Vision Quester Skis
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MSRP: $759.99
Tip/Waist/Tail: 130-112-121
Length: 179, 187, 195
As Eric Hjorleifson has moved further into the backcountry, his pro model has come with him. The new Hoji features a lightweight core and a versatile, tour-friendly width. Full rocker makes it especially pivoty and smeary in soft conditions—its greatest strength. Gripping hardpack requires full angulation, but then it makes smooth, big turns with no speed limit.
Find this ski and more in our online gearfinder.
MSRP: $749.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 132-110-124
Length: 161, 169, 177, 185
The Blog, cut from a decidedly jibby mold, makes the whole mountain its terrain park. It loves to pop off terrain features and make skidded smear turns in the trees. Big, powerful testers balked at the centered, less aggressive stance the Blog preferred, but freestyle-oriented testers dug how it opened up an effortless and springy style of riding on everything from groomers to cruddy bumps. Plus, its forgiving nature is perfect for less experienced powder skiers.
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MSRP: $789.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 141-115-123
Length: 165, 175, 185
If there’s such thing as a smeary carve, this ski can make it. The AMPerage would almost drift into each turn before the edges would hook up and complete the arc. It took a little practice, but the turn shape proved incredibly useful and easy to manage in chundery and treed terrain. Testers struggled a bit on hardpack but enjoyed the flowy ride everywhere else.
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MSRP: $850.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 140-114-130
Length: 179, 186
Blizzard’s Free Mountain series blew up last year thanks to great engineering and performance. This season the big twin-tipped Gunsmoke joins the group. Jibbers, rejoice. It’s just what one would expect of Blizzard—a smooth and surfy pow ski with groomer chops, plus the ability to let its hair down and ski backward. Testers wore their thoughts in the form of shit-eating grins.
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MSRP: $880.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 147-120-141
Length: 169, 179, 189
Fancy yourself a spinny, flippy, big-line skier? Then look to the Pettitor. Testers called it “sturdy,” “playful,” and “strong” all in the same breath. Like Sean Pettit, the man who inspired the ski, it thrives on air, speed, and powder—often all at same time. More of a soft-snow specialist, it requires extra energy on hardpack, and testers dinged it on versatility. But it actually tracks nicely on corduroy once it’s fully angulated.
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MSRP: $899.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 134-110-134
Length: 170, 180, 190
The widest of Kästle’s new twin-tip series is one of three Colby James West pro models. The XX 110 West is a pleasant, playful addition to the great-new-ski pantheon, winning a Testers’ Choice. A Utah tester called it “quick but stable” as it zipped around the hill making short-radius carves and pivoty smear turns. It logged especially high forgiveness and playfulness scores and won over even our brawniest race-bred testers. The West is “a versatile pow ski anyone will be able to enjoy.” And it comes at a price tag that’s more attainable than other Kästles’. Gotta love when your champagne taste and beer budget collide.
Find this ski and more in our online gearfinder.
MSRP: $810.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 134-110-134
Length: 170, 180, 190
The widest of Kästle’s new twin-tip series is one of three Colby James West pro models. The XX 110 West is a pleasant, playful addition to the great-new-ski pantheon, winning a Testers’ Choice. A Utah tester called it “quick but stable” as it zipped around the hill making short-radius carves and pivoty smear turns. It logged especially high forgiveness and playfulness scores and won over even our brawniest race-bred testers. The West is “a versatile pow ski anyone will be able to enjoy.” And it comes at a price tag that’s more attainable than other Kästles’. Gotta love when your champagne taste and beer budget collide.
Find this ski and more in our online gearfinder.
MSRP: $850.00
Tip/Waist/Tail: 146-117-127
Length: 188, 195
Rossi’s Super 7 returns and continues to “make powder skiing so darn easy,” according to one tester. Built like its little brother, the S7, but with added metal layers, the Super 7 will appeal to stronger riders than the S7 does. While some disliked the more centered stance required by the Super 7, all agreed that its combination of edge hold and flotation inspires confidence in nearly any terrain or condition.
Find this ski and more in our online gearfinder.
