How We Tested
We tested at Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, North America’s largest ski resort, based at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler at the foot of Blackcomb for ski-in, ski-out access. Being able to swap skis and step straight onto the Blackcomb Gondola meant more runs per ski per day.
Conditions covered the full range: bulletproof ice first thing, heavy wet crud by about 2:00 PM. We also had access to the Horstman and Blackcomb Glaciers for wide-open alpine bowls, alongside tight trees and steep chutes.
Meet the testers, and what kind of skier each one is, at the bottom of this page.
Every ski is rated out of 10 on six things: stability, carving, crud, powder, playfulness and bumps. The overall score is the average of those six. The ranking reflects who each ski suits, not just the average.
Most Versatile All-Mountain SkiVölkl M7 Mantra
- Status: Carryover for 2026/2027, structurally identical to the 2025 M7
- Weight: About 2,090 g per ski (177 cm)
- Construction: Tailored Titanal Frame, carbon tips, 4D Radius Drive
- Best for: Strong, forward-driving experts
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : The most complete ski here: glued to the snow at speed and a bulldozer in crud, and at its best under a strong skier who likes to drive it.
Pros
- Rock-solid at speed
- Bulldozes afternoon crud
- Grips hard on firm snow
Cons
- Heavier than most here
- Rewards a forward stance
- Less at home in bumps
Ryan and James fought over these all week. James took them straight to the Dave Murray Downhill on Whistler Mountain, and at around 50 mph on morning corduroy the 4D Radius Drive made the ski feel bolted to the mountain.
At 2:00 PM Ryan took them into the chopped-up crud of Peak to Creek, where the heavy metal construction simply bulldozed through the heavy snow.
It is a lot of ski, and it rewards good technique. Amy and our intermediate crew found it heavy and demanding, and it likes you to stay forward in your boots; lean back when you are tired and it will take charge. For strong skiers, that same weight is exactly why it is so composed at speed and in crud, and why it is the most versatile ski we tested. It averages 76 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Völkl M7 Mantra review →
Best Powder Ski Under 100 mmBlizzard Rustler 9
- Status: Carryover, following the 2025 redesign to perimeter FluxForm metal
- Weight: About 1,880 g per ski (180 cm)
- Construction: TrueBlend woodcore, FluxForm metal
- Best for: Freeriders who smear, surf and pop
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : A playful, surfy ski that floats well for its width and smears on command. Size up one length if you like to go fast.
Pros
- Easy to smear and scrub speed
- Floats well for its width
- Grips well underfoot
Cons
- Soft tips at very high speed on ice
- Best sized up one length
Libby's favourite ski of the trip. The perimeter metal gives it grip underfoot, but the rockered tips are soft. In the steep bowls off Spanky's Ladder on Blackcomb, she found she could smear it sideways to dump speed before dropping into the powdery chutes of Ruby Bowl.
The soft tips that make it so easy to smear do have a speed limit: on the icy pitch off the Peak Express, James felt them start to flutter above about 40 mph. Sizing up one length adds stability, and for most skiers it will never come up. It averages 82 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Blizzard Rustler 9 review →
Our Favorite Carving SkiArmada Declivity 92 Ti
- Status: Carryover, after the upgrade to a denser poplar core
- Weight: About 1,920 g per ski (180 cm)
- Construction: Articulated Titanal with elastomer damping
- Best for: Carvers on firm snow
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : The most fun ski we tested on firm snow, with explosive turns and a damp, quiet ride on ice. Save the deep days for something wider.
Pros
- Explosive energy out of turns
- Damp on ice
- Good in bumps for a carver
Cons
- Best kept to firm snow
- Stiff tail needs a committed skier
Before the sun softened the snow, James took the Declivity onto the steep groomers below the Jersey Cream lift. The energy out of each turn is addictive, and the rubber-filled slits in the front metal sheet soaked up the icy vibration.
It is a firm-snow specialist. When heavy snow fell in the afternoon, Tom found its 92 mm waist and stiff tail sank in Symphony Bowl. On groomed and firm snow, where most resort days are spent, nothing we tested was more fun. It averages 76 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Armada Declivity 92 Ti review →
DPS Kaizen 100
- Status: New for 2026, replacing the Wailer 100
- Weight: About 1,850 g per ski (179 cm)
- Construction: Split ash and poplar core, carbon and fiberglass hybrid
- Best for: Playful skiers in soft snow and trees
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : A surfy, pivot-anywhere soft-snow ski that feels twitchy on long groomer turns, at a premium price.
Pros
- Pivots through trees effortlessly
- Surfy float in soft snow
- Great in bumps
Cons
- Premium price
- Twitchy on long groomer turns
Amazon does not sell the Kaizen 100. The button goes to the 2025 DPS Wailer 100 with bindings, the ski the Kaizen replaced. It is not the ski we tested: the Wailer used DPS's older, more rigid carbon construction.
DPS dropped its pure, rigid carbon build for a carbon and fiberglass hybrid. Tom and Libby hiked out to the Blackcomb Glacier on them, and the big rocker and short 15 m turn radius made them feel like surfing. Libby could pivot them through tight trees with a flick of the ankles.
It is a premium-priced ski, and James found the short turn radius twitchy and nervous when he tried long GS turns on groomers. It averages 78 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full DPS Kaizen 100 review →
Fischer Ranger 96
- Status: Carryover for 2026/2027
- Weight: About 1,950 g per ski (180 cm)
- Construction: Poplar and beech core, Flex Cut Notch Titanal
- Best for: Intermediates and progressing skiers
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : The easiest ski here to enjoy all day, balanced everywhere, though heavy experts will overpower it.
Pros
- Easy to bend and turn
- Kind to tired legs
- Balanced all-rounder
Cons
- Overpowered by heavy, aggressive skiers
This was the clear favourite for Amy and the intermediate group. A notch cut from the metal plate under the boot lets the ski bend far more easily than the Mantra. Amy skied the wide blue rollers of the 7th Heaven zone for six hours straight and said her legs were not burning.
Ryan, a heavy and aggressive skier, overpowered them easily on a steep descent. They lack the top-end stability experts want. It averages 78 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Fischer Ranger 96 review →
Nordica Enforcer 99
- Status: New for 2026, replacing the Enforcer 100
- Weight: About 2,140 g per ski (179 cm)
- Construction: TrueBlend woodcore with two full sheets of Titanal
- Best for: Heavy chargers in steep, chopped snow
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : A two-sheet bulldozer for steep, chopped snow that is easier to scrub than before, but exhausting in bumps.
Pros
- Bulldozes crud
- Very stable at speed
- Easier to scrub speed than the Enforcer 100
Cons
- Exhausting over a full day
- Hard work in moguls
Ryan took these straight to the Saudan Couloir, a famously steep double-black run. The two metal sheets make it a bulldozer, and the added tail rocker on the new 99 made it much easier to skid sideways and scrub speed in the chute than the old 100.
Even with the new tail they are exhausting. Tom took them into a mogul field and was begging to swap by the bottom. Without clean technique, they are hard work in bumps. It averages 74 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Nordica Enforcer 99 review →
Head Kore 93
- Status: Carryover for 2026/2027
- Weight: About 1,750 g per ski (177 cm)
- Construction: Karuba and poplar core, graphene, carbon, Titanal plate
- Best for: Light skiers who want edge grip on firm snow
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : Remarkably light with scalpel grip on ice, but it gets deflected in chunky crud and is tricky in tight trees.
Pros
- Very light for its grip
- Precise on ice
- Easy to carry and ski all day
Cons
- Deflects in chunky crud
- Flat tail is hard to release in trees
James loved these on the fast groomers off the Emerald Express. Graphene makes them surprisingly light yet stiff, and they cut through morning ice like a scalpel.
As the snow at the base turned to heavy frozen chunks, the intermediate testers got knocked around: a light, stiff ski deflects easily. The flat tail also makes it hard to release the edges in tight trees. It averages 67 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Head Kore 93 review →
Faction Dancer 2
- Status: Carryover for 2026/2027
- Weight: About 1,950 g per ski (182 cm)
- Construction: Poplar core with two Titanal sheets
- Best for: Fast, confident freeriders
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : A stable, stomp-anything freeride ski that needs speed to come alive and feels planky when you slow down.
Pros
- Stomps landings
- Stable at speed
- Confident in crud
Cons
- Planky at low speed
- Poor in bumps
Libby and Tom took these onto the Horstman Glacier and hit side-hits all the way down. The heavy metal construction stomped landings with total security.
It feels planky at slow speeds. Amy tried them on a flat cat-track and felt like she was dragging two planks. You have to ski them fast to make them bend. It averages 68 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Faction Dancer 2 review →
K2 Mindbender 99Ti
- Status: Carryover for 2026/2027
- Weight: About 2,080 g per ski (184 cm)
- Construction: Aspen veneer core, Titanal Y-Beam
- Best for: Strong skiers who charge but need to bail into a slide
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : A crud-charging freeride ski that breaks into a slide when you need it to, though lighter skiers find it heavy.
Pros
- Charges through crud
- Easy to break into a slide
- Good in soft snow
Cons
- Heavy
- Slow edge to edge for lighter skiers
The Y-Beam puts metal over the front edges but takes it out of the tail. Ryan blasted through the heavy crud in Symphony Bowl and found that, unlike the Enforcer, the K2 breaks into a slide easily when you need to dodge a sudden tree.
Lighter testers like Amy found them slow to go edge to edge on firm groomers because of their weight. It averages 74 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full K2 Mindbender 99Ti review →
Rossignol Sender Soul 102
- Status: New for 2026
- Weight: About 1,900 g per ski (180 cm)
- Construction: Poplar core, Titanal beam, Air Tip honeycomb
- Best for: Soft-snow skiers and confidence in powder
- Sizes on Amazon: Listings are size-specific, check the length
Bottom Line : The most confidence-inspiring powder ski here for every level, and the least happy on hard ice.
Pros
- Effortless float in powder
- Confidence-inspiring for all levels
- Low swing weight
Cons
- Vague on hard ice
- Not a carver
The hype is real. Rossignol brought back the easy powder float of the Soul 7, and the new Titanal beam stops the old tip chatter. Tom and Amy both took them into the Blow Hole, a steep half-pipe-like feature on the Blackcomb Glacier, and Amy said she had never felt so confident in deep, soft snow. The Air Tip keeps the swing weight low.
James pushed them hard on the icy Dave Murray Downhill and hated them. The wide shovels felt vague on pure ice. They are built for soft snow, not racing. It averages 80 out of 100 across our six ratings.
Read our full Rossignol Sender Soul 102 review →
Which Ski Suits Your Skiing?
Strong, fast experts: the Völkl M7 Mantra for all-round stability, the Nordica Enforcer 99 for steep chopped snow, the K2 Mindbender 99Ti if you want to bail into a slide easily.
Intermediates and progressing skiers: the Fischer Ranger 96. The Mantra and Faction Dancer 2 are more ski than most intermediates need; they shine under stronger skiers.
Powder and playful skiing: the Rossignol Sender Soul 102, the Blizzard Rustler 9 or the DPS Kaizen 100.
Firm snow and carving: the Armada Declivity 92 Ti, or the lighter Head Kore 93.
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
Here is how we tested each of our six ratings at Whistler Blackcomb, what we found, and what each ski felt like underfoot. The table under each one ranks all ten.
Stability
How we tested it. Stability is about what a ski does when you go fast on hard snow and nothing is forgiving. James, our ex-racer, took each ski onto the Dave Murray Downhill on Whistler Mountain first thing, while it was still bulletproof morning corduroy, and let it run. Ryan tested the other half of the job: holding a line through steep, chopped terrain like the Saudan Couloir, a double-black run that hosts extreme races.
What we found. The Völkl M7 Mantra was in a class of its own. At around 50 mph James said it felt bolted to the mountain; its tailored Titanal frame and 4D Radius Drive keep the edge engaged instead of letting it skate. The Nordica Enforcer 99 was the closest challenger. Its two full sheets of Titanal made it a bulldozer in the Saudan Couloir, and Ryan found it calm even where the snow was rough.
Metal is the pattern. The skis that scored lowest here are the ones built to be light and lively. James found the DPS Kaizen 100 twitchy and nervous in long GS turns because of its short 15 m radius, and the Blizzard Rustler 9’s soft tips, the reason it smears so well, began to flutter above about 40 mph on the icy pitch off the Peak Express.
What it felt like. On the Mantra and Enforcer, speed felt quiet and planted, as if the ski was pressing itself into the snow. On the softer skis you felt the snow through your feet and heard the tips start to flap.
| Ski | Stability |
|---|---|
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 10/10 |
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 9.5/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 9/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 9/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 8.5/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 8.5/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 8.5/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 8/10 |
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 7/10 |
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 6/10 |
Carving
How we tested it. We judged carving before the sun softened anything: steep, firm groomers where a ski has to hold an edge on ice and give energy back out of the turn. James skied the Dave Murray Downhill, the steep groomers below the Jersey Cream lift, and the fast runs off the Emerald Express.
What we found. The Armada Declivity 92 Ti was our favourite. James called the energy out of its turns addictive, and the rubber-filled slits cut into its front metal sheet soaked up the icy vibration that makes most carvers feel harsh. The Mantra matched it for grip at higher speed. The Head Kore 93 surprised everyone: graphene keeps it very light but stiff, and on morning ice it cut like a scalpel.
The wide, soft powder skis struggled on ice. The Rossignol Sender Soul 102’s big shovels felt vague and disconnected when James tried to carve it on the icy Dave Murray Downhill, and the DPS Kaizen’s short radius made long carved turns nervous.
What it felt like. The Declivity loaded up through the middle of the turn and then fired you across the hill into the next one. The Sender Soul felt like it was floating on top of the ice rather than biting into it.
| Ski | Carving |
|---|---|
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 9.5/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 9.5/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 8.5/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 8.5/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 8/10 |
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 8/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 8/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 8/10 |
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 7.5/10 |
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 7.5/10 |
Crud
How we tested it. Crud is where Whistler earns its reputation. By about 2:00 PM the morning ice turned to heavy, wet, chopped-up snow, so we took the skis into it deliberately: Ryan ran Peak to Creek and Symphony Bowl, and our intermediates skied the frozen chunks that formed lower down near the base.
What we found. Weight and metal win in crud. The Nordica Enforcer 99 led the field, simply pushing through the heavy snow, and the Mantra bulldozed Peak to Creek in the afternoon. The K2 Mindbender 99Ti was just as strong through the heavy crud in Symphony Bowl, with one difference Ryan valued: its Titanal Y-Beam leaves the tail free, so when a tree appeared suddenly he could break it into a slide far more easily than the Enforcer.
The Head Kore 93 scored lowest. Its light, stiff build is a strength on ice but a weakness here: as the snow near the base froze into chunks, it got deflected and our intermediates were thrown around.
What it felt like. On the Enforcer and Mantra the chop went quiet underfoot, as if someone had smoothed the run. On the Kore you felt every chunk through your knees and had to fight to hold a line.
| Ski | Crud |
|---|---|
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 9.5/10 |
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 9/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 8.5/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 8.5/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 8.5/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 8/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 7.5/10 |
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 7.5/10 |
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 7/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 6/10 |
Powder
How we tested it. We looked for soft, deep snow wherever the weather gave it to us. Tom and Libby hiked out to the Blackcomb Glacier, Libby dropped into the steep, powdery chutes of Ruby Bowl from Spanky’s Ladder, and Tom and Amy took skis into the Blow Hole, a steep half-pipe-like feature on the Blackcomb Glacier. When heavy snow fell one afternoon, Tom took skis into Symphony Bowl to see which would float and which would sink.
What we found. The Rossignol Sender Soul 102 was the powder ski of the test. Amy said she had never felt so confident in deep, soft snow, and its Air Tip keeps the swing weight so low it pivots easily. The DPS Kaizen 100 felt like surfing on the Blackcomb Glacier thanks to its big rocker. For a ski under 100 mm, the Blizzard Rustler 9 floated well, and Libby could smear it sideways to shed speed before dropping into the chutes.
Firm-snow specialists are less at home here. At 92 mm underfoot with a stiff tail, the Armada Declivity 92 Ti, our favourite carver, sank when Tom took it into Symphony Bowl in fresh snow.
What it felt like. The Sender Soul and Kaizen rode high in the snow and turned with a gentle tilt of the feet. The Declivity simply dropped in and stayed down.
| Ski | Powder |
|---|---|
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 9.5/10 |
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 9/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 8.5/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 7.5/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 7.5/10 |
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 7/10 |
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 6.5/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 6/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 5/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 4/10 |
Playfulness
How we tested it. Playfulness is how easily a ski lets you smear, pivot, slash and pop. Libby, our freerider, led this: tight trees, natural side-hits and steep bowls where you need to scrub speed on demand. Libby and Tom also hit side-hits all the way down the Horstman Glacier.
What we found. The DPS Kaizen 100 was the most playful ski we tested. Libby could pivot it through tight trees with a flick of her ankles. The Rossignol Sender Soul 102 and Blizzard Rustler 9 were close behind, both with soft, rockered tips that smear sideways without a fight.
The metal chargers were the least playful. The Völkl M7 Mantra demands you drive it from the front of the boot, and the Faction Dancer 2 felt planky at slow speed: Amy said it was like dragging two planks along a flat cat-track. The Dancer came alive only at speed, where Libby and Tom found it stomped landings with total security.
What it felt like. The Kaizen felt loose and surfy, happy to go sideways. The Dancer and Mantra felt like they wanted to go straight and fast, and resisted being thrown around.
| Ski | Playfulness |
|---|---|
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 9.5/10 |
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 9/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 8.5/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 8/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 7/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 6.5/10 |
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 6/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 6/10 |
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 5/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 5/10 |
Bumps
How we tested it. Bumps punish heavy, stiff skis and anyone whose technique is less than perfect. Tom took skis into a mogul field, and the whole crew rated how each ski handled the turns, trees and variable snow between runs.
What we found. The softer, lighter skis were easiest. The DPS Kaizen 100 scored best, with the Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Fischer Ranger 96 and Rossignol Sender Soul 102 close behind. The Ranger’s Flex Cut Notch lets it bend far more easily than the Mantra, which is why it was so kind to tired legs.
The heavy two-metal skis struggled. Tom took the Nordica Enforcer 99 into a mogul field and was begging to swap by the bottom; without clean technique, it is hard work. The Faction Dancer 2 scored lowest of all.
What it felt like. On the Kaizen and Ranger you could flow from bump to bump. On the Enforcer every mogul fought back, and by the bottom your legs knew about it.
| Ski | Bumps |
|---|---|
| DPS Kaizen 100 | 8/10 |
| Armada Declivity 92 Ti | 7.5/10 |
| Fischer Ranger 96 | 7.5/10 |
| Rossignol Sender Soul 102 | 7.5/10 |
| Blizzard Rustler 9 | 7/10 |
| Head Kore 93 | 6/10 |
| K2 Mindbender 99Ti | 5.5/10 |
| Völkl M7 Mantra | 5/10 |
| Nordica Enforcer 99 | 5/10 |
| Faction Dancer 2 | 4/10 |
Our Final Verdict: Best All-Mountain Skis 2026/2027
The Völkl M7 Mantra is the most versatile ski for strong skiers. The Fischer Ranger 96 is the one we would hand most intermediates. And the Rossignol Sender Soul 102 is the easiest way to feel good in deep snow.
Our Testers
This guide was edited by Sean Williams and tested at Whistler Blackcomb by our lead tester and ski crew.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and edits every guide. His rule: we say what we actually found.
- Ryan Williams, Lead Tester. An aggressive, heavy charger who hunts for steep, punishing terrain. Ryan has led our field tests from Whistler Blackcomb to the shore of Lake Louise.
- James Warburton, Tester. On skis since he was 3 and an ex-racer, James drives gear hard and has no patience for anything that lets go. He also tested our fat bikes at Lake Tahoe.
- Libby Louise, Tester. An expert freerider with several seasons behind her, Libby would rather surf, smear and pop off features than straight-line. She also tested our fat bikes at Lake Tahoe.
- Tom, Tester. A strong advanced skier who loves bowls and glades.
- Amy, Tester. A progressing intermediate who wants gear that builds confidence without exhausting her legs.
- The wider crew. Intermediate resort skiers who give us the everyday-skier view.
