2025 Early Winter Bargain Basement: 12 of Our Best Ski Deals

It starts to get serious around here when the Bargain Basement videos come about! With a lot on the line (not really), it’s important to get the first pick. We’ve got some amazing deals on last year’s skis, and with good quantity and stock available for our selections, there’s a lot of value and performance here. Whether you’re looking for an inexpensive powder ski or a closeout model for learning and progressing, there’s likely a ski for you on this list. With most/all of our choices coming in at less than $400, there’s awesome deals to be had. While Jeff focuses more on value and objective choices, Bob seems to put more of a personal spin on his picks. Regardless of who you identify with or who you think has better choices, you, the skier, are sure to be the winner. Enjoy!

Jeff's Round 1 Pick:

2024 Volkl Revolt 121

Overview:

This was an easy first pick for me. It’s not often you find a powder ski at this price. For one, manufacturers just don’t many as many units in skis like this. Two, they’re usually snatched up as soon as they are discounted at all. A Revolt 121 is typically $749.99, so picking one up at $299.95 feels like a steal. This is a true powder ski through and through. When you get this wide, they’re not very good at much else aside from skiing deep snow, but it’s so fun owning a ski like this. On those special days when you have enough snow to justify it, it’s really nice having a proper tool for the job. Drifty, floaty, bouncy, and super fun to ski. Honestly, it’s hard for me to not buy a pair at this price, and there’s a good chance I will!

Price: $299.95

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Bob's Round 1 Pick:

2024 Nordica Unleashed 108 Ice

Overview:

This is a sick ski at a great price. I’m using my first pick on this ski selfishly, because I’d frankly spend my own money on it and use it. There’s no novelty here, it’s just an awesome ski at a tremendous value. From a performance standpoint, the Unleashed 108 carves uncommonly good for a twin tip at this width. At the same time, it’s got the playfulness and flotation required by a 108 for deeper days, trees, and crud. I love the smoothness of the metal laminate and really appreciate the more traditional camber profile, especially for such a modern ski. In the woods here in Vermont, this ski is a blast—easily maneuverable while remaining strong and sturdy for greater adversity. Still, though, the standout metric here is how well this ski carves and how much fun it is on softer groomers and more open terrain.

Price: $399.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 2 Pick:

2024 Volkl Blaze 114

Overview:

I fell into a little bit of a theme with my first two picks here. The Blaze 114 is another tremendous powder ski and again comes in at $299.95, which is just absurd to me considering it’s a really new model for Volkl and remains structurally unchanged for 2025. Once again, a full price Blaze 114 is $749.99, so it’s the exact same discount as the Revolt 121. That allows you to pick and choose between them depending on skiing style. The Revolt has more freestyle influence, where the Blaze is a more technical ski and a better choice if you’re looking for a powder touring ski. We’ve been quite impressed with its capabilities here in Vermont in tight trees on powder days. It keeps you floating while allowing for tremendous maneuverability. Great ski, and for $299.95, it’s just a ridiculous deal.

Price: $299.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 2 Pick:

2024 Volkl Secret 102

Overview:

I’m not sure how this ski gets away with being as inexpensive as we have it. For under $300 you’re getting a crazy good ski. The best thing about this selection is that it’s a unisex one. While the Secret 102 is marketed as a women’s ski, it’s an identical twin to the Mantra 102, just with different graphics and shorter sizes. That said, I’d personally rather ski the Secret 102 in the 177 than the Mantra 102 in the 184 or 191. If you’re a guy, or a larger skier who likes a strong, sturdy, and uncompromisingly powerful ski, and you fit in a 177 or shorter, you can take a square look at this Secret 102 and not have any pangs of regret. While the Secret 102 isn’t as nimble or agile as some other skis in this width range, it’s certainly the strongest and most stout of this group.

Price: $299.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 3 Pick:

2024 Rossignol Sender 104 Ti

Overview:

I still don’t really understand why this ski didn’t gain a stronger following. It’s a highly versatile shape, has enough stability for 95% of skiers out there, and a non-offensive topsheet graphic. Put a raw Look Pivot on a Sender 104 Ti and you’ve got a super slick looking setup that can go just about anywhere. I’ve always thought the Sender 104 Ti feels a little bit like a wider and lighter Enforcer 100, and considering the popularity and success of that ski, it’s just hard for me to wrap my brain around why the Sender 104 didn’t take off as well. At $399.95, if you’re looking for a versatile, directional, well-rounded freeride ski, don’t overthink it, this is a great ski at a great price.

Price: $399.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 3 Pick:

2024 Nordica Santa Ana 104 Unlimited

Overview:

Here’s another ski in the unisex division that I think should/could be gobbled up by a ton of skiers regardless of gender. I’m currently an owner of the Enforcer 104 Unlimited and totally love it. I don’t use it much for touring, rather a lighter resort ski for softer days, and it works awesome. Additionally, this ski is going away in the North American markets, so this ski is only getting rarer and rarer. The Santa Ana 104 Unlimited comes in a 179, so skiers that fit in that range will find a lot to like when it comes to flotation, energy, mobility, and versatility. It’s the same build as the Enforcer 104 Unlimited but with different graphics and a shorter size. For under $400, this is a steal for those who are looking for lighter freeride performance, whether touring or not.

Price: $399.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 4 Pick:

2024 Volkl Blaze 82

Overview:

The least expensive ski in this Bargain Basement feature, the Blaze 82 doesn’t win many awards or earn many superlatives, but it’s undeniably a really good deal. Whether you’re an intermediate looking for a well-rounded ski, an expert looking for a kick-around spring/mogul ski, or even an alpine touring enthusiast looking for a cheap lightweight ski, at this price, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be happy with the performance. I’ll never forget Emily just ripping bumps on this ski. So many people look at it and just scoff at it and assume it’s not for them, and it might not be, but considering the things I’ve seen really good skiers make it do, I think it’s worth a second look. At $199, how can you afford not to buy it?!

Price: $199.99

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 4 Pick:

2024 Head Kore 99

Overview:

It’s no secret that I’ve been a Kore fan for a while now, and the 99 is at the top of my list. With a dual carbon laminate and a light wood core, the Kore 99 has a whole lot of tech built in. In fact, on this list, this is likely the most sophisticated in terms of construction. For under $400, this is a great deal. It’s also unisex in the other direction. While this ski is marketed towards men, it’s the same build as the Kore 97W, so it’s open to everyone looking for one of the more precise and energetic skis on the planet. The mid to upper 90’s is a great place to be for all-mountain skiing, and the Kore 99 transitions between on-trail carving and off-trail versatility with ease, mainly due to the lighter weight and insane reaction time.

Price: $399.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 5 Pick:

2024 Atomic Bent 90

Overview:

Yes, we’ve featured the Bent 90 several times over the years in these Bargain Basement articles, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be included here. It’s just such a fun ski and for this price, it’s a great value. It works as an inexpensive park ski, and with an added bonus that I's pretty darn durable too. It works really well as a mogul ski too, and at this price you could just pick up a pair to use as a spring bump ski you didn’t need to worry too much about. Ski it over grass, rocks, whatever. At this price, you can afford to bash it around and not be overly concerned. This version is still current too. While the 2025 ski gets a new topsheet graphic, the rest remains the same.

Price: $319.95

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Bob's Round 5 Pick:

2023 Kastle ZX 108

Overview:

I’ve been looking at these ZX 108’s for a few years now just waiting for skiers to wake up and throw down on these awesome directional freeride skis. More so now than ever, I’m bullish on the ZX 108 being a true freeride weapon for softer snow days, adding energy and response to a drifty and floaty shape. I’ve spent a good amount of time on the new Kastle Paragon 107 this year, which follows the same footprint as the ZX 108 but uses two sheets of metal and a new wood core. The shape, though, is the driving force behind the fun-loving aspect of these skis, and since the blend of poplar and beech in the ZX is still a very well-made build, this ski has been overlooked for a bit too long. For about $350, I just don’t think there’s a better option out there for blending performance, playfulness, quality, and value.

Price: $349.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 6 Pick:

2024 Elan Ripstick 94 W

Overview:

It’s kind of sad as we’re starting to sell through our 2024 Ripsticks, which we’ve been offering at some stellar prices, but there are still some available! This Ripstick 94 W still has almost a full size run and some decent inventory in our warehouse. I’ve always loved the performance of this generation Ripstick.. They’re light, they’re easy to ski, but they’re incredibly rewarding and have a high performance ceiling as long as you’re not a particularly heavy skier. There are still some lengths available in other models too, so while I picked the Ripstick 94 W for this article, if I could’ve picked all 2024 Ripsticks as a single pick, I would’ve done that in a heartbeat. Still some good inventory left on men’s 106 and a smattering of availability in other widths and lengths.

Price: $399.95

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Bob's Round 6 Pick:

2024 Dynastar M-Pro 90

Overview:

2025 marks the end of the M-Pro 90 from Dynastar, and that’s a sad thing. The new M-Pro 94 is awesome, though, and is a totally different ski from the outgoing 90. For years, we touted the strong tail, the fun and floaty tip, and the overall versatility of the M-Pro 90, making it one of my perennial favorites along with its wider sibling, the M-Pro 99. If you are a traditional skier who likes to drive the tip of the ski and feel amazingly energetic rebound in the tail, you’ll love the M-Pro 90. With a partial metal frame, a poplar core, and polyurethane along the sides, there’s a lot of tech and smoothness built into this ski. At under $400, there’s a ton of performance packed into this tight and strong unit. This is another one that’s going away, so get it now or never again.

Price: $399.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Honorable Mentions:

2024 Elan Ripstick 106 - $489.95

2024 Armada Reliance 92 Ti - $399.95

2024 Volkl Yumi 80 - $199.95

2024 Volkl Blaze 106 W - $299.95