Dancing on Serpo's this morning. For me (5-10 @ 160 lbs) this is THE all-mountain ski. Cadillac smooth on groomers, but great in bumps, and crud, and even moderate pow. I skied Bonafides for two years, and had some great days, but get into difficult snow (like wind affected pow), and they are hard to smear/drift. And really a handful in bumps with very little float on a pow day.
Personally as ski shop guy who has 3 models of Blizzard in his quiver I would have covered the newly redesigned Rustler 9. I believe the new design deserves a review more than the Bonafides. Also the New Rustler 9 would probably be a better model for a wider range of customers.
Yeah great point! We covered the Rustler 9 in the written Buyer's Guide (link in the description), but wanted to speak to the Bonafide in the video as a "more demanding" option (because it's a great ski for aggressive skiers). Totally with you that the new Rustler 9 works for a wider ranger of skiers out there, and still serves aggressive skiers well, just with more freeride flair than the Bonafide. - Alex
I bought a lot of skis from you.. You have a wide variety of skis to choose from in this video.. I just got done watching a Video from Stockli.. They said that they moved the mount point on all of the Stormriders forward a little.. Last year when I demoed a pair of 95s they were already blown out at the heal before I even got on snow.. I still skied 6 runs without pushing them.. When I returned them there was another pair of 95s that were blown out at the heal and a pair of 88s that were blown out at the heal.. They didn't demo 102s but I did talk to someone who had 102s that were blown out at the heal.. I am going to wait a year before I get the 95s and see if they are better... I do have a pair of 2016 Stormrider 88s that I had you tune for me and they rock... I did also buy a pair of 2019 Stormrider 105s from you last year those skis rock..
Hey Darin! Weird stuff about the blowouts, Stockli builds really durable gear. Could potentially be some warranty issues there. We've also seen issues with brakes catching on that titanal layer when the brakes are sized too snug, so for Stormriders we normally recommend going with the wider of two brake options. But as you said, the skis rock on snow! -Alex
Hey guys. I live near Golden so thought this would be a good place to ask since I'm on the market for some new skis. Some info: I'm 170 cm (5'7) tall @ 160 lbs On my third season this coming winter I would classify myself as a high intermediate / low advanced skier. I've skied double black moguls in Breckenridge and Beaver Creek under decent conditions in the past without problems. If things got icy, that became a different story. If I had to choose a favorite terrain, I'd say bowls / glades. I also enjoy carving at moderate - high speeds on groomers (Not aggressively). I ski epic mountains and am based in Denver, Colorado. So mostly mountains on the I-70 corridor. I really enjoy exploring different parts of the mountain more than anything else. As I've progressed, it's been an incredible feeling to "unlock" new parts of the mountain and getting to see and experience different vistas and terrain, regardless of difficulty. I want a ski that can stay fun doing all that under average west conditions. I've been looking at the new rustler 9s for a while as I've heard good things that seem to align with my premise of a "mountain exploration" ski. Though I'm not sure which length would suit me best, 168 or 174. For those who've tried em, what are your thoughts on the ski? Do you think these would suit me? Some other skis I've looked at: -Volkl M6 Mantra -Rossignol Sender 94 Ti -Salomon QST Also, These were my previous skis I was renting last season: www.powder7.com/Volkl-Deacon-8.0-Skis/for-sale Can't really remember the length, but were something between 167 - 177. They were alright, not great. Stable at very high speeds but virtually no float and struggled even on 1-2 inches of powder at the groomers. Average at everything else. Thanks a ton.
Howdy from Golden! I think you're on the right track with all those ski choices, but here's some extra insight- Rustler 9 is a great option for what you're looking to do. It's quick, snappy, and provides a good mix of playful when you want it and stable for harder snow conditions. It will definitely give you the confidence to keep exploring and get into new terrain. I think if you were skiing the Deacon in a 165, the 168 is a safe bet, but if you were in the 172 Deacon, then I'd lean 174. You're sort of between sizes, normally we'd recommend going a smidge shorter than your height for your skill level, but the Rustler has decent rocker and if you've been skiing on 172 Deacons, the 174 should feel like no problem. For reference, I'm 5'8 and a bit lighter than you and would ski the 174cm (but generally like longer skis). The Mantra is a great ski, but I think its best suited for someone in the more solid advanced category. You can for sure ski it, but if you slip up or wind up in the backseat, I think it can get away from you some times. Not the most confidence inspiring when trying to progress off-trail. The Rossi Sender 94 Ti would be my personal favorite out of this bunch, it's one of my favorite skis and consistently highly rated by staff and testers. It has a really versatile shape that makes turn intiation feel very intuitve on or off-trail, and the Air Tip makes it feel lighter on your feet than it really is. The ski is remarkably damp and smooth riding. So if you ever hit weird wind buff, scoured snow (as we often do in the Rockies), it feels quite shock absorbant for those conditions, and stays really predictable. Compared to the Rustler, it has a somewhat more traditional shape, and maybe less energetic. I'd confidently recommend the 172cm for you in this ski, as opposed to the 164cm. The QST 92 (or 98) will give you the most rocker and most manuverability off-trail. Another ski we love deeply here at the shop. I used to own a QST 98 and loved it in soft snow, but decided to sell it after taking it on a ski trip where I mostly skied boiler plate hard snow, and had trouble getting edge hold where I needed it. Out West, that's not so much a problem since our trails are often at least edgeable (where the QST does just fine) as opposed to blue ice. Just on firm snow conditions, you have a much shorter effective edge compared to the others mentioned here, and the tail can wash out on you. Not a problem if you don't mind that ski style (especially for the gains in manuverability you get off trail), but for me, not as confidence inspiring when the conditions are bad. Overall, I'd say you can't go wrong with either the Rustler or the Sender--just the Rustler will be a bit more energetic and snappy, while the Sender 94 Ti more planted and glued to the snow. All the skis you're looking at will give you substantially more float and stability in soft snow. I know that's a lot of info, but wanted to give you a full rundown! Since you're local, we'd love it if you swung by the shop (and our Labor Day sale starts tomorrow!). Take care, Alex
Heya, great video.👏🏽 I have through the past 13 years been skiing regular carving/piste skis, but have decided to switch to a solid all-mountain ski which can perform well on the pists, but also adds som fun off the slopes.. Would say I’m an advanced skiier, skiing in Austria, Italy and France I’m 186 and weight 70kg, and have had my eyes on the Mantra M6 and especially the Enforcer 94’s both at a fairly similar price. (600-700 USD ) Haven’t skied either of them, but must say the Enforcers really seems tempting after have spend countless hours watching and reading reviews. However I have recently spotted a pair of 2021 Stockli SR 95’s, used, in the local store for “only” 475 USD. Any reasons for picking any of these 3’s over one another? Or even a completely different ski :D
Thanks for writing in! All those skis are great options, and fairly similar (sitffer, more directional, great at speed). I have to say....that deal on the Stormriders is hard to beat, and it's an amazing ski, so I think that would be a great way to go!! The SR is going to be the most direvtional of the bunch, with the least tail rocker. But, it feels probably the lightest on the feet of all three, and feels surprisingly easy to flick around off-trail. It's also very damp and planted. The Mantra and Enforcer feel a bit heavier and more charge-y. The Mantra feels a touch more lively and energetic with carves, while the Enforcer feels very damp and planted. But both are great and I think go with the one that calls to you! -Alex
Would the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free be good for a heavier male. I'm 6"1 230lbs (from competing in oly weightlifting- not a fatty haha). Looking for a ski to take on my out west trips that can handle more terrain than my brahma 88's do here on the Ice Coast. Last time I took the 88's out west they struggled big time on a powder day. Was thinking the heavier 104 free's would do well in all conditions unless yall have a better recommendation?? Should I go wider?
That 104 Free would be a great choice for what you're talking about. You'll notice a huge difference in pow and mixed conditions versus the Brahma, but you'll still get some nice versatility and stability. There are plenty of wider options, too, which you could look at, but as you go wider you sacrifice versatility, and the 104 waist width is plenty for most powder days (and choppy afternoons) out here. Just in case you want to peek at a wider option, I'd recommend the Rossignol Sender Free 110. -Matt
@@alexgianino2394 All great skis, but the Enforcer is the more traditional of the bunch. The mount point is a little further back (but not as far back as say a Volkl Mantra 102). The ARV and M Free 108 both are much more progressive with more centered mount points. That makes them more manuverable in tight terrain, but carving and skiing at speed will be less stable. If you ride on a Brahma normally, the Enforcer will feel more familiar while still giving you great soft snow performance! -Alex
Great ski! It blends that premium Kastle racing heritage with a shape that has some freeride flair. It reminds me a lot of the Stormrider 95, with just a slightly more locked in feel. There's a touch less rocker in both the tip and tail, but they have similar turn radii and feel light on the feet. Just maybe a touch less damp than the Stockli, but a little quicker underfoot. One of our hardest charging skiers here rides that ski daily out here in Colorado! -Alex
Hey Joe, thanks for the feedback! We try to provide some context from our own on snow experiences (Matt and I have skied all of these), but want to be concise and provide a an overview of some skis our staff likes. There's always room to get into the nitty gritty in full length reviews. I'm sorry you didn't find it helpful, but appreciate you taking some time to share your thoughts! -Alex
Yeah there are more freestyle inspired models up there this year for sure! A lot of brands are diving into more freestyle oriented all-mountain skis (because they are very fun, and generally more forgiving). We've still got the Bonafide, Serpo, Dancer, and Stormrider up there, all metal laminate, directional skis a freestyle skier generally wouldn't get along well with. I think the freestyle-esque models up there are extremely versatile, especially if you consider more freestyle models like the Edollo, Blade Optic 92, Revolt, etc. Just because they have tip and tail rocker doesn't mean they just hang out in the park! :) -Alex
Dancing on Serpo's this morning. For me (5-10 @ 160 lbs) this is THE all-mountain ski. Cadillac smooth on groomers, but great in bumps, and crud, and even moderate pow. I skied Bonafides for two years, and had some great days, but get into difficult snow (like wind affected pow), and they are hard to smear/drift. And really a handful in bumps with very little float on a pow day.
Personally as ski shop guy who has 3 models of Blizzard in his quiver I would have covered the newly redesigned Rustler 9. I believe the new design deserves a review more than the Bonafides. Also the New Rustler 9 would probably be a better model for a wider range of customers.
Yeah great point! We covered the Rustler 9 in the written Buyer's Guide (link in the description), but wanted to speak to the Bonafide in the video as a "more demanding" option (because it's a great ski for aggressive skiers). Totally with you that the new Rustler 9 works for a wider ranger of skiers out there, and still serves aggressive skiers well, just with more freeride flair than the Bonafide. - Alex
I bought a lot of skis from you.. You have a wide variety of skis to choose from in this video..
I just got done watching a Video from Stockli.. They said that they moved the mount point on all of the Stormriders forward a little.. Last year when I demoed a pair of 95s they were already blown out at the heal before I even got on snow.. I still skied 6 runs without pushing them.. When I returned them there was another pair of 95s that were blown out at the heal and a pair of 88s that were blown out at the heal.. They didn't demo 102s but I did talk to someone who had 102s that were blown out at the heal.. I am going to wait a year before I get the 95s and see if they are better... I do have a pair of 2016 Stormrider 88s that I had you tune for me and they rock... I did also buy a pair of 2019 Stormrider 105s from you last year those skis rock..
Hey Darin! Weird stuff about the blowouts, Stockli builds really durable gear. Could potentially be some warranty issues there. We've also seen issues with brakes catching on that titanal layer when the brakes are sized too snug, so for Stormriders we normally recommend going with the wider of two brake options. But as you said, the skis rock on snow! -Alex
Hey guys. I live near Golden so thought this would be a good place to ask since I'm on the market for some new skis.
Some info:
I'm 170 cm (5'7) tall @ 160 lbs
On my third season this coming winter
I would classify myself as a high intermediate / low advanced skier. I've skied double black moguls in Breckenridge and Beaver Creek under decent conditions in the past without problems. If things got icy, that became a different story. If I had to choose a favorite terrain, I'd say bowls / glades. I also enjoy carving at moderate - high speeds on groomers (Not aggressively).
I ski epic mountains and am based in Denver, Colorado. So mostly mountains on the I-70 corridor.
I really enjoy exploring different parts of the mountain more than anything else. As I've progressed, it's been an incredible feeling to "unlock" new parts of the mountain and getting to see and experience different vistas and terrain, regardless of difficulty. I want a ski that can stay fun doing all that under average west conditions.
I've been looking at the new rustler 9s for a while as I've heard good things that seem to align with my premise of a "mountain exploration" ski. Though I'm not sure which length would suit me best, 168 or 174. For those who've tried em, what are your thoughts on the ski? Do you think these would suit me?
Some other skis I've looked at:
-Volkl M6 Mantra
-Rossignol Sender 94 Ti
-Salomon QST
Also, These were my previous skis I was renting last season: www.powder7.com/Volkl-Deacon-8.0-Skis/for-sale
Can't really remember the length, but were something between 167 - 177. They were alright, not great. Stable at very high speeds but virtually no float and struggled even on 1-2 inches of powder at the groomers. Average at everything else.
Thanks a ton.
Howdy from Golden! I think you're on the right track with all those ski choices, but here's some extra insight-
Rustler 9 is a great option for what you're looking to do. It's quick, snappy, and provides a good mix of playful when you want it and stable for harder snow conditions. It will definitely give you the confidence to keep exploring and get into new terrain. I think if you were skiing the Deacon in a 165, the 168 is a safe bet, but if you were in the 172 Deacon, then I'd lean 174. You're sort of between sizes, normally we'd recommend going a smidge shorter than your height for your skill level, but the Rustler has decent rocker and if you've been skiing on 172 Deacons, the 174 should feel like no problem. For reference, I'm 5'8 and a bit lighter than you and would ski the 174cm (but generally like longer skis).
The Mantra is a great ski, but I think its best suited for someone in the more solid advanced category. You can for sure ski it, but if you slip up or wind up in the backseat, I think it can get away from you some times. Not the most confidence inspiring when trying to progress off-trail.
The Rossi Sender 94 Ti would be my personal favorite out of this bunch, it's one of my favorite skis and consistently highly rated by staff and testers. It has a really versatile shape that makes turn intiation feel very intuitve on or off-trail, and the Air Tip makes it feel lighter on your feet than it really is. The ski is remarkably damp and smooth riding. So if you ever hit weird wind buff, scoured snow (as we often do in the Rockies), it feels quite shock absorbant for those conditions, and stays really predictable. Compared to the Rustler, it has a somewhat more traditional shape, and maybe less energetic. I'd confidently recommend the 172cm for you in this ski, as opposed to the 164cm.
The QST 92 (or 98) will give you the most rocker and most manuverability off-trail. Another ski we love deeply here at the shop. I used to own a QST 98 and loved it in soft snow, but decided to sell it after taking it on a ski trip where I mostly skied boiler plate hard snow, and had trouble getting edge hold where I needed it. Out West, that's not so much a problem since our trails are often at least edgeable (where the QST does just fine) as opposed to blue ice. Just on firm snow conditions, you have a much shorter effective edge compared to the others mentioned here, and the tail can wash out on you. Not a problem if you don't mind that ski style (especially for the gains in manuverability you get off trail), but for me, not as confidence inspiring when the conditions are bad.
Overall, I'd say you can't go wrong with either the Rustler or the Sender--just the Rustler will be a bit more energetic and snappy, while the Sender 94 Ti more planted and glued to the snow. All the skis you're looking at will give you substantially more float and stability in soft snow.
I know that's a lot of info, but wanted to give you a full rundown! Since you're local, we'd love it if you swung by the shop (and our Labor Day sale starts tomorrow!). Take care, Alex
Heya, great video.👏🏽
I have through the past 13 years been skiing regular carving/piste skis, but have decided to switch to a solid all-mountain ski which can perform well on the pists, but also adds som fun off the slopes..
Would say I’m an advanced skiier, skiing in Austria, Italy and France
I’m 186 and weight 70kg, and have had my eyes on the Mantra M6 and especially the Enforcer 94’s both at a fairly similar price. (600-700 USD )
Haven’t skied either of them, but must say the Enforcers really seems tempting after have spend countless hours watching and reading reviews.
However I have recently spotted a pair of 2021 Stockli SR 95’s, used, in the local store for “only” 475 USD.
Any reasons for picking any of these 3’s over one another? Or even a completely different ski :D
Thanks for writing in! All those skis are great options, and fairly similar (sitffer, more directional, great at speed). I have to say....that deal on the Stormriders is hard to beat, and it's an amazing ski, so I think that would be a great way to go!!
The SR is going to be the most direvtional of the bunch, with the least tail rocker. But, it feels probably the lightest on the feet of all three, and feels surprisingly easy to flick around off-trail. It's also very damp and planted.
The Mantra and Enforcer feel a bit heavier and more charge-y. The Mantra feels a touch more lively and energetic with carves, while the Enforcer feels very damp and planted. But both are great and I think go with the one that calls to you! -Alex
Would the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free be good for a heavier male. I'm 6"1 230lbs (from competing in oly weightlifting- not a fatty haha). Looking for a ski to take on my out west trips that can handle more terrain than my brahma 88's do here on the Ice Coast. Last time I took the 88's out west they struggled big time on a powder day. Was thinking the heavier 104 free's would do well in all conditions unless yall have a better recommendation?? Should I go wider?
That 104 Free would be a great choice for what you're talking about. You'll notice a huge difference in pow and mixed conditions versus the Brahma, but you'll still get some nice versatility and stability. There are plenty of wider options, too, which you could look at, but as you go wider you sacrifice versatility, and the 104 waist width is plenty for most powder days (and choppy afternoons) out here. Just in case you want to peek at a wider option, I'd recommend the Rossignol Sender Free 110. -Matt
@@powder7skis Looking at the ARV 106 and the M-free 108's as well. Kind of my top 3 right now. Would you lean the enforcer 104 free over those?
@@alexgianino2394 All great skis, but the Enforcer is the more traditional of the bunch. The mount point is a little further back (but not as far back as say a Volkl Mantra 102). The ARV and M Free 108 both are much more progressive with more centered mount points. That makes them more manuverable in tight terrain, but carving and skiing at speed will be less stable. If you ride on a Brahma normally, the Enforcer will feel more familiar while still giving you great soft snow performance! -Alex
Eying the demo ones on your site. Thanks for the info! As always, keep up the great vids @@powder7skis
What about Kastle FX96? How would you rate these?
Great ski! It blends that premium Kastle racing heritage with a shape that has some freeride flair. It reminds me a lot of the Stormrider 95, with just a slightly more locked in feel. There's a touch less rocker in both the tip and tail, but they have similar turn radii and feel light on the feet. Just maybe a touch less damp than the Stockli, but a little quicker underfoot. One of our hardest charging skiers here rides that ski daily out here in Colorado! -Alex
I can read descriptions provided by the company. I need on snow subjective assessment. This is really not at all helpful.
Hey Joe, thanks for the feedback! We try to provide some context from our own on snow experiences (Matt and I have skied all of these), but want to be concise and provide a an overview of some skis our staff likes. There's always room to get into the nitty gritty in full length reviews. I'm sorry you didn't find it helpful, but appreciate you taking some time to share your thoughts! -Alex
go watch ski essentials instead way better
P R O M O S M ☀️
these skiis are mostly freestyle.... I wouldn't call these all mountain
Yeah there are more freestyle inspired models up there this year for sure! A lot of brands are diving into more freestyle oriented all-mountain skis (because they are very fun, and generally more forgiving). We've still got the Bonafide, Serpo, Dancer, and Stormrider up there, all metal laminate, directional skis a freestyle skier generally wouldn't get along well with.
I think the freestyle-esque models up there are extremely versatile, especially if you consider more freestyle models like the Edollo, Blade Optic 92, Revolt, etc. Just because they have tip and tail rocker doesn't mean they just hang out in the park! :) -Alex