April saw the NS crew return to Banff Sunshine Village for our third annual ski testing bonanza. Thanks to our pals @sunshinevillage , @evo.com and @DissentLabs we went even bigger and better than ever before, testing more skis and stacking more shots. The whole event keeps expanding year on year and Sunshine provides a perfect playground with quick laps and a huge variety of easily accessible terrain.
You know how we roll at Newschoolers – even our staff are still sending (we have a 1-per-year average Banff hospital visit rate), and we wanted to put these skis to the test just like we’d actually use 'em. We told all the brands to send over skis with progressive mounting points, no more than -2cm from center so they feel natural chucking them off sidehits and landing switch in mixed snow.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1075451/--YouTube
We don't categorize skis before testing them, so anything we were sent could technically win an award as an all-mountain ski (or park sk). That means some of our picks win awards because that's where we enjoyed them, despite not obviously being 'all-mountain skis' on paper. Some are definitely on the wide side, but we felt comfortable skiing all of these skis anywhere. Shoutout to our huge crew of testers, and thank you for the time and effort you put into this, we couldn't do it without you. Without further ado our top all-mountain skis for 2023:
Arguably THE standout ski of our '23-24 test the Dynastar M-Free 108 is, simply put, an absolute monster. The list of plaudits for these just keeps growing because they do it all well and they're a lot of fun while they do it. They have a pretty solid flex, tons of rocker, and the mounting point is super flexible. They also pivot as well as any ski in this class we can think of. You can definitely take them in the park too.
"Definitely my top ski of the test. Super poppy and fun through moguls. Handled mixed snow, groomers and everything in between, felt like they were a good charger ski too. Amazingly versatile." - @lisard
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The Pass is 116mm underfoot, but these skis feel much narrower and easier to ski on hard snow than those numbers would suggest. The sidecut and low weight make them very easy to handle. Dare we say it, you could ski these every day. In soft snow, these surf-inspired masterpieces are a ton of fun, they're light enough to get round in the park too. Both @Twig and our filmer Aaron were backing these as park skis somehow.
"Very playful and easy to turn. These slay on the groomers if you keep your weight centered and the soft tip and tail butter really naturally. Very forgiving on the legs too." - Jemma Capel
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The Rossignol Sender Free 110 Ti Plus (ok, the name is a mouthful) is, simply put, a very good ski. Essentially, these are a Black Ops 110 in all but name and weight. At Sunshine Village, they were one of the standout skis, with testers enjoying them for everything from deep snow to boosting park jumps. These skis are going to be everywhere this season, and with good reason too.
"Awesome ski. Pretty buttery with softer tips and tails. But the ski transforms when you send big, it almost feels like it stiffens up. Definitely an all-mountain jibber ready for whatever you throw at it." - @Horsefacekillah
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The QST is a mixed conditions machine, making it them a very useful all-mountain tool. Whatever snow you are faced with, the QST is happy enough to power through. Crud? Flattened. Moguls? Flattened. Yellow jacket? Flattened. They are surprisingly light for how much power they have, and there's a lot of nose rocker, so they float very well for being just 106 underfoot too. They are definitely a directional ski but they responded surprisingly well to having the bindings pushed way forward.
"So stable! Great ski for the pow, so surfy and very easy to maneuver around the trees. The party trick is they are so solid in the landings." - @emluuxas
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On our first day at Sunshine Village we were blessed with a solid dump of the soft stuff, perfect for testing the Oblivion 116. These quickly became a tester favorite and no ski spent more time pointed straight down the fall line than these. The testers on them becoming instantly harder to keep up with for our camera squad, these things GO. Amazingly, they even got some love in the park.
"These are excellent for straight lining, super chargy and powerful, it felt like they could handle anything in their path. However, they were surprisingly floaty and playful in softer snow too" - @milo-mcsenderson
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The 'Tree' version of the Nordica Unleashed 108 is aimed at lighter skiers, but in truth, we found it just a smidge more fun than the original. It's easier to ski, butters more naturally but still crushes like all Nordica skis have a tendency to. These are hard to beat as an inbounds charger that can handle some playful skiing here and there. The sidecut handles a forward mount nicely and you don't lose out on too much charging ability vs the original either.
"I found the other Nordica skis at the test a bit planky and heavy, but I thought these were really fun. They are still a stable ski but there's enough forgiveness to make them a more enjoyable ride. And the lower weight is a bit easier to spin too." - @Twig
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The Atomic Bent 110 was the first ski our ski test crew reached for when we got a deep day out at Sunshine Village. It has a ton of rocker and that gives it that super fun poppy feel in the soft snow. But it's versatile enough to hold its own in hardpack conditions and the swingweight is super low for park shredding.
"Lightweight, super buttery, reliable in landing on choppy snowy. They don't feel 110 underfoot so taking them on groomers while you’re inbetween powder laps is no problem. Very playful" - Abby Laviolette
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