During President’s Day weekend in 2025, 2 feet of snow buried Jay Peak Resort in Northern Vermont. Skiers were floating turns over their heads, and it must’ve been nothing short of blower. But I wouldn’t know because I didn’t arrive until Tuesday after that storm.
By then, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I boarded the tram with the Black Diamond’s Impulse Ti 104 Women’s skis in hand and stepped off at the wind-scoured landing zone. Clicking in, I aimed for the nearest slope.
I had visions of creamy, bottomless turns, the type of skiing these boards were born for. Instead, I found crusty, skied-off groomers. To my surprise, the Impulse Ti impressed anyway, holding its edge and driving confidently even on the firmest snow.
When I finally ducked into the woods, the snow wasn’t deep, but the skis carved fluidly through chalky bumps, quick edge to edge, and lively enough to keep me grinning. And when I sniffed out pockets of wind-deposited powder in Beaver Pond Glade and Andre’s Paradise, the skis lit up. They floated with power, slithered smoothly through trees, and reminded me why I’d been excited to test them in the first place.
That day summed up what these skis do best. They’re fun in the conditions you hope for, but equally trustworthy when the mountain serves up something mixed.
In short: The Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 W ($850) is an all-mountain charger with a 104mm waist that feels surprisingly nimble and playful. It’s light enough to flick around in tight spaces yet has the backbone to stand tall on firmer snow. The flat, solid wood core is reinforced with a Titanal sheet and full ABS sidewalls, translating into stability, dampness, and confident power transmission. The ski always feels ready to respond, whether to soft powder, chalky bumps, or icy corduroy.
Check out our full Buyer’s Guide to the Best Women’s All-Mountain Skis to see how the Impulse Ti 104 W stacks up against other top picks.
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Stability at Speed
9.0
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Playfulness
8.0
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Powder Performance
8.0
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Performance in Poor Conditions
7.0
- Lengths (cm): 158, 165, 172
- Dimensions (mm): 135/104/123 (165)
- Turn Radius: 16m (165)
- Other Available Waist Widths (mm): 98
- Best For: Intermediate to experts, powder days
Pros
- A powder ski that grips in challenging and low snow conditions
- Same weight as the non-metal version
- Impressive performance all over the mountain
Cons
- Longest women’s ski is 170
- Only two waist widths available
Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 W
How They Skied
The Impulse Ti W felt fast, responsive, and consistently fun. On hardpack at Jay, it dug into the surface like a ski designed for carving, delivering the power needed to maintain a confident edge, even when the snow had been scoured down to ice.
Later in the trees, the ski showed off its quickness, darting smoothly edge to edge and making short, fast turns without ever feeling twitchy. On powder stashes, it offered a natural and playful float, giving me the confidence to open things up.
I started my morning at Stowe on slick, early frozen Perry Merrill and Liftline runs. The Impulse Ti W’s torsional stiffness allowed it to stay planted even when my edges met glare ice. As the day warmed and bumps formed, it didn’t just survive the changing surface; it thrived in it, skipping happily over spring snowcones and weaving through classic Vermont corn. The ski felt intuitive no matter the terrain: point it down a groomer and it carved hard, dive into the woods and it stayed nimble, drop into bumps and it danced without complaint.
Why They’re Our Best Powder Day Skis
The Impulse Ti 104 W has a personality that comes alive when the snow stacks up. The wide 104mm waist, rockered tip and tail, and smooth flex pattern combine to deliver effortless float.
The ski feels light and nimble in tight trees, letting you dart between trunks and react quickly. On open faces, they plane easily, rising above the fluff while still holding steady when you drive it through a deeper turn.
How it blends float with energy makes it stand out as a powder pick. Some powder skis feel like boats that only want to surf, but the Impulse Ti still wants to carve, bounce, and play. That makes it equally fun when conditions shift midstorm or when powder pockets give way to chopped-up snow. On the deepest days, it shines with reliable lift and confidence. On the days after, it still gives you a reason to smile.
Surprising Versatility
What surprised me most was that the Impulse Ti proved far more versatile than Black Diamond’s 70/30 powder-to-firm pitch suggests. It floated effortlessly in soft snow, yet stayed quick and stable when conditions turned crusty or chopped up.
I trusted it on icy groomers in the morning and had just as much fun in trees and sidecountry laps later on. It reminded me of the Atomic Maven for its reliability, but with more playfulness, making mixed bag days feel good and storm days even better.
Construction Updates
Last season, Black Diamond overhauled the Impulse Ti, adding a sheet of Titanal for torsional rigidity and balanced stiffness without increasing weight. They trimmed fiberglass, kept the lively poplar wood core, and refreshed the top sheet with a lighter, more durable material. The women’s version is identical to the unisex build, apart from shorter lengths and a women’s-specific graphic.
Room for Improvement
The women’s sizing tops out at 170 cm, which is frustrating. Advanced women who want longer skis should be able to get them without defaulting to the men’s graphics. It feels like an unnecessary limitation for an otherwise excellent ski.
Waist width is another area I wanted more of. The Impulse Ti W is available in 98mm and 104mm versions, which cover most East Coast versus West Coast powder days. But when the snow stacks up beyond a foot, I couldn’t help wishing Black Diamond offered a wider option with a bit more float for the truly deep days.
Conclusion: Who It’s For
The Impulse Ti 104 W is a frontside ski with powder DNA. It’s best for intermediate to advanced women who want something stable and playful, with the versatility to shine on powder days and the backbone to carve confidently when conditions harden.
It rewards skier input and feels best when driven fast, yet it stays approachable for slower, more casual laps. If you chase storms but also want a ski you can trust on everything in between, this is the one to reach for.
