This week we celebrate the stars of the women’s ski market as identified by Realskiers.com Test Shops’ female staff. The same caveats that applied to last week’s selection of the best unisex skis of 2016/17 pertain here:
- There are a lot of great skis. Any of the 37 women’s models that earned a Recommended medallion (out of 63 reviewed) could be on this list.
- Because each market segment has distinct characteristics, we recognize the top models in each of the principal recreational categories: Frontside (waists 75mm-84mm), All-Mountain East (85-94), All-Mountain West (95-100) and Big Mountain (101-113).
- Within each genre, we pick the model with the top Power score and the one with the highest Finesse score. Power models respond best to a skilled, athletic skier who is relaxed at speed, normally skis at high edge angles and can tackle any terrain. Finesse models don’t require as much energy to engage and can be comfortably steered from a narrow stance; they are generally more forgiving and maneuverable at lower speeds than Power models.
One more reminder before we unveil the crème de la crème: stronger women can ski on appropriately sized men’s models, which opens up their options considerably.
Frontside Power: Atomic Cloud Nine
The Atomic Cloud Nine exhibits all the traits of a Power ski – a strong edge that hooks up early and releases with energy – without the stiffness or heft of a unisex Frontside system. It controls speed with quickness and accuracy; note its 11m- sidecut radius in a 156cm, making the Cloud Nine particularly proficient at short turns.
Frontside Finesse: Head Super Joy
The Head Super Joy doesn’t try to be all things to all skiers; it’s a groomed snow specialist that’s responsive to a light touch. It takes very little edge angle and pressure to activate its deep sidecut and its lightweight construction makes the Super Joy feel maneuverable whether steered by a skilled skier or one on the brink of a breakthrough.
Best Value: Salomon Cira
It’s fitting that the best value ski for women resides in the Frontside category, where most women-specific models are sold. The Cira is light, balanced and delivers a smooth ride on the groomed slopes where it’s in its element. Easily pressured with little force, the Cira handles particularly well at low to moderate speeds.
All-Mountain East Power: Völkl Kenja
The All-Mountain East genre is where most advanced women should look for a ski they can use in any and all conditions. The more advanced the woman, the more she’s likely to appreciate the extra power and stability of the Völkl Kenja. The Kenja gets its amplified horsepower from two sheets of Titanal, enabling a firmer grip on hard snow and calmer comportment in crud.
All-Mountain East Finesse: Blizzard Black Pearl
You don’t get to be the top selling ski in America by being fussy. Blizzard’s Black Pearl has earned its myriad adherents by being open-minded, both in terms of terrain selection and how skillfully it’s piloted. In other words, the Black Pearl will take any intermediate to advanced female skier wherever she wants to go, and make her look good doing it.
All-Mountain West Power: Völkl Aura
Nothing hammers through crud better than the classic construction of wood, fiberglass and 2 sheets of metal. It’s how the best race skis are built and how the Aura is built, delivering the power of a hard snow specialist in a broad, double-rockered baseline that’s flat underfoot for easier pivoting in off-trail conditions. The Aura continues to be the ski of choice for the strong, technical skier.
All-Mountain West Finesse: K2 FulLUVit 95
Most advanced female skiers don’t charge the fall line with hellbent abandon, preferring to descend in controlled, rhythmic arcs. Lighter people travelling at lower speeds need a ski that’s compliant and maneuverable, traits the K2 FulLUVit 95 possesses in spades. Some wide skis drive like barges; the FulLUVit 95 is more like a skiff, floating high and turning on a dime.
Big Mountain Finesse: Atomic Backland FR 102 W
Our panel’s favorite Big Mountain ski, the Atomic Backland FR W, won our women’s hearts by handling every off-trail condition. Its rockered tip and tail slide easily through mogul troughs or around trees, yet the Backland FR 102 W is poppy and energetic when pouncing through powder pillows and sturdy enough to withstand the battering delivered by day-old crud. They make whatever terrain they encounter feel easier to ski.
Big Mountain Power: Nordica La Nina
Perfect scores for high-speed stability, drift and off-piste performance tell you all you need to know about Nordica’s La Nina. It uses its super-wide (113mm waist) chassis to ride high in deep snow and it has plenty of stability to maintain velocity in harbor-chop broken snow. The main reason for getting a Big Mountain ski is flotation, where La Nina rules; its power and precision on hard pack are bonuses.