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Category: Ski Reviews

How to Choose a Complete Alpine Ski Package

If you’re a follower of Chairlift Chat, then you’ve undoubtedly seen our annual ski comparison guides. While we always love putting those together as they give us a chance to explore all of the details of this season’s latest skis, we also realize that for a lot of skiers, the price tag is what matters most. For that reason, SkiEssentials is proud to offer affordable ski packages featuring brand new skis, boots, bindings, and poles. If a budget-friendly ski option sounds like the right lane for you, check out this guide on How to Choose a Complete Alpine Ski Package!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S MID 90 MM ALL MOUNTAIN SKI GUIDE

This week in our ongoing ski comparison series, we take a closer look at 2021 Men’s All Mountain skis in the mid 90mm waist range. Arguably the most popular category of men’s skis, the options in this segment are also some of the most versatile, making excellent daily drivers for a wide range of ski conditions. For some, the skis in this category could also be candidates for a one-ski quiver as their width makes them capable of high performance on both groomers and in softer snow. If this sounds like your type of ski, check out to see how they compare!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: WOMEN'S 90 MM ALL MOUNTAIN SKI GUIDE

Now that we've discussed a bulk of the 2021 men's ski options, we're excited to finally be ready to swing over the women's side of the sport. To kick things off for the ladies, we're covering on of the most sought after ski segments: Women's All Mountain skis in the ~90mm waist range. From soft and playful to super super serious, there's a lot of variety in this category of skis, so if you think you're in the market we definitely recommend checking out this comparison of 2021 ~90mm Women's All ountain Skis!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S MID 80MM ALL MOUNTAIN SKI GUIDE

For installment #5 of our ongoing ski comparison series, we’re focusing on men’s all mountain skis in the mid-80mm waist range. While the skis in this category typically don’t receive the attention that their narrower, purely frontside counterparts, or slightly wider freeride oriented siblings do, they do feature the widest range of both applications and price points. Ranging from $399 to $1,250, and targeting everyone from intermediate skiers to particularly advanced skiers, this is likely the easiest category to chose the wrong ski in. To help ensure that you make the choice that’s best for you, we encourage you to check out our full comparison of 2021 Men’s Mid-80 MM All Mountain Skis!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S FRONTSIDE SKI GUIDE

In the fourth episode of our ongoing series comparing 2021 skis, we dive into a recap of 2021 Men’s Frontside skis. Narrow, stable, and built to carve, this category of ski isn’t for everyone, but those who dream of corduroy are going to love this comparison guide. In this category, skis vary widely in the skill level they’re most appropriate for, meaning it’s entirely possible that skiers shopping for a frontside ski could be significantly underwhelmed or overwhelmed by their purchase if they don’t know what they’re getting into. For example, an intermediate skier would find love the 2021 Volkl Deacon 79, while ex ski racers or beer league champions would strongly prefer the 2021 Rossignol Hero Athlete GS. If you’re looking into a 2021 Men’s Frontside ski, check out this guide to help ensure you’re buying the right ski for you!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S MID 100 MM FREERIDE SKI GUIDE

As you likely know by now, one of our core beliefs at SkiEssentials is that there really aren’t any bad skis anymore, some skis are just better suited to an individual’s particular style and ability. As such, when it comes to buying skis, the trick isn’t to buy the “best” ski, it’s to sort through your options to discover which one is best for you. In the third installment of our 2021 ski comparisons, we’ll take a look at Men’s Freeride skis in the Mid 100mm category. From skis with attitude such as the Stöckli Stormrider 105, to more playful twin tips like the 2021 Line Sir Francis Bacon, this article looks to walk you through this year’s options, ultimately helping you narrow down your options. Click through to check out all the details!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S 100 MM ALL MOUNTAIN SKI GUIDE

Next up in this year’s ski comparison guide series are the Men’s ~100mm All Mountain Skis. Being one of the most popular categories of skis available, there’s quite a bit of variation amongst this group of skis, from those with freestyle tendencies like the 2021 Line Blend or the 2021 Atomic Bent Chetler 100, to the more serious minded Kastle MX98. Of course with so many great options available in such a wide range of styles, it can be hard to figure out which ski is right for you. As it so happens, that’s exactly why we wrote this article. Click through to find out which 2021 Men’s 100mm All Mountain ski is best suites your style!

2021 SKI COMPARISONS: MEN'S 90 MM ALL MOUNTAIN SKI GUIDE

Making its return for the third consecutive year is our ever popular ski companion series. Nowadays, it’s a skier’s market as just about every ski available could be considered high quality thanks to advances in construction and shaping techniques. While it’s comforting to know that “bad” skis are hard to come by, that’s certainly not to say that it’s easy to buy the “right” ski. Even within a particular category, skis can vary widely in what type of skier they’re best suited for. In our ski comparison series, we’ll break down a number of skis with the goal of helping you understand which might be the best option for your ability and style of skiing. This week, we kick things off with a companion of 2021 Men’s All Mountain Skis in the 90mm waist width range. Enjoy!

SkiEssentials.com Bargain Basement – Six 2020 Men’s Freeride Skis

A couple of weeks ago, we gave the concept of an article highlighting some of our best deals on 2020 Men’s All Mountain skis a test drive to see if our readers would be interested in a quick overview of some of our best preseason deals. It turns out, that’s exactly the type of content you wanted, so we’re quite excited to be back this week with the second installment of what we expect to be an ongoing series: 6 Bargain Basement skis in the 2020 Men’s Freeride category. From the 2020 Fischer Ranger 102 FR to the Volkl Confession, the skis in this article are some of the best skis from last season currently available at unbeatable prices. If you’re in the market for a new Men’s Freeride skis, you’ll definitely want to check this article out before adding anything to your cart!

Top Five Fridays: May 22, 2020

This week in ski news, we find ourselves checking back in on the status of ski resorts that've reopened, as well as those that haven't. Once we give you the latest news on that front, we'll take a closer look at summer camps which typically start up for the year within the next couple of weeks, but are still unsure whether they'll be allowed to operate this time around. Plus, we'll bring you news from the FIS spring committee conference that's sure to make you feel some type of way, before rounding out the week by sharing news of an exciting backcountry resort being proposed in British Columbia, as well as a whole host of great edits. Check it all out right here in this week's edition of Top 5 Fridays!

2021 K2 Reckoner 102 Ski Review

If it feels like the 2020-2021 season is a bit of an overhaul in terms of new skis, you're more or less right. Keeping with that theme, K2 has done away with the Catamaran and Marksman skis of recent years, and is replacing them with the Reckoner series. Consisting of a Reckoner 102, 112, and 122, these twin tip skis look to contribute to the growing segment of skis which offer park capabilities while maintaining performance on groomers and in the sidecountry. This week, we're taking a closer look at the 2021 K2 Reckoner 102, the narrowest of the series, and one which we expect to see quite a bit of next year out on the slopes. So without further ado, we present to you our full review of the 2021 K2 Reckoner 102!

2021 Blizzard Bonafide 97 Ski Review

For the 2020/2021 season, Blizzard Skis has decided to make the Bonafide, one of their most popular models, even better. "Not possible.," you say? Well, we didn't think so either to be honest. And yet here we are, with an updated version of one of skiing's most sought after skis and the results speak for themselves. Building heavily upon what they've already learned about making an expert level freeride ski, the team at Blizzard has made some subtle tweaks and adjustments in regards to the build of the Bonafide, and despite the subtlety, the changes have made a noticeable difference in the way the 2021 Bonafide skis. To find out all the details, check out this full review of the 2021 Blizzard Bonafide 97!

2021 Dynastar M-Free 108 Ski Review

As you may have heard, either through the grapevine or from our previous review of the 2021 Dynastar M-Pro 99, Dynastar is back for the 2021 season with an entirely new line of skis known as the "M-Line." Divided into three categories, the M-Pro, M-Free, and M-Tour, these brand new skis are an exciting breath of fresh air from one of our longtime favorite brands. This week we're sharing with you our full review of the 2021 Dynastar M-Free 108, a ski that we suspect you'll be seeing quite a bit of in the years to come. Find out why in our comprehensive review of this exciting new ski!

2021 Rossignol BLACKOPS Rallybird Ski Review

Today on Chairlift Chat, we're reviewing the all new 20201 Rossignol BLACKOPS Rallybird Women's Skis. So far this Spring, we've reviewed three skis from the new 2021 Rossignol BLACKOPS lineup (the Holyshred, Sender, and Sender Ti), and we're extremely exciting to be bringing you a full review of what's arguably the flagship model from the female side of the line. While you may be familiar with some of the design techniques found within this ski, Rossignol's attention to detail means they've designed the Rallybird's construction to fit specifically within a female-focused size range. To find out more about this, and what it means for the performance of the ski, check out this full review of the 2021 Rossignol BLACKOPS Rallybird!

2021 Volkl Revolt 104 Ski Review

If you're a fan of Volkl skis, and their Revolt line in particular, than you may have found yourself wondering why the series has offered a 95mm option, and a 121mm option, but no widths in between. Well, as it turns out, Volkl has been spending the last two years perfecting the Revolt 104 with the help of their freestyle and freeride athletes. The results, are incredible. Utilizing feedback from World Tour Athletes like Markus Eder, as well as more park-centric athletes such as Tom Ritsch, Volkl's goal was to make a twin-tip ski that excels on all terrain. After having the chance to test this ski in early March, we have to admit, the 2021 Volkl Revolt 104 was well worth the wait. Click through to get all the details in our full review of this exciting new ski!