The Best Playful Big Mountain Skis of 2026

The Armada ARV 106 Ti is self-explanatory in its name. Armada took its beloved ARV 106 chassis and added Titanal to it. The result is a fun, damp and energy-filled, big-mountain ski. They first debuted this idea back in 2019 by releasing a limited run and the feedback was promising.

Part of Chris Benchetler’s unmistakable signature series, the Atomic Bent 110 returns for 2026 with a fresh topsheet while maintaining its signature construction. As the second-widest option in the five-ski Bent collection, the 110 targets freestyle-oriented skiers hunting for powder in bigger terrain.

The M-Free 108 is a key player in Dynastar’s freeride category for 2026, designed for freeride competitions and advanced skiers who want to charge hard with a freestyle touch. Standing at 108 mm underfoot with an 18-meter turn radius at 185 cm, this ski is built for big turns in even bigger terrain.

Directional skis with an appetite for playfulness are few and far between these days, but the Elan Ripstick 108 embodies this rare combination. Introduced in 2025, the Ripstick 108 emerged as Elan’s consolidation of the widest of the Ripstick collection, functionally replacing both the Ripstick 106 and 116.

The Kanso 106 is a fresh offering from the young company, Ellis, that has positioned itself as a high-quality, niche offering for big-mountain skiers. The Kanso 106 sits in the middle of the Ellis ski family and serves as the daily driver for skiers who spend their time mostly skiing off the beaten path.

The widest offering in the four-ski Nightstick lineup, the 104  extends the series’ park-inspired performance into soft snow while maintaining the playful characteristics that define the collection.

If you’re trying to ski with the fluidity of Addison Rafford, the Reckoner 110 W is designed specifically for that creative and surfy skiing. The widest of the women’s Reckoner series, the 110 W is intended to be a powder ski with a generously wide surface area for float in the fresh and a low swing weight to throw tricks.

The Unleashed collection has been making a name for itself the past couple seasons for its stout feel underfoot with a more freestyle-oriented shape. Arguably the most versatile of the Unleashed series, the 108 is a beefy all-mountain freeride ski that is an ideal daily driver for skiers who gravitate to creative riding and natural features.

This freeride monster has been a staple in some of the best freeride segments and competitions in recent memory and for good reason—this ski is a great fit for the modern-day freerider. Rossignol has found a great combination of weight, stability underfoot and tip and tail flex to create a ski that feels damp and surfy for the creative freeride skier.

The Salomon QST 106 has been one of the brand’s most popular freeride skis. For 2026, it features construction updates including cork damplifier inserts in the tip and tail and a basalt/carbon/flax laminate that replaces metal.