2026 Spring Bargain Basement: 14 of Our Best Ski Deals

Spring is in the air and so are great deals on skis! Whether you’re looking for a current 2026 model at a discount or a deep and dark corner-of-the-warehouse find, our Bargain Basement list has sure to have something for you! At this point of the season, we’ve been allowed to lower prices on inline 2026 product, and that’s frankly where we’ll have our deepest inventory, but we’re always on the lookout for some fringe skis—ones that we’ve forgotten about or sometimes closeout product that we’re just seeing for the first time. We’re keenly aware how expensive skiing can be, so we’re always on the search for the best deals on our site with the hope of passing the savings along to you!

Jeff's Round 1 Pick:

2026 Elan Ripstick 96 Skis

Overview:

Another coin flip won for me and my first pick was pretty easy. I’ve always really liked the Elan Ripstick 96 and think there’s a lot of value at its discounted price. Even more value if you opt for the “Blem” skis, which are factory seconds that didn’t pass quality control due to the graphic. I genuinely can’t tell the difference between them in person and you save an extra $50 with the “Blem” skis. I would strongly encourage anyone considering the Ripstick to take a look at that option before they’re gone. Aside from that, the Ripstick 96 is just a lot of fun to ski. It’s very approachable for an intermediate skier, yet experts usually enjoy it too. The exception is usually bigger skiers who ski with a lot of power and aggressiveness who can flex through the shovel a bit. Someone my size, or even someone’s Bob size who doesn’t have high expectations for stability at speed will do great on the Ripstick. It’s back again next season with just a new topsheet, so you’re getting current performance at a reduced price.

Current Price: $519.99

Blemish Price: $469.99

Retail Price: $799.99

Buy Now | Blemish Version | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 1 Pick:

2026 Rossignol Super Black Ops Skis

Overview:

This is a pretty easy first pick as the Super Blackops 98 from Rossignol is an awesome combination of value and performance. While these skis really haven’t changed all that much over ten years, the formula and execution are sound. Take a smooth wood core , add some metal underfoot, make it a twin tip, and pop in some rubber in the tips and tails, and you’ve got a very well-rounded freeride ski with very few limitations. This ski works great in bumps, trees, powder, and crud. Surprisingly, it’s a very good turner and carver as well with excellent confidence at speed. This is a solid-feeling ski, and at under $500 you’re getting awesome value.

Current Price: $487.47

Retail Price: $749.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 2 Pick:

2024 Stockli Nela 96 Skis

Overview:

My second pick is a little bit of a wild card, but it’s fun having a Stockli in a Bargain Basement article. The 2024 Nela 96 is down to just $499, a mere fraction of its original price of $1149. Not only that, full price on a 2026 Nela 96 was $1329! These are technically women’s skis, but they do go up to a 172 cm length, which is a viable option for a lot of men. If you’ve never skied a Stockli, here’s your chance to pick one up at a rare price. The Nela 96 is smooth, strong, yet relatively lightweight and approachable too. It handles a wide range of terrain the the general smoothness of Stockli skis almost always translates to increased confidence in the skier. A premium ski with superb craftsmanship for just $499; I couldn’t pass it up.

Current Price: $499.00

Retail Price: $1,149.00

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 2 Pick:

2026 Head Kore 94 Ti Skis

Overview:

You could really put any of the 2026 Kore skis in this second slot and be just fine—I just think the 94 at $449 is a screaming deal for someone looking for a high-end all-mountain ski with two sheets of metal. There’s a lot of technology and engineering in these skis as well, from the use of graphene and flax to the high-quality finish. On snow, these skis are smooth, solid, and damp, yet they also provide excellent energy and pop due to a higher camber profile. I think this is one of the better bump skis on the market and the fact that they rip carved turns is icing on the cake. Skis in the mid-90's are highly useful, and if you can add fun and value to that utilitarian feeling, it’s a big win.

Current Price: $449.00

Retail Price: $749.00

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 3 Pick:

2026 Volkl Mantra 84 Skis

Overview:

The Mantra 84 is the latest addition to the famous Mantra collection of skis from Volkl and honestly might be my favorite of the bunch. Mantras have such excellent precision, torsional stiffness, and overall performance, especially for skiers who really value on-trail prowess. I think the narrower the ski, when it comes to the Mantra line, the easier it is to ski. The Mantra 84 has all the same technology as its wider siblings, but it’s easier to tip it up on edge and achieve the energy and precise turn initiation these skis are known for. For a lot of skiers, this is just about as close to a true frontside ski as you’ll need. Some people will think that’s crazy and will always want something narrower, but there’s a large portion of the skiing population who would be more than satisfied by a Mantra 84 as their dedicated “narrow” ski.

Current Price: $524.99

Retail Price: $749.99

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 3 Pick:

2026 Elan Ripstick 88 Skis

Overview:

By now, the Elan Ripstick 88 is a very proven commodity. You are getting high-end technology here with the use of carbon rods, carbon laminates, amphibio rocker profile, and asymmetrical construction. When you pair that with a light weight, a zippy feel, and true all-mountain versatility, the Ripstick 88 is a winner at many prices, but keeping it around $450, blemished topsheet or not, and you’re in great shape. These skis excel in short turns, tight spaces, and technical areas. If you’re a fan of bumps and trees, these skis are so incredibly easy and fun. The carbon keeps it light and active, making quick work of any energy that you put into the ski and relaying it back to the snow. While high speeds and aggressive skiing are a bit of a challenge, anything moderate in terms of pace and input is greatly rewarded.

Current Price: $487.49

Blemish Price: $437.49

Retail Price: $749.99

Buy Now | Blemish Version | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 4 Pick:

2026 Rossignol Sender Soul 102 Skis

Overview:

The Sender Soul 102 comes back for another season next year, but the name changes and the graphic changes, which means this one is now on sale! $487.46 feels like such a good deal for a ski in this width range with its level of technology and performance. While it might capture some of the soft snow performance of that old Soul 7, this Sender Soul 102 is much stronger overall and will satisfy more aggressive skiers who like to ski fast through changing and variable terrain and conditions. I don’t think the market responded particularly well to this ski when it was announced, partly because Rossignol’s collection of skis was somewhat confusing, but now with the addition of skis like the Sender Free 100 (to becoming just the Sender 100 for 2027) has not only brought more clarity to Rossignol’s offerings, has also brought more attention... deservingly so.

Current Price: $487.47

Retail Price: $749.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 4 Pick:

2026 Fischer The Curv GT 85 Redefine Skis w/Attack 11 LYT Bindings

Overview:

Burly, stiff, and ready to rip, the Fischer The Curv GT 85 Redefine skis with an Attack 11 matching binding for under $650 is a smoking deal. These skis have a mix of poplar and beech in the core, two full sheets of metal, with one being a thick .8mm titanal laminate to fully drive and power the skis at any speeds. With a lot of camber, edge grip and smoothness are at a premium while the wider bodied format allows for the ski to handle crud, chop, and other adverse conditions. While they’re better suited to on-trail skiing, there’s a smidge of versatility here, but I wouldn’t go so far as to claim this as being an all-mountain ski over a wide frontside option. With a different graphic, the ski is also unique and somewhat rare, if you care for that sort of thing.

Current Price: $647.49

Retail Price: $929.99

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Jeff's Round 5 Pick:

2026 Volkl Revolt 96 Skis

Overview:

This isn’t the first time I’ve picked a Revolt 96 for a Bargain Basement feature and likely won’t be the last. Even at full price, I think there’s a lot of value here. The Revolt 96 is very fun to ski. It’s a blast in the park, but has good all-mountain performance too. The recommended mount point is center, but if you’re more of a directional skier, just mount it a little further back and it becomes a super fun bump, tree, soft snow, and spring snow ski. Maybe you want something in your quiver that just becomes your “fun” ski or dare I say your “rock” skis. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of different skiers on the Revolt 96 from park enthusiasts like myself to lifelong skiers in the 70s. I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t enjoyed skiing them off the top of my head.

Current Price: $419.99

Retail Price: $599.99

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 5 Pick:

2026 Head Kore X 80 Skis

Overview:

Seeing as though this is a Bargain Basement article and video, I think it’s important to really home in on things that are a great deal. The Head Kore X 80 skis with PR bindings blends performance, versatility, and value better than many options out there. You get Head’s proven construction and shaping with the Kore X 80 and at an affordable price. For under $400, you get a ski with a vertically laminated wood core with graphene surrounded by lightweight polyurethane. With a solid topsheet and strong ABS sidewalls, these skis are sturdy and resilient as well as energetic and versatile. In the 177 cm length, these skis use a 14.5-meter turn radius to bring the ski into a modern carving format while the 80 mm waist is enough to handle light off-trail use as well as providing a balanced platform for when the groomers degrade and adverse conditions arise. While the tips and tails have some moderate taper for smoothness, the flat tail allows for confident carving through the finish phase of the turn. While more of an intermediate option, it’s nice to know that Head includes a lot of their technology found in the higher end skis to enhance skier experience and overall fun.

Current Price: $389.00

Retail Price: $459.00

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Jeff's Round 6 Pick:

2024 Rossignol Blackops 118 Skis

Overview:

Another wild card of a pick with the Blackops 118 here and honestly, it doesn’t really meet all of our criteria... We don’t have a ton of these in stock and we only have the 186 cm length, but still... It’s an awesome 118 mm underfoot twin tip powder ski for under $400. As I mentioned in the video, skis like this in 2026 and going into 2027 are getting closer and closer to $1000 as a regular price. This ski doesn’t exist anymore, but it’s not dissimilar to the new Sender Free 118 (just Sender 118 for 2027). You’re basically getting a modern powder ski that’s a heck of a lot of fun to ski at less than half the price of what you’d pay for a new one. There’s a lot to be said about that. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but for some, this is the deal of a lifetime.

Current Price: $379.00

Retail Price: $849.99

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 6 Pick:

2026 Salomon QST 100 Skis

Overview:

It’s tough to not include a QST 100 on any list, and even at retail, I think this is a good deal. When you chop $140 off of that price, it only accentuates the value. It’s no secret that we’ve been bullish about the versatility and overall awesomeness of the QST 100 this past year, and as a carryforward construction, that’ll certainly continue into the 2027 ski year, so you’re getting a fantastic deal on a slightly different graphic of the same ski moving forward. These skis are nearly unbeatable in trees, softer bumps, fun groomers, and anything else that you can’t really plan for. They thrive in the unexpected. They steer and turn easily through deep and soft snow, floating well above the 100 mm waist. In addition, they have excellent energy and feedback which is crazy given the dramatic rocker profile and taper shape.

Current Price: $559.96

Retail Price: $699.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Jeff's Round 7 Pick:

2026 K2 Mindbender 96 C Skis

Overview:

For some skis in this article, we talk about how they only change cosmetically for the upcoming season as a way to highlight their value.  That’s not the case for this Mindbender 96 C, however, but I still think it’s an excellent ski to include. The Mindbender line changes almost completely for 2027 and the “C” skis are largely gone (the inclusion of C in the naming is entirely gone, but technically the 2027 Mindbender 90 is the same as the 2026 Mindbender 90 C). Anyways... a lot of people really fell in love with the Mindbender 96 C and 106 C as fun, soft snow skis that are phenomenal in tight and technical terrain. Relatively lightweight too, so you could slap a touring binding on these and have a suitable setup for some uphill action. It’s one of those skis that once it’s gone, it’s probably never coming back, so if you like it... maybe consider picking up a backup pair or two.

Current Price: $489.97

Retail Price: $699.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results

Bob's Round 7 Pick:

2026 Atomic Maverick 96 CTi Skis

Overview:

While approaching the $600 mark may not feel like much of a bargain, the 2026 Atomic Maverick 96 CTi has a whole lot going for it when it comes to usefulness and performance. If you’re looking for value in terms of a ski, you have to take versatility into account, especially if you are limited in the number of skis you’re able to purchase. As such, I think a ski in the mid-90's makes a lot of sense, hence the amount of those on my list here. Additionally, this is Atomic’s first year of the new ski, so you can hedge a bet that this technology will continue for at least a few more years, so you will not be living with regret if the ski changes. These Mavericks have a great blend of flotation due to the lighter and wider shovel combined with the power and precision of a flatter, more directional tail. That mix of attributes allows for seamless transitions between softer and firmer snow, giving the skier a sense of accomplishment no matter what the mountains offer in terms of conditions and terrain.

Current Price: $599.96

Retail Price: $749.95

Buy Now | Ski Test Results