Top 5 reasons “Top 5 / Best of… / Product of the year” do a disservice to the skiing industry and to any consumer/skier who is trying to make an educated gear decision.
I call to every skier out there not to fall for the Top Lists or “Best Ski/Boot/Binding/Etc/Whatever” list. They are simply clickbait and there is a better chance the gear is not only not the best for you but just a well placed ad to promote a certain product. Please do not get me wrong: chances are the product that is being hocked is good but there is a better chance that it is not best for you and all you are doing is validating the lazy way to rate, share, or simply promote a product.
Yes, we see these articles all over the net this time of year and we are suggesting that you, for your best interests, do not even click on the link to the article or video because you are then just validating these glorified ads. While we hate to use words like never and always at Skitalk but we stand by our commitment to NEVER produce lists or articles like this and we will ALWAYS treat our readers with the respect they deserve and the intelligence they have. You know how we know we are doing the right thing? It's because people disagree with us at times. Granted, not only are these disagreements few and far between and actually can create good discussion, it shows that we stand behind our reviews and discussions about products and that not all products are for everyone. We will never (there I go again) say that one product is simply the best on the market because there is no one product that is. We will tell you where that product excels and who will get the most benefit of that ski, boot, or binding and who that product is not for, to help them avoid making a wrong choice.
What you find with many of these publications, and I use that term loosely, is that, in many times, they are not written and compiled by people who actually have used the particular product. In many cases it is regurgitation of the manufacturers rhetoric or, worse, AI. You will see ads placed that have nothing to do with skiing based solely on your search history and no method to interact with the people publishing the reviews. We get the occasional comment that we don’t pan a product and that we don’t say a product is bad. Well, that’s because there are vey few bad products...but there are wrong ones. Our goal is to review a ski boot, ski, binding, or other product on its own merits. If you have a question about that product, you can ask us and get an actual response because we are actual people.
The perfect example of how “Ski of the Year” lists can mislead buyers happened to Tricia at Northstar. A customer came in searching for a new ski because his current ski, the Rossignol Soul 7, wasn’t delivering what he wanted. As a savvy salesperson, Tricia asked him, “What do you want this ski to do that the Soul 7 isn’t?” His answer? He had chosen the Soul 7 simply because it had been named “Ski of the Year”—just like his previous skis, which he had chosen based on being the "Ski of the Year", the Atomic Metron B5, nearly a decade prior.
Here’s the kicker: the Soul 7 and the Metron B5 have little in common other than being popular skis. They cater to completely different needs and styles. This is where award lists can really misguide skiers. Both the Metron B5 and Soul 7 earned awards for their unique strengths, but they’re not intended for the same skier. This is exactly why it’s crucial to go beyond awards and ask yourself how a particular ski aligns with your specific needs and skiing style.
In short, as a buyer, don’t rely solely on awards—dig deeper into why a ski might be recommended and make sure it aligns with your expectations.
There are few who will argue that the ski industry, especially on the retail side, is in a bit of disarray at this time. There is still a glut of product in ski shops. Advertising dollars have been cut back dramatically, along with the support of independent magazines and sites like ours. Times are tough and, like the “shop local” mentality for shopping, we would hope that you “shop local” for your information and research on sites like SkiTalk versus homogenized corporate or AI generated sites. You will be better for it, we will be better for it, and in the long run, the brands will also be better for it.
So, at the start of this article I promised a “Top 5” list of why these “Top Any-Number-Here” lists are bad, so here you go.
The Top 5 reason “Top 5” Lists are bad …
I call to every skier out there not to fall for the Top Lists or “Best Ski/Boot/Binding/Etc/Whatever” list. They are simply clickbait and there is a better chance the gear is not only not the best for you but just a well placed ad to promote a certain product. Please do not get me wrong: chances are the product that is being hocked is good but there is a better chance that it is not best for you and all you are doing is validating the lazy way to rate, share, or simply promote a product.
Yes, we see these articles all over the net this time of year and we are suggesting that you, for your best interests, do not even click on the link to the article or video because you are then just validating these glorified ads. While we hate to use words like never and always at Skitalk but we stand by our commitment to NEVER produce lists or articles like this and we will ALWAYS treat our readers with the respect they deserve and the intelligence they have. You know how we know we are doing the right thing? It's because people disagree with us at times. Granted, not only are these disagreements few and far between and actually can create good discussion, it shows that we stand behind our reviews and discussions about products and that not all products are for everyone. We will never (there I go again) say that one product is simply the best on the market because there is no one product that is. We will tell you where that product excels and who will get the most benefit of that ski, boot, or binding and who that product is not for, to help them avoid making a wrong choice.
What you find with many of these publications, and I use that term loosely, is that, in many times, they are not written and compiled by people who actually have used the particular product. In many cases it is regurgitation of the manufacturers rhetoric or, worse, AI. You will see ads placed that have nothing to do with skiing based solely on your search history and no method to interact with the people publishing the reviews. We get the occasional comment that we don’t pan a product and that we don’t say a product is bad. Well, that’s because there are vey few bad products...but there are wrong ones. Our goal is to review a ski boot, ski, binding, or other product on its own merits. If you have a question about that product, you can ask us and get an actual response because we are actual people.
The perfect example of how “Ski of the Year” lists can mislead buyers happened to Tricia at Northstar. A customer came in searching for a new ski because his current ski, the Rossignol Soul 7, wasn’t delivering what he wanted. As a savvy salesperson, Tricia asked him, “What do you want this ski to do that the Soul 7 isn’t?” His answer? He had chosen the Soul 7 simply because it had been named “Ski of the Year”—just like his previous skis, which he had chosen based on being the "Ski of the Year", the Atomic Metron B5, nearly a decade prior.
Here’s the kicker: the Soul 7 and the Metron B5 have little in common other than being popular skis. They cater to completely different needs and styles. This is where award lists can really misguide skiers. Both the Metron B5 and Soul 7 earned awards for their unique strengths, but they’re not intended for the same skier. This is exactly why it’s crucial to go beyond awards and ask yourself how a particular ski aligns with your specific needs and skiing style.
In short, as a buyer, don’t rely solely on awards—dig deeper into why a ski might be recommended and make sure it aligns with your expectations.
There are few who will argue that the ski industry, especially on the retail side, is in a bit of disarray at this time. There is still a glut of product in ski shops. Advertising dollars have been cut back dramatically, along with the support of independent magazines and sites like ours. Times are tough and, like the “shop local” mentality for shopping, we would hope that you “shop local” for your information and research on sites like SkiTalk versus homogenized corporate or AI generated sites. You will be better for it, we will be better for it, and in the long run, the brands will also be better for it.
So, at the start of this article I promised a “Top 5” list of why these “Top Any-Number-Here” lists are bad, so here you go.
The Top 5 reason “Top 5” Lists are bad …
- They’re not made to help you, the reader– They’re crafted to keep advertisers happy.
- They’re lazy and generic – If you dig deeper, you’ll find they’re highly subjective and vague, with little substance.
- They lack authenticity – Minimal research goes into these lists, which exist solely for the next reason.
- They underestimate your intelligence – It’s all fluff, with no real consideration for you as an individual.
- They’re designed for clicks, not guidance – Ultimately, they’re about ad revenue, not the skier.
