2022 Fischer Ranger 94 FR

The 2022 Fischer Ranger 94 FR in the Grey color returns structurally unchanged for this year, remaining one of the most fun and versatile of the mid-90's all-mountain skis with a freeride flair. Built with a wood core that has air channels milled out, these skis are lighter than you’d expect, and the carbon nose gives them quite a bit of maneuverability due to the lower swing weight. They do have metal plates underfoot for binding retention, specifically, but they also serve a dual-purpose to increase the torsional stiffness of the ski and get a better grip on firmer snow. We talk a lot about the mid-90's underfoot width as one of the most versatile and well-rounded shapes you can get, as these are very useful in the one-ski quiver department. Wide enough for floating through powder, but narrow enough to hold tight to the firmer snow on the hill, a ski that’s 94 mm wide underfoot has a ton of built-in versatility. The carbon nose, in addition to making the ski lighter in the shovel, also is quite thin, so it floats up and over any snow, and the low-profile rocker shape adds to the smoothness of the ski. Whether you’re ripping turns on the groomers, smashing your way through the trees and bumps, or using this in more of a freestyle format, the Fischer Ranger 94 FR has a little something for everyone.

Matt McGinnis skied the 185 and noted it was true to size, but he’s somewhat caught between the 177 and the longer length for a personal preference. Regardless, he had lots of high scores to give to this ski, with a 5 out of 5 given for stability, and 4’s for the rest of the categories except for forgiveness, earning a lowly 3. Apparently, this ski was stiffer than Matt had thought it would be, and that experience is echoed in his comments. “This particular review is a bit of a challenge for me as I had made some seriously wrong assumptions about this ski, which led to me taking a half a run to realize that I was trying to ski it wrong. Let’s be clear about something: despite being a “FR” ski, and not a “Ti”, this ski still offers incredible stability and prefers speeds. When I first dropped into my run, I was expecting a ski that was relatively soft and easy to maneuver. What I came to learn though, is that the 94 FR is a bit more serious than I expected. While it handled the short, quick terms, it didn’t seem to love it. Realizing this, I finally opened them up during the second half of my run and discovered their true strength: powering through variable conditions. Once at speed, these skis were chatter free and ready to plow through whatever, mid turn or not. So, who is the Ranger 94 FR best suited for? Advanced intermediate skiers who like a ski on the stiffer side of life, but are worried about overdoing it with a ski featuring a full sheet of metal. Powerful and smooth, the 94 FR offers strong on-trail performance in a variety of conditions, and would also likely handle soft snow well. It’s not however, for someone looking for a soft-medium flex ski, or someone who doesn’t find themselves pushing their speedometer very often.” It’s pretty impressive when a ski without that integral metal laminate is able to accomplish all of these things, lending to that one-ski quiver moniker a lot more appropriately than others.

Also on the 185, Brian Cooke noted it was true to size, and would be the length that he’d choose. Lots of high scores for Brian as well, with a top mark of 5 out of 5 for playfulness, and 4’s for all others except a 3 for torsional stiffness. Like Matt, we’re seeing those consistently high scores right across the line, leading us to believe that these skis are truly meant for pure all-mountain conditions and terrain. “Great on the groomers (at least what was left of them at this point in the day) and even more fun in the soft bumps. Tails released easily in tight spots. I felt like it was a good ski for someone who values a nimble ski but also one that was stable at high speeds.” We run into a lot of those “tight spots” here in Vermont, so it’s valuable information to have that these can cater to the needs of skiers who value that nimbleness in the trees and bumps.

Whether you’re using them in a freestyle, freeride, or all-mountain format, the Fischer Ranger 94 FR is about as well-rounded as it gets in the ski world. Fun in bumps, great in trees, and a surprisingly stable carver, this metal laminate-free ski is one of the more shocking skis we’ve seen come across our line in recent years. It doesn’t quite get the attention of the 102, but for a lot of skiers, this 94 is going to be a much more useful tool for the job at hand.