The 18 best powder skis of 2020

115+ mm Freeride Skis

The widest, strongest platforms in the Buyer’s Guide, the best powder skis are meant to stomp cliffs, slash pow and confidently perform in the steepest, deepest terrain imaginable.

1. K2 Mindbender 116 C

Buy Now – $850

Reinvigorating K2’s arsenal for winter ‘19-20 is the all-new Mindbender collection, championed by the 116C. Inside, a maple-paulownia wood core provides a tried-and-true combination of stability and weight savings. But that’s just the start: K2 then employs its Carbon Spectral Braid, a layer of strategically woven carbon fiber threading that allows for variation in the torsion and flex throughout the ski. In plain terms, this ski is stiff when and where you need it to be, but, along with its powder-focused rocker, it’s playful enough to show your friends that you’re the life of the party.

2. Blizzard Rustler 11

Buy Now – $840

A tester favorite since its introduction two years ago, Blizzard’s Rustler 11 is a hard-charging ski that’ll have you grinning as you leave your buddies in the dust. Here, Blizz’ focuses its efforts on what’s inside: A combination of balsa, paulownia, poplar and beech woods provide balanced rigidity, dampening and weight savings while a rocker-camber-rocker profile allows for playfulness in the pow and reliable edge-to-edge action in variable terrain. These skis are a fully-loaded hoagie that’ll have you drooling for more.

3. Elan Ripstick 116

Buy Now – $950

The fattest freeride offering from Elan, the Ripstick 116 is powered by years of research and development hiding under the hood. These Mustangs get their power from a beech-poplar-paulownia wood core that’s reinforced with two superlight five-millimeter carbon tubes running the length of the ski, providing torsional rigidity and energetic rebound. But what’s power without control? Here, the cambered inside and rockered outside edge of each ski helps maintain snow contact and assists with turn transitions while you’re out there plowing through the White Room in sixth gear.

4. Völkl Confession

Buy Now – $875

If we want to compare skis to cars, let’s call Völkl’s Confession a cross between a Lamborghini and one of those EarthRoamer SUVs that make any terrain navigable. This directional, big-mountain offering incorporates nearly 50 years of heritage into a balanced, stable, powder-hunting set of planks that will help strong skiers pick their way down the burliest lines on the map. With a multi-layered laminate wood core, reinforced with Titanal and carbon stringers, the Confession will have you charging at top speed with unprecedented confidence, no matter how steep or deep your objective.

5. Salomon QST 118

Buy Now – $975

Updated for winter ‘19-20, Salomon’s award-winning QST line is spearheaded by its burliest big-mountain model, the 118. In this installment, a full-length poplar wood core is complemented by a sheet of Titanal and flax laminate directly underfoot, turning the ski into a landing pad for the biggest drops you can find. Tip-to-tail carbon fiber and basalt, as well as dampening caps made of cork, help reduce chatter and improve balance once you get ‘em up to speed. Lastly, a combination of tip and tail rocker with camber underfoot offers improved maneuverability, turn initiation, float and stability, even in steep terrain.

6. Faction Mono

Buy Now – $799

Do you dream of going Full Turbo? Is the Hollywood line your favorite run at the resort? Are you looking to spice up your sex life? Step into Faction’s Mono ski to answer these questions and many more. Using time-tested mono technology, such as a poplar-beech wood core, extended rocker and a performance-enhancing flat tail, Faction is proudly bringing back this girthy classic for winter ‘19-20. Bottom line: If you consider yourself “Mono-curious,” this is the head-turnin’, party-lappin’ ride for you.

7. J skis The Friend

Buy Now – $749

The Friend, from master ski-shaper Jason Levinthal, is an amazingly versatile, functional work of art. It utilizes a gentle, extended rocker in the tip and tail for effortless deep snow skiing… you know, the kind of pivoting and plundering you see in the movies. Between the buns of this sandwich, Levinthal employs the same, high-quality ingredients that make all of his skis stand-outs: a maple wood core, full-height sidewalls and carbon fiber stringers, just to name a few. Where this ski surprised our testers most, however, was its hardpack abilities; despite its significant width underfoot, it performed notably well on-piste.

8. HEAD KORE 117

Buy Now – $925

HEAD’s KORE Series is the culmination of innovative thinking and thoughtful applications of new materials; in other words, these skis are a science experiment worthy of Bill Nye’s laboratory. The first thing you’ll notice when grabbing a pair of the KORE 117s is how lightweight they are, especially for their size. This is thanks to the ski’s core, which is a combination of feathery karuba wood and a strong and flexible honeycomb-shaped material called Koroyd. Grab your lab coat and make your hypothesis… you’ll find the skiing theory somewhere on the downhill.

9. Black Crows Anima

Buy Now – 889.95

The second-widest ski in Black Crow’s big-mountain lineup, the Anima is a powerful yet nimble choice for skiers who want to explore every side of freeskiing. The rocker-camber-rocker profile here gives riders the ability to pivot on a dime in deeper snow, while the ski’s extended sidecut ensures a larger and more secure turning radius at speed. This ski will help your imagination fly free as it offers plenty of landing gear for big jumps, a balanced flex that encourages hopping and spinning off of natural features and Black Crows’ unmistakable, minimalist styling.

115+ mm Freestyle Skis

Powder-specific skis that boast playful flex patterns, wide waist widths and near symmetric dimensions. Pop, spin, press and stomp during winter’s deepest days on the best powder skis of 2020.

1. Line Outline

Buy Now – $900

Another masterpiece crafted from the mind of Eric Pollard, the Outline took top honors in the 115+ Freestyle category this year. EP and Line added convexity to the tip and tail of the ski with the intention of aligning its personality with that of a surfboard, able to plane, slash and press with more control at speed. If you, like Pollard, define your style as “smooth,” this should be at the top of your list. After many years of ski design, this may be Pollard’s pièce de résistance.

2. Folsom Trophy

Buy Now – $949

Put these powder planks in the case alongside the Lombardi, Stanley Cup and the Heisman—the Folsom Trophy is that legendary. The Denver-based custom ski manufacturer implemented a shape intended for quick, agile turning in deep snow, and early taper in both the tip and tail make it an absolute butter knife. If you’d like to infuse a bit of your own personality—camber profile, composite types, core materials, graphics–into an already magnificent powder ski, take a look at Folsom.

3. Faction CT 5.0

Buy Now – $1,099

Faction and the enigma that is Candide Thovex reworked the original CT 4.0 to produce the new CT 5.0. Thovex’s widest pro model features an ultralight balsa and pacheco—a lesser-known hardwood—wood core that produces an easy-to-maneuver yet solid feel. While the CT 5.0 boasts a super playful flex, its beefy 25 meter turn radius really allows you to lay ‘em out in open terrain.

4. Nordica Enforcer 115 Free

Buy Now – $900

While the Enforcer 115 Free definitely requires a strong, aggressive skiing style thanks to two sheets of metal in the core, it certainly fits the bill of “freestyle ski.” A combination balsa-poplar-beech wood core complemented by carbon fiber balances weight savings, response and stability, ensuring the ski will react exactly how you intend it to, no matter the terrain. Significant early rise in the tip and tail gives it high marks in flotation, whether in deep snow or over variable chop, too. Lick the stamp and send ‘er with the Enforcer 115 Free this season.

5. Völkl Revolt 121

Buy Now – $775

Völkl expands its beloved line of freestyle Revolt skis to include the beefy Revolt 121. The ski, loved by jib-centric powder skiers like Colter Hinchliffe, Tanner Rainville and 2019 Freeride World Tour champ Markus Eder, has fairly dramatic taper lines, allowing it to butter and press with absolute ease, and its hefty rocker allows for magnificent float in the deep. The Revolt 121 is fairly stiff through its gut, however, giving it that solid character Völkl is known for.

6. Dynastar Menace Proto 118

Buy Now $900

The go-to powder ski for Dynastar athletes Richard Permin and Sander Hadley, the Menace Proto has a healthy appetite for destruction. The Menace is built with a lively poplar wood core that’s a dream for popping and pressing off the natural features of your local mountain, while fiberglass reinforcement ensures lightweight stability when things get sketchy. Tip and tail rocker with a hefty 118 millimeter waist really allows the Menace to shine when dropping into those untouched powder fields.

7. DPS Koala 119

Buy Now – $899

The Koalas are the name of DPS’ pro team, including Piers Solomon, Santiago Guzman and Dash Longe, and the all-new Koala 119 reflects their collective skiing style. The Koala is meant to encourage creativity and switch skiing, but provide an über-stable platform for going huge. Its forward-mounted chassis, significant rocker and tapered tips and tails promote slathering the hillside with butters, and a combination of bamboo and poplar in the core ensure it’s lively and charges like a beast.

8. 4FRNT InThayne

Buy Now – $699

If your skiing style matches up with that of 4FRNT athlete and master builder Thayne Rich—big tricks in the backcountry with an affinity for switch landings—his signature InThayne ski may be for you. The ski is built predominantly with aspen wood, giving it an energetic character, but it’s complemented by a maple insert underfoot for binding retention and carbon stringers running from tip to tail to keep it stiff, supportive and strong. Its full reverse camber profile really excels in the deep stuff where Thayne calls home.

9. Atomic Bent Chetler 120

Buy Now – $900

Back for its 11th year of production with a folk tune-infused topsheet from Chris Benchetler, the Bent Chetler 120 is sure to have you singing sweet melodies once you hit fields of fresh this winter. Its HRZN Tech tip and tail, a horizontal convexity, increases its flotation in powder, helps deflect variable snow at high speeds and provides a superior platform for buttering to your heart’s desire. Its light, yet lively poplar wood core also promotes airborne activities, exactly how its creator likes it.