What's In Your Quiver - Episode 8: Building Hypothetical Ski Quivers
Here at SkiEssentials, we get a lot of questions regarding both our personal ski quivers and the building of a customer’s. Over the past few years, we’ve had fun showing you our own skis, and why we have them and what they’re good for. Since most of our personal skis are more on a two or even three-year cycle, many of our personal quiver skis would have been redundant for the 2026 season. As a result, we decided to switch things up and build our hypothetical quivers, starting with five skis and narrowing it down to one. The rules are somewhat simple—begin with five skis that you would take to ski here at Stowe for the year. Travel and destination-based skiing were not really taken into account in order to preserve authenticity. These skis are grounded in our reality. You start with five and can remove or replace any ski at any turn. The elimination method was fun, rather than building from a single pair, as it puts more emphasis on that elusive one-ski quiver that we may or may not believe actually exists.
Bob’s Quiver:
Five Ski: Atomic Redster X9s, Line Optic 88, Salomon QST 100, Volkl Revolt 121, Volkl Revolt 101
Atomic Redster X9s 182 cm:
This is my ultimate carving ski on firm snow. It’s sharp, crisp, and unflappable at speed. When the snow is firm and you need edge grip, stability, and power, this is the ski to reach for. If you’re going to have a front side ski, you might as well go narrow and awesome.
Line Optic 88 184 cm:
There’s not much of a reason in my book to go mid-80's front side or all-mountain when the X9s bookends the carving side of the spectrum. In addition, I’m super impressed with how well the Optic 88 carves, not to mention its twin tip shape and all-mountain versatility. This is a great ski for bumps, trees, groomers, and other non-fresh snow days. There’s the perfect amount of metal in this ski to mix damping and energy.
Salomon QST 100 188 cm:
This is a ski that could go the distance. Well-rounded in every sense of the word, the Salomon QST 100 is fun, exciting, floaty, carvy, and fun. Yes I said “fun” twice. For here at Stowe, this is a fantastic tree ski, can handle pretty much any snow we get other than super deep (rare) days, and is engaging enough on firm groomers to at least hold interest, especially when an X9s is waiting in the truck.
Volkl Revolt 101 182 cm:
This is my wild card in the group of five. I truly only need four, but if we have to add another, I want something a bit out of the ordinary, and I’ve been loving my time on the Revolt 101. It’s not as fun or playful in the woods or as floaty in the powder as the QST 100, so that’s why it sits just outside and takes an ever so slight backseat to the Salomon in terms of overall versatility. With fantastic edge grip and carving power, the Revolt 101 is a unique and diverse ski that is a sheer joy to ski.
Volkl Revolt 121 191 cm:
If I’m going powder, I’m going wide. Not Genome wide at 141—121 is plenty. Add to that a fun shape and surfy style, and what more could you want on the deepest of days. I don’t see much need for an in-between ski here in the 110 range, mainly because if I want float, I want fat. Like the Revolt 101, the 121 uses a dense wood core and has a classic, traditional feel despite the wild shape and profile that makes this ski an unbelievably good floater with fantastic mobility for the weight and width. Like the X9s, there’s really only a tiny handful of days where this ski is in full need.
Four Ski: Atomic X9s, Optic 88, Salomon QST 100, Volkl Revolt 121
I’m keeping the core four and dropping the Revolt 101. There’s just too much crossover with the QST 100, and in order to simplify, that Revolt has to go away. I’m still thrilled to have the carver, the useful and playful 88, the well-rounded powerhouse, and the fat boy at my disposal.
Three Ski: Stockli Montero AR, Line Optic 88, Salomon QST 100
Now that we’re narrowing the line down to three, there’s a few changes here to consider. First off, the Revolt 121 has to go. It’s nice to have, but is certainly not needed here in Vermont. The QST 100 is still a fantastic floater, and the worst possible situation is that it snows two feet and I’m on a QST 100. Another notable swap is the dropping of the X9s in favor of a Stockli Montero AR 180. Now that I have three skis, the AR moves into that front side spot mainly to add more fun and versatility to the frontside. It’s also really nice to have something of this quality in the lineup to deliver a smooth and silent character. there might be some overlap between the AR and the Optic, so we’ll see what happens when we get to two.
Two Ski: Stockli Montero AR 180, Salomon QST 100
Well, bye bye Optic 88, it was a good ride. The AR pairs so darn well with the QST 100 for a two-ski quiver. Pretty much any day is covered other than the extremes. If you get a ton of snow, then great! If it’s frozen and icy for two weeks, I’m more than happy to rip around on an AR until it snows. I think that an 84 and 100 are about as solid of a two-ski pairing as you can get around here.
One Ski: Salomon QST 100
Winer take all. Salomon QST 100 has run the table and made it to the final boss. This ski works so well on so many levels, and truly does everything that I like to do here at Stowe. Since it’s right in the middle of many attributes, there are surely spots where it lacks. It’s not the best carver. It won’t float in two feet of snow. It’s a bit wide for tight and firm bumps. It’s slightly narrow and not terribly damp when it comes to high speed crud busting. There are obvious and varying flaws to this ski as perfection
Jeff’s Quiver:
5 Ski: Stockli Montero AX, Black Crows Mirus Cor, Rossignol Sender Free 100, Blizzard Canvas 108, Salomon QST X
I feel like I went through this exercise 10 different times and where I ended up is really not what I thought would happen. I ended up creating quite different quivers, or rather they kind of bounce back and forth a little bit. You’ll see what I mean as I go through it. Here goes nothing...
Stockli Montero AX:
I absolutely love skiing this thing and for me, it’s plenty for my narrowest ski. I enjoy going narrower from time to time, but I find going under 80 mm, you start to run into some snow condition dependencies. If I want to go out and carve turns on groomers, the Montero AX works great for me and I’m more confident knowing it will work well regardless of conditions.
Mirus Cor:
This was one of the most challenging decisions for me. I had it in, then I left it out, then I brought it back in again, but spoiler alert, just for the 5-ski-quiver. Basically, my reasoning here is if you’re able to own 5 pairs skis, you can justify owning something kind of weird. The Mirus Cor is exactly that, it’s kind of weird, but it’s a nice choice to have. If I’m coaching, skiing with family, or just cruising around, it makes skiing slower really exciting.
Sender Free 100:
This one will come in and out of my selections as you’ll quickly learn. For me, it’s just about the most well-rounded ski on the market for how I like to ski (probably another spoiler there). I can ski it in the park, I can ski it in the trees, it can handle some deeper, softer snow, and it’s surprisingly good on groomers. If I want to ski park, I’ll take the Sender Free 100, with the Mirus Cor being a secondary park option, each with their own set of other strengths.
Canvas 108:
This is a bit of an unfair choice since technically you can’t buy it yet, but you’ll be able to really, really soon! I’ve been skiing it a lot already this season and I just can’t think of something that would work better for me as a powder ski here in Stowe. 108 is wider than some people would choose, but the Canvas 108 is lighter than most, exceptionally agile, and I ski it in the 180 cm length so it’s not overkill in its totality.
QST X:
Rounding out a 5 ski quiver for me would be the QST X. This I’d mount with a Shift 2 binding and it would double as my really deep powder day ski and my touring ski. By many skier’s standards, 116 mm underfoot is unnecessary for a touring ski around here, but I’m only going to choose to ski uphill if there’s really deep snow to be skied. I’ve also found it works better than you’d think in Vermont trees. It’s so surfy and light that maneuvering through lines in the notch here at Stowe feels effortless.
4 Ski: Stockli Montero AX, Blizzard Rustler 9, K2 Reckoner 102, Blizzard Canvas 108
For my four ski quiver, I switch things up a bit. I drop the QST X and I also drop the Mirus Cor. I keep the Montero AX in there and I keep the Canvas 108, but replace the Mirus Cor and Sender Free 100 with the Rustler 9 and Reckoner 102. Honestly, this is what I had the most difficulty with. I really leaned on my theory that with a 5-ski-quiver, you can own something weird like the Mirus Cor. I can’t think of anything I’d rather ski in its class than the Montero AX, so that’s easy to keep there, and it’s a similar concept with the Canvas 108 in regards to powder. On the other hand, the Rustler 9 is easily one of my favorite all-mountain skis and the Reckoner 102 is my favorite park ski. It’s an interesting conversation and one I could keep having over and over again. Why wouldn’t I keep the Sender Free 100? Well, I think the Rustler 9 outperforms it as an all-mountain ski and I think the Reckoner 102 is a better park ski. Dropping the Mirus Cor allows me to specialize the middle of my quiver a little more.
3 Ski: Stockli Montero AX, Rossignol Sender Free 100, Blizzard Canvas 108
This one is pretty simple, as I keep the Montero AX and the Canvas 108, but the Rustler 9 and the Reckoner 102 go away in favor of the Sender Free 100 again. My rationale here is that I’m going after categories with a 3-ski-quiver, and I think that’s the right way to approach it. This is probably the most common place for a lot of skier, a nice 3 ski quiver. I have my groomer ski, my versatile do-everything/park ski, and I have my powder ski in the Canvas 108. I do think a lot of people would prefer shifting things a little narrower for here in Vermont. Powder ski moves to around 104ish, all-mountain ski moves to mid-90ish, but for me, I like the idea of having an 80 mm ski, a 100 mm ski, and a 108 mm ski. Checks a lot of boxes for me personally.
2 Ski: Blizzard Rustler 9, K2 Reckoner 102
This got hard again. If I keep the Sender Free 100, do I drop the Montero or the Canvas? I was so hung up on this, I dropped everything and decided that for a 2-ski-quiver, I would absolutely love the Rustler 9 and Reckoner 102. Some people might think that’s crazy, but if I was forced to only ski those two skis all season here in Vermont, I wouldn’t be disappointed at all. The Rustler 9 absolutely rips and outperforms most skiers’ expectations on a groomer. While going narrower has its benefits, the Rustler 9 still satisfies my carving desires, while also allowing for trees, moguls, softer snow, etc. Then the Reckoner 102 doubles as both a park ski and a powder ski. 102 is wide enough around here unless we can a massive dump. Also, I’m going to be sliding a ton of rails on it, and having damaged and dull edges doesn’t matter as much in deep snow.
1 Ski: Rossignol Sender Free 100
The idea of only skiing one ski all year long is so foreign to me at this point, but if I had to, I’d go with the Rossignol Sender Free 100. It’s just so gosh darn well-rounded for me. No, it’s not as good on a groomer as the Rustler 9, and no, I don’t like it in the park as much as a Reckoner 102, but it’s not far behind those skis either. I could ski it on a firm groomer day and still have some fun. I could lap the park on it all day long. I could ski it on a Stowe powder day and not feel like I was at a disadvantage compared to friends. I do think it’s worth pointing out that in order to achieve such versatility, I do feel like I need to go with the 184 cm length. In the Rustler 9 and Reckoner 102 2-ski-quiver, I would ski them in 180 cm and 177 cm respectively.
Matt’s Quiver:
5 Ski: Blizzard Thunderbird 82 LTD, Black Crows Mirus Cor, Dynastar M-Free 100, Salomon QST 106, Salomon QST S/Lab Blank
Blizzard Thunderbird 82 LTD:
I’ve only spent a very minimal amount of time on this thing, but that short amount of time was more than enough to tell me that I would want it in my quiver of 5. It’s stiff, powerful, and needs to be piloted which is exactly what I am looking for in a frontside carver. I also tend to prefer wider frontside skis around 80-82 mm, so this slots in perfectly there. The added width gives me a bit more confidence at higher edge angles and more crud busting ability compared to more narrow options.
Black Crows Mirus Cor:
The Mirus Cor is kind of like a utility tool in my current and hypothetical quiver. It’s what I grab for when skiing with family or friends that maybe aren’t as experienced as you can get exponentially more turns in when cruising around rather than full blown charging. Plus, they are the perfect tool to show off some edge angles, turn shapes, bumps, and freestyle tricks to the little cousins. They are just so engaging and fun to ski, which makes any slower day on the mountain fun and dynamic.
Dynastar M-Free 100:
This is the everyday pick for when I don’t know what conditions I will be getting. It’s an unbelievable carving with loads of edge grip, power, and energy but can also smear and surfy through the trees and slice through chopped up snow. They don’t love the ice, but if there was a chance of it being icy or insanely firm, I would have the Thunderbird in the car ready to be swapped out.
Salomon QST 106:
I have had the QST 106 in my quiver for many years now and it is one of those skis where it will always have a place in my quiver, theoretical or reality. They are just so darn good in the trees, soft snow, bumps, carves and for doing freeride shenanigans. For a 106, they are incredibly versatile and intuitive. This would likely get a Shift or some other type of hybrid binding for short tours at home or for when traveling. The 106 is always taken on trips since it is just that versatile and useful.
Salomon QST S/Lab Blank:
The Blank has long been a personal favorite of mine in the powder category as it blends directional freeride performance with a slight freestyle flare, just what I want for powder. They charge, they smear, they butter, they float, what else could you ask for? Oh and to top it off, they don’t carve too badly either.
4 Ski: Blizzard Thunderbird 82 LTD, Dynastar M-Free 100, Salomon QST 106, Salomon QST S/Lab Blank
Blizzard Thunderbird 82 LTD:
The Thunderbird beat out the Mirus Cor for this round as the M-Free absorbs the Mirus Cor’s job. That Thunderbird is just a great option to have if conditions dictate the necessity for a powerful, stable, and smooth carver.
Dynastar M-Free 100:
The M-Free takes on more responsibility here being the everyday, grab and go, ski. The stiffness both logitudinally and torsionally allow for stability at heigher speeds, variable snow, and freeride use. While the directional twin tip shape bolsters the versatility for use in the trees, bumps, apline zones, and even the park.
Salomon QST 106:
This occupies the travel ski slot, it is always one that I take with me when traveling. It can handle extremely deep snow but also hold its own if there hasn’t been a lot of snow recently, but I still want to venture into bigger terrain.
Salomon QST S/Lab Blank:
Due to my age, I feel like I still shop/look for skis in a way that a lot of other people do. I see the terrain and snow in videos or pictures, and I feel like I need to have a ski on standby that will allow me to do those things if the opportunity presents itself. That’s where the Blank comes in. But don’t be fooled, that is not the only reason why I have it in here. It’s also just because I love it so much and I like to ski it even if the conditions or terrain do not justify it. It’s just fun and that’s what skiing is all about, isn’t it?
3 Ski: Black Crows Mirus Cor, Dynastar M-Free 100, Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Black Crows Mirus Cor:
The QST 100 is one of the most well-suited skis out there for my style and what I like to do. It carves, floats, surfs, pivots, and can handle just about anything you throw at it. Think of it as a Swiss Army Knife, it has everything you could ever need. The Mirus Cor comes back now that we are thinning things out. It simply comes back due to having a higher fun-factor than the Thunderbird for me. There’s more creativity and it applies to the reality of my time spent on snow during the winters where I have lots of friends and family visiting.
Dynastar M-Free 100:
Again, this is the everyday tool that I can confidently grab and go. With certainty, I will have a fun time.
Salomon S/Lab QST Blank:
I like to have the option of a full-blown powder ski that is my own. It’s like a prized possession, my precision if you will. Don’t “need” it here in Stowe, but I could easily justify using it all the time to myself if I have it.
2 Ski: Salomon QST 100, Nordica Unleashed 108
Salomon QST 100:
The QST 100 is one of the most well-suited skis out there for my style and what I like to do. It carves, floats, surfs, pivots, and can handle just about anything you throw at it. Think of it as a Swiss Army Knife, it has everything you could ever need.
Nordica Unleashed 108:
Such a fun carver and floater, it served as pretty much my one ski quiver here at Stowe for a while and the QST is almost more of a compliment to the Unleashed in this scenario. Although it is wide, its versatility matched with its precision just hits the right note for my preferences. It’s a true dark horse.
1 Ski: Salomon QST 100
Salomon QST 100: The QST 100 just does everything you could possibly ask of it. For my one ski quiver, I need pure versatility and various characteristics that make up that versatility, need to be better in the QST than other options. Due to the average performance of those characteristics being higher than some others that I considered, this led me to the QST 100 being my number 1 pick. To top it off, I have so much fun on this ski and I never feel like there is anything left to be desired since it does everything so well.