Help Needed: Suggestions for ski demo

[nicolepalatinus]

Hi Divas,

I am planning on demoing skis here in a couple weeks and am looking for suggestions.

Me: 39, 5'4.5", 115-120#, advanced skier*
Where I ski: Tahoe, specifically Mt Rose, but also other Epic and Ikon resorts depending on the year
What I ski:
- in bounds: Moment Sierra 162 (95 waist width). I love these skis, they are fun and playful EXCEPT I really struggle on firm conditions, am not able to edge at all. I have asked the folks at Moment if there is anything that can be done to tune differently and the person helping wasn't much help..."They're designed for all conditions...I don't know what the problem is..." I plan on going back when I have more time to chat with someone else as I've read some comments about the binding mount making a difference.
- AT: DPS Alchemist Zelda 106, 158. I like these, don't ski them all that often given I do way more resort than AT skiing, but they have performed well in most conditions. We got skunked on a hut trip earlier this year (no snow) but happened to stop at the resort on the way home and they held an edge much better than the Moments.

I have also skied:
- Moment Hot Mess 172 (92 waist width). I liked these but felt they were too catchy off piste. Ended up selling and pivoted to the Sierra.
- Santa Ana 93, 161. These were the first skis I bought (not hand me downs) when I learned to ski as an adult in the last decade. They were pretty versatile, I just found I wasn't skiing them much as my quiver grew and I remember chatter at higher speeds
- Demoed Atomic Bent 100,165 recently at Vail and had a great day (9" of powder) EXCEPT a nasty fall on a sheet of ice at the end of the day. Worried these aren't different enough from my Moments. Was hoping to demo more carving skis but that demo experience was kind of a bust (huge resort, tough to trade out skis during the day, busy shop that didn't have all the things I was hoping to try...)
- Demoed Nordica Santa Ana 88, 163ish? also at Vail, definitely better on the firm stuff. I knew I liked the Santa Ana already (again, busy shop, the person helping didn't want to find something else and it had already been a bit of a wait...)
- Nordica Infinite 162 (not sure of waist width, probably around 80?). I bought this to teach in when I was volunteering with the adaptive ski program. Turns out they were also super fun for groomers and low tide days when I didn't want to encounter a shark with my nicer skis. Kick myself for getting rid of them.

I am looking for an all mountain ski that performs better on firm conditions than the Moments. Would love to have a one ski quiver (or two with AT) but feel like conditions can be variable here and I enjoy all types of terrain so I'm not sure I can achieve that.

The list I have come up with thus far:

K2 Mindbender 96C
Salomon QST Lumen 98
Blizzard Black Pearl 94
Blizzard Sheeva
Elan Ripstick
Volkl Secret 96
Nordica Unleashed
Line Pandora
Atomic Maven
Atomic Bent (loved these but would try in a narrower waist)

Anything I should add? Subtract? Other considerations?

Thanks in advance!

* if you've read this far...the asterisk is to explain more about my abilities: I ski the whole mountain except for narrow chutes or super steeps in meh conditions (also work in a hospital, sometimes the trauma ICU so find my risk tolerance has changed as I age...). I feel my skiing has regressed in the past couple years, likely due to decreases in strength and confidence, also not skiing as much, but also feel like trying to have a one ski quiver has led to me feeling fearful in conditions that don't suit my skis. Also open to hearing opinions on how to combat all that.

 

[MissySki]

I think the Black Pearl 94 is a great one to try, they are definitely good on firm snow. When I tried them last season it was on firm snow and very slick firm small bumps, they were great all around.

If you are open to a bit narrower the Volkl Blaze 86 could be a good option to add to the demo list too. There is a Blaze 94 I haven't skied that for comparison's sake yet, but others seem to like it too. What I love about the Blaze 86 is that it is SO versatile! I ski it in New England as my mostly daily driver and then have had it out West in numerous big mountains the past few years including Big Sky, Taos, Steamboat, Alta, and Snowbird. They carve really well and easily, do great on firm snow, I love them in bumps and trees, and they have been good for me in up to around a foot of powder and chopped up snow/crud. I haven't found anything they can't do quite well. They are mostly my ski of choice except on the very iciest of days when I take out my Stocklis that are my "ice skate" skis.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

It looks like you are leaning towards a ski to replace the moment soerras? I only assume that as you are not looking much at narrower skis. I would personally find it tough to be truly happy with a one ski quiver that can handle both super firm groomers and bumps along with deep heavy powder.

On firm snow or icy conditions I really prefer something narrower than 85 underfoot. Personal preference of course. Anything much wider can hold an edge with a proper edge tune, but it is so much work.

 

[Knitjenious]

I adore my Ripsticks and ski them as my daily drivers in WNY, but they do really communicate with me in firm conditions. If you want to cut chatter, they may be an easy one to eliminate from your list.

 

[nicolepalatinus]

I think the Black Pearl 94 is a great one to try, they are definitely good on firm snow. When I tried them last season it was on firm snow and very slick firm small bumps, they were great all around.

If you are open to a bit narrower the Volkl Blaze 86 could be a good option to add to the demo list too. There is a Blaze 94 I haven't skied that for comparison's sake yet, but others seem to like it too. What I love about the Blaze 86 is that it is SO versatile! I ski it in New England as my mostly daily driver and then have had it out West in numerous big mountains the past few years including Big Sky, Taos, Steamboat, Alta, and Snowbird. They carve really well and easily, do great on firm snow, I love them in bumps and trees, and they have been good for me in up to around a foot of powder and chopped up snow/crud. I haven't found anything they can't do quite well. They are mostly my ski of choice except on the very iciest of days when I take out my Stocklis that are my "ice skate" skis.

Oh, thank you! Yes, definitely up for narrower. Will look into the Blaze! Realizing a one ski quiver probably isn't going to work for what I'd like to do.

 

[nicolepalatinus]

It looks like you are leaning towards a ski to replace the moment soerras? I only assume that as you are not looking much at narrower skis. I would personally find it tough to be truly happy with a one ski quiver that can handle both super firm groomers and bumps along with deep heavy powder.

On firm snow or icy conditions I really prefer something narrower than 85 underfoot. Personal preference of course. Anything much wider can hold an edge with a proper edge tune, but it is so much work.

I am trending toward not replacing the Sierras, so will likely look for narrower cousins of the skis I have listed here. Thanks for the input!

 

[Magnatude]

Maybe not as applicable now, having just read your last post, but I very recently rented the Scott Sea 98 for 3.5 weeks in the French Haute Alpes, Jan/Feb, in almost every condition you can think of (pristine groomed winter piste, steep icy piste, deep new powder, powder on top of groomers, old crusty powder, slush/rain, refrozen crud, dust on crust, tracked out snow in trees, untracked snow in trees, icy bumps, non-icy bumps, all the above + steeps, etc) and seldom did I feel tempted to return them, even just to try something else -- although I did get the edges de-burred somewhat towards the end of our stay, after a few too many encounters with rocks and roots. Easy to initiate turns, including in some tight spaces, great grip in firm conditions, and good powder performance. I knew nothing about them, never having skied a Scott ski previously, and there are still very few reviews floating around, but I'd consider buying a pair, if I can find any in NZ. A pretty sound one ski quiver, I'd say.

 

[Magnatude]

For clarification, I do have somewhat of a quiver at home, narrow SL type skis, the standard 88mm all mountains, and 98s for touring and offpiste. But I can't say I missed any of those while I was in France, and actually the on piste performance of the Scotts was probably what surprised me the most. Normally I'd get sore knees carving on wide skis every day, but that barely happened at all.

 

[scandium]

Would you go narrower? I'm thinking Mindbender 89Ti, Black Pearl 88, Maven 86. The Pandora 94 felt quite soft to me when I tried it a few years back - not a hardpack ski/not confidence inspiring.

 

[nicolepalatinus]

Maybe not as applicable now, having just read your last post, but I very recently rented the Scott Sea 98 for 3.5 weeks in the French Haute Alpes, Jan/Feb, in almost every condition you can think of (pristine groomed winter piste, steep icy piste, deep new powder, powder on top of groomers, old crusty powder, slush/rain, refrozen crud, dust on crust, tracked out snow in trees, untracked snow in trees, icy bumps, non-icy bumps, all the above + steeps, etc) and seldom did I feel tempted to return them, even just to try something else -- although I did get the edges de-burred somewhat towards the end of our stay, after a few too many encounters with rocks and roots. Easy to initiate turns, including in some tight spaces, great grip in firm conditions, and good powder performance. I knew nothing about them, never having skied a Scott ski previously, and there are still very few reviews floating around, but I'd consider buying a pair, if I can find any in NZ. A pretty sound one ski quiver, I'd say.

Interesting! I don't know much about Scott skis either. I'll definitely consider trying them if they're available for demo. Thanks for the info!

 

[nicolepalatinus]

Would you go narrower? I'm thinking Mindbender 89Ti, Black Pearl 88, Maven 86. The Pandora 94 felt quite soft to me when I tried it a few years back - not a hardpack ski/not confidence inspiring.

Absolutely, mostly thinking 80-90 range at this point.
A friend in the ski industry suggested against Black Pearls unless buying new...she reported that the older models are geared toward more intermediate skiers? Any thoughts on that?
Thanks for your recommendations!

 

[Verve]

Absolutely, mostly thinking 80-90 range at this point.
A friend in the ski industry suggested against Black Pearls unless buying new...she reported that the older models are geared toward more intermediate skiers? Any thoughts on that?
Thanks for your recommendations!

This is where ski names get us into trouble The older black pearl 97 is a BEAST of a ski. It doesn’t have metal but the way the wooden core fibers are woven actually produces quite a stiff ski. I like it a lot but I’m also 180 lbs ;)

The 88 is more accessible. The 84 has always been more beginnermediate friendly. From what you describe of your skiing, you might really like the new Black Pearl 94.

 

[scandium]

Absolutely, mostly thinking 80-90 range at this point.
A friend in the ski industry suggested against Black Pearls unless buying new...she reported that the older models are geared toward more intermediate skiers? Any thoughts on that?
Thanks for your recommendations!

I think BP 88 got stiffened significantly for 2023/24 onwards although I have not kept up with the changes since; basically the point at which lovers of the "old" BP88 started hating it is where I got interested! Mid 80s has such a range of skis that it can be hard to sort through which ones are likely to have the characteristics you prefer! Faction also have the Dancer which has metal and I believe is pretty stable.

 

[chasinghorizons]

The list I have come up with thus far:

K2 Mindbender 96C
Salomon QST Lumen 98
Blizzard Black Pearl 94
Blizzard Sheeva
Elan Ripstick
Volkl Secret 96
Nordica Unleashed
Line Pandora
Atomic Maven
Atomic Bent (loved these but would try in a narrower waist)

Hello! I'm also located mostly in Tahoe
I would cross out these skis on your list - on icy, firm conditions, they're probably not going to be ideal. The crossed out ones are generally much lighter and softer, which means they're not going to hold an edge as well on firm/icy snow and you're really going to feel every ridge and bump in the hardpack.

It sounds like you're now looking at narrower skis, so I don't know how many of these are still on your radar? I do agree something in the 80-low 90's range would be best for our firmer days.

Faction also have the Dancer which has metal and I believe is pretty stable.

I have both the Faction Dancer 2 and Dancer 3 (loved the 2 so much that I bought the 3... it was an impulse buy when I was sick with Covid lol). They are still quite possibly my favorite skis (I have a quiver of 7 now...). They have a really great combination of being stable and *more* damp than lighter weight offerings like the Maven (but not as damp as say, the Secret) while also being very energetic and precise. They're also not super heavy, so they feel agile underfoot. They are excellent carvers for their width - really have a lot of energy and pop you out of turns. They feel the best when you just point them down the fall line and let them run. That being said, they do have their weaknesses. Faction uses an interesting flex pattern with relatively stiff tips. If you're confident and can ski them how they want to be skied (i.e., smooth and with good technique) this is usually okay. But if you are not confident and are skiing defensively, it doesn't feel as great (I especially notice this on off-piste firmer cruddy days, especially run outs).

I've personally come to the conclusion that for firm days, I really want a ski with good damping (better than what my Factions have). I really like when skis use extra materials for that, like rubber or cork. If I were you, I'd demo the Nordica Wild Belle 84 and Santa Ana 88 (I liked the Wild Belle better surprisingly), the Rossignol Rallybird 92 and the Salomon Stance 84 or 90 (I've also been hearing great things about the QST 92 and might grab one of those myself when spring sales hit, but I don't expect it to be as good on firm stuff as the Stance).

And if course, with any new ski, they'll perform best with a stone grind and tune. It's amazing how many brand new skis arrive with bad tunes.

 

[mustski]

I ski Mt. Rose most frequently and also everywhere else around Tahoe -pass dependent.

I have the prior version (3D) of the Secret 96 and find it to be extremely versatile. It holds an edge very well on even slick stuff. It is a stiff ski but still easy to ski in the bumps and trees and loves soft snow. I have a dedicated powder ski so haven’t taken it out in anything more than boot deep. I haven’t tried the new version (4D) and it is now called the Mantra 7 WS. My understanding is that it is even better at turn initiation.

I also recently tried the Dynastar M-Cross and it is super stable on firm stuff, smooth in choppy stuff, and really agile so easy to ski in bumps. It’s worth checking out.

If you ever want to meet up at Rose, I’m happy to let you try my Secrets and my Fischer Ranger 84s. They both have demo bindings. They’re super different from each other but I love them both.

 

[Beckster]

Maybe not as applicable now, having just read your last post, but I very recently rented the Scott Sea 98 for 3.5 weeks in the French Haute Alpes, Jan/Feb, in almost every condition you can think of (pristine groomed winter piste, steep icy piste, deep new powder, powder on top of groomers, old crusty powder, slush/rain, refrozen crud, dust on crust, tracked out snow in trees, untracked snow in trees, icy bumps, non-icy bumps, all the above + steeps, etc) and seldom did I feel tempted to return them, even just to try something else -- although I did get the edges de-burred somewhat towards the end of our stay, after a few too many encounters with rocks and roots. Easy to initiate turns, including in some tight spaces, great grip in firm conditions, and good powder performance. I knew nothing about them, never having skied a Scott ski previously, and there are still very few reviews floating around, but I'd consider buying a pair, if I can find any in NZ. A pretty sound one ski quiver, I'd say.

Oh my gosh I want to try these skis after reading your post!! I know full well that Scott produces great skis across their whole lineup (versus other brands that may have one or two standouts) and Scott trusts their quality manufacturing to Fischer. My AT Scott Superguide 95’s perform very much as you’ve just described but the beefier Sea 98’s sound like they’d be so fun in the resorts.

 

[WaterGirl]

Could add the Armada Declivity/ Reliance to your list- I had the predecessor the Victa TI - I only sold b/c I was in between sizes and felt like I just needed a bit more.

For Eastern Sierra i'm fine w/ an 88 on most days especially if you are needing something for those icy entries that turn in to windbuff turns.

I didn't see any Black Crows on your list ;)

If its going to be zoomer groomers and crusty then I'm on a 76 dedicated frontside carving ski. (which still seems to be able to handle windbuff and spring slush). I agree with @chasinghorizons on her list edit, however, I will say the Ripsticks are fun........

I'm sure @SnowHot could chime in with some other options.

 

[SnowHot]

The list I have come up with thus far:

K2 Mindbender 96C
Salomon QST Lumen 98
Blizzard Black Pearl 94
Blizzard Sheeva
Elan Ripstick
Volkl Secret 96
Nordica Unleashed
Line Pandora
Atomic Maven
Atomic Bent (loved these but would try in a narrower waist)

Anything I should add? Subtract? Other considerations?

Some feedback from my review experience.

If you loved the Bent 100, don't expect the same from any ski narrower.
The Bent 100 is really good but the skis that are narrower in that line are a bit more of a tweener ski.

Volkl Secret 96 is really good.

Atomic Maven 93Ti coming in 2026 is phenomenal. I liked the 93C in the previous iteration but they really killed it with the 2026 Ti version.

Nordica Unleashed is good for powder and off piste but I found it to be a little meh in chop and back to the base on piste

Black Pearl 94 absolutely killed it for 2025 and going forward. Seriously one of the best iterations of Black Pearl in the last several years. Loved it.

Sheeva.... I really like them for powder specific but outside of that I'm not sure they're all that versatile. Black pearls are more versatile.

Mindbender.... sigh.... I loved the earier mindbenders but the recent versions have lacked personality and I struggle to figure them out which makes wonder if they're struggling to figure it out. .... and I have close connections to K2, so this one is hard for me to swallow.

Elan Rip Sticks are fine skis but nothing about them blows my mind.

Line Pandora... nothing wrong with them but nothing that stands out either.

Salomon QST... Lumen 98. Nice ski... calm and very balanced. I like a little more pop in a ski but I enjoyed it.

Hope this helps and let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[SnowHot]

Question:
Will you be demoing 2025 or 2026 skis?

 

[lisamamot]

Black Pearl 94 absolutely killed it for 2025 and going forward. Seriously one of the best iterations of Black Pearl in the last several years. Loved it.

Not that I need a new/different ski but I have really wanted to demo these....I fear if I do they will follow me home!