ski reviews

Fischer Ranger 94 FR Dimensions: 126-92-117 Radius: 17m@177cm Sizes: 161, 169, 177, 185 Size tested: 177 Design: All New The Ranger 94 FR was a real surprise for me. I really liked it on the firm groomed snow. It does a lot of things well. It is solid, energetic, and fun, as well as fairly damp...

I've had the chance to A/B these skis in the last week, in Australian early season conditions - mostly man-made snow, firm, fast early morning pistes deteriorating quickly with the dense crowds to choppy slop or push piles on a hard base. The Head Rally's are huge fun and so carvy on the early...

This week on Chairlift Chat we review the Black Ops 98! Rossignol doesn't release much info about this ski, so we had to do some extra digging. Who's skied it?

As mentioned previously, after a 30+ year gap, this past ski season I attempted to re-learn how to ski narrower, racing type skis. While I eventually progressed to trying real FIS race skis (Thanks ScotsSkier!), at the start of the season I wasn’t sure if I could handle such beasts, so I picked...

This week on Chairlift Chat we review the new 2020 Volkl Mantra 102!

This week on Chairlift Chat we review the new 2020 Blizzard Firebird HRC! Super fun, versatile frontside ski. We love the Firebird attitude.

Just as the report of Mark Twain's death was exaggerated, so were the rumors of the demise of frontside, hard-snow-biased skis. I for one was writing their obituary well before it was due: yes, I thought this popular segment would go the way of the mid-priced sedan in the face of the SUV...

This week on Chairlift Chat we take a look at the new Nordica Santa Ana 88!

Testing the 2020 skis was particularly exciting for me because some manufacturers are making huge strides in women-specific ski design, strides far from the old mantra of "shrink it and pink it." Companies are leaning on female teams who are involved with research and development; no more...

Testing the 2020 skis was particularly exciting for me because some manufacturers are making huge strides in women-specific ski design, strides that are far from the old mantra of "shrink it and pink it." Companies are leaning on female teams who are involved with research and development; no...

It appears that all the insider Pugs have been given the green light by the Powers That Be to let loose with their reviews of 2020 model year skis, so I figured I'd pile on with some quick notes on skis Phil and Tricia were nice enough to lay out in Colorado a few weeks ago. Conditions: I would...

Armada Invictus 99Ti Dimensions: 135-99-125 Radius: 21.5m@187cm Sizes: 171, 179, 187 Size tested: 187 Design: NGT This ski is all business. It's like the Tracer's older brother who got it together right out of high school. It absolutely handled everything like a champ. If I needed a ski that...

DPS Alchemist Wailer 100 RP Dimensions: 134-100-119 Radius: 15m@179cm Sizes: 171, 179, 184, 189 Size tested: 184 Design: All New I am coming around to DPS's lighter Alchemist construction, first the Cassiar 79 Trainer and now the Wailer 100 RP. I really like the all-new Wailer design in the...

Here is the first of many segments of 2020 ski reviews. Dynastar Menace 98 Dimensions: 132-98-120 Radius: 23m@181cm Sizes: 169, 175, 181, 187 Size tested: 181 Design: Mostly New The Menace 98 is in that playful, youth-oriented 98 range at a price point hundreds less than many other options...

This week on Chairlift Chat we review the Elan Ripstick 88 with Glen Plake! Super fun ski, we had a blast skiing and chatting with Glen.

Atomic Redster X9 Dimensions: 114-65.5-99.5 Radius: 15.4m@175cm Sizes: 169, 175, 181 Size tested: 175 Design: Carryover Atomic’s cheater GS is very strong, reminiscent of the XT from four or five-ish years ago. Kind of a one-trick pony, it wants to aggressively lay trenches, and that’s about...

Atomic Vantage 86C Dimensions: 123-86-106.5 Radius: 17.2m@165cm Sizes: 157, 165, 173 Size tested: 165 Design: NGT This ski was a very pleasant surprise. I grabbed them toward the end of the second day on a whim, and am glad I did. The first half of the run I was a bit skeptical, as they just...

Following my tests of the Augment Masters GS and Non-FIS slalom skis – https://www.pugski.com/threads/augment-masters-skis-gs-world-cup-pro-and-sl-world-cup-pro.14952/ - my appetite was well and truly whetted to try the Augment FIS race skis. Based on the quality and performance of the Non-FIS...

Thx for bringing out the skis! From AM low vis frozen groomers and chunky (coral reef) off piste to dream corn bumps in the afternoon, it was one of those mixed bag days... Skier: 160lb, 50 year old, pretty good skier, ski moderate to slow pace, like off piste skiing mostly. I tend to review...

This week on Chairlift Chat we review the new 2020 Fischer Ranger 94 FR! We're also giving a pair away in our SkiHappy Photo Contest this month. Get your photos entered by the end of April for a chance to win!