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We bought and tested skis from top brands like Nordica, Elan, Volkl, Salomon, Blizzard, and others, to help you find the best
We purchase and test all of the best women's all-mountain skis side-by-side, and continue to re-test them across seasons to keep a running tally of the top models.
Our team of female rippers has tested more than 50 of the best all-mountain skis for women over the last 8 years and recently purchased 16 top models to test side-by-side. We rode these skis all over the mountain while floating through dreamy soft powder, muscling through thick Sierra cement, plowing through crud and chop, and carving arcs on smooth groomers. We gave special attention to how each ski performs in various conditions, taking into account the playfulness and the stability at speed of each ski. We also identify the best budget models, making it easy for you to make the right choice, no matter your price range.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on December 15, 2023, to add new skis from Blizzard, Faction, Stockli, Fischer, Salomon, and Rossignol, and update our award-winning lineup.
Sidecut: 132-98-120 mm Available Lengths: 151, 158, 165, 172, 179 cm Length We Tested: 172 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent versatility
Blasts through crud
Reliable and stable
REASONS TO AVOID
Not a lot of rebound
No stand-out characteristics
The Nordica Santa Ana 98 is the type of ski you could buy, throw in the rooftop box, and not have to worry about having enough space for the rest of your stuff. Instead of having to pack a ski for groomers and a ski for powder days, the Nordica provides you with an all-in-one option. The Santa Ana 98 performed particularly well in the crud, staying stiff enough to punch through anything the mountain threw at it. It also floats well in powder, feels stable at high speeds, can carve a mean arc, and pivots easily around a mogul field.
While we appreciated the reliability of this ski, we didn't experience any “wow factor” and didn't feel a lot of rebound or responsiveness under our feet. If you love a playful ski, we suggest the more energetic Blizzard Sheeva 9. That said, the Santa Ana 98 took us everywhere we wanted to go at the resort and handled every snow condition, so there's something to be said for dependability. If you don't need something to excite you and want a single ski that can do everything well, then this is your match made in heaven.
Sidecut: 136-96-111 mm Available Lengths: 154, 162, 170, 178 cm Length We Tested: 178 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Great in all densities of powder
Awesome rebound
Fun accessible even to lighter, less powerful skiers
Affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
Gets bouncy in crud
Slight tip flap at speed
Doesn't carve perfectly on the inside ski
We loved a lot about the Elan Ripstick 94 W, but the most impressive was its ability to keep trucking along, no matter how deep or dense the snow. Whether you're a hard-charging West Coast chick who sometimes skis heavier fresh snow with higher water content, or you're new to powder skiing of any variety, this ski gives you a full access pass to the amusement park. While this new Ripstick doesn't have quite the extreme rebound that caused us to issue the old version an award for playfulness, it still gave even the lightest of us a thrill with its spring-back.
The Ripstick 94 has an unusual design, which helps it perform well in the powder but means that it's not built well for making perfectly carved turns, particularly on the fully-rockered uphill ski edge. The large rockered tips that kept us cruising in deeper snow were also a bit floppy when brought to higher speeds on harder snow. In chunky, chopped-up terrain, the Ripstick wasn't the smoothest ride. A ski like the Faction Prodigy 3X is a pair of powder boards that can handle these mixed conditions a bit better. However, the amazing energy of the Ripstick 94 and the joy it brings while skiing powder made it one of our favorites, while the price tag kept out wallets happy, too.
Sidecut: 127-88-113 Available Lengths: 152, 160, 168, 176 cm Length We Tested: 176 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Easily maneuverable
Lightweight
Easy to ski for lower ability levels
Relatively affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
Not enough ski for experts
Rough ride in crud
Often our reviewers feel that certain skis get overlooked within our review process because they don't rank as highly in our metrics. Often, a ski receives a lower overall rating because we use a relative ranking system, but that doesn't mean that it is a bad ski! But not every skier needs or wants something at the top tier of performance. Many skiers – especially intermediates – just want a ski that does everything well, is fun and easy to turn, and is relatively affordable. The Salomon QST Lumen 98 fits that bill perfectly. It is an ideal ski for first-time purchasers and folks who are just entering the sport. It is also perfect for intermediates looking for a ski that can help them develop their skills. Whether that means learning to carve, skiing an easy bump line, or starting to dabble in ungroomed terrain, the Lumen 98 is an ideal companion for improvement.
There's a good reason why the Lumen 98 doesn't hit the top of our charts, though. Our testers are very strong skiers and if a ski can't keep up with their demands, it likely won't rank at the top of the charts. The Lumen 98 often isn't enough ski for expert-level ladies, who are likely better suited by investing in a more powerful ski like the Nordica Santa Ana 98. The Lumen 98 feels a bit squirrely at high speeds and is too soft to offer a smooth ride in choppy snow. However, if you are just starting to step out into small amounts of fresh powder during and chopped-up snow after a storm, this ski is more than sufficient for learning how to navigate new conditions. If you're an intermediate to advanced skier looking for an easy-going, affordable ski to start exploring more of the mountain, the Lumen can light your way.
Sidecut: 129-96-118.5 mm Available Lengths: 150, 156, 162, 168, 174 cm Length We Tested: 174 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Incredibly lively
Versatile
Accessible to all ability levels
REASONS TO AVOID
Too energetic for moguls
Rebound might unnerve some skiers
The Sheeva 9 is a blizzard of fun, versatility, and accessibility. The Sheeva 9's most poignant characteristic is the sprightly rebound that had our testers feeling like kids in a candy store. It doesn't take much effort to flex the camber of this ski, and the way it boosts us from one turn to the next is nothing short of joyous. The Sheeva 9 even responds quickly to less powerful skiers. So if you're newer to the sport or just a lighter-weight skier, you can count on it to react to your movements. We thoroughly enjoyed skiing the Sheeva 9 in every type of terrain across the resort. If you're looking for an incredibly fun, user-friendly, all-mountain ski that can literally take you all over the mountain, this is a great choice.
One downside to all of this liveliness is that the Sheeva 9 has a hard time reigning it in through a mogul field. In the tight spaces of a bump line, the rebound occasionally bucked even our expert test team off-course. If you prefer predictability and would rather the ski simply take rather than give back, you should steer towards something less playful, like the Volkl Secret 96. However, if you crave excitement and appreciate a responsive ski, the Sheeva 9 can be your partner in fun.
Sidecut: 135-96-119 mm Available Lengths: 149, 156, 163, 170 cm Length We Tested: 170 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Very stable at high speeds
Great edge hold
High quality
REASONS TO AVOID
A bit stiff for lighter ladies
Not nimble
The Volkl Secret 96 is a versatile all-mountain ski with a penchant for speed and grip. We could take this ski anywhere, at any speed, and feel confident that it would maintain course and do so with style. Whether dropping into a steep couloir or mobbing down the groomer back to the chair, this ski had our backs and built our confidence. It feels as though it is a quality-made ski, not surprising from this manufacturer, and its construction remains steady all along the length of the ski from tip to tail. While it topped our charts for stability, it also performed well in nearly every other metric, making it an excellent choice for anyone wanting to ski the entire mountain in any condition.
The same qualities that make this ski so reliable at speed and in the steeps result in it being not particularly agile in trees or bumps. A ski like the Icelantic Riveter 95 is better suited to this type of terrain. And while Volkl has made a concerted effort to construct the shorter skis a bit softer for smaller ladies, our testers found that even their appropriate length ski was fairly burly. We also missed the nearly perfect all-mountain all-rounder nature of the discontinued Secret 92, but most of us sought consolation in the fact that the Secret 96 is still a very dependable and well-built ski.
Sidecut: 128-88-110 mm Available Lengths: 147, 153, 159, 165, 171, 177 cm Length We Tested: 171 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Quick edge-to-edge
Strong carving ski
Good in crud
REASONS TO AVOID
Need to stay in the sweet spot
Not much excitement
Sinks in deeper powder
The Blizzard Black Pearl 88 earns our nod for its carving performance. Its stability underfoot and narrower waist help it cut deep tracks in the snow when tipped up on edge. Our testers really enjoyed being able to seamlessly transition from one set of edges to the other – the 88 mm waist makes this movement feel both quick and precise. We were also pleased with its performance in chopped-up conditions after a storm or at the end of the day on the groomers. The Black Pearl's rigidity allows it to slice through crud and variable terrain. We recommend this ski to ladies who mostly prefer front-side skiing, who already know how to carve deep trenches, and who can appreciate the quickness of a skinnier ski.
However, if you are more of a true all-mountain skier and you're looking for a one-ski quiver, the Black Pearl 88 doesn't post great scores across the board – the Nordica Santa Ana 98 is a much more versatile option to handle all types of terrain and conditions. The Black Pearl 88 submarined in more than six inches of powder and we had to muscle our way through a turn from within the snow. It also lacks pizzazz in most conditions. We found it didn't have a lot of rebound unless we were really flexing the ski at high speeds, and it doesn't feel very sprightly on rock drops or in the park. We also noticed that if we didn't stay right on top of the ski – which is common when you're tired – it loses some of its stability. Despite those downsides, if you are a hard-charging front-side ripper, this Black Pearl 88 will be a dependable partner for those early morning groomer carving sessions.
Sidecut: 127-88-113 Available Lengths: 152, 160, 168 cm Length We Tested: 168 cm
REASONS TO BUY
Powerful yet predictable
Sturdy at speed
Surprisingly accessible to all levels
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks rebound
Drowns in deeper powder
Very pricey
Our testers couldn't quite figure out what was so special about the Stockli Nela 88 at first. With the Stockli name and reputation, we assumed it would excel at speed on hardpack snow – which it does. But we didn't anticipate something atypical of a frontside carver: the uncanny ability to maneuver nimbly through a mogul field. Turns out that the Nela 88 is full of surprises, as normally, these two traits are mutually exclusive. Our testers loved that they could blast down a groomed run at high speed and then dart into an adjacent bump line with the same self-assurance in this ski's stability. The blend of progressive flex and just the right amount of stiffness keeps the skier in the sweet spot in the moguls for far longer than any other ski in our lineup. It also carves a clean arc quite well and holds its own in choppy snow following a storm. And it does all this while remaining accessible to any level of skier – anyone from upper-intermediates to experts will appreciate this ski's frontside versatility.
But the Nela 88 offers little to no rebound at the end of a turn, so don't expect it to feel fun or lively in that traditional sense. This lack of kickback does make it easier to stay in contact with the snow – a technique most skiers find crucial in moguls. If bump skiing is your jam or you're dreaming of becoming a mogul master, then the Nela 88 is the specialty tool for the job. But it does not perform particularly well in more than six inches of powder, nor does it perform as well in the crud as a more off-piste tuned ski like the K2 Mindbender 99Ti. Additionally, Stockli skis tend to be very expensive, and the Nela 88 is no exception. But if you're looking to ski fast, whether it's on the groomers or through the bumps, this ski delivers an exceptional ride.
Strong yet nimble in tight spaces, the Stockli Nela 88 makes you feel like a rockstar in the bumps
Credit: Marc Rotse
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Our ski-shark mascot returns this season's test skis to the van for more testing tomorrow.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Why Trust GearLab
Our team of experts put these skis through more than 75 individual tests to assess their performance across the board. We test products side-by-side to rank each pair of skis within each metric. These all-mountain skis represent some of the most popular models available, so a low score doesn't mean a particular pair isn't worth consideration. A low score only means that a certain ski didn't perform well relative to the rest of the field, and often, low-scoring models still shine in certain situations.
Our experts have logged thousands of hours on snow testing skis, which helps them highlight every ski's strengths and weaknesses. We design our testing metrics to be both comprehensive and mutually exclusive and assign awards when a ski excels for a particular purpose. We balance performance and price to help you find the best value for your next one-ski quiver.
Our testing of women's all-mountain skis breaks down into six rating metrics:
Stability at Speed (20% of overall score rating)
Carving Ability (20% of score rating)
Powder Performance (20% of score rating)
Crud Performance (20% of score rating)
Terrain Playfulness (15% of score rating)
Bumps (5% of score rating)
Our two lead testers are industry professionals based in Mammoth Lakes, California, USA. Both come from a long history of ski instruction and personal passion for the sport, and each has different styles, preferences, and abilities, which helped us better understand each ski's advantages and faults.
Renee Lemmer McCormack, Lead Women's Tester.
Hilary is a powder piggie. We can't believe she stood still for long enough for our photographer to get set up.
Lead tester Renee McCormack holds a PSIA Level 3 certification and has been a ski instructor for the past fifteen years at Vail and Mammoth Mountain. Renee is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and 140 pounds. She generally prefers a stronger, stiffer ski with a decent sidecut. She believes that an all-mountain setup should be capable in all conditions, including on-piste groomers, where we all end up spending portions of our day.
Hilary Roache grew up in Australia and has worked as a ski instructor in Vermont, Colorado, Utah, Austria, and New Zealand before finally settling in Mammoth Lakes eleven seasons ago. Hilary holds PSIA Level 2 and NZSIA Level 2 certifications. Hilary is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and 120 pounds, so some of the women's all-mountain skis in our test sizes were on the bigger side for her. She enjoys skiing groomers and carving it up when she teaches, but her real passion is powder skiing.
Hilary and Renee will often put their students on the skis they're testing for GearLab to get a wide variety of feedback; they also offer the skis to fellow instructors, coaches, and skier friends to consider their thoughts. We believe that testing the same skis with multiple testers helps us provide better feedback.
These gals love skiing.
Some of our dedicated ripper chicks out for a "schuss" together at Mammoth.
Sometimes joy like this is priceless, and worth every penny
Groomer testing, discussing the products in situ, and powder testing
Analysis and Test Results
You are probably a sensible person who only wants to own a single rockin' pair of skis that will take you anywhere on the mountain, any day. Here is the theory behind all-mountain skis: these are skis designed to take you all over the mountain through all types of snow conditions. Certain manufacturers will use different terminology for this ski category; they are usually dubbed “all-mountain” or occasionally “freeride.” For more details, see Choosing the Perfect Pair of Women's All-Mountain Skis.
Regardless, an all-mountain model strives to do it all — carve clean arcs on groomers, maintain stability at speed, withstand crud and bumps, and stay afloat in powder. The top-rated all-mountain skis are all capable of handling a wide variety of conditions, and they all emerged as high-performers within the women's all-mountain ski realm, where versatility is crucial.
Value
Due to the “jack of all trades” nature of all-mountain skis, they are already a cost-conscious skier's ideal purchase. Everyone is looking to stretch their dollars where they can, so we compared each model's list prices and total scores to lock down the best value-for-money purchases. The Elan Ripstick 94 W is a powder hound and a wildly playful ski that we consider a high-value choice. The Salomon QST Lumen 98 is an affordable and well-rounded option for intermediate to advanced skiers, rather than experts. If you're looking for something with more on-piste capabilities, then the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 is a good deal for a well-made ski.
The Nordica Santa Ana 98 is at the higher end of the median for cost; however, the value that it provides through its versatility will make it worthwhile for many. It is only slightly more expensive than the average, and its ratio of dollar-per-use increases if it means only purchasing one ski for every day of the season.
Reliable at high speed in any terrain, you can take the Nordica Santa Ana 98 anywhere.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Stability at Speed
We want our all-mountain skis to make us feel like super-heroines while flying down the mountain instead of making tentative or unsure. We want to exert pressure on them, make them bend, and know they won't slip out from under us or chatter around at high speeds. To this end, we examined how each pair of skis performed at higher speeds. Do they offer a smooth and seamless ride, or do the tips flap incessantly? Can they keep their edge when carving through a fast, high-pressured turn, or do they tend to wash out? Are they dampening, softly absorbing bumps and uneven terrain, or do we get bucked around and launched out of balance?
This season, the Volkl Secret 96 takes the cake as the most stable competitor in the test, earning one of our awards for this metric. If you like to go fast and feel supported, the Volkl is a sure thing. The Santa Ana 98, the Sheeva 9 and Ranger 102 WS perform quite well, too. Like Volkl and Nordica, many companies add carbon and titanal to increase stiffness. Stability-focused construction led to success in this metric.
The Volkl Secret 96 is the best choice for ladies who especially love speed, appreciate edge-hold, and want a reliable and well-made ski.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Most of the skis in the all-mountain division now have rockered tips, primarily intended to help the skis stay afloat in deeper, fresh snow. When skied on groomers at high speeds, these rockered tips often appear unstable (as they flap their wings). The Coalition SOS has such extremely rockered tips that it becomes difficult for them not to flop when moving quickly on hard-packed snow.
The tip of the Coalition SOS comes off the snow pretty far back, making for great flotation but also a smaller usable edge for grip and stability.
Credit: Scott Rokis
However, some skis, like the Santa Ana 98, have enough sidewall underfoot that despite their slightly flapping tips, you still maintain enough edge-hold and stability underfoot. The discussion of edge-hold is also related to the carving metric. Like the Secret 96, some have carbon in the tips to help dampen the ride.
The Nordica Santa Ana 98 feels like there is solid construction underfoot and all along the length of the ski.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Weight
The weight of a ski can play a significant role in overall stability, and this becomes particularly apparent at speed. Depending on a ski's dimensions and the choice of materials laid up in construction, a ski can feel stable and reliable, wild and unpredictable, or somewhere in between. Unfortunately, it does seem common that when a ski is very stable at higher speeds, it also tends to be stiffer, heavier, and perhaps a little unwieldy for lighter, less powerful skiers.
Lighter testers found the Secret 96 more difficult to bend and maneuver. This ski wasn't particularly versatile and lacked agility. The Santa Ana 98 managed to break the mold - not only did our smaller testers have an easy time accessing both its steadiness and flex, but all the testers also agreed that it felt lightweight, agile, and fun in all types of terrain. The QST Lumen 98 also surprised our testers. While its relatively heavy weight adds stability, at the same time it felt light under our feet and was incredibly easy to ski, even for less experienced skiers.
At only 7.2 pounds per pair, the Atomic Maven is one of the lightest skis we tested, making it fun and lively but not necessarily stable at speed.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Some models, like the particularly lightweight Atomic Maven 93 C and Black Crows Captis Birdie, feel unstable at speed and flap crazily down the hill. Maybe designers are trying to make these skis lighter or softer for a female skier. Whatever the case, they are a less comfortable ride at speed, not instilling the confidence we desire to reach our maximum velocity threshold.
Even though they are super lightweight and quick to pop edge-to-edge, the extra-soft Black Crows Captis Birdie is not the ski we would choose to let loose on wide open groomers.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Carving Ability
How easy is it to turn each competitor? Will the skis turn when requested, or do they prefer to go straight ahead? Can you tip them on edge, have them engage, and ride the rail? Do they stay engaged when you do? What is the turn radius, and does the ski feel like it wants to make a tighter or larger turn? These are questions we asked ourselves when assessing how well each of these skis carves a turn.
Models with a smaller turn radius are sometimes better at carving, but this is not a given. Turn shape and size are mainly products of a ski's sidecut, though they are also affected by the ski's flex pattern (the way it bends as you ski it). If a ski has an hourglass shape (wider at the tip and tail and skinnier underfoot), it will likely offer a smaller radius turn. Conversely, a ski with a straighter design from the tip to the tail, like the Coalition SOS, can result in a larger turn radius.
The turn radius of the Stockli Nela 88 felt a little longer than advertised.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Another factor within the carving metric is a ski's agility when moving from one set of edges to the other. Edge-to-edge quickness is often a function of a ski's waist width (skinnier skis being generally faster to switch edges). Still, it's also related to the sidecut and the turn radius. Some skis will rock quickly over from one edge to the next, instantly engaging the new edge and initiating a new turn. Other contenders are a bit more sluggish. With an easy transition edge to edge and an ability to arc a turn, the Volkl Secret 96 was a contender for our top award in this metric. The next slimmest ski, the Black Crows Captis Birdie at 90 millimeters, was, in fact, quick from edge to edge, but we felt that its lack of grip strength and solid construction meant that we couldn't offer it high ratings in this metric.
The Sheeva 9 is a joy to carve, thanks to its combination of edge grip, rebound, and smaller turn radius.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Edge-hold within a turn is an important element of our carving metric. Can we trust the ski's edge to lock into the snow when we're railing turns? If we turn at speed, will these planks hold their course through the turn, or will they stutter or slip away? For superior edge-hold and bar-none carving capabilities, Black Pearl 88 takes the cake. The Santa Ana 98 also loves laying down tracks and can easily hold an edge throughout the turn.
The Secret 96 locks the edge and doesn't release until directed.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Turn Radius
The Coalition SOS has the least amount of sidecut in our review by a landslide, and its 25-meter radius feels barrelling compared to the rest of the group. Interestingly, the Captis Birdie and the Atomic Maven 93 C have shorter sidecuts and longer turn radii. Yet, with their soft nature and ability to bend, they turn better than much of the group.
The Icelantic Riveter 95 has a relatively tight radius at 16 meters, but the edges don't always stay engaged because its construction is not quite as solid as that of other competitors. Other skis with a longer turn radius on paper, like the Maven 93 C's 17.9 meters, can make a much smaller arced turn, particularly if they are softer and easier to bend. If you love shredding fresh corduroy and leaving two deep trenches in your wake, then it's critical to choose a ski that performs well in this metric.
The Icelantic Riveter 95 has an even snappier, tighter feel than we expected from its 16-meter turn radius. The shock and joy is written on Renee's face.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Powder Performance
If you've only ever skied on rental skis or skis less than 90 millimeters underfoot, then all of the skis in this review are going to blow your mind in powder. Most of them will make even the seasoned fat-ski chick feel like a superstar in the soft stuff. These boards all do a decent job of keeping you on top of the snow, therefore making powder skiing feel effortless (not an easy feat). In general, the wider the tips and waist, and the more rocker in the tips, the more the ski will help you float closer to the surface of the deeper snow, making it easier to maneuver as there's less resistance. Sometimes, the skinnier skis in this review were decidedly harder work in the powder since they sink within the mire — making it tougher to make that turn happen.
The Elan Ripstick 94 W makes powder skiing feel like flying through the clouds with the Amphibio profile that helps smooth out the turbulence. On the other end of the spectrum, both the Black Pearl 88 and the Captis Birdie tended to sink under deeper snow, making skiing more laborious. While all of the skis in our review are a huge step up compared to a standard rental ski or a race ski, there is an equally huge jump up to the next best type of ski in these conditions — a true powder ski (110 millimeters and above in the waist). When the snow gets deep, some of these all-mountain models just can't hang.
The Amphibio profile of the Elan Ripstick 94 means that the downhill ski grips while the uphill ski skids, providing a smooth ride and easier transitions in powder.
Credit: Marc Rotse
The shape of a ski's tip certainly plays a role in its keenness to float. By setting the widest part back from the end, more tapered tips seem to have a better glide in powder. Once again, Ripstick 94 is a prime example. Thanks to their rockered and spatula tips, the relatively narrow waist doesn't inhibit its powder prowess at all. We were pleasantly surprised by their powder performance, even on the deepest days. The Faction Prodigy 3X shares the Ripstick's tip profile and performs as well in the deep, too. There are quite a few pairs of skis in this review that acquire floatation through their well-designed, wide tips, such as the Volkl Secret 96, the K2 Mindbender 99Ti, and the Fischer Ranger 102 WS.
The Blizzard Sheeva 9's rockered tips stayed afloat in fresh snow up to about eight inches deep.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Waist Width
A ski's performance in powder is related to its waist width (wider equals more floatation) as well as the amount of rocker it has in the tips. Additional rocker (the more a ski's tip turns upward away from the snow at a certain point along the length of the ski) helps a ski float without the addition of extra width.
Every ski in this review has a variation on a rockered design, which shifts the contact area between the ski and the snow towards the center of the ski, effectively shortening the “skiable” length. This “effective edge” length is felt more on groomers, but a ski with an “early rise rockered tip” is likely going to feel shorter than expected for a given length. For instance, if you normally ski a 160-centimeter on-piste ski, you may want to consider getting something in the 170-centimeter range if you're buying something with an early-rise rocker. The Faction Prodigy 3X is one of the widest skis, while the Coalition SOS has some of the most prominent rocker of all the models in our review.
The Prodigy 3X loves taking on the mountain at high speed, even in powder.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Our winner in this metric, the Elan Ripstick 94 W, alternatively does not have a particularly wide waist nor an exceptional amount of rocker. It does have a very unusual design the manufacturer calls “Ambibio Technology,” where there are dedicated left and right skis. The inside edge of each is built with a regular camber to provide edge grip on harder snow. The outside edge has a fully rockered design, shaped like a banana, with each end lifting off the snow, allowing for more flotation in powder and agility in soft snow. Perhaps this rockered edge sets the Ripstick apart in its powder performance and makes it ski like a dream in the freshies.
Nothing compares to the Elan Ripstick 94 W's powder prowess.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Crud Performance
For our review, we refer to “crud” as any version of variable snow (but not powder) on an ungroomed (or groomed too long ago to be noticeable) trail. Many days in springtime, the snow will be frozen sheets of ice in the morning and then forming giant slush waves by the mid-afternoon. But in mid-winter, you will sometimes find breakable crust in one spot and fun chalky wind-buff around the corner. Will your trusty toys blast through the irregularities, whether you're in soft or hard snow? When even the groomers are busted up, will you still feel like you're carving and crushing?
The Santa Ana 98 easily manages choppy snow like a bully on the playground. This ski can blast through the rough terrain, and it's damp enough not to get tossed around in chunky snow. The meaty Rossignol Black Ops 98 W also carries enough weight to bust through most choppy conditions, but a lighter-weight construction makes it a bit less powerful than the Santa Ana 98.
The Nordica Santa Ana 98 is a crud-busting machine, blasting through any chunky terrain in its path.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Other skis take an alternative approach to the chop, using their lightness and agility to skim the surface. The Ripstick 94 and the Riveter 95 use this method, but as it isn't as effective as the more aggressive tactic, they don't score quite as high in this metric.
The Icelantic Riveter 95 has a different method of handling chunky snow; instead of blasting through like stiffer skis, it helps absorb the undulations and easily changes direction when things get too tough.
Credit: Scott Rokis
The QST Lumen 98 isn't burly enough for experts to charge through crud at high speeds, but its more delicate management of choppy conditions makes it great for novices just stepping into ungroomed terrain for the first time. We were slightly disappointed by the Black Crows Captis Birdie in this environment. It neither barged through it nor sucked it up, throwing us around and resulting in some minor humiliations.
From cruising groomers to stepping out into new terrain, the QST Lumen 98 is sufficiently damp to handle most conditions.
Credit: Marc Rotse
Terrain Playfulness
We're evaluating how fun the ski is to use in this metric. This metric can certainly be a bit subjective from one tester to another and across skier types as well, depending on your ability level, height and weight, and preferences for turn shape and size. Playfulness can also be a fairly simple measurement — do you have fun on this ski? Are you looking forward to taking them on the hill and playing around on them — riding switch, maybe, or jumping off small features?
The ski's rebound is one element of playfulness that seems consistent throughout the models that excel in this metric. A ski with a nice rebound will release quickly and smoothly after you bend it (at the end of your turn), creating an energetic and exhilarating transition from one turn into the next. After you've pressured the skis through the turn and you let go, do they pop back and spring easily toward the next set of edges? Or are they listless and lack energy and responsiveness? Overall, a more traditionally cambered ski will tend to excel in this regard, yet we did find that the Ripstick 94 (with a bizarre Amphibio-profile) had an exceptional rebound.
The Blizzard Sheeva 9 wins top marks in this metric for its liveliness, agility, and rebound.
Credit: Marc Rotse
The Captis Birdie gave all our testers, regardless of their size, a very exciting rebound and made it fun to ski within appropriate terrain - nothing too steep, deep, or choppy. One tester called the Riveter 95 a bouncy ball of fun, given its propensity for popping in the air and springing easily in new directions.
The incredible rebound of the Elan Ripstick 94, combined with its love of flight, makes it one of the more playful skis in this review.
Credit: Scott Rokis
The Faction Prodigy 3X stands out as a high-energy ski in the same way, reacting quickly when flexed and springing back into shape with an explosive rebound. On the other side of the coin, the Santa Ana 98 isn't exactly “playful” in a conventional manner. But the feeling of confidence granted by this ski inspired us to attempt new stuff, which is always fun in and of itself.
Getting airborne on the Icelantic Riveter 95 was so easy and fun.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Some skis, such as the Rossignol Black Ops 98, just felt like dead boards under our feet and didn't make us feel much joy while skiing them. This outcome was particularly disappointing in the case of the Rossi, as the discontinued Rossignol Soul 7 HD W was one of the most responsive and playful skis we've ever tested. Others, like the Blizzard Black Pearl 88, were reliable and strong but didn't have the spring to their step to make us truly gleeful.
The Black Crows Captis Birdie loved to pop into the air, and our testers felt tons of fun rebound on it.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Bumps
Most skiers have a love or a hate relationship with them, but regardless, moguls are a fact of life while resort skiing. Even if you plan to avoid them at all costs, if you're skiing past noon, you'll often find yourself atop a pitch of bumps, possibly cursing the Olympic skiers who make them look so easy. Models with a tighter-feeling turn radius, such as the Icelantic Riveter 95, tend to perform better in the tight, firm, evenly spaced bumps.
The Stockli Nela 88's combination of agility and stability makes it second to none in a mogul field – the narrow waist, shorter length with a less prominently rockered tip, and the lack of rebound create a ski that dominates in this arena. The lightweight Ripstick 94 frolicked through the bumps and outperformed many other competitors in this metric.
The Stockli Nela 88 is our choice for bumps for its uncanny ability to keep skiers in the zipper line.
Credit: Marc Rotse
While we appreciated the Atomic Maven 93C in softer, smaller moguls, we wouldn't be thrilled to ski it through firmer Volkswagon-sized bumps. Despite its penchant for higher speeds and larger turn shapes, the Santa Ana 98 can still hold its own in a mogul field. Even our smaller testers found it manageable and quick in the bumps.
The Ripstick 94 easily flexing through a trough in the bumps.
Credit: Scott Rokis
If moguls are only starting to form in fresh snow, it might be wise to choose a ski with better crud-busting capabilities, such as the Black Pearl 88. However, we would say that if you plan to spend any more than 5% of your time purposefully seeking out moguls, you may want to research more on-piste-specific models.
Despite being a small creature in a big bump field, Hilary kept the Santa Ana 98 cruising along.
Credit: Scott Rokis
A Note About Versatility
We chose not to specifically rate the women's all-mountain skis on their versatility because the most versatile and well-rounded skis will naturally perform well across all of our metrics and rise to the top of the podium. The least versatile skis are the ones that tend to specialize in a particular zone, thereby making performance sacrifices in other areas.
The most versatile contenders in our review are the Nordica Santa Ana 98, the Elan Ripstick 94, the Blizzard Sheeva 9, and the Volkl Secret 96. The Nordica ski is particularly adept at high speeds and in crud but performs well all over the mountain. The Ripstick is a powder hound but is also wonderfully frivolous, both on-piste and off. The Sheeva 9 is the most playful of the bunch but also has a surprising capacity for carving and high-speed stability. The Volkl offers unrivaled steadiness at high speeds in any terrain, and it only misses a step when taken into tight bumps.
A versatile ski makes us smile, no matter what terrain we find ourselves in.
Credit: Scott Rokis
Conclusion
If you're seeking the perfect ski to handle whatever goods Mother Nature throws your way, we have you covered in this women's all-mountain ski review. Whether you're looking for planks to help stay afloat in soft powder, shred the groomers, or plow through crud, our top-ranked skis have the versatility to excel in all kinds of conditions and take you anywhere on the mountain.
