2021 Fischer Ranger 99 Ti

Invariably, some ski in a model line has to become the flagship, and in the Ranger Ti case, it's the 99. These things strike all the right notes, making strong skiers become better with each and every turn. There's just so much to like about these 99's. Built with a wood core and partial (but connected) metal and carbon laminates, the skis are sophisticated and strong at the same time. Starting in the tip, the carbon nose is light and easy to maneuver, but the carbon also makes it responsive and high-performing. They have a decent amount of taper and rocker for the width of the ski and it feels evenly matched and natural, that is, you don't really notice it, and I think that's a good thing. Through the middle portion of the ski, the 97 mm waist (at 181) is both strong and stable. With the metal underfoot and extending to the tips and tails, the central portion of the ski is torsionally stiff enough to hold tight to the hardest of snows. Getting into the tail, the carbon increases the stiffness, but it's still compliant enough for playful soft-snow skiing. With a flatter tail shape, the skis like to hold tight, allowing you to strongly finish the turn, which is certainly a nod to Fischer's racing heritage. Once again, the unchanged Ranger 99 Ti is a tester favorite, with virtually no weaknesses to be found.

Bob St.Pierre skied the 188, and had a chance to ski it on two very different days. The first was a softer day, with fun to be had all over the place. It's pretty easy, and can often be misleading when you test skis in packed powder, as most skis are on their best behavior in those conditions. Regardless, the ski held up its end of the bargain "providing strength and balance at any given point in any turn. They are very natural and easy turners and it feels like there's nothing on your feet, yet they retain stability, even at high speeds." The second day he skied them was quite different. A delayed lift opening due to a late groom is rarely a good sign, but that's just what he had to deal with. "Even though most of the mountain was closed because it was frozen rock-solid, I still found some fun out there. On the totally lunar landscape of the groomers, they held up about as good as you could expect. The rest of my ski buddies took off after one run, but I took a few more, even trying out some pretty rugged moguls. I was surprised, pleasantly, with how they handled adversity. Pretty sure I was the only one to ski bumps that day." So, from packed powder and soft snow to brutal death cookies and beyond, the Ranger 99 Ti held up its end of the bargain for Bob.

Jeff Neagle skied the 181 and had a pretty similar experience, only on the shorter stick. He notes that "the Ranger 99 Ti is a pretty sweet blend of being powerful and also versatile for different snow conditions. Fischer hits the ball out of the park with the shape on the Rangers, in my opinion. The tip shape just gives it such a versatile feel and allows you to give it a bunch of different skier input to achieve different things, you're not locked into a single turn shape or style by any means. On firm snow, however, when you get it up on edge and drive the forebody of the ski into your turns, you can achieve a ton of power and the edge grip is seemingly limitless. There's only a handful of skis in this width range that share the same level of stability and power, and among that group, the Ranger 99 feels like one of the most versatile. It's not too demanding when you want to take it into the trees, although it's not as easy as something like the Ranger 102 FR, but it far surpasses that ski in terms of stability and edge grip. If you like marching through choppy, variable snow conditions and ski with an aggressive, powerful style, you'll be psyched with the Ranger 99 Ti." Versatility abounds for Jeff with the 99 Ti.

Any condition, terrain, or turn shape, the Fischer Ranger 99 Ti is a solid and fair companion. These things have versatility to spare, power for days, and a fun-loving personality that's easy to get used to. Once again, that flagship all-mountain model from Fischer is a strong contender and worthy of serious consideration.