For our third 2020 men’s ski comparison, we’re taking a look at skis in the 95-100 mm underfoot width range. This is arguably the most versatile category of skis. They are narrow enough to retain good edge to edge quickness, but wide enough to handle soft snow conditions. Of course, there is variety among them in terms of shape, construction, and their intended use. As always, let us know if you have any questions about any of these models or any ski you don’t see here. You can find additional information in our 2020 Ski Test, full-length Chairlift Chat reviews, and you’re always able to pick up the phone, call us, and chat directly with a skier.

---

Overview:

Re-designed for 2020, the Armada Tracer 98 is ready for any adventure that you can throw at it.  From cruising the front side groomers to tearing through rugged backcountry terrain, the Tracer 98 is designed and built for true all-mountain fun.  Constructed with a Caruba Core and Adaptive Mesh, the skis have tremendous uphill capabilities, while the mesh weave does its job by absorbing vibrations and delivering power to the edges.  It all leads to an extremely light ski with a surprising amount of pop and energy.  As a result, the Tracer 98 is an easy-turning ski that is intuitive and fun-loving.  For skiers who spend most of their time off-piste, the Tracer 98 will deliver uncompromising results.  Feel free to throw an Armada Shift binding on this sweet looking all-mountain setup for the ultimate in on/off-road performance.

Who it's For:

Playful, directional, off-piste enthusiasts who have more of an individual, rather than group style.

---

Overview:

This fun-loving twin-tip is on the wide side for a park ski, but that doesn’t mean it lacks in any dimension of the freestyle world.  The skis are built fairly simply, with a wood core and a full sidewall, and this is ideal for both park skiing as well as all-mountain riding.  The wrinkle with these skis are the HRZN tips and tails that rise up and float over powder and fresh snow like a boat planes over water.  Additionally, the tip and tail design creates a super-smooth zone in the front and the back of the ski for butters, wheelies, or other fun little tricks.  The Bent Chetler 100 is truly a fun-loving ski that has a huge following in only its second season.  Built with a broad audience in mind, the BC 100 is a great addition to the Atomic family.

Who it's For:

This is Chris Bentchetler’s park ski.  Built for big mountain riders looking for something to play on in the resort.

---

Overview:

The Atomic Vantage 97 Ti is a great option for advanced and expert-level skiers who are looking for a wider all-mountain ski with a good deal of versatility.  They’re wider, more piste-oriented skis that are very stiff and highly responsive.  The Vantage 97 Ti skis have a fantastic power to weight ratio thanks to the Prolite build.  By starting from the base and working their way up, Atomic has found a great way to eliminate unnecessary material while still retaining the strength and precision that’s necessary for true all-mountain versatility.  The Power Wood Core combined with the Titanium Tank Mesh makes for a stiff flex and a high-speed mentality.  It’s a lighter and more responsive ski than many others of this comparison and does require some precision input on the part of the pilot.

Who it's For:

Technical skiers who focus on form and cleanliness.  Advanced skiers looking for a wider on-trail ski without the traditional build.

---

Overview:

The classic gets a facelift for 2020, but the essence remains.  You get a wood core with two sheets of metal in a sandwich sidewall construction.  Carbon tips and tails reduce the swing weight, making it pretty maneuverable for its burliness, but the song remains the same: The Blizzard Bonafide is here to rip fast turns at high speeds with minimal to no vibrations.  These things are smooth, powerful, and stable enough for the most demanding of expert skiers.  The blend of poplar and beech wood makes sense in this application, and when you pick them up and give them a flex, it all makes sense.  The Bonafide is arguably the most stable ski on this comparison list, and the 98 mm waist makes it a highly versatile ski for upper level skiers.  The 18-meter turn radius at the 180 cm length makes a mean trench.

Who it's For:

Aggressive all-mountain skiers who are still looking to find their speed limit.  Former racers will love the hard-charging personality of the Bonafide.

---

Overview:

DPS has an interesting philosophy when it comes to building skis.  For the Wailer 100 with the Alchemist construction and RP shape, the precision and maneuverability really stand out.  Regardless of ski length, the Wailer 100 has a 15-meter turn radius, which for a ski of this width, is on the short side.  This gives the skier a ton of quickness and pivoting prowess.  They’re super-quick from edge to edge, mostly thanks to the Aspen wood core and two full sheets of carbon.  It’s these materials that contribute to the high-end price tag, but the quality comes through in that construction.  The longer taper shape makes for a smooth transition in between turns in softer snow, resulting in that high-performance feel with a minimum of weight.  The big difference is just that: the skis act and behave like extremely top-end skis, but in a lighter and more maneuverable package.  They’re very composed at speed as well.

Who it's For:

Upper-level skiers who like to make smooth, consistent, and predictable turns in any and all snow conditions.

---

Overview:

It’s pretty stiff and has a shorter turn radius thanks to the five-point sidecut shape.  It’s more that the taper in the tips and tails is pretty early, leading to the 17-meter radius at the 186 cm length.  As a result, the Legend X 96 is a highly maneuverable, high-performance ski that is a go-anywhere, do-anything ski for all-mountain adventure.  The Paulownia wood gives it a lighter and quicker feel while the Ti-insert reinforcement gives you a good amount of strength underfoot.  Dynastar uses some interesting materials in the sidewalls, and this way they’re able to generate a strong fore/aft flex with supreme vibration damping as well as a smooth ride.  The longer tip taper allows for a wider shovel, and this keeps the skis afloat in deeper snow than its 96 mm waist may indicate.  Dynastar has a unique shape here that excels in tight areas, soft snow, and is remarkably stable when on edge.  The Legend X 96 checks a lot of boxes for a ski in this category.

Who it's For:

Aggressive off-piste skiers who value maneuverability and precision with a shorter turn radius.

---

Overview:

The Elan Ripstick 96 is light, fun, and stable due to the carbon tubes that run the length of the ski.  We’re pretty impressed with what Elan is getting out of a ski of this weight in terms of performance.  At the 96 width, this Ripstick has a great shape for any and all conditions and has a great blend of soft and hard snow capabilities.  A few defining characteristics, other than the Tubelite wood core, are the vapor tips and the Amphibio rocker profile.  The lighter tips make for great maneuverability, while the right/left-specific rocker profile gives the ski a completely unique feel and performance.  With more pronounced rocker on the uphill edge and a longer effective edge on the downhill ski, you get a silkly-smooth transition between turns and phenomenal edge grip on that downhill inside edge.  The skis track perfectly through soft snow with no hooking or grabbing on that uphill ski.  Moderate tip taper make it a strong floater for its width.

Who it's For:

Skiers looking for a lightweight ski with great edge grip and versatility.  Tree skiers and mountain explorers will love the maneuverability and composure.

---

Overview:

The Ranger 99 Ti is one of those skis that simply does what you tell it to, and it does it really well.  From big front side arcs to back country powder, the Ranger 99 Ti is one of the most versatile skis on the planet.  Built with a metal laminate that hooks right into the carbon tip, you get a light swing weight and a strong carving finish.  Fischer’s carbon nose is a great floater, with a long and low rocker profile, it definitely punches above its level in terms of soft snow performance.  For 2020, the Ranger is stronger than ever and is a hard-charging ski that has little to no speed limit.  At the same time, it still feels like a playful freeride ski that can do a little bit of everything.  Stability is another key word when describing the Ranger 99, as the metal laminate underfoot is thick and damp, absorbing unnecessary and unwanted vibrations.

Who it's For:

Hard-charging advanced and expert skiers with a point and shoot mentality when it comes to line choice.

---

Overview:

The Kore series has a pretty nice little niche carved out for itself these days.  Skiers love the lightweight performance of the whole line and sitting squarely in the middle is the 99.  With a perfect blend of flotation and carving ability, the Kore 99 hits a lot of the right notes for a wide variety of skiers.  The 99 is the stiffest of the bunch, thanks to the Karuba wood core and the combination of Graphene, Koroyd, and Carbon.  By using these materials instead of metal to dampen and strengthen the ski, Head has brought a new concept to the all-mountain/freeride market.  It’s amazingly powerful and precise throughout the turn and is a fantastic choice for a wider carving ski with a shorter radius and a ton of versatility.

Who it's For:

Skiers who love the performance characteristics of a ski with metal laminates, but not the weight.

---

Overview:

Stable, damp, and stiff pretty much sum up the Mindbender 99 Ti.  Built with a wood core wrapped in fiberglass and a Titanal Y-beam, the MB 99 Ti has dampness to spare.  It also has a bit of weight behind it, but it doesn’t feel that way on your feet.  The squared-off tip shape makes for a lower swing weight, while the metal ends before the tail, giving the finish of the turn a unique personality.  This ski does not really care what’s in front of it or underneath it, it behaves very consistently in any turn shape, style, terrain, or snow condition.  It’s an extremely predictable ski with great torsional stiffness through the forebody and tremendous edge grip underfoot.  The superior floatation and crud-busting ability of the Mindbender 99 is only surpassed by its ability to rail big GS turns on groomers.  A true masterpiece of modern ski technology.

Who it's For:

Advanced and expert skiers who truly ski the whole mountain.  Confidence a must.

---

Overview:

A totally new model for 2020, the FX 96 HP’s new design and build are ready to turn some heads.  While the HP used to indicate a dual-metal laminate, in this version the HP’s power is derived from a carbon/fiberglass sleeve.  The wood core is wrapped in that sleeve, creating a responsive and precise personality.  The tips, in part due to the larger Hollowtech 3.0 technology, are on the lighter and softer side for skis in this category, but the tail is still quite stiff and exact.  Adding to the maneuverability is the combination of poplar and paulownia over the edges of the ski.  This lighter blend makes the ski quicker from edge to edge, creating a swift-turning ski for any and all conditions and terrain.  The snap and pop that can be generated out of the turn on this ski is nothing short of miraculous.

Who it's For:

Precision-oriented skiers looking for high-end fit and finish.

---

Overview:

Playful freeriding has never been more fun than on the Liberty Origin 96.  With a great blend of performance characteristics, Liberty’s all-mountain twin-tip has a ton of energy and stability for such a light feeling.  Built with a bamboo and poplar core with a carbon stringer running along the midline of the ski, you’ll get a smooth and fun-loving reaction with each and every turn.  The twin-tip shape is park and pipe ready, so when the mood strikes you to leave the trails and enter the park, you’ll be good to go.  There’s not much this ski can’t do, and it generates a surprising amount of power and dampness for a metal-free ski.  The Origin 96 is truly a versatile toy for all-mountain ripping—fantastic freestyle influence with a well-rounded personality.

Who it's For:

Fun-loving skiers, grown-up park rats, and general thrill-seekers of all ages.

---

Overview:

I like how Line has a different view of the ski world.  For twenty years, Line has been making some of the most interesting skis on the planet.  Built with innovation and a lack of fear, the Line skis are all about fun.  The Vision 98 sits squarely in the middle of that philosophy.  I guess you could call it a directional twin-tip, as it’s ready for everything, from all-mountain freeride skiing to park and pipe riding and everything in between.  Side-hit enthusiasts will love the quickness and lightweight precision of the Vision 98.  Built with a paulownia and maple wood core, the skis have a great blend of lightweight and stiffness.  Bolstering the core is a combination of Aramid, Carbon, and Fiberglass that adds power and responsiveness without adding weight.  With a softer flex and a buttery feel, the Line Vision 98 is a trick ski with a flair for all-mountain fun and adventure.

Who it's For:

Ollie fans who shred park, trees, and trails.  This is your quintessential all-mountain jib stick.

---

Overview:

With a bomber build and an honorable heritage, the Nordica Enforcer 100 returns for 2020 and continues to sit firmly at the top of this category in terms of popularity.  For a ski with a wood core and two sheets of metal in a sandwich sidewall construction, it’s impossibly quick and agile.  The shape and profile have a lot to do with the success of this model, as the blunt nose shape brings you into and through the turn with alarming precision and smoothness.  At 100 underfoot, the Enforcer is an ultimate tool for total mountain skiing.  From rock-hard groomers to bottomless bowls, the Enforcer can do it all with aplomb.  Skier input and confidence should be on the upper end of the spectrum, as the skis do have a fair amount of strength and power to them.  The Enforcer line continues to grow and expand, and it’s all thanks to this ski.

Who it's For:

Pretty much any and all advanced and expert skiers looking for the ultimate one-ski quiver.

---

Overview:

Rossignol does a fantastic job year in and year out in creating some highly maneuverable and super-quick skis for all-mountain skiing.  The Sky 7, with its 98 mm waist and five-point sidecut shape, is a fantastic ski for trees, soft snow, moguls, and shorter turns.  They’re light and easy to turn, with a low swing weight and a penchant for pivots.  Featuring Rossignol’s Air Tip 2.0 and a Carbon-Alloy Matrix HD core, the skis have great edge grip underfoot with floaty tips and tails.  When you’re in the woods or the bumps, quickness is paramount, and the lighter overall feeling and personality of the Sky 7 really make it stand out in this terrain.  They’re impossibly quick and fun and seem to fit anywhere you point them.  A wonderful option for skiers looking for soft snow performance and high maneuverability.

Who it's For:

Tree skiers and turn lovers.

---

Overview:

It doesn’t take too many small changes to make a big, positive difference in a ski.  The Salomon QST 99 gets a few shape and build tweaks for 2020, and all lead to a stronger overall performance.  Built with a wood core with carbon, basalt, and flax laminates, the QST 99 eschews metal in its build, but still achieves a similarly damp and powerful effect.  They’re not light, and while some skiers may find that off-putting, advanced and expert skiers looking for strength and stability will find all that and then some in the QST 99.  A bit less taper in the tips for 2020 means a longer effective edge and a smoother overall ride.  It’s an easy turning ski that likes any and all shapes of turns and excels in a wide variety of conditions and terrain.  It’s arguably one of the most well-rounded skis on our wall.  Salomon has done us a solid with the new tweaks for sure.

Who it's For:

A great one-ski quiver option for skiers who love to cruise.

---

Overview:

The high-end feel and performance runs deep in the Stockli Stormrider line, and the 95 is quite possibly the most versatile of the bunch.  Built with a lighter weight wood core and a titanal topsheet, the stability and strength of the ski seems impossible, but make no mistake, it’s all right there.  Each and every movement that you put into the ski gets transmitted very quickly and efficiently thanks to the metal on the top.  The wider tip is playful in the soft snow, while the stiffer tail is squared-off and holds the carve until the bitter end.  As a result, the snap and pop that you can generate out of the turn is quite unmatched for a ski in this category.  The fit and finish of the Stormrider 95 are off the charts, certainly warranting the price tag.  They’re about as smooth and stable as you can possibly imagine a ski could be.

Who it's For:

Swiss watch makers (Horologists) and Porsche engineers.

---

Overview:

The Mantra name runs deep in the lore of modern all-mountain skiing.  For nearly a decade and a half, the Mantra has been the benchmark of high-performance versatility.  From laying down clean carves to busting through powder and crud, the Mantra has been known to do it all with a smile, as long as you’re going pretty fast.  There’s more of a low-speed limit rather than a high-speed limit on the Mantra, so be sure you’re willing to let it run to glean the best performance out of it.  Built with a wood core and a titanal frame, the ski has a ton of power and precision over the edges.  At 96 mm underfoot, it had its wings clipped a bit, leading to stronger carving and front side performance.  They prefer to plow through snow rather than dance over it, but or skiers looking for the ultimate in power and precision, look no further than the M5.

Who it's For:

All-mountain rippers, ex-racers, and dynamic skiers looking to push boundaries (and snow piles).

2020 SKI COMPARISONS:

Men's 95 - 100 mm All Mountain Skis

SKIS		RADIUS	SIDECUT	CORE	RETAIL PRICE
2020 Armada Tracer 98		18m @ 180cm	132 / 98 / 123	Wood / Adaptive Mesh	$699.95
2020 Atomic Bent Chetler 100		19.5m @ 180cm	129.5 / 100 / 120	Wood / HRZN Hull	$599.99
2020 Atomic Vantage 97 Ti		19.1m @ 180cm	131.5 / 97 / 120.5	Prolite / Titanal Mesh	$699.99
2020 Blizzard Bonafide		20m @ 187cm	135.5 / 98 / 119.5	Wood / Titanal / Carbon	$699.95
2020 DPS Wailer 100 Alchemist		15m @ 179cm	132 / 100 / 117	Wood / Carbon Fiber	$1,299.00
2020 Dynastar Legend X 96		18m @ 186cm	132 / 96 / 112	Wood / Titanal Insert	$699.95
2020 Elan Ripstick 96		18m @ 181cm	134 / 96 / 113	Wood / Carbon Fiber	$649.95
2020 Fischer Ranger 99 Ti		18m @ 181cm	130 / 97 / 121	Carbon / Dual Titanal Layers	$699.99
2020 Head Kore 99		17m @ 180cm	134 / 99 / 120	Graphene / Koroyd / Carbon	$699.00
2020 K2 Mindbender 99 Ti		18.5m @ 184cm	138 / 99 / 123	Titanal Y-Beam	$699.95
2020 Kastle FX 96 HP		18.1m @ 180cm	133 / 96 / 119	Wood / Carbon / Fiberglass	$1,099.00
2020 Liberty Origin 96		17.5m @ 176cm	130 / 96 / 118	Bamboo / Poplar	$599.00
2020 Line Vision 98		18m	131 / 98 / 119	Aramid / Carbon / Fiberglass	$699.95
2020 Nordica Enforcer 100		18.5m @ 185cm	133 / 100 / 121	Wood / Dual Metal Sheets	$699.99
2020 Rossignol Sky 7 HD		18m @ 180cm	128 / 98 / 118	Wood / Carbon / Airtip	$699.95
2020 Salomon QST 99		19.4m @ 181cm	134 / 99 / 116	Wood / C/FX Blend	$649.99
2020 Stockli Stormrider 95		19.4m @ 184cm	131 / 95 / 123	Wood / Titanal Topsheet	$1,099.00
2020 Volkl M5 Mantra		21.4m @ 184cm	134 / 96 / 117	Wood / Titanal Frame	$699.00

---

Written by Jeff Neagle on 10/22/19