2025 Spring Bargain Basement: 14 of Our Best Ski Deals

It’s springtime here in Stowe, Vermont and we’re looking to clear out some skis! Over the past few years, our Bargain Basement series has spanned a number of different avenues, from single skis in the distant and dusty corners to full racks of closeout skis that we’re looking to liquidate. For this spring’s episode, we’re focusing mainly on 2025 model year skis that have recently been discounted. To add to the fun, we set a cap at $499, so no skis on this list are over $500 (other than Forzas which include bindings). While some will seem like better deals than others, the cornerstone of this grouping pivots on those with a lot of sizing options. When you get to the fall, these skis and deals will likely still be available, but with fewer available lengths. Now’s the time to buy if you’re at all worried about missing out. Great deals combined with wonderful selection is an awesome place to be.

Jeff's Round 1 Pick:

2025 Rossignol Forza 70 Skis

Overview:

I’m on an awesome streak of winning our coin flip that determines who gets first pick and I’m taking full advantage of it. Forza 70 was an easy first pick for me. The price was the first thing that caught my eye as I truly believe there’s a ton of value at the $649.97 price. I also think it’s the type of ski a lot of skiers could benefit from and something that potentially a lot of skiers don’t already own. We see it a lot when talking to different skiers about what they own and ski on; a lot of people don’t have a narrower carving ski. While the Forza 70 is considerably wider than a lot of carvers, for me personally, it falls into what feels like a sweet spot for width. Still super quick edge to edge, but a bit more composed and consistent in variable snow conditions. Of course I would love to always be skiing perfect snow, but the reality is that just doesn’t happen, and the Forza 70 handles adversity with power, precision, and performance.

Price: $649.96

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Bob's Round 1 Pick:

2025 Rossignol Forza 60 Skis

Overview:

From intermediates to experts, there’s a lot of performance packed into a great value here with the Rossignol Forza 60. At $584.96, you’re getting a top shelf ski and binding system for front side and all-mountain use. These skis, at 75 mm underfoot, carve it up with the best of them. Rossignol’s sturdy build consists of a poplar core, a titanal beam, and carbon alloy matrix make this a strong and energetic ski with fantastic edge grip, damping, and smoothness. Due to thee wider shovel, Rossignol incorporates their Reinforced Torsion Tip Technology to make initiation easier and more cohesive. In the 171, the ski hits a paltry 13-meters in the sidecut, allowing for slalom-like carves on hardpack with good mobility if the snow gets cut up. Great in bumps, this quick carver is sporty, strong, and with a Konect binding system, you’re getting a sweet blend of performance and price.

Price: $584.96

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Jeff's Round 2 Pick:

2025 Dynastar M-Free 99 Skis

Overview:

The M-Free 99 from Dynastar is about to be replaced by a new M-Free 100, which we’ve already had on snow a ton, but this M-Free 99 is still amazing. For many skiers, it could actually be better for them than the 100. The 100 gets a touch stiffer overall, which has boosted its on trail capabilities, but isn’t quite as smeary, playful, and fun-loving as the 99. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a lot of fun, but it’s certainly stiffer. I’ve always absolutely loved skiing the 99 and think $450 for a ski like this is a tremendous deal. It’s fun on groomers, it’s fun in the park, and as Bob has often said, it’s one of the best Vermont tree skis we’ve ever been on. If you like twin tip shapes and you’re looking for a superbly versatile ski with a softer flex pattern, look no further!

Price: $454.96

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Bob's Round 2 Pick:

2025 Volkl Revolt 86 Skis

Overview:

I’m going cheaper with pick 2 here, and the awesome Revolt 86. This is one of those surprising skis that we never hear too much about, unfortunately. This ski, as a whole, is incredibly versatile. With lengths spanning from 148 to 180, this ski offers a lot of fun and well roundedness to a whole bunch of skiers. Featuring a relatively straight cut and a mid-zone sidewall, these skis are peppy and grippy with awesome energy. In the 180, the measurements of 120/86/110 create a 23.3-meter turn radius which is very much on the straight side of the spectrum. That said, it’s easy to bend and create shorter carves and boosted energy with ease. Park skiers will be fully confident on these skis in any length, with the best part being you can buy multiple lengths for a growing skier, saving money and time. Even as a bigger skier, I love this thing in the bumps, trees, and groomers even without setting foot in the park.

Price: $314.99

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Jeff's Round 3 Pick:

2025 Head Oblivion 94 Skis

Overview:

I’ve picked the Oblvion 94 several times in these Bargain Basement articles and I’m going to keep picking it until people realize how good this thing is. Trust me, I understand, Head isn’t super trendy in the twin tip world, but they make really, really good skis. Yes, I picked two twin tips in a row and they’re relatively close in width, but there’s a good reason. $359 for a ski this well built and this fun to ski is kind of absurd. I do think you could make an argument the M-Free 99 is an objectively “better” ski, but this Oblvion 94 is $100 less so there’s something to be said about that too. I coach a group of talented young park skiers, and a bunch of them have found success in the Oblivion 94. It doesn’t break the bank, so you can even buy yourself a backup pair if you slide a lot of rails, and it has fantastic performance for a mid-90 twin tip. It’s soft-flexing longitudinally, but has good torsional stiffness, so you can actually lay it over into some impressive turns too.

Price: $359.00

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Bob's Round 3 Pick:

2025 Volkl Blaze 94 Skis

Overview:

If you gave me a Blaze 94 and said “here’s your ski that you have to ski on for the rest of your life!” I’d be stoked. While it’s closer to the $500 cap than almost anything else on our site, it’s also one of the most engaging, energetic, and versatile skis that we have. There’s a surprising amount of carving power here, with a full-width metal laminate underfoot, not to mention this ski uses Volkl’s 4 Radius Drive to vary turn shapes and styles and deliver ultimate smoothness in many different avenues of an arc. I also really like this in the bumps, as it has a flatter tail that provides good and predictable feedback. The flatter overall profile also brings the pivoting and smearing capabilities of this ski to the forefront, allowing you to set an edge or slide a skid depending on conditions, terrain, and your general attitude about things at a given time.

Price: $489.99

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Jeff's Round 4 Pick:

2025 K2 Mindbender 96C Skis

Overview:

I got a little more strategic through my last 4 picks, starting with this K2 Mindbender 96 C. I tried to think about it through the lens of “if you don’t know what ski to buy, just buy this one,” a theme that has emerged between Bob and I when chatting about skis. If you love skiing soft snow and you seek out off-piste terrain and adventurous skiing, the Mindbender 96 C is an excellent choice. It’s particularly good here in Vermont where our trees our tight and our snowfall is more moderate compared to some folks out west. If you live in a snowier area, however, don’t fret, as you can just bump up to the Mindbender 106 C. We had the price slightly wrong in our video, so apologies about that (although maybe someone picked one up for super cheap...). Regardless, even at $454.97, I still think there’s a lot of value here and it still feels like a great pick for this Bargain Basement feature.

Price: $363.97

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Bob's Round 4 Pick:

2025 Elan Playmaker 91 Skis

Overview:

When this ski was available in the 4th round, it was impossible to let it slide. Due to the facts that it’s under $400 and it’s an amazing all-mountain twin tip, the Playmaker 91 is a unique and fun-loving ski that spans a huge range. Like the Revolt 86 and Unleashed 90 on my list, the Playmaker 91 starts at 156 and runs through 188, providing skiers of many sizes and ages with an awesome twin for fun and playful skiing. The 188 here is on the more symmetrical side of the spectrum, with measurements of 122/91/116 and a turn radius of 19.5-meters. This provides a fun carving capacity and amazing mogul and tree performance. If you prefer lighter skis in the park, this’ll do the trick as well, with endless agility and mobility. You’ll be spinning like a top in no time. In the powder, there aren’t many 91’s that float better than this, so if you’re mixing deeper snow, freestyle, and all-mountain use, it’s tough to go wrong with the Playmaker 91, especially at this price.

Price: $389.99

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Jeff's Round 5 Pick:

2025 Elan Wingman 82 Ti Skis

Overview:

The Wingman 82 Ti is not a ski that graces the cover of your favorite magazine. It doesn’t receive any awards or accolades within the industry, and honestly, maybe that’s representative of issues within the industry. It’s certainly not representative of issues in the ski, as the ski itself is incredible and even at full price packs a ton of value. At $324.99, it’s a bit of a head scratcher as it almost doesn’t make sense a ski this well built could be that inexpensive. If you spend most of your time on groomed slopes and you’re not a crazy aggressive or really fast skier, the Wingman 82 Ti is an excellent choice. Pair it with a high quality binding like a Marker Griffon and you’re staying pretty darn close to $500 for skis and bindings, which is a great place to be. It’s smooth, it’s responsive, it’s quick, and it’s easy to ski with a high performance ceiling. SImply put, there’s a lot ot like here and at a fantastic price.

Price: $374.99

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Bob's Round 5 Pick:

2025 Line Optic 96 Skis

Overview:

The Line Optic 96 is a sweet ski at this price, mainly because it’s quite comparable to more mainstream skis in this range. We often compare it to the amazing Blizzard Rustler 9, Nordica Unleashed 98, or a Fischer Ranger 96, and the Optic holds up really well here. With a fun and playful shape and a mid-flex, these skis add a full/partial sheet of metal to dampen vibrations and produce power. There aren’t many twins out there with this much metal, so it takes the performance to the next level for sure. To me this ski has always stood out with its ability to make clean medium-radius carves while also being amenable to trees and powder. This is a rare combination of attributes, but Line has been known to make very fun and exciting skis. If you’re looking for a high-quality ski with a sturdy build and a fun-loving character, this is the place to be.

Price: $454.97

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Jeff's Round 6 Pick:

2025 Fischer Nightstick 90 Skis

Overview:

The Nightstick 90 is starting to pick up some momentum in the park world and it’s great to see. It’s exceptionally well built for a 90 mm twin tip and boats Fischer’s manufacturing and finish quality. You’ve got some metal underfoot for durability, high quality materials throughout, and a wrap-around vertical sidewall that gives this ski a clean, expensive look. It is quite symmetrical with only a 2 mm difference in tip and tail width, so there’s a more focused use case here basically just for those skiing in the park. I still picked it despite that because I feel strongly that they are well made skis that still deserve a little more attention than they’re getting. You’re starting to see them on more World Cup, X Games, and other high level podiums, so maybe that will change in years to come, but for now you can buy a pair for $357.49.

Price: $357.49

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Bob's Round 6 Pick:

2025 Line Chronic 94 Skis

Overview:

I skied this the other day and was reminded of just how awesome it is. The Chronic 94, at just under $385, is an unbelievable ski with a tremendous value. They play with the use of thick wood underfoot and thinner areas in the tips and tails to mix playfulness and business-like performance. This ski holds an uncommonly good edge for a ski with just an aspen wood core. They add to the power with a thicker sidewall, thicker edge, and thicker base but then rein it in with thinner tips and tails for more flex and creative skiing. Additionally, the skis have the same flex pattern and rocker profile at both ends, leading to a symmetrical yet directional feel with these skis. At the end of the day, a ski like this at this price should be high on the list of all-mountain freestylers.

Price: $384.97

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Jeff's Round 7 Pick:

2025 Atomic Maverick 86C Skis

Overview:

Atomic Mavericks all get refreshed for 2025, but the overall theme remains the same and this Maverick 86 C remains an excellent choice for anyone looking for a highly versatile all-mountain ski. My Mindbender pick was more focused off-trail, my Wingman pick was more focused to those staying on groomers, and my Maverick 86 C pick is for those right in between. It excels in moguls, it’s strong enough for higher speeds on groomers, and it’s wide enough with suitable performance for most conditions in the trees here in Vermont. There are lower prices to be found and greater discounts, yes, but the combination of performance and price here is still hard to ignore.

Price: $439.96

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Bob's Round 7 Pick:

2025 Nordica Unleashed 90 Skis

Overview:

What this ski lacks in high-end power for larger and more aggressive skiers, it more than makes up for it in value and range. Like some other tweener twins on this list, the Unleashed 90 spans in sizes from 144 to 174, effectively taking skiers like me out of the equation. That’s fine, because I still think there’s a lot to like here about this full wood core twin tip with Unleashed DNA. Fans of the Soul Rider 87 will find a lot of similarities here, with a lighter wood core and a mid-radius shape. While there’s nothing singular that stands out specifically about this ski, it’s the overall package that just makes sense. You get an energetic and playful twin with a mid-fat shape that can ski groomers, bumps, trees, and park with ease. For right at $360, anyone from a bigger kid, lighter adult, or progressing park teen can get a full range of performance and value.

Price: $359.99

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