Tester: Kaylin Richardson
The Secret 92 is the single ski quiver for the powerful female skier. Its versatility continues to blow me away. It is the first ski I’ve had the pleasure of owning that I can pull out on any given day, with any given conditions, and never have any regrets.
Since riding these boards I haven’t had to hang my head because I accidentally grabbed my powder pontoons on a bluebird groomer day or held back my cursing when I’m stuck with carving skis as a surprise blizzard arrives. Why?
The Secrets rip in virtually every condition.
At 92mm underfoot they allow me the agility to lay big, aggressive arcs on corduroy, rivaling any carving ski, while transferring to off-piste crud effortlessly. The titanal frame creates a stability I can trust at speed on any surface, yet I still get the dynamic feedback of acceleration, arguably the most fun part of skiing. They are playful without being squirrely, cutting through virtually any snow condition like butter.
I was skeptical that the narrow waist wouldn’t perform as well in deep powder, and granted, when it is super fluffy, I don’t get as much float. However, they still do well and I have had many awesome powder days on my Secrets. I have been especially psyched to be using them when the light-as-air snow gets skied out or weighed down by warmer temps throughout the day. That’s when the Secrets really shine because they perform so well in variable snow, when the fatter, lighter, bona fide powder skis, in my experience, can struggle after first tracks.
As a former ski racer, and 5’10” woman, I can overpower many women’s skis when I really go for it. The Secrets are slightly stiffer than some of their contemporaries because of their high performance properties, and I love that. Their multilayer woodcore and full sidewall design make for a ski that holds an incredible amount of energy, in most every condition, but without requiring a herculean effort. This is probably what initially impressed me most and keeps me coming back to the Secret day in and day out: the magical combination of power, versatility, and ease.
Before, during my morning rush, I had to research conditions and line up my ski choice. Now I just grab my Secret 92s and head out the door, aching to make those first turns of the day.
