The Best Playful All Mountain Skis of 2026

Positioned as a freestyle-oriented, all-mountain ski, the ARW 100 is the widest option in the ARW collection, a lineup designed specifically for women. While the construction remains unchanged for 2026, Armada has refreshed the topsheet with artwork from Australian artist Laura Mason, which gives the approachable twin tip a fresh aesthetic.

Atomic’s top-selling model for years, the Bent 100 received numerous construction updates last season—including a revised build with an ash inlay to replace the metal layer, a boost in tail rocker and the introduction of a bevel in the tip and tail, called HRZN 3D Bent, to boost flotation in fresh snow. The updates significantly improved the ski’s overall performance and were well-received by skiers everywhere. For that reason, Atomic chose to bring the Bent 100 back, unchanged, for 2026.

Blackcrows redesigned its beloved 97-mm ski for 2026, delivering a Camox with a refined construction, shape and profile. With a semi-directional shape and tip and tail rocker this ski is extremely versatile to rip all over the resort, except on the deepest powder days.

The new M-Free 100 falls under Dynastar’s freeride ski line and is the narrowest in the lineup, under the M-Free 108 and 112. The M-Free 100 has a balanced flex and feels much more consistently stiff from tip to tail than the old 99, which felt solid through the front two-thirds but was quite soft in the tail. For advanced skiers who wanted a twin-tip ski with a stiffer, more consistent presence, the 99 left something to be desired.

The Playmaker series was born out of the success of Elan’s Ripstick line. While you can see some design nods from the brand’s directional freeride collection, the Playmaker 101 represents Elan’s dedicated venture into twin-tip, freestyle-oriented skis.

The Nightstick 97 is a lightweight twin tip that thrives in the park while maintaining versatility for all-mountain jibbing. Born from Fischer’s North American team vision in 2021, this ski evolved from the original Nightstick’s competition-focused design into something more versatile for the average rider. The result successfully balances park performance while satisfying flowy freestyle skiers.

The Nomad 100 was all new last year—marking the first major update to the Nomad line in eight years. It’s a soft ski with nice snap and low swing weight thanks to its wood and carbon core. The softer flex pattern creates a distinctly playful feel that sets it firmly in the all-mountain category as a jib-oriented ski. However, the ski’s soft and playful nature can prove problematic when laid on edge because of the lack of torsional rigidity.

When K2 introduced the Omen Team last season, it marked a shift in their freestyle ski lineup. Replacing the popular Poacher, the Omen was designed specifically to bridge the gap between high-level competition performance and everyday creativity. Sitting at the top of K2’s freestyle-focused skis, the Omen provides a premium option for skiers looking to push their limits in terrain parks and beyond.

The 2026 K2 Reckoner 102 returns with proven construction that continues to set it apart from more traditional all-mountain skis in its category. Rather than chasing pure directional performance, K2 has created a playful aura that makes this ski a favorite among freestyle riders who want to leave the park.

Last season the Reckoner 102 W got a complete refresh, making it more durable in its construction while sporting the same shape and rocker profile as the original. This update maintained the confident and capable personality of the ski while elongating its life with upgrades like a new aspen veneer wood core, additional carbon and capped tip and tail. These small details add up when you’re abusing these all-mountain sticks day in and day out.

New to Liberty’s 2026 ski lineup, the Liberty Scope 99 is a fun, soft twin-tip ski designed to contest the popular 100-waisted category. The Scope line is centered around softer cores and longer rocker profiles designed for freestyle-oriented skiers who like to spend time in the park or jibbing around the resort.

When you think of Nordica skis, metal usually comes to mind. That’s always been the case for the Italian race heritage brand, aside from the 2013 Soul Rider. Over a decade down the line, the Unleashed series has replaced the playful essence of the Soul Rider but with the beefier construction synonymous with Nordica skis. That is, until now.

The new 2026 Rossignol Sender Free 100 represents a deliberate return to playful freestyle skiing for the French brand. After receiving copious amounts of feedback on the widely popular Sender Free 110,  Rossignol identified a specific gap in their lineup. While the aggressive Super Black Ops 98 delivers a long effective edge and stiff construction for charging freeriders, the brand needed something more buttery and approachable in the 100-mm category.

The 2026 Salomon QST 100 represents the fourth generation of this iconic line, and a complete reinvention. Salomon has shifted the QST collection to focus on improved energy transfer and torsional rigidity through new construction and introduces a unisex philosophy across the board. The QST 100 emerges with a distinct personality within Salomon’s freeride collection, replacing the very popular QST 98.