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Bened_notnilRossi- If you are under twelve or over 40- this is the ski for you (also if you own a rental shop, buy Rossignol)
LINE- If you want to seem cool without being cool, buy Line skis.
K2- Seem to change demographics every few years
J Skis- Artsy, Playful, ski bum skis (kinda)
Atomic- Chetler? Is there anything else they make?
Blizzard- Blister Review loves them
Dynastar- Actually awesome skis, but who buys dynastars?
Vishnu- Gangsta. shitty website. Graphics are sick
4Frnt- Just another ski brand, needs more marketing
Faction- Durability is borderline nonexistent
Armada- Very average skis
DPS- Wtf?
skithemidwestttLiberty-Ugly but bombproof.
SkibumsmithFaction - How was I tricked into buying this garbage?
highpeak4FRNT just another ski brand? Armada very average skis?
Know your history if nothing else
SendyMcSendyfaceEveryone who trashes rossi has never ridden the Black Ops. But fuck the rest of their skis.
ThymesGroupI bought a pair of black ops 98 end of season 18-19, had 3 days of ski with them, 1 afternoon in the park, edge separted from the ski (no impact, litterally just unglued). Rossi gave me a new pair for free, 7 days later, the whole edge is just fucked.
skithemidwestttLiberty-Ugly but bombproof.
K-Dot.same with fatypus. always kind of hated their logo but always kind of wanted a pair
Biffbarf4frnt - yeah, that dude's rocking pin bindings inbounds, who gaf? He rips
brogoldenhairahah this ones too true. Used to see guys on old 192 devastators with pin bindings absolutely ripping. Good for them, I wouldn't have the balls
I think it's really interesting how different brands get associated with places. Like for me rossi will always be vermont skis. bridge bowl has a ton of guys on blizzards, Moment and tahoe, etc
freestyler540Elan: Imitating other brands and failing every time.
Solomon: The Game changer with the 1080s. Without them, skiing would still suck.
Atomic: The Bentchetlers are the top of the line. They are trying to take the credit for making the "base curved tip", but DPS was suing for patenting issues.
Rossi: The scratches from 2003 to 2005 were indestructible. Their foam core was quite the revolution
Dynastar: The Assaults of the 90's was your go-to skis for moguls. IDone took over the market with perfect mogul skis.
Line: Wacky concepts that kinda work. They really toned down the innovations on what you can call a ski, but they are still the tanks they were 20 years ago. Didnt they recommended center mounted skis before it became common?
Fisher: Stiff, well designed race skis. Anything else is a waste.
Head: Made Jon Olson sexy...or the other way?
DPS: Their carbon fiber is superior. their Wailer 99 Tour 1 edition is the lightest ski I never snapped before. I race skimo with them. People laugh until I cross the finish line before them.
Black Crow: They seem to be investing a lot in ski shapes. a ski will be spec'd: 136-112-103-122.
Black Diamond: One of the first to introduce carbon fiber skis. Skied like shit, but understood why it existed.
Faction: Quite the bombproof ski. They really carefully engineer their skis.
CatdickBojanglesThe faction one is a joke right?
freestyler540I swear by my 2016 CT4.0
FruitBootProSurface: Very unusual designs for our times but have a cult following who really likes their skis. Relatively cheap but durability isn't great.
AsherDonati24I've heard that they used to be pretty bad quality. I've also the new skis have pretty good durability.
FruitBootProI busted an edge underfoot my first day on the Outsiders. I can just epoxy it together at some point but haven't done that
FruitBootProI busted an edge underfoot my first day on the Outsiders. I can just epoxy it together at some point but haven't done that
patagonialukeFigured I'd throw in my 2 cents:
Volkl: one of the few brands still making burly, heavy, directional, pretty traditional chargers that also don’t suck when you take them off a groomer. Also very good touring skis, and the Revolt 121 is rad. Overall, one of the brands that seems to rarely put out an objectively bad ski. Maybe not the most exciting, but rarely objectively bad at what it’s supposed to do.
K2: cover just about everything, with a lineup that I think very few people would have major complaints with, though not necessarily making standout skis in any particular category
Atomic: Chetlers are rad, current Vantage line sucks IMO, fantastic boots, decent touring skis for directional skiers
Blizzard: similar to Volkl in that they’re making very solid, stable, directional skis that many other brands aren't, Rustler series will work for a lot of people but not a major standout
J Skis: laid-back attitude with “fun” skis that a lot of people will actually like, if they try them. Unless you prefer extremely stiff or extremely light skis, you’d probably get along with several of their skis.
4FRNT: some of the best pow & touring skis, MSP’s are super intuitive all-mountain skis that are great for the average skier, want to try their new freestyle all-mountain options.
ON3P: about as bombproof as possible, made-in-USA construction, transparent approach & fantastic customer service, generally strong & heavy skis, some of the best skis for “playful charging” & dense snow. Their skis aren’t for anyone, but even if the skis aren’t for you, it’s tough not to like the company.
Moment: another great brand for playful chargers, killer graphics, and fuck-you attitude. Amazing touring skis for playful skiers, yet also making some serious chargers. Like ON3P, maybe their skis aren't for you, but if you can't appreciate the brand, you're a nerd. Everyone I’ve met from Moment is cooler than me.
Dynastar: turning things around recently, previously for old directional skiers (which they've ironically alienated in the past years, maybe turning that around now). Still feel like a heavily race-influenced brand, but their new freeride skis are pretty awesome. Excited to see where they go in the next few years.
Rossi: was a jerry brand, now trying to go against the grain with the Blackops line. BO 118 is one of the best skis on the market, but not for everyone. Another one I'm excited about going forward.
Salomon: make skis that aren’t super inspiring but most of them are quite good. Also they make literally everything you need for skiing and seem to make all their athletes use everything, which makes them feel a little dictator-esque.
Line: least-serious, arguably most “fun” brand, similar to J Skis in this regard. They don’t make chargers, but for just about everyone else, Line makes a ski for you. One of the few brands where I haven’t skied one of their recent skis and disliked it. Great graphics and one of the few "big" brands pushing weird designs.
Black Crows: the hypebeast brand. Make some great skis, but a lot of their skis suck but everyone is trying to convince themselves that they’re good because they’re the “cool” brand. I’d argue the best marketing and graphic design in the industry, but performance consistency has not been their thing.
Faction: similar to Black Crows, great marketing, graphics, & “coolness” factor, but very hit-or-miss in terms of performance and durability. Some great skis, some awful ones. But based on the last two years, they're working on getting better. Also put out some of the best content among brands.
DPS: making arguable the biggest effort to push forward novel constructions, though with limiting options due to historically very lightweight builds and high prices. Great touring skis, lots of easy skis that weekend warriors can get along with. Koala 119 is amazing and hopefully they’ll expand on that.
Armada: one of the most iconic freestyle brands, and while their main skis aren’t total standouts, most of quite good and versatile overall and their Zero collection is a great move and keeps them from becoming boring. Feels like a kid trying to grow up a little
Fischer: feels very much like a race brand, though the Ranger series has gotten really good. If I had to sum up their whole line, I’d say “precise” and “edge hold”
Icelantic: mostly known for their graphics and as the brand of Denver weekend warriors, though the Nomad series is pretty great, and the construction quality is solid.
Liberty: kinda similar to Icelantic, make nice all-mountain skis that most average skiers will like. Love that they’re sponsoring a ton of smaller-time people, and the Origin series is one that a lot of people could get along with.
Head: race + rental brand for the most part. Sponsor freestyle athletes but haven’t made a legit all-mountain-freestyle ski in years. Amazing carving skis, I hate the Kores.
Nordica: viewed as a dad-ski brand, but the Enforcer series has been amazing (arguably unparalleled) in terms of just how many people can appreciate them, but I think they may have taken a step back with the 20/21 line.
Prior: snowboard company that makes some fantastic skis that no one knows about
Elan: dad-ski + rental brand. That said, Ripsticks are pretty rad if you like light skis, and they have the manufacturing capabilities to actually make some really good skis, but I see why they've stayed in their wheelhouse.
*edit cause apparently copy+paste from Notes doesn't play nice with NS*
**This post was edited on May 20th 2020 at 10:29:23pm
patagonialukeFigured I'd throw in my 2 cents:
Volkl: one of the few brands still making burly, heavy, directional, pretty traditional chargers that also don’t suck when you take them off a groomer. Also very good touring skis, and the Revolt 121 is rad. Overall, one of the brands that seems to rarely put out an objectively bad ski. Maybe not the most exciting, but rarely objectively bad at what it’s supposed to do.
K2: cover just about everything, with a lineup that I think very few people would have major complaints with, though not necessarily making standout skis in any particular category
Atomic: Chetlers are rad, current Vantage line sucks IMO, fantastic boots, decent touring skis for directional skiers
Blizzard: similar to Volkl in that they’re making very solid, stable, directional skis that many other brands aren't, Rustler series will work for a lot of people but not a major standout
J Skis: laid-back attitude with “fun” skis that a lot of people will actually like, if they try them. Unless you prefer extremely stiff or extremely light skis, you’d probably get along with several of their skis.
4FRNT: some of the best pow & touring skis, MSP’s are super intuitive all-mountain skis that are great for the average skier, want to try their new freestyle all-mountain options.
ON3P: about as bombproof as possible, made-in-USA construction, transparent approach & fantastic customer service, generally strong & heavy skis, some of the best skis for “playful charging” & dense snow. Their skis aren’t for anyone, but even if the skis aren’t for you, it’s tough not to like the company.
Moment: another great brand for playful chargers, killer graphics, and fuck-you attitude. Amazing touring skis for playful skiers, yet also making some serious chargers. Like ON3P, maybe their skis aren't for you, but if you can't appreciate the brand, you're a nerd. Everyone I’ve met from Moment is cooler than me.
Dynastar: turning things around recently, previously for old directional skiers (which they've ironically alienated in the past years, maybe turning that around now). Still feel like a heavily race-influenced brand, but their new freeride skis are pretty awesome. Excited to see where they go in the next few years.
Rossi: was a jerry brand, now trying to go against the grain with the Blackops line. BO 118 is one of the best skis on the market, but not for everyone. Another one I'm excited about going forward.
Salomon: make skis that aren’t super inspiring but most of them are quite good. Also they make literally everything you need for skiing and seem to make all their athletes use everything, which makes them feel a little dictator-esque.
Line: least-serious, arguably most “fun” brand, similar to J Skis in this regard. They don’t make chargers, but for just about everyone else, Line makes a ski for you. One of the few brands where I haven’t skied one of their recent skis and disliked it. Great graphics and one of the few "big" brands pushing weird designs.
Black Crows: the hypebeast brand. Make some great skis, but a lot of their skis suck but everyone is trying to convince themselves that they’re good because they’re the “cool” brand. I’d argue the best marketing and graphic design in the industry, but performance consistency has not been their thing.
Faction: similar to Black Crows, great marketing, graphics, & “coolness” factor, but very hit-or-miss in terms of performance and durability. Some great skis, some awful ones. But based on the last two years, they're working on getting better. Also put out some of the best content among brands.
DPS: making arguable the biggest effort to push forward novel constructions, though with limiting options due to historically very lightweight builds and high prices. Great touring skis, lots of easy skis that weekend warriors can get along with. Koala 119 is amazing and hopefully they’ll expand on that.
Armada: one of the most iconic freestyle brands, and while their main skis aren’t total standouts, most of quite good and versatile overall and their Zero collection is a great move and keeps them from becoming boring. Feels like a kid trying to grow up a little
Fischer: feels very much like a race brand, though the Ranger series has gotten really good. If I had to sum up their whole line, I’d say “precise” and “edge hold”
Icelantic: mostly known for their graphics and as the brand of Denver weekend warriors, though the Nomad series is pretty great, and the construction quality is solid.
Liberty: kinda similar to Icelantic, make nice all-mountain skis that most average skiers will like. Love that they’re sponsoring a ton of smaller-time people, and the Origin series is one that a lot of people could get along with.
Head: race + rental brand for the most part. Sponsor freestyle athletes but haven’t made a legit all-mountain-freestyle ski in years. Amazing carving skis, I hate the Kores.
Nordica: viewed as a dad-ski brand, but the Enforcer series has been amazing (arguably unparalleled) in terms of just how many people can appreciate them, but I think they may have taken a step back with the 20/21 line.
Prior: snowboard company that makes some fantastic skis that no one knows about
Elan: dad-ski + rental brand. That said, Ripsticks are pretty rad if you like light skis, and they have the manufacturing capabilities to actually make some really good skis, but I see why they've stayed in their wheelhouse.
*edit cause apparently copy+paste from Notes doesn't play nice with NS*
**This post was edited on May 20th 2020 at 10:29:23pm
patagonialukeFigured I'd throw in my 2 cents:
4FRNT: some of the best pow & touring skis, MSP’s are super intuitive all-mountain skis that are great for the average skier, want to try their new freestyle all-mountain options.
westcoastskier69If one brand is known for having the most durable skis, its gonna be ON3P.
Least durable are prolly faction and line.
SkylineGTR_R32Why does everyone shit on Line? I literally abused the shit out of a pair of already used Chronics all season and they still only had a couple edge cracks and a couple chips here and there. I prolly put 40 days on them this season which was almost all park and rails. Previous owner put 25 days on them. I woulda kept them but I need something longer, they were still in great condition.
