It’s that time of year again.
With winter right around the corner and new arrivals delivered to the shop every day, we’re allowing ourselves to get stoked about skiing again. Particularly, the new skis on the wall this year.
Compared to last season, there’s not an overwhelming amount of new product. But there’s just enough to pique our gear-nerd antennae. Specifically, the all-mountain category gets a lot of attention this year. There are quite a few skis in that 90-100mm category, and a blend of brand new skis along with a few new favorites that have been redesigned. We’ve included just seven of the new skis we’re stoked about (because seven is our favorite number), but rest assured this isn’t everything to be excited about for the coming season. Stay tuned.
Volkl Revolt 101
Volkl decided to take the bones of the directional big-mountain charger in the Revolt 114 and try them on an all-mountain ski. This ski quickly appealed to skiers of all styles at our Powder7 Ski Test in the spring. From freestyle skiers casually throwing spins to harder chargers slicing through mogul fields, we were impressed with how well different skiers got on with it. A directional shape but plenty of rocker in the tip and tail balance predictability and stability with good old-fashioned fun. But just because it’s easily enjoyed by many people doesn’t mean it’s bland. This ski has a unique flavor that made this ski writer fall in love with the “right-around-100” category all over again. Nimble and agile but happy to arc longer turns, smooth and planted but not heavy, and remarkably quiet for a ski without metal, this quickly became something I can’t live without. -Alex
Dynastar M Free 100
Gearheads and shop employees can pontificate as long as they want about ski tech and the products customers should consider. But if you want to see the clearest version of their insights, look at the skis they recommend to their buddies. And lately I feel like I’ve been a broken record. A buddy wants skis. I ask them if they’ve heard of the M-Free. Last year, the 108 came out with key updates that immediately boosted it to the top of the pile. This year, those same updates come to the 100, which replaces the 99. It’s poppy and energetic, yet remarkably stable with primo suspension. The PU in the core helps smoothen the ride, giving the M-Free 100 unique versatility and awesome handling, even in a crowded category of ~100mm skis. –Matt
Rossignol Sender Free 100
Arguably the best Sender to date. Rossignol made it more lively and poppier than the new-ish Sender Soul 102, and they also gave it a more directional profile and longer radius. Cha-ching. These tweaks will be a boon to full-throttle skiers who like to ski fast and also goof around. And that topsheet color! It’s been a hot item around the shop, from ski test to early shop employee pro deal buys.
We don’t see that momentum slowing down this ski season. –Matt
Rossignol Arcade 94
Complimenting the freeride addition of the Sender Free 100, the all-new Rossignol Arcade 94 gives a slightly different flavor. Okay, maybe a big flavor change. Like rocky road vs. strawberry ice cream. Rossignol released the Arcade last season with an Arcade 88 and 84 as a collection designed to cross the bridge between frontside skiing and all-mountain riding. They are directional skis with shapes that look a bit more like your traditional frontside ski. Limited tail rocker for ample edge grip and control, with more all-mountain tip rocker for easy turn initiation and maneuverability. This new 94 takes it all to a wider platform, and this thing rips. Long fast turns are no problem, and the ski manages to stay agile even with the wider surface area. When exploring bump lines after a storm, this ski has the chops to slice right through it. -Alex
Head Kore 94 TI
Right alongside families like Rustler, Enforcer, and QST, you’ve probably heard of the Head Kore series before. This year, Head announced a massive redesign of the skis. All new construction and new shapes, the Kore feels like a new ski. Head added metal to the ski this year, which gives the new series some weight and rigidity. Relying before on carbon and Graphene (which are still in the skis), on snow the metal feels like it adds a new dimension of dampness and how smooth the ski feels at high speeds or on harsh snow. The shape also feels more inuitive and the ski is much more compliant off-trail at slower speeds. They somehow kept the ski’s ceiling of performance for expert riders, while making this a much more fun ski for progressing intermediates. But you can ask the staff, I didn’t find a speed limit here. -Alex
Salomon QST 106
I won’t lie: I’ve become a pretty big Salomon fanboy over the last handful of seasons. It seems like they can do no wrong. That’s for sure true of the new (and redesign, once again) QST 106. In the latest refresh, Salomon aimed to improve edge hold for better big-mountain performance. They also added splay to make the skis smearier. That combo of stout and playful characteristics give the QST a distinct flavor. It’s my go-to mid-fat ski for most days of the year. –Matt
Nordica Unleashed 98 CA
When Nordica announced the Unleashed series, I initially imagined the skis would harken back to the Soul Rider series. Fun, playful, all-mountain savvy. They proved to be a little more stout, built with a sheet of metal. They rip, and lots of our staffers love them. But this new Unleashed 98 CA, the same ski but with no metal, is the Unleashed I was originally thinking of. It skis a lot like the Soul Rider. Loose, but not too loose. Playful, but capable across the mountain. It fills a slot in Nordica’s collection that has been empty since Soul Rider, and it’s a ski that comes with plenty of hype — and the chops to back it up — for the 2025-2026 season. – Matt
