In this 2021 ski comparison, we’re looking at men’s all-mountain skis in the mid-80 mm width range. These skis often don’t earn the attention as wider models, but provide versatile performance for a lot of skiers. This comparison also features the biggest range in prices, from $399 all the way up to $1250. We also see a fairly wide range in applications. Some of these skis are a superb choice for a developing intermediate that doesn’t want to break the bank. Some offer quicker edge to edge performance and more firm snow performance than their comparable wider models. Some fall into more of a wide-carving-ski category and are best on the feet of relatively advanced and expert skiers. As always, leave us a comment or get in touch with us directly if you have any questions or just want to chat about skis.

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Overview:

The QST 85 from Salomon is the narrowest ski in their QST all-mountain/freeride collection. At just $399, it’s one of the most affordable skis in this comparison. To keep the price down, Salomon uses a simple poplar wood core with titanal binding reinforcement, instead of their more expensive C/FX materials seen in the wider QST skis. We still get a really versatile shape, however, with a good amount of rocker and early taper both in the tips and tails. Although it doesn’t share the same construction, it’s very versatile, just like the rest of the QST skis. The poplar wood core actually gives it a relatively stout and stable feel, and it feels pretty darn good at speed, which would likely surprise a lot of people given the price.

Who it's For:

A developing intermediate skier who feels comfortable on groomed slopes and wants to start exploring some off-piste, un-groomed terrain.

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Overview:

The Mindbender 85 is similar to the QST in a lot of ways. It’s 85 mm underfoot, it’s $399, and it follows the shaping trends of the rest of the Mindbender collection, but with a more simple construction. K2 uses their aspen veneer construction, which results in a ski that’s a little lighter than the QSR 85. It has smooth, subtle rocker in both the tips and tails, with a little bit less early taper than the QST. The difference in construction and shape makes the Mindbender 85 a little more responsive on firm snow. It’s still capable in off-piste terrain too, although edge release isn’t quite as easy as the QST. Still, it’s a perfectly reasonable ski for someone who’s looking to explore new terrain.

Who it's For:

Intermediates and less aggressive advanced skiers who want a well-rounded, affordable all-mountain ski that feels appropriate in a wide range of terrain and snow conditions.

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Overview:

Another ski at the $399 price point, the Vantage 86 C takes edge grip and responsiveness to another level compared to the first 2 skis we looked at, although isn’t quite as versatile. Atomic’s Vantage skis are known for being lightweight, relatively stiff, and responsive, and that all holds true with the 86 C. It’s a tremendous value as you get Prolite and Carbon Tank Mesh technologies. Its edge grip on groomers is really good, although the lighter weight feel and its construction doesn’t provide the same vibration damping as either the QST 85 or the Mindbender. Some skiers will really like that responsiveness, but it does make it a little less forgiving overall, especially if you’re taking it into tricky off-piste terrain.

Who it's For:

Intermediate and advanced level skiers who want an all-mountain ski with a lightweight feel that excels on groomers.

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Overview:

We’re still at the $399 price point with the Bash 86 from Volkl, but this ski is a different animal than the first 3 skis we’ve talked about. The Bash 86 is a twin tip that blurs the line between dedicated park/freestyle ski and playful all-mountain ski. It’s 86 mm underfoot, has tip and tail rocker, but no early taper, and a relatively long turn radius (21.2 m in the 172 cm length). It uses a multilayer wood core with vertical sidewalls underfoot that taper to a thinner core profile and cap construction. This gives it good stability underfoot and solid edge grip, while the tips and tails are allowed a softer flex pattern for ollies, butters, and other jibs. That softer flex pattern also makes it a lot of fun in moguls. If you make a mistake, it won’t beat you up, the softer tips and tails kind of act like suspension.

Who it's For:

Playful skiers who either want a lightweight all-mountain ski that’s nimble in the moguls or an exceptionally good terrain park ski at an affordable price.

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Overview:

The Soul Rider 87 from Nordica is another twin tip and another great terrain park ski. We are, however, jumping up $100 to $499. With that increase, the Soul Rider 87 gets full vertical sidewalls and a more advanced construction that includes carbon fiber stringers. This gives it a stiffer, snappier flex pattern than the Bash, as well as more edge grip and stability at speed. It’s also a little better if you’re a high level park skier and you’re going huge, as you get a more stable, confident feel when landing big jumps. There’s tip and tail rocker in the Soul Rider 87 too that’s paired with high-rise camber underfoot. If mounted on the traditional line, it can be a playful, responsive all-mountain ski with more edge grip than you’d expect. On the center line, it’s a terrain park weapon.

Who it's For:

A slightly more advanced skier who values edge grip and responsiveness, but still wants a fun, playful ski for all-mountain applications or in the terrain park.

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Overview:

The M-Pro 84 is part of a brand new series of all-mountain skis from Dynastar. Unlike the wider models, however, it doesn’t use any metal. Instead, the M-Pro 84 relies on a wood core and Diago Fibers for its performance. It does, on the other hand, use the same shaping concept as the rest of the line. It has substantial tip rocker and a more tapered shape than most skis in this comparison. The tail uses far less rocker, and more extended sidecut. The idea is to give the ski versatility for soft and variable snow conditions through the tip shape, and edge grip and power from the tail. This lighter construction (compared to metal) makes it less fatiguing to maneuver. Add that all up and you’ve got a ski that can lay over turns on groomers, but also might be the best, or at least one of the best, mogul and tree skis in this comparison.

Who it's For:

Intermediate and advanced skiers who enjoy a wide range of snow conditions and terrain from groomers to moguls and trees.

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Overview:

Nordica’s Navigator series often gets overlooked due to the success of the Enforcer line, but these are quality skis that deserve more attention. This Navigator 85 moves up $50 in price to $549. Nordica uses a poplar and beech wood core with their Hex Titanium Bridge, a sheet of metal that’s had geometric shapes removed leaving somewhat of grid or metal behind. It uses a good amount of tip rocker, actually a very similar tip shape to an Enforcer, with a flatter, more squared off tail. Simply put, these skis love to carve. So much so that they’ll help a developing skier progress into true carving turns. They can handle moguls and off-piste terrain as well, although their highlight is their responsive performance on firm snow and edge grip, while feeling quite a bit lighter and less fatiguing than an Enforcer.

Who it's For:

Skiers who love to carve, but want a ski that’s more versatile than a true dedicated frontside ski. Intermediates to experts can all enjoy the Navigator 85.

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Overview:

Another $50 step up in price, although the Experience 84 in a lot of ways is quite similar to the Navigator 85. A good amount of tip rocker is paired with camber underfoot and a flatter tail. Instead of metal, Rossignol uses their Line Control Technology with a vertical strip of ABS material in the center of the ski. This softens the flex pattern compared to the Experience 88 and 92, while still providing a very smooth, damp feel. It feels a little bit more versatile than the Navigator 85 in moguls and trees. It also makes very rewarding, round carving turns on firm snow, although doesn’t quite have the stability or responsiveness of the Navigator. Intermediates will likely find it a little more forgiving as well thanks to the ski’s construction. It’s a versatile all-mountain ski through and through.

Who it's For:

Skiers who value carving performance, but also plan on spending a significant amount of time in moguls and other un-groomed terrain.

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Overview:

The Brahma 82 falls into the same $599 price category of the Experience 84, but it’s far more powerful and more demanding. Blizzard uses their classic Flipcore construction in these skis. We get a wood core and 2 full sheets of metal. That sets the Brahma 82 apart from anything we’ve looked as so far and puts it in a more advanced/expert level. It’s exceptionally powerful on firm snow, has all the edge grip you could ever ask for, and plenty of vibration damping. It’s also more versatile than system carving skis in this same width thanks to a lower center of gravity and slightly more rounded tips and tails. An expert level skier will love how they feel in moguls, although it’s likely a bit much for an intermediate, especially if you’re looking for something that can handle that type of terrain.

Who it's For:

Aggressive skiers who want an all-mountain ski with no speed limit, a quick edge to edge feel, and limitless edge grip, but also a touch of versatility.

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Overview:

The Kanjo received a total redesign for the 2021 season and the result is really good. Volkl’s retained the maneuverability and quickness that we liked in the previous version of the Kanjo, but given it a little more edge grip and a more stable feel thanks to the Glass Frame construction. That construction trickles down from skis with Titanal Frame, but using fiberglass keeps the overall weight down. Not quite as much power as a ski like the Kendo 88, but still plenty of edge grip for most skiers. On the other hand, it’s far quicker and less fatiguing than those heavier skis, which makes it a lot of fun in moguls or any situation where you need to make quick adjustments. The 3D Radius allows you to play around with carving turn shape too. You can let it run into bigger turns, or bend it into relatively short radius turns with a little more skier input.

Who it's For:

Skiers who value edge grip and stability on firm snow, but don’t want a heavy, tiring ski. Also good for skiers who want a relatively even mix of performance characteristics, similar in that sense to the Experience 84 AI.

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Overview:

The Kore 87 is certainly one of the contenders for best mogul ski in this group, rivaling the M-Pro 84 we talked about before and a few other skis. This is now the narrowest ski in Head’s Kore collection, but uses the same recipe as the wider models. Jumping up $50 in price from the last ski we looked at, Head’s blend of caruba, Koroyd, Graphene, and carbon results in a relatively lightweight ski that has really good stability and edge grip too. The shape of the Kore 87 has less rocker and taper than the wider models, but still among the most in this comparison, which is why it’s such a good mogul ski. Edge release is easy, but you still get a lot of power on a groomer. The difference between this construction and a ski with more metal is you get more responsiveness, but less vibration damping in the Kore. Skiers who hit really high speeds may prefer metal, but only a small percentage of skiers will feel that way.

Who it's For:

Skiers who value a lightweight ski, but still want good edge grip and responsiveness on groomers. You like to ski the whole mountain without hesitation.

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Overview:

The Wingman 86 CTI from Elan packs a punch at the $649 price point. These skis use a ton of unique technology. You get a specific right and left ski with metal along the inside edges of the ski. There’s also more camber on the inside edge and more rocker on the outside edge. Elan also uses their Carbon Rods, which are essentially carbon fiber tubes running longitudinally through the ski. There’s much less rocker than Elan’s Ripstick skis, and with the addition of metal, you get a really strong ski on firm snow. It’s not as versatile as the close-in-width Ripstick 88, but has more edge grip, more stability, and a more powerful feel overall. Advanced and expert skiers won’t have any trouble taking it off trail, but it’s a little bit too much ski for us to recommend to a progressing intermediate looking to explore new terrain.

Who it's For:

Advanced and expert skiers who value edge grip, power, and responsiveness on firm snow, but want a lighter weight ski than those will traditional metal laminates.

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Overview:

The Kastle FX86 hits a new price point at $799. That’s pretty high, although not really in comparison to most of Kastle’s skis. Kastle skis are well-known for their quality of materials and craftsmanship and the FX86 follows suit. Kastle changed up their FX line a couple years ago. These new models are lighter overall, have a similar tip shape, but a flatter tail. Instead of metal in the older models, they use a blend of 3 different types of wood, specifically located in different parts of the ski. The FX collection in general is home to more freeride-oriented skis than Kastle’s other skis, and although this is the narrowest of the group, it’s still really good in off-trail situations. It’s also light enough to use as an alpine touring ski, something that Kastle encourages through the inclusion of a skin attachment point on the tail of the ski.

Who it's For:

Adventurous skiers who like to explore lots of different terrain, but still want a ski that’s quick edge to edge and can hold its own on groomers.

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Overview:

We’re jumping up quite a bit in price with the Disruption 82Ti to $899. Keep in mind, however, that these skis come with a binding system in place. Typically, a binding of this caliber on its own would cost around $200, so in some ways it would be more fair to say the Disruption 82Ti is a $699 ski that comes with a $200 binding. Unlike a lot of the skis we’ve looked at so far, the Disruption 82Ti is focused more on powerful carving performance than all-mountain versatility. This is the widest ski in K2’s new Disruption collection, and includes all the bells and whistles. Titanal I-Beam provides power and stability, Dark Matter Damping quiets the ski, and the result is a smooth, powerful ski. It’s still relatively quick edge to edge, but the 82 mm waist width lets you keep carving those turns even when the snow starts piling up later in the day. A powerful carving ski and an absolute crud buster!

Who it's For:

Aggressive skiers who want more of a carving ski, but enough width to handle variable snow conditions. You’re not going to boot out late in the day in a soft pile of snow as easily as a ski like the Disruption MTI.

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Overview:

The RC One 86 GT is the same price as the Disruption 82Ti, $899, and also includes a binding. It’s equally as powerful, and perhaps arguably more powerful. At the same time, it’s also more versatile. It’s not as quick edge to edge and doesn’t have quite the same precision when carving, but its use of .8 mm Titanal gives you an incredible amount of power and tons of vibration damping. The tips and tails use some rocker and early taper, as well as a lighter material called Bafatex along the edge in the tips and tails. That gives this ski surprising edge release and the ability to slash, smear, and quickly flick turns, while still being exceptionally strong. Metal that thick and a ski with this much power does, however, come along with a relatively demanding feel.

Who it's For:

Aggressive advanced and expert skiers who want a well-rounded all-mountain ski with a ton of power, stability, and vibration damping.

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Overview:

Take the last two skis we talked about and just kind of mash them together and you’ll more or less get the S/Force Bold. It has the power of and a similar width to the RC One 86 GT, but its shape is more in line with the Disruption. That gives it more of a preference for carving turns than anything else. The tail is completely flat and very squared off, so it’s going to hold onto a carve more than the RC One 86 GT, or in other words, it has more difficult edge release. Some skiers will love that, some may find it a bit much. Either way, this is definitely best on the feet of a relatively accomplished skier as its two full sheets of metal and carving-oriented shape require a skilled, pretty aggressive driver. Same price as the last two skis we looked at, $899, and it also includes a binding.

Who it's For:

Like the Disruption, you should really value carving performance and overall precision, but you often encounter softer snow conditions. Could be a really cool daily driver carving ski for a western skier or just someone who prefers wider skis.

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Overview:

The Deacon 84 jumps up to $999, including binding, but it certainly doesn’t lack any technology or engineering. Volkl has blended their 3D.Ridge and Titanal Frame constructions into this ski. You get a lot of edge grip and a snappy, responsive feel. It’s a powerful ski, but the unique construction feels lighter than skis like the S/Force Bold or RC One 86 GT. That lighter feel increases its versatility, even through it doesn’t use a tremendous amount of rocker. You get good edge grip and a very responsive feel, but it won’t beat you up as much as a heavier ski when you take it off trail. Still, its level of performance is likely a bit much for an intermediate skier, and a ski like the Kanjo 84 has a lot of the same attributes, but more forgiveness. The Deacon 84 does take precision to a whole new level compared to the Kanjo, however, which will satisfy a lot of skiers.

Who it's For:

Advanced and expert skiers who value edge grip and stability, but don’t want a heavy ski with two full sheets of metal and a little bit more versatility than most dedicated carvers.

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Overview:

$1250 without a binding? What are you, crazy? Nope, it’s just a Stockli. We have this conversation all the time, but it’s worth having again. This is more than twice the cost of the Brahma 82 and has similar characteristics. Is it twice as good? No. Is it worth it? If you have the disposable income, sure. There are benefits to choosing a Stockli. Incredible attention to detail, the best materials you can get, and in this case, the smoothest ski in this category. It’s not the stiffest, which is by design, but it lacks no edge grip. Stockli specifically wants the skier to be able to access the entire sidecut of the ski and bend it into different radius arcs, and the Laser AR does that really, really well. Two sheets of metal do make it a bit demanding for an intermediate, but what’s nice about the Laser AR is it doesn’t require high speeds to come alive. It’s a pleasure to ski at any speed and is exceptionally smooth and quiet.

Who it's For:

Skiers who value carving performance and want to be able to use their carving skis in a variety of snow conditions. The Laser AR is one of those bell to bell carving skis that can handle the chop.

Written by Jeff Neagle on 10/28/20