2026 Fischer Nightstick 97

With a graphic update for 2026, the Fischer Nightstick 97 returns structurally unchanged. This ski blurs the line between slopestyle and freeride quite effectively. We got a chance to preview this model last season and are stoked that it continues into 2026 with a graphic update. By taking a lot of the things we like about the Ranger series and adding in a more playful feel and freestyle-oriented shape, these skis are poised and ready to take over the mid-90's twin tip division with a lot of positives to lean on. With a blend of pop, stability, and twin-tip fun, these Nightstick 97’s love to be used in a variety of conditions and terrain, with an emphasis on park and freestyle use. Hopefully, the skiing population will not see these as park-specific skis due to their excellence in an all-mountain and freeride format.

There’s not a whole lot going on with the construction. Built with a poplar wood core, these skis are strong and energetic. They have a .5 mm titanal plate under the core in the underfoot zone, and this does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to stability and edge grip. Skiers who want their park ski to carve clean turns will find a lot to like here. Tester Bob St.Pierre notes that “On paper, this shouldn't really be my type of ski, but I absolutely love it. The Nightstick 97 has a consistent and smooth flex to it, allowing it to absorb bumps and imperfections in the terrain with ease. At the same time, the metal underfoot and full sidewall provide a surprising amount of grip and energy to make it feel like a real ski. It ends up being quite predictable for a park-oriented twin.” That blend of carving smooth turns and off-piste mobility is what it’s all about with this 97. In the 177, the ski has some heft to it at 1950 grams per ski, so core thickness has a lot to do with it. We feel that this is a good mid-weight for a ski to be in terms of mixing park, slopestyle, and all-mountain skiing. Being sturdy is a good thing when big air is part of the equation.

These skis are very interesting in terms of shape and taper. As a twin tip, we’re dealing with a lot of splay in both ends of the ski. The taper shape sticks out to us the most, though, as the ski can cut through softer snow smoothly and predictably. We’ve also been noting that this has been a trend in freestyle skis lately to accommodate buttering, smearing, and increased confidence in high-speed takeoffs and landings. The skis are very hook-free and amenable to correcting small mistakes. The all-around nature of this ski is what seems to stand out to our tester and the skiing population at large. We get a relatively short turn radius here at 17-meters in the 177, and you can feel the ski want to come around cleanly in a carved turn. Landel Cochran states that “The Nightstick 97 is pretty easy to ski, not too demanding. Significant rocker in both tip and tail allow you to swing them around easily. These skis are hard to upset but they also don't really want to "lock in" too much when put on edge.”

As a mid-90's twin tip, this ski should get a lot more attention than it has already. If you are looking for a lighter twin for increased agility and mobility, there are better options. If you like a bit of heft and power to your all-mountain twin tip, then this is a fantastic choice. Skiers can use this Nightstick 97 all over the place—it doesn’t just have to be in the park. At the same time, since it’s a twin tip, it comes along with that specific character that not everyone will enjoy—it's more of a specialty ski on paper, but on snow it still has a lot to offer the everyday all-mountain skier. We love the playfulness and surprising turning capacity here.