2023/24 SKI CANADA TEST/ Ski Canada Magazine

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Get the lowdown on this season’s skis. Dig into the fattest skis, rockingest rockers, shapeliest waistlines and most versatile all-rounders perfect for tearing up resorts.

What’s the best ski this year?” This question always makes us cringe here at Ski Canada. We want to be helpful and apply the terabytes of ski information floating around in our grey matter. But it’s such a hard question to answer, especially if we’ve never seen the person ski. It’s one reason we don’t pick a S.O.T.Y. (ski of the year). The other is that it’s a terrible acronym.

The goal of our ski test is not for us to find a winner. Rather it is to help you find a winner—your new favourite ski. It’s why we recruit a test team of people who span the spectrum, from former racers to slip-sliding park rats, ski instructors who love narrow skis to weekend warriors who think 106mm underfoot is a carving ski. We send them out on more than 30 pairs of new skis with two areas of enquiry in mind: what does the ski do well, and which kind of skier would find it fun. We combine their feedback with information about construction and materials to write the following reviews.

So what should you do with this information? First, think hard about how you would answer the same questions we ask our testers. Where do you like to ski? More than the rating of the runs, also consider the typical conditions you experience. Do you live in Ontario and spend 95 percent of your time skiing firm groomers? Or are you at Lake Louise and love the mogul-studded Back Bowls? If you’re looking for a dedicated carving ski, groomed run performance should be your priority. Next, what kind of skier are you? Do you ski fast or cruise? Big turns or small? And, especially, carve or smear? Read through the reviews and look for this kind of information. Then continue your research. Visit a couple of ski shops and ask for opinions. Read online reviews. And, best of all, try the skis for yourself. After testing dozens of skis every year we can tell you, they really do turn differently.

We’re confident you’ll find your personal S.O.T.Y. after doing all that. Whether or not you refer to your new skis that way is totally up to you.

Tested Skis: