in the trees.
Weaknesses: That stiffness and straight tail are also a liability for the wrong skier - this one takes power and technique to get the most out of, and can be intimidating to some skiers - somewhat mitigated by the rocker and taper.
Who it's for: Hard chargers who want a dose of the new school shape. You get all the power for railing groomers you'd expect from Dynastar with the tip rocker to float through crud and the tapered tail to release a little easier out of a turn. Those things combine to be perhaps the best crud buster in the bunch.
Full Dynastar Cham 97 review
Strengths: A balanced ride with a traditional shape and a dose of tip rocker, all built with the ability to head out into the backcountry in mind. Flat tails with tip and tail holes have a whole lot of utility out of bounds.
Weaknesses: Flat tails and long sidecut that work well in the backcountry don't lend themselves to the quickest slashing turns in bounds, definitely more lively than damp or smooth.
Who it's for: This is the ski in this group to mount with Marker Tour type bindings if you want one ski to do everything in-bounds and in the backcountry. More utilitarian Swiss Army Knife than a grin-inducing fun machine.
Strengths: Kastle is the high-end European sports car of the ski world. Giving up the metal laminate, the BMX 98 has a little tip rise for quick turn initiation and soft snow float. Kastle has the magic formula to balance light & quick with dampening & edge grip.
Weaknesses: If you're used to the super-stiff hard-charging feel of past Kastle's, this isn't it. It's also not the least expensive in the group - but for those who want what Kastle does best - it's worth the price of admission.
Who it's for: Discriminating skiers who want the seemingly impossible combination of a light, quick ski with Kastle's legendary dampening and edge hold - like we said before - buy this if you're looking for the Porsche of skis.
Line Prophet 98 (update: sold out for the season)
Strengths: The Line Prophet 98 is a quick and playful ski - right up their with the Rossignol S3. Short turns on the groomer or bouncing back and forth through the trees - this is a ski that won't fight you when you want to flick them around.
Weaknesses: Where it is strong in quick, short radius turns, it is not in long GS style turns at high speed.
Who it's for: Any skier that values quick, precise turns with easy input will love this ski. Hard chargers that want to straight line through refrozen chopped up crud will not.
Full Line Prophet 98 review
Strengths: This brings a really traditional carving ski feel into this width category, without giving up on off-piste performance. That being said, this ski's strengths are really while railing on firm snow. It'll still float powder and blast through crud too, but it's more about old-school values.
Weaknesses: If you're looking for surfy, slarvy rockered new-school skis - these aren't them. In the same brand, see the Rossignol S3 below.
Who it's for: This is a ski we sell most to on-mountain professionally - ski patrol, ski instructors, etc. If you want dependable performance and value a traditional ski feel but want something wider and better off-piste, this deserves a serious look.
Strengths: Based off the wildly successful Rossignol S7 powder ski, the Rossignol S3 is more like a shrunk-down powder ski than any other in the category, and surfs and smears around in the soft stuff accordingly. It does surprisingly well on the firm snow, but lives for the soft stuff.
Weaknesses: This is another ski that isn't hear to straight line on hard snow or make big-ol' GS turns - it want to play. Pop off little skier-scrapped snow piles on the run? Yes. Leave twin smoking trenches on the corduroy? No.
Who it's for: New school jibby skiers who live for soft snow, popping off natural terrain features and smearing their turns.
Strengths: This ski blends a little tip rocker with an otherwise fairly traditional shape and a flex on the firm side of medium and a metal laminate for a good do-it-all ski. The Enforcer is one of the better balanced skis in this category and it does all the things that you would want a 98mm ski to do. The Enforcer is one of the best in category at carving firm snow, yet it also flexes well in softer or deeper snow as well.
Weaknesses: This ski doesn't have any major weaknesses either unless you are specifically looking for a super-stiff ski or a heavily rockered surfing ski.
Who it's for: The Enforcer is well suited to skiers of average weight or more. It is best for a skier with good skills looking for a daily driver ski for western conditions and about a 50/50 split between on trail and off trail skiing.
Strengths: This ski is probably the most popular for this category in Tahoe. It's designed to be fast yet dependable in any condition - railing down groomed runs, blasting through powder or ducking into the powder stash in the trees.
Weaknesses: The stiff(ish) flat tails take some work to swing around in powder and variable snow - you've got to keep your speed and bend them rather than buttering them around.
Who it's for: These skis lean towards the hard charger rather than the playful slarver. If you live on your skis - these are a popular choice for resort workers and mountain locals alike, but they take work and skill to get the most out of them.
Full Volkl Mantra Review