2027 Men's Mid 100 mm Freeride Ski Comparison

The 2027 mid-100's Freeride ski category is stacked with fun, power, and playfulness. We get some amazing all-new performers like the Kastle Transcend 104 and the Unleashed 106’s as well as some re-vamped models like Sakana and Scope. Most of these skis have a soft snow and creative lean, while others have a bit more directional horsepower to make quick work of variable conditions and more extreme terrain. This grouping of skis sees an interesting mix of construction and shaping—some have metal, some have twin tips, and some have both. This variance in blending build and profile makes the mid-100's category incredibly entertaining and highly useful when it comes to multi-dimensional snow without completely losing sight of on-trail and groomer performance.

At a Glance:

2027 Liberty Scope 104 Skis

Overview:

If you’re looking for a good time in soft snow without a whole lot of effort, the Liberty Scope 104 is the place to be. Built with a mix of poplar and bamboo, the Scope 104 has a soft flex in the tips and tails that contribute to crazy mobility and a super playful persona. Underfoot, the skis are actually pretty robust with a thick core profile, poured ABS sidewalls, and a phenolic plate in the mounting zone. We found that these skis work incredibly well in tighter trees and more technical terrain when more of a swervy style is needed. The wiggle factor and shenanigans levels are off the charts with the Scope 104.

Who it’s For:

Playful and creative skiers who spend the bulk of their time searching for air and excitement.

Price: $749.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Salomon Depart 01 Skis

Overview:

Now in year two, the Depart 01 continues to be an intriguing and playful ski in this category. Built with a lighter combination of wood and metal underfoot, these skis encapsulate creative skiing. With a short 15-meter radius, the Depart 01 mixes a shifty style with new swerve carving characteristics. Yes, it’s a twin tip, but it definitely has some interesting tweaks with a pointy shovel and a rounder tail. In addition, we get a 12 mm drop in tip to tail width, making this a much more pin tailed twin. The limitation is your imagination. With a light feel and a wide platform, it’s not amazing on firmer snow or in an on-trail setting, but pretty much everything else is well within this ski’s boundaries. If you’re looking to expand your repertoire in a freeride realm with a lighter ski, this is a fantastic option.

Who it’s For:

Swervy style skiers who love to pick and choose their lines with creativity as the top priority.

Price: $749.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Armada ARV 106 Skis

Overview:

With a bit more of a freestyle lean than many others, the Armada ARV 106 certainly has a wide park ski mentality to bolster its softer snow performance. Built with a light poplar core, an ash insert underfoot, and Armada’s W3dgewall technology, there’s a good deal of thought involved here. While it still hovers around 2000 g/ski in the 180, it just feels lighter, mainly due to the thinning of the core profile as it approaches the tips and tails. With a medium flex, the combo makes for a comfortable skiing experience with a ton of freestyle and creative upside. The skis feature a 7 mm drop in tip to tail width, hence the more park and balanced application, even if you think 106 mm underfoot is on the wide side for this type of skiing. Either way, the ARV 106 has the proper DNA for mixing freestyle and freeride with a light swing weight and fantastic flotation.

Who it’s For:

Park and freestyle skiers who want a wider ski to use in natural features as well as the terrain park.

Price: $799.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Volkl Revolt 104 Skis

Overview:

The dense overall feel of the Revolt 104 is reassuring and playful all at the same time. There aren’t too many twins on this list that have as robust of a core, blending poplar and beech to create a solid and stable platform. At the same time, the flex of the ski is ample, and the taper shape allows for some serious creativity in softer snow. This is most exemplified by the 20 mm drop in tip to tail width. We have found that the Revolt 104 has an exciting mix of capabilities, ranging from tree skiing, pure powder, natural hits, and resort terrain park applications. Even on groomers, this ski exudes confidence in a carved turn, especially if you size up and let it run. It’s super buttery and smooth, but it does have a bit of weight to it that makes it a bit less nimble than some of the lighter skis on this list.

Who it’s For:

Soft snow freestyle skiers who love to mix it up, switch it up, and make all sorts of smeary turns.

Price: $749.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Fischer Nightstick 104 Skis

Overview:

Similar to the Revolt, the Nightstick uses a dense wood core to produce a stable and confident feel. At the same time, the ample flexion in the tips and tails creates a crazy amount of playfulness and soft snow performance. We get a functional metal laminate underfoot here, only this layer is on the bottom of the core. This does two things—first, it allows for increased durability in the rail/jib zone of the ski. Second, it puts the metal closer to the snow, so for an on-trail application, we’re getting increased edge grip and carving control. The round flex allows for easy carving, but as with most of the skis on the approachable side of the spectrum, there’s a limit when it comes to firmer snow and hard pack. For natural features, tricks, and stunts, the Nightstick 104 has a ton of freestyle potential with a 10 mm drop from tip to tail leading to a more balanced approach.

Who it’s For:

Buttery and playful skiers who want to show off their stunts and tricks while keeping soft snow performance as a top priority.

Price: $674.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Line Pandora 106 Skis

Overview:

Built with a thick aspen veneer wood core, the Line Pandora 106 can be considered more of a traditional ski within this range, although there’s quite a bit of rocker to increase the soft snow capacity of the ski. It’s a very intuitive ski that holds up well to both aggressive skiers and emerging freeriders. There’s some weight here, mainly underfoot, but the partial cap construction does make it feel nimbler and more flexible at the ends of the skis. There’s really nothing offensive about this ski—it works well and performs as advertised. We think this makes a great option for skiers who spend a lot of time in trees, crud, and choppy snow. In addition, out of all the Pandora skis, the 106 feels like the sweet spot, as there’s just enough heft and stability to make this ski acceptable in a big mountain format while also keeping this cool and composed on groomers.

Who it’s For:

Skiers who are mixing all-mountain and freeride skiing. You want a floater, but you don’t want to give up front side performance.

Price: $699.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Black Crows Atris Skis

Overview:

With a playful shape and a simple construction, the Black Crows Atris continues to be a leader of the pack when it comes to the dictionary definition of Mid-100's Freeride. The whole point here is to develop a shape and profile that’s amenable to variable snow conditions and terrain. The build doesn’t need to be all that sophisticated, but the footprint of the ski does require more thought and artistry. Atris is just such a fun and capable ski in anything soft. It doesn’t have to be deep, but if it is, Atris still survives. In longer lengths, it’s really fun to let it run as it does have that Cadillac-style smoothness to it. When you want to go sideways and get weird, the Atris’ profile allows for a surfy and smeary mentality. While it won’t win any power contests, it’s more than happy to live in the middle where it will make a ton of skiers insanely happy.

Who it’s For:

Freeride skiers who love the surf style of skiing. You may actually be a surfer in the non-skiing months.

Price: $929.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Armada ARV 106 Ti Skis

Overview:

With a few sheets of partial metal to go along with a poplar core, the Armada ARV 106 Ti brings a bit more heat to the twin tip realm. We get a decent amount of edge grip to go along with the same playful tips and tails that we love from the non-Ti ARV 106. By keeping the same footprint while adding ATB-X laminates, the ARV 106 Ti is a higher-octane twin that can hold up to more aggressive skiing without leaving creativity totally in the dust. This ski works well in crud, chop, or other snow that may seem unmanageable without metal. At the same time, it’s not overly demanding, so a recreational skier looking for a bit of a challenge will not be overpowered. While the park scene may fall a little behind, it’s more of a stylistic preference as to how much slopestyle use we’ll get. It’s pretty fun on groomers, but it’s very capable and smooth in variable snow.

Who it’s For:

Freestyle-oriented skiers who want a bit more pop and power to go along with their twin tip creativity.

Price: $900.00

Ski Test Results

At a Glance:

2027 Volkl Blaze 104 Skis

Overview:

The Blaze 104 is a good time on skis. This thing rips on groomers, has a fun, directional shape to it, and a very energetic build. You get a lot of the Volkl precision and engineered vibes out of this ski as it blends a lightweight character with a capable all-mountain ski. There’s also a bit of touring potential here, although with the latest updates a few years back, there are certainly lighter and more dedicated tourers out there. Either way, the Blaze 104 absolutely rips turns and makes for a great tree ski whether it has snowed lately or not. It’s quick from edge to edge, especially for having such a wide shovel, and it takes full advantage of Volkl’s 4 Radius Drive to maximize intuition when it comes to varying turn shapes and styles. This is one of the more traditionally shaped skis in this wall, so not a whole lot to talk about with rocker splay, but rocker length is quite a bit more of a modern look.

Who it’s For:

More technical skiers looking for energy, rebound and the potential for side and back country use.

Price: $849.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Liberty Radian 106 Skis

Overview:

The Radian 106 gets some construction tweaks for this year as Liberty seems to be getting back to normal with the re-introduction of bamboo in the core. It’s mixed with poplar, ash, carbon, and metal to make a sharp, fun, and engaging turn style in all sorts of snow conditions. The shape of the ski returns unchanged, and we’ve liked it for the amount of energy you get out of the tail with basically minimal effort. This ski turns very easily but also has a high-end directional ceiling that makes for intriguing skiing. It works well in our woods with a tapered shovel that stays up and out of the snow with ease. The thinner core profile equates to easy flex and good suspension even under duress. The partial metal laminate underfoot makes for a silent style of ski as that bamboo also contributes to the quiet nature.

Who it’s For:

Mostly all-mountain skiers looking for a wider option for snowy days. You do not want to give up on energy and rebound in order to bypass flotation though.

Price: $849.99

Ski Test Results

At a Glance:

2027 Faction Prodigy 3 Skis

Overview:

While the Prodigy 3 is a twin tip, it has quite a bit of directional power and performance. There are a lot of skis in this range, and we’ll include the Pandora 106 here, that seem to come alive in a certain width. The Prodigy 3 is that ski within the Prodigy line. When you ski it like an all-mountain ski, it absolutely rips turns with total confidence. You almost have to adjust your mindset to think that it’s not just a twin tip, but rather an all-mountain ripper that also has freestyle and freeride capabilities. While energy isn’t the high point here, as there aren’t many other additives like carbon or metal, the poplar core does feel consistent and fun. The energy mainly comes from the camber, and the round turning principles are based off the drop of 8 mm from tip to tail width. We’re just over 2000 grams here in the 184 as well, so there’s a solid and sturdy feel to go along with more of a cap build in the softer tips and tails.

Who it’s For:

Strong skiers who want a playful yet carvy twin for pure all-mountain and freeride performance.

Price: $829.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Nordica Unleashed 106 CA Skis

Overview:

This entirely new freeride ski is an excellent example of something that’s loaded with energy and pop yet still somehow exudes creative freeride performance. The Unleashed 106 CA is the peppier of the two new Unleashed 106’s this year, featuring a lighter wood core with carbon stringers. The camber does add energy as well, and a slightly more directional mount point aids in the on-trail and carving performance of the ski. They work great in our tight trees here in Vermont, and we’ve found them to have enough stability to warrant high-end performance carving even on hard pack. Nordica skis have always turned great, and the new 106 CA takes that to the next level with added width and overall mass. The shape and profile lean more to the soft snow and playful side, but the stiffer flex in the underfoot zone does not let you forget about this ski’s business-like character.

Who it’s For:

This is a great ski for someone who mixes terrain but doesn’t need a freestyle-oriented twin.

Price: $749.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Line Sakana Skis

Overview:

It’s always a challenge to place this ski in any category as it’s got such crazy unicorn vibes. You could use it as a groomer only ski, and we wouldn’t fault you for that, but for 2027, Line adds some tail rocker to the mix, a slightly lighter tip, and a more freestyle-focused feel that’s putting it a bit closer to that Depart 01 type of character. They use their thick cut sidewalls, fatty base and edge, and carbon/flax tape to bring the power while the new thin tip tech makes it a bit smearier than before. There aren’t many skis at 105 mm underfoot that have a 14.7-meter turn radius in the 174, so these certainly have an interesting mix of shape and turning principles. We’ve called this ski a cheat code in the past, and that definitely continues into 2027 with this refurbished Sakana. It’s still very directional, though, making quick work of groomers, crud, and chop while keeping a creative mentality at the forefront of the ski’s personality.

Who it’s For:

Hard to say, really. Could be everyone, could be no one. We all really like it a lot, though!

Price: $864.95

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At a Glance:

2027 DPS Kaizen 105 Skis

Overview:

The Kaizen 105 is an interesting ski in that it’s a directional, carbon-powered charger that has a lot of precision and energy but isn’t quite as playful as many other skis on this list. It’s light enough, it’s easy enough, and it’s approachable enough, but at the same time, it can really be turned up and skied aggressively in all sorts of snow. It does feel a bit more like a wide all-mountain ski, similar to the Blaze or the Maverick, but it does have a certain feel to it, by blending oak, poplar, and two full sheets of carbon plus a carbon power plate. You pay for it, for sure, but that material and the build quality ensure that you’ll get a ski that will stand up to years of use and enjoyment. With a thinner overall profile, there’s some flex here, and with a slightly longer radius than the normal 15-meter arc of the DPS realm, it does feel more fall-line oriented and capable of producing massive amounts of energy. Skis this wide shouldn’t grip this well, especially without metal, but that’s the sauce that DPS creates with a boatload of carbon.

Who it’s For:

Precise skiers who prefer the technical side of skiing. You want a wider ski but you don’t want to lose grip or accessibility.

Price: $1,795.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Atomic Maverick 105 CTi Skis

Overview:

Similar to the DPS, the Atomic Maverick 105 CTi is a directional freeride ski that could border on wide all-mountain. This ski feels light yet stable, allowing skiers to take aggressive lines through technical and tricky spots that heavier or less responsive skis would have a hard time in. It rips groomers with relative ease, and the shovel allows for proper flotation in a multitude of snow depths and types. It certainly feels like it wants to stay on top of the surface as opposed to diving down, but that really only applies to multi-dimensional snow. If it’s smooth, the ski loves to be engaged and on edge. It’s easy to be mobile here, as the taper is a bit longer, aligning with the rocker and HRZN tech to make quick work out of necessary and subsequent turns—it's easy to link these shorter turns in tighter spaces while also being amenable to higher speed carves.

Who it’s For:

This is a good option for skiers who are not quite sure what they’re looking for overall, but they do know that they want good groomer performance.

Price: $849.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Kastle Transcend 104 Skis

Overview:

The all-new Kastle Transcend 104 was an instant hit for us here at SkiEssentials. This is one of the more intuitive skis on this list and can draw instant comparisons to the QST 106 in terms of having easy steering, a high-performance ceiling, and a smooth yet energetic overall feel. Built with a blend of poplar and beech, the Transcend 104 has metal underfoot to keep the ski connected to firmer snow. You can lay this ski over with vigor and intent, and it will respond in kind. The rocker profile and taper shape could not be more appropriate in these skis—the footprint is ideally suited to bring skiers the best of both worlds when it comes to mixing aggressive yet playful performance. At over 2000 grams per ski, it’s got some heft and stability to it, putting it right there with skis that have more metal, yet the Transcend feels more energetic and surfy than most. We look forward to spending more and more time on these skis this year. And they look sweet, too.

Who it’s For:

Strong skiers who love mixing conditions and terrain will love the blend of capabilities here. If you’re a fan of powering through crud as well as playing within it, the Transcend will allow for all of that good stuff.

Price: $949.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Salomon QST 106 Skis

Overview:

While the Transcend 104 is the new kid making waves, the Salomon QST 106 is just such a stalwart in this category. Throughout the years, the QST 106 has developed a well-earned reputation for being an excellent soft snow ski with sneaky smoothness. This latest iteration has all of that but brings the performance ceiling up a few notches. When you get on the longer lengths in this ski, they absolutely motor through crud and chop. The excel at powder and trees with uncommonly good steering and flotation. On groomers, they are very poised and predictable, although there are more powerful and energetic skis on this list for that application, specifically. Similar to the Atris discussion, there’s a lot of emphasis on shape here, but Salomon takes it to a different level when it comes to the construction, featuring basalt stringers, metal underfoot, cork in tips and tails, and a solid and predictable poplar core.

Who it’s For:

Fans of trees, broken snow, and all sorts of adversity will love the QST’s composure and predictability.

Price: $849.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Nordica Unleashed 106 Skis

Overview:

With a ton of smoothness and power, the new Nordica Unleashed 106 is a fun yet highly capable freeride ski that feasts on both firm and chunky snow. The carving power of this ski is all there, and it does start to take a toll on the skier to access said performance. With a spoony tip and tail shape for increased soft snow acumen, the Unleashed 106 vacillates easily between conditions and terrain. With a slightly more directional feel than what we may have thought we’d get from a new Unleashed, the 106 functions extremely well in fall-line applications and on the feet of assertive and competent skiers. While we’re not getting true twin tip and freestyle performance here, there’s some playfulness to be found, but this ski relies more on the metal and the turning capabilities to carve out its character. The titanal versions of these skis aren’t necessarily higher performing than the CA, but they do have more damping and power to go along with a greater sense of demand.

Who it’s For:

Fall-line skiers who love to operate at speed and in a charging manner. You love the turning of a Nordica ski but also want a floaty aspect for the deeper days.

Price: $799.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Blizzard Rustler 10 Skis

*For this particular comparison, we’re only including the 186 & 192 lengths as the waist width is 104mm at those sizes, while shorter lengths have a waist width of 102mm. You can expect to see those sizes in the 100 mm Freeride Comparison article.

Overview:

This was a late addition to this lineup. We have struggled with the Rustler 10 and its placement over the years, so this time we just gave up and are putting it in both this category and the 100 mm Freeride. The main reason is that the Rustler 10 bumps up to 104 mm underfoot in the 186 and 192 while the 180 and shorter are 102’s. At 104, the Rustler 10 more than warrants a spot here on the wall as it has a freeride-oriented shape and profile that make it drifty and smeary while the metal laminates keep it smooth, strong, and composed in a groomer format. Every time we get on a Rustler 10, we find something else to like. In the trees, the high splay and low camber combine to make for a shifty and drifty feel while on groomers; the sophisticated construction holds tight to firm snow as these skis make some amazingly round and clean arcs. They are damp and peppy, although once you get to these longer lengths, you do lose a bit of that quickness and rely more on the ski’s power to get you through adversity and oddness.

Who it’s For:

At these lengths, you should be a bigger person with a preference for longer turns and performance in multi-dimensional snow.

Price: $849.99

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At a Glance:

2027 Line Optic 104 Skis

Overview:

Built with power and stability, and shaped with progression in mind, the Line Optic 104 can feel like a beast to some and a playful twin tip to others. Built with an aspen wood core, the skis use a strategic titanal laminate to power the Optic and dampen vibrations. It’s very effective, especially in choppy snow, but it also feels like a tank on groomers. This leads to a lot of fun when on the feet of aggressive skiers and hard chargers, but it can feel like a bit of a burden for those looking for an easy good time. The strength of the ski keeps it on the demanding side, but the partial cap construction aligning with the rocker and taper keeps it squarely in the fun-loving division, especially on the feet of more accomplished skiers. We love this thing in the crud, through the chop, and ripping groomers—it's an incredibly steady ski when up on edge, and it makes amazingly long carved turns.

Who it’s For:

Playful freeride skiers with a creative mindset who don’t want to give up on hard charging activities.

Price: $809.95

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At a Glance:

2027 Faction Dancer 106 Ti Skis

Overview:

The Faction Dancer 106 Ti is basically a re-branded Dancer 3. At 106 mm underfoot, we’ve always felt that this ski falls into the wide all-mountain category with a flatter tail, stronger build, and more directional feel to it. They absolutely rip carved turns, thanks to a poplar wood core and two titanal laminates. The skis work well in a groomer format and at higher speeds. If you want greater soft snow or moderate speed compliance, you better be willing to put in the work. Once you treat them like a wider carver, they really start to light it up. When the snow gets soft, the 106 Ti makes quick work of crud and chop but doesn’t quite have the shape and profile to allow for pure flotation or any type of playful characteristics. That’s fine and is a big reason why these skis are mainly found on the feet of expert skiers who have a directional and fall-line mentality.

Who it’s For:

Strong skiers who like a wider ski for making big turns no matter what the conditions or terrain may be.

Price: $879.00

Ski Test Results

At a Glance:

2027 Head Kore 106 Skis

Overview:

The Kore 106 uses sophisticated construction and a good deal of drama in the shape to create a strong yet capable ski in all sorts of snow. The use of beech offsetting karuba, and the two layers of titanal combine to make a sturdy ski that has some heft and power to it. The taper in the shovel stands out as a nod to the floaty side of the ski, while the camber underfoot adds quite a bit more of a poppy feeling than you may expect. The damping properties of these skis are off the charts, and that can make them feel more demanding, but if you shorten your turns and rely on the camber to provide zip, they can feel a bit more mobile. We found they work slightly better in more open spaces and at higher speeds to allow for crud busting and wind buff performance to really come alive and resonate with advanced and expert skiers.

Who it’s For:

Strong skiers with strong legs who like to drive and push a ski to see what it’s made of.

Price: $899.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Kastle Paragon 107 Skis

Overview:

The unchanged Paragon 107 returns as a hard charger with directional performance written all over it. We do get some taper and rocker in the shovel here, but the bulk of the ski is all about strong and powerful turning. Kastle also implements their Infinicore construction consisting of poplar, beech, and paulownia stringers to go along with two full sheets of metal. This is a real deal build that allows for very aggressive and very fast skiing with complete and total composure and confidence. We found that these skis love to be used at speed and provide a smooth level of operation in all sorts of conditions. While they’re a bit much for tighter trees and more technical zones, when it opens up, the Paragon 107 really seems to come alive. The taper and rocker in the shovel create a floaty feel, but that doesn’t last very long as you work your way through the waist and into the tail—these skis ultimately want to turn and carve.

Who it’s For:

Technical skiers who love speed and want a ski with total power and composure in all sorts of conditions and terrain.

Price: $849.00

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At a Glance:

2027 Nordica Enforcer 104 Skis

Overview:

It’s no surprise that this ski ends up on the demanding side of the wall once more as the Enforcer 104 has a stiff flex, a heavy feel, and a robust personality. This is a great ski for charging and being aggressive on, and it feels like it just wants to go. At the same time, this Enforcer, like most of Nordica’s skis, are such great turners that it adds to the overall levels of enjoyment here. These skis operate very well in a groomer format with amazing edge grip and power. They absolutely crush crud and chop with no problems whatsoever. If you want them to be a light and enjoyable tree ski in tighter spaces, you may be looking in the wrong spot. At the same time, on the feet of strong and skilled skiers, the Enforcer 104 has the width and rocker to make those technical zones moderately approachable. In general, though, this is an experts-only ski with a solid wood core, two sheets of metal, and a lot of stiffness to complement the weight.

Who it’s For:

Strong and capable skiers who do not shy away from a challenge. You want the best performance possible at the 104 mm level.

Price: $899.99

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