Women's All-mountain front ski reviews 2018
In this “All-mountain east” category, we select and review women's skis designed for 70% piste and 30% freeride. The qualities required include piste performance (initiation, turn performance and grip, stability, rebound, etc.), comfort, overall versatility and freeride behaviour (flotation in powder, rotation, behaviour in challenging snow conditions). The skis are generally between 82 and 88 mm underfoot with a large tip and rocker, and a relatively straight design.They're designed for good to excellent riders looking for a highly efficient ski for the groomers that will also take them off-piste when the conditions are right.
BEST SKI
Stöckli Stormrider 85 review 2018
Women's skis 2018 > All-mountain front Best ski 2018
We've been keeping an eye on the remarkable progress Stöckli has made with its all mountain models for several seasons now. This year, the Swiss brand carries off the "best ski" awards in these categories, with a special mention for the excellent Stormrider 85. Easy to handle and tolerant, it responds to a touch and is extremely forgiving. Its versatility got warm praise from the reviewers: the ski... Read on
AWARD
Nordica Astral 84 review 2018
Women's skis 2018 > All-mountain front Best Accessibility!
Performing a little less well than the Stormrider 85, but just as enjoyable, Nordica's Astral scored well for its extreme user-friendliness and exceptional fun on the groomed trails. You’re immediately on top of it and need very little time to adapt. Simple to use, not to say intuitive, the ski steers at a touch with very little technical or physical skill. Above all, the Astral is a very playful ski, which... Read on
Incredibly accessible, easy to handle and to enter turns, very happy in skid turns, the Ripstick 86 W is a model that requires little physical engagement or technical prowess. Its behavior off-trail is very good. The ski is docile and easy to manage, even in choppy snow. On groomed runs, it’s a bit more challenging at high speed as the stiff tail tends to hamper it to some extent. It’s the ideal ski to discover... Read on
The SKi W's from Scott has the same qualities as its peer designed for men. It’s a relatively springy ski with progressive flex. The reviewers liked its accessibility, its overall behavior, and its great agility and fluidity on soft snow. The tip tends to bend slightly in chopped up crud, but it’s the price for its user-friendliness. Its flexibility means that you should avoid getting one that's... Read on
The reviewers found the Legend 88 to be globally well behaved, especially on the piste. However, they felt it lacked responsiveness on the groomed runs, and stability and smoothness on challenging terrains, probably due to its relative flexibility.
Rossignol’s Temptation 88 HD proved too demanding to do well in this category where we’re looking for a good compromise between grip and the capacity to cut through crud, accessibility and comfort. On the whole, the ski performs well, especially carving on the groomed trails. However, the reviewers found it very stiff and hard to bend, and it requires physical and technical prowess to be exploited correctly.... Read on