If you frequent our comparison articles and videos, you’ve probably heard us say something along the lines of “when skis get wider, there is more variety among them.” While that’s true, it doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time to do a comparison of frontside skis. In this article, we’re going to look at 18 different skis ranging from 65 to 80 mm underfoot. Some of them are basically race skis, some are more user-friendly carving skis. Regardless, they all prefer being on firm, groomed conditions and are best for skiers who value edge grip and precision.

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Overview:

This is one of those skis that’s practically a race ski. In fact, it is a race ski, it’s just technically a junior race ski. Now, when we say junior, we’re not talking toddlers and little rascals, we’re talking full-grown athletes who are moving their way up the ski racing while chasing FIS points. So, these skis absolutely rip. The 182 cm length has a 25 m turn radius, which isn’t quite men’s FIS radius, but it’s getting close. It’s one of the biggest radii in this comparison. Pair that with Rossignol’s race-proven Line Control Technology and you’ve got a ski that’s going to stay glued to the snow surface, provide incredible edge to edge quickness and a ton of power. At 65 mm underfoot and with a stiff, demanding flex, they’re pretty unforgiving. They’re built to do one thing: make precision GS carves.

Who it's For:

Aspiring ski racers and advanced/expert level skiers who want to experience a true race ski feel.

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Overview:

The Dobermann GSR Elite still feels more like a true race ski than anything else, but it has a shorter turn radius than FIS GS skis, and also the Hero Athlete GS ski we just talked about. The tip shape is also slightly more user-friendly and will help bring you into a turn more than a FIS ski, but it still demands a skilled, aggressive skier. Nordica’s Recoil Power Plate allows for a more natural flex underfoot, giving the ski a slightly more lively feel than skis that use full race plates. The 180 cm length has a 19.5 m turn radius, which is very rewarding and provides really, really good performance for most local race leagues. 69 mm underfoot is still very narrow, but it does provide a little bit of forgiveness later in the day when even the groomers are tracked out.

Who it's For:

Advanced/expert level skiers who want precision and power, but want a more user-friendly turn radius.

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Overview:

Similar to the Dobermann GSR Elite, the Firebird WRC takes the same construction and overall performance found in their World Cup FIS skis and repackages it into a more user-friendly ski with a shorter turn radius and shorter length options. The 180 cm ski has an 18.5 m turn radius, another great option for beer league racing. These skis use sandwich construction, vertical sidewalls, and metal laminates, as we expect to see in skis of this caliber, but they also use Blizzard’s Carbon Spine and Carbon Armor. Carbon is placed both vertically and horizontally in the ski’s core, providing more energy and responsiveness and increased stability right underfoot. Something about the Firebird skis gives them a little more attitude than most race skis. Maybe it’s the orange color, maybe it’s Marcus Caston’s involvement with the brand. Whatever it is, they rip, but there’s a touch of counter-culture attitude in them too.

Who it's For:

Similar to the Dobermann GSR Elite, this would be a great choice for a local race league or for a high-level skier looking for premium precision and power, but a little more fun-factor.

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Overview:

This is the third ski in a row that all basically fall into the same category. You want race-bred performance, a quick edge to edge feel, and a ton of power, but you aren’t interested in FIS radii. This 180 cm length has a 19.4 m turn radius, right in line with the last 2 skis we talked about. It’s interesting to see how these companies all use the same overall theme, with their own unique ingredients. In the Racetiger GS, we get a multilayer woodcore and titanal laminates, but we also get Volkl’s 3D.Glass construction technique as well as UVO technology. This gives the ski a stout, stable feel thanks to the increased amount of fiberglass and where it’s positioned, and UVO keeps the vibrations in the tip to a minimum, which increases overall edge grip and gives the ski a smoother feel. Volkl includes a little bit of tip rocker too, although it’s barely noticeable, but it does help smooth out the ski’s turn initiation.

Who it's For:

Just like the last two skis, this is a good choice for local race leagues and skiers who want race-level performance, but don’t want a huge turning radius.

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Overview:

Stockli classifies the Laser as a “Sport Carving Ski,” and we like that description. We’re starting to get a little wider now, moving into a 72 mm waist width in the Laser SC. That said, it’s still an aggressive, high performance carving ski. The 177 cm length has a 16 m turn radius, which is short than what we’ve seen so far, giving it a more responsive feel and allowing the ski to come across the fall line more easily. Stockli uses what they call Torsion Racing Technology, in which lengthwise cuts are used in the tip and tail of the metal laminate, allowing the ski to twist more naturally into a turn. That gives it more tolerance and compliance when you’re linking carving turns. Combine that with Stockli’s overall feel and the characteristics of the brand, and the Laser SC is one of the smoothest skis in this comparison.

Who it's For:

Skiers who want a quicker feel when linking carving turns than the skis we’ve looked at so far, and also more forgiveness. 72 mm isn’t much wider, but the little bit of extra width helps later in the day.

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Overview:

The Dobermann Spitfire 72 Rb from Nordica takes us out of their Race collection and into their On-Piste collection. That said, it uses the same construction that we saw in the Dobermann GSR and is still 100% camber. The difference here is we get a wider waist width, 72 mm like the Laser SC, as well as a shorter turn radius and a more progressive, user-friendly tip shape. The 174 cm length has a 16 m turn radius, quite similar to what we saw in the Laser SC. Skis like this are great as you get a touch more versatility than the narrower skis we started with. It’s built for all-day carving, but it still feels right at home if you use it in a local race league. Even an up and coming junior racing that doesn’t have to adhere to FIS standards could benefit from these skis. You’re not losing much performance, but you’re gaining a touch of forgiveness. Emphasis on “a touch,” as they are still aggressive, demanding skis.

Who it's For:

You’re looking for premiere carving performance, but a less fatiguing ski that will come across the fall line more easily and that can handle tracked out snow conditions better than a true dedicated race ski.

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Overview:

The Disruption MTI starts to break the mold a little bit in the sense that it uses different construction than we’ve seen in the first 6 skis. Instead of full sheets of metal, K2 uses Titanal I-Beam. The metal in the tips and tails does not reach the edge of the ski, giving it a little bit more forgiveness and compliance. In the tips and tails, however, they use their Dark Matter Damping system, which minimizes vibrations and keeps the ski glued to the snow surface. So, even though you don’t get full sheets of metal, it still feels like you do. There’s still a ton of power in this ski, but it allows for more skier input and variety in turn styles. Probably the easiest edge release of any skis we’ve looked at so far, but on the other end of the spectrum, it will hold that edge as long as you want it to.

Who it's For:

Skiers looking for a daily driver carving ski with plenty of power and responsiveness, but a touch of forgiveness. It’s still right at home in a race course too, picking up multiple podiums in our local race league here in Stowe, VT.

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Overview:

Wider and wider we go! If you’ve picked up on the trends so far, you won’t be surprised with the description of the Deacon 74. This ski takes everything we see in the Racetiger GS in terms of construction, but uses a wider waist width, a little bit of rocker, and a shorter turn radius. That means you get high level carving performance, but more playfulness. These skis are still aggressive skis that are best for high-level skiers, but they’re more forgiving and won’t beat you up as much as a ski like the Racetiger. This 74 mm waist width is starting to provide noticeably better performance when the snow gets softer, tracked out, and choppy as well. Volkl does offer “Pro” versions of the Deacon 74 and 76, which is coming up, and those skis get a World Cup binding plate and different edge bevels for a slightly more aggressive feel.

Who it's For:

Skiers looking for an everyday carving ski. You should spend most of your time on firm snow, and maybe you’re even participating in some local races, but you don’t want a super narrow race ski.

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Overview:

The Hero Elite MT uses all the same construction elements we saw in the Hero Athlete GS race skis, but in a more user-friendly shape, similar to how we just discussed the Deacon 74 compared to the Racetiger GS. This ski is specifically designed to allow the skier to make different radius carving turns thanks to what Rossignol calls a versatile turn sidecut. The overall, average radius is quite a bit shorter than we saw in that Athlete GS, coming in at 15 m in the 175 cm length. That shorter turn radius means the Hero Elite MT is going to feel like it wants to come across the fall line more than drive down it, which will be a rewarding feel for a lot of skiers. This ski is more of a daily driver carving ski than a race ski. We’ve talked about a lot of these skis being suitable for local race leagues. The Hero Elite MT could work for that application, but it’s better for skiers who just want to lay over carves while cruising groomers.

Who it's For:

Advanced and expert level skiers who want a slightly easier-going carving ski than most of what we’ve looked at so far. The shorter turn radius means it requires less effort to complete a turn, which is a nice characteristic.

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Overview:

The Redster X9 WB is basically blurring the lines between a slalom ski and a GS ski, quite similarly to how the Hero Elite MT feels in terms of turn radius, although slightly shorter in the Redster. The 176 cm length, which also happens to be the longest available, has just a 14.2 m turn radius. It has a strong preference for shorter turns, which gives it a very agile feel. Atomic’s Servotec system is similar to Rossignol’s Line Control Technology in that it is designed to reduce vibrations and counter flexing, giving the ski consistent edge contact and a lot of grip. We’ve had a lot of different testers on various Atomic Redster skis over the years. Skis like the Redster G9 can be very demanding, but we’ve found this X9 WB to be more forgiving and one of the more approachable skis for an intermediate level skier out of this comparison. Don’t forget, however, that it still uses plenty of metal and all the race technology, so still has a high performance ceiling.

Who it's For:

Skiers who value quickness and shorter turns over stability at speed. You value precision and love to make lots of turns, even on moderate pitches.

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Overview:

The Deacon 76 uses the same ingredients as the 74, but is a little bit wider and uses a little bit of tail rocker to go along with the tip rocker also found in the 74. This gives it more soft snow abilities, and also makes turn initiation smoother and edge release easier. In other words, it’s more versatile both in terms of turn shapes and styles as well as snow conditions. You give up a little bit of precision and edge to edge quickness, however, but a lot of skiers will find that’s a reasonable tradeoff for the increased versatility. Volkl calls these more all-mountain skis than dedicated frontside skis, but keep in mind it’s still quite stiff, still uses lots of metal, and still will be pretty demanding compared to a wider, more rockered all-mountain ski.

Who it's For:

Skiers looking for a high performance carving ski that doesn’t feel like it’s stuck on trail. While it will be relatively demanding in softer snow, it can handle it just fine, especially on the feet of an expert skier.

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Overview:

The Firebird Competition 76 uses all the same elements of the WRC we looked at already, but drops Carbon Armor, the extra sheet of carbon right under your feet. That’s not hugely significant, however, as it still uses Carbon Spine and still has two sheets of metal. Its turn radius falls in between the WRC and SRC models, which are essentially GS and SL radii. It also has a wider waist width at 76 mm underfoot. Combine those two elements, and it feels more versatile than the WRC. It’s also slightly more relaxed due to dropping the extra carbon underfoot. Blizzard refers to it as marrying versatility with performance, and maximizing frontside fun. We really like that way of thinking about it. You get a precise, powerful ski, but it’s a little bit more approachable and has a distinctly fun personality.

Who it's For:

Skiers who want a powerful, precise carving ski, but not one that’s jarringly stiff or too focused on really firm snow performance.

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Overview:

Rather than being a versatile carving ski, the RC One 78 GT feels more like a narrow all-mountain ski. It still uses metal, in fact it uses .5 mm titanal laminates, which provide plenty of power, but by removing the metal in the tips and tails and using Bafatex, Fischer really reduces the swing weight. It also makes the ski feel less catchy when you take it off trail into terrain like moguls. In fact, I’d confidently give this ski the title of “best mogul ski” in this comparison because of the tip and tail shape and construction. It’s not going to feel quite as powerful as most of the skis we’ve looked as so far, but is certainly no slouch. This is one that’s perfectly appropriate for an intermediate level skier, but would also satisfy an expert.

Who it's For:

Intermediates looking for an entry-level ski in the carving world, or experts looking for more versatility and forgiveness in their frontside skis.

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Overview:

The Head Supershape collection has been one of the leaders in the performance frontside category for about a decade now, and the trend continues with the new e-Rally. Head thinks outside the box with their ski construction. These use Graphene, like we see in the Kore collection, as well as their new Energy Management Circuit. Head is all about playing with potential and kinetic energy. You’re storing energy in the ski as you flex it, which is released as you leave the turn, resulting in an exceptionally energetic, responsive feel. In fact, with its 15.3 m turn radius in the 177 cm length and that Enegy system, the e-Rally feels like one of the quickest, most responsive skis in this list. At 78 mm underfoot, we’re also continuing with pretty versatile skis when it comes to carving performance. You can take the e-Rally off trail and it doesn’t feel tremendously unforgiving.

Who it's For:

Skiers who just want a rewarding, versatile carving ski that they can use across the entire resort. It’ll handle softer snow conditions, while retaining a quick, precise edge to edge feel.

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Overview:

The Hero Elite Plus from Rossignol takes the same technology we talked about in the first ski in this comparison as well as the Hero Elite MT and puts it in a (you guessed it!) wider package. You get the same counter-flexing benefits and stability provided by Line Control Technology. You get a ton of edge grip and plenty of responsiveness. It comes across the fall line easily thanks to the 15 m turn radius in the 181 cm length. Perhaps most importantly, it can do all of these things through more varied snow conditions than the narrower skis that we started with. That makes it an excellent choice as a true daily driver carving ski. You can ski it from bell to bell without it feeling catchy or booting out later in the day when the snow starts piling up in sports.

Who it's For:

Skiers looking for a high-end carving ski that can handle a variety of snow conditions without sacrificing any edge grip, responsiveness, or power.

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Overview:

Hey look! A flat ski! This Laser AX is perhaps the most versatile ski we’ve looked at so far. Skis like this offered as a flat ski allows you to create a lower center of gravity than you have with a system binding or race plate. That takes away some leverage, but having a lower center of gravity goes a long way when you’re skiing a variety of different terrain. Stockli makes a premium product, and the performance of the AX is a perfect example. It has tons of edge grip, plenty of vibration damping and stability, and it’s exceptionally smooth. It does have one of the softer flex patterns of skis in this comparison, but that doesn’t really take away from its precision or power. It’s also a little bit lighter, and feels smoother when entering turns thanks to similar Titanal cutouts as we saw in the Laser SC.

Who it's For:

Skiers who want a high performance carving ski with some versatility to it. The Laser AX could be a good daily driver for an eastern skier, or even a western skier who spends most of his time on trail.

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Overview:

The Deacon 79 is one of the few skis in this comparison that would be a really good choice for an intermediate level skier. Its construction has trickled down from the previous RTM series, utilizing 3D.Ridge to achieve its performance. By focusing the denser materials in the center of the ski, it makes the ski more forgiving for less aggressive skiers. You still get a good amount of edge grip, but not the same power or stiffness found in the previous Volkl skis we’ve looked at. Tip and tail rocker not only helps with turn initiation, but also provides better performance in softer snow and allows for easier edge release, all things that an intermediate will really appreciate.

Who it's For:

Intermediates or less aggressive advanced skiers who want a versatile carving ski they can take all over the resort.

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Overview:

Hey! Another flat ski! This is also the widest ski in this comparison at 80 mm underfoot. This takes all the performance of the Spitfire 72 and repackages it in a wider waist width. It’s offered both as a system with the Recoil Plate and as a flat ski, which is specifically what we’re talking about here. This is a great choice if you want high levels of edge grip, stability, and precision, but want it in a more versatile package. The Spitfire 80 can be a really good mogul ski for advanced and expert level skiers if you mount it with a low stand height binding like a Look Pivot. It isn’t, however, particularly forgiving. Although it’s close in width, it’s not as approachable as the Deacon 79 we just looked at. This ski still demands a skilled, aggressive skier, otherwise it’ll beat you up a bit.

Who it's For:

Advanced and expert level skiers who value power, precision, and responsiveness in their carving skis, but don’t want a system binding. Either mount it flat or with your favorite race plate.

Written by Jeff Neagle on 10/22/20