2026 Fischer Nightstick 104

With a fresh new graphic, this ski is set to wow another group of freestyle-oriented and creative skiers. The 2026 Fischer Nightstick 104 is a robust twin tip that operates well on a variety of different levels. We saw the 97 come through last year as kind of a preview model, and we loved the blend of dense yet playful characteristics. Now with the 104, Nightstick takes the freeride attributes and bumps them to the next level. With the added surface area, a few things happen. For one, the ski’s smoothness through crud and chop gets a boost. That’s the biggest change. For another, the flotation increases and adds emphasis to the soft snow and deep days. This ski does not lose its freestyle shape and style, although the narrower Nightstick series of skis seems to be better suited to actual slopestyle competition. With a fun-loving flex and floaty taper shape, these skis are open to all types of creative skiing.

Sure, we get some metal here, but other than that it’s a pretty straightforward construction. Built with a full poplar wood core, the Nightstick 104 is a great example of how simplicity helps a lot of skis. On another side, the thickness of the core profile matters, and with this 104, it’s on the thicker side. With that, we get stiffness, strength, and durability. Underfoot, and under the core, there’s a titanal plate that adds dampness and grip to the mix. Overall, though, it’s all about that thicker poplar wood core that does the heavy lifting here. In the 180, the ski tops out at over 2000 grams, so there is some beef here. In the world of modern freeride, this ski is ready to go for whatever you can possibly imagine. Among competitors, this certainly makes sense that this Fischer would have the heft over a lighter weight specialist like Playmaker 101. Tester Greg Petrics notes that “This ski felt like it really wanted to be in the powder and the woods. I didn't find much performance on piste, but immediately noticed a very friendly turn initiation when I got into some chopped up powder.”

Wide twin tips are a whole lot of fun when in the proper conditions and terrain. As a result, the shape of the ski is interesting. While there are a lot of twins in this range, the Nightstick has a surprising amount of taper to it that leads to smoothness. Most others are spoonier in shape, emphasizing pure flotation, but these want to take a more direct line down the flight path. We like how this ski comes in a 188, as for larger skiers, that’s going to be the sweet spot. The 180, though, generates a 19-meter turn radius, which is on the shorter side for skis like this. It’s fun to access it as well, utilizing the flex to find the arc, pushing all the way through the turn. As a twin tip, this ski has freestyle in its heart, so the 104 is more than happy to hit the park whenever asked. With tip and tail rocker to boost flotation, this is a very well-rounded freeride twin. Jeff Neagle calls it a “Great ski! I love that Fischer has a 104 twin tip. Feels like it makes up for them getting rid of the Ranger 102 FR for those of us that love twin tips. Very different, though. It's damp and quiet and really lets the skier control what it does. Some might prefer a more energetic feel, but I love how smooth it is and how willing it is to be manipulated. For me it feels a little big for the park, which is interesting because other skis in this width work for me in that regard. Not sure why. Love the 97 in the park, I just prefer using this as a soft snow freeride ski with some freestyle influence.”

Hopefully in year two this ski will show up on more skiers’ radar. There will be a lot of upper-level skiers who are attracted to Nightstick 104. We certainly found a surprising amount of performance here as the ski feels both planted to the snow as well as willing to find the sky. There’s not much of an intermediate application here—skiers who are looking for something more manageable will find more in common with something like the Playmaker. Skiers who can bend the ski and are looking for more power will be very happy with this new Fischer Nightstick 104. Side hits and backcountry booters are not safe when approached by the Nightstick 104.