The arbitrary reality of ski shopping
We test skis to rationalize ski buying. It’s why we gathered dozens of new skis and nearly as many testers at Revelstoke Mountain Resort last March. It’s also why we labour through the summer to produce the ski test that’s in your hands. Our aim is to arm you with an experience-backed critique of what each ski does well and who would love it. But we also recognize an uncomfortable truth: arbitrary factors are powerful when it comes to ski shopping.
First, let’s outline the systematic stuff. Our testing begins as resorts open. We consider trends in construction and design, shopping behaviour and the evolution of ski style. By January, ski brands begin releasing details on skis they will launch for the following winter. We put it all together to create a list of the skis we want to test. This year we had more than 50 pairs of skis on our dance card. We gathered them at Revelstoke (see page 61), and with the help of a variety of testers—ski instructors, shop staff, weekend warriors and ski bums—we evaluated them over three days.
The following reviews combine tester feedback with details on construction and design. We believe it’s an objective summary of the skis’ strengths and weaknesses.
However, years of ski testing and hanging out in ski shops has also taught us that skiers are human first and rational beings second. Or, as Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman puts it: “Thinking is to humans what swimming is to cats; they can do it but they’d prefer not to.”
We see it in the test pit. When we invite skiers to pick from 50 new skis they gravitate to the brightest and sexiest skis, no matter the conditions. Retail staff tell us about skiers who come in shopping for a carving ski but leave with a powder ski because it looked more fun. While the effect varies, branding and appearance matter because our ski choice says something about us to other skiers and ourselves. It’s why a large part of your next ski purchase will have nothing to do with our reviews.
So why keep running a ski test? Because of something called the fallacy of choice. More options may seem like a good thing, but when faced with the sheer variety of skis available, deciding which one to buy can be paralyzing, even if guided by whim. This is where we hope you read the ski reviews.
To make it easier to find the right ski for you, we divide all the skis we test into two groups. In this issue are the carving and all-mountain skis, what we call resort skis. In the next issue: freeride, backcountry and deep snow specialists, what we call the powder skis. We use a combination of 100mm waist width, rocker profile and our gut to make the divide. In other words, it’s arbitrary.
Further, we hand out awards to clearly popular skis. That’s a reasonable way to start shopping, but don’t stop there. At least one tester loved every ski at the test; there were no duds. That’s why you should also read the “Compare With” to find similar skis and the “Best For” to read what the ski does best and who we think would like it.
With all that you should be well on your way to narrowing your choic. However you make your decision, you can be confident you’ll like almost everything about your next pair of skis. Even if the choice feels arbitrary.
Full Ski Canada Ski Test 2026 Lineup:
Fischer RC4 Noize ST
Elan Primetime 55+ Black Edition
Elan Primetime N°4+ W
Ferreol SL 74
Nordica Dobermann Multipista DC
Ski Fels Attitude 76
Völkl Shine 78 (Women’s)
Faction Dancer 79
Waist Deep Cruz 82
Blizzard Thunderbird R15 82 LTD
Blizzard Stormbird 82 DTI
Elan Wildcat 83 Black Edition
K2 Blur XT
Völkl Mantra 84
Elan Wingman 86 Ti
Black Crows Octo
Rossignol Arcade W 88
Renoun Earhart
ZAG Mata TI
Stöckli Stormrider 95
Atomic Maven 94 CTI
Rossignol Arcade 94
DPS Pisteworks 94
Armada ARW 94
Atomic Maverick 96 CTI
Black Diamond Women’s Impulse TI 98
Salomon QST 100
Head Kore 100 TI
Handmade in Canada
With patriotism running high, we invited Canadian ski brands to join us in March. The four that attended—Ferreol, Poet, Waist Deep, Ski Fels—enlivened the test pit with their expertise and unique approaches to ski manufacturing.
Ferreol Skis
The passion project of three university buddies has graduated from the back room of a ski shop to become one of the most innovative and technology-driven brands in the industry. They partner with a physicist at the Université de Sherbrooke to fine-tune their designs and have developed an alloy with, they claim, better performance characteristics than Titanal. Ferreol has mostly focused on backcountry skis, but charges into the carving category this winter with the SL 74, reviewed on page 60. ferreol.ca
Poet Skis
The newest micro-brand on the Canadian scene thinks skiing should be an artistic expression. The topsheets display artwork inspired by a poem that’s written across the tail of the ski, to spectacular effect. The skis drew a lot of attention in the test pit. Hand-built on Vancouver Island, they’re not just pretty—testers loved them. Watch for reviews in the Fall issue’s Powder Ski Test. poetskis.ca
Waist Deep Ski Company
Doug Fischer started making skis and poles as a retirement hobby, but he enjoyed it so much it became his second career. Based out of Fernie, he focuses on reducing the environmental footprint of production. He’s eliminated most of the plastic in favour of bamboo, which is lightweight, strong and more sustainable than alternative woods, metals and composites. The bamboo construction looks and performs unlike anything else. Read a review of the Cruz on page 62. wdskis.com
Ski Fels
Chris and Dave Fels started experimenting with ski designs 40 years ago. A longtime ski instructor, Chris’ goal was to make the sport easier to master and the innovators were early proponents of shaped skis. For a while they sold through retail, but now the focus is on custom manufacturing. Chris typically skis with customers to better understand what they want in a ski and then adjusts the width, length, camber, arc centre and thickness of the ski to tailor performance. See the review of the Attitude on page 60. skifels.ca
