The Best Backcountry Skis of 2025

From lapping frontside groomers to sending cliffs and popping off side hits, the 95 mm underfoot Weston Skyline ($699) excels everywhere you point your tips, uphill or downhill.

It’s a playful, quick, and agile ski with a little bit of rocker in the nose and tail for floaty cruising. The standard camber in the center of the ski offers an energetic and responsive feel and carve-ability. The flat-to-early-rise tail releases more like a race ski than a freeride ski, giving us exceptional steerability and control from icy East Coast steeps to powdery couloirs in the Tetons.

The poplar core is light to save energy skinning uphill. Weston blends in bamboo and adds triaxial fiberglass to keep this ski from getting thrown offline or knocked around by variable snow or refrozen crud. The bamboo adds stiffness without the weight of metal. The top sheet is made from castor-bean-based ruggedized nylon for durability. Underfoot, the Weston Skyline adds a hefty pre-cured fiberglass binding plate for reliable binding retention.

This ski was the perfect partner for lapping our local Vermont stash. Bouncing between the trees, it was playful and springy and it put a smile on our face every run. Bamboo in the core gives this ski grip, and a unique feel. When we decided to explore above the standard transition zone, it slithered down a halfpipe gully with zing and pop. And these skis even made a winding whoop-to-doo of an exit trail fun.

These weren’t the skis we reached for on huge days. At 1780g, they’re notably heavier than most of the comparable backcountry skis we review here, including the 1400g LaSportiva Tempo and the 1262g Volkl Rise Beyond 96.  At $699, they’re also some of the most affordable backcountry skis you can buy. But it was the energetic fun feel of these skis that won over all who tested them.

We appreciate when any snowsports brand considers how to reduce their carbon emissions and contribute less to global warming. As a small brand, Weston isn’t leading snowsports sustainability initiatives, but they’re making a solid effort to learn what they don’t know and improve. If you love this ski, but want a lighter version at a higher price, check out the Weston Skyline Carbon.

If you’re a downhill-focused backcountry skier, the Weston Skyline will meet all your needs and more. Because it’s relatively lightweight but also stiff and floaty, it strikes a perfect balance between uphill and downhill performance. And, with a reasonable price tag, Weston has made the Skyline an accessible, high-performance ski for which we are grateful!

When the Voile Hyper Manti ($850) touches the snow, you can literally hear “We Are the Champions” emanating from the slopes. This intuitive, maneuverable ski will quickly become your new favorite backcountry ride. 

Designed to bring you incredible performance, lightweight, durability, and huge high fives, the only ones not impressed with this ski are the other members of your quiver who have now been relegated to the garage.  

First and foremost, you’ll notice its playful design — with early rise in the tip and an ever-so-slightly rockered tail — this ski gets you up on the snow, holds its flotation, and helps you initiate every turn with ease so you’ll be able to dance through the trees and float through pow.

Second, you’ll love the different core layup Voile offers in its “Hyper” series. It replaces the traditional (poplar) core with a double layup of carbon and paulownia wood. This delivers the ultimate lightweight feeling and performance for long-haul days while still providing enough stability for varied conditions on the descent.

Our testers pushed the Manti’s capabilities on the ups and downs, and it rose to the occasion every time. In conditions ranging from champagne powder to breakable crust on high peaks in Colorado or while skiing steep, “no-fall” couloirs in the Tetons, these skis allowed us to push our limits on the ascent and exceeded expectations on the way back down.

As we mentioned, the early-rise tip and rockered tail design allow you to surf through soft snow and help avoid getting hung up in variable conditions, like we often see during the freeze-thaw cycle that characterizes the transition from deep winter to spring. But beware, although the Hyper Manti will crush it in many conditions, the lightweight carbon layup does have a downfall — our testers experienced a bit of chatter and “bouncing” on the hardpack.

So, if you’re skinning largely at the resort and skiing back down on fast groomers, these may not be for you. But never fear. If you’re looking for a heavier option that can move back and forth between the backcountry and groomers, Voile’s still got you covered with the standard layup found on Voile’s “Ultra” series.

After a few years of using the Voile Hyper Manti skis day in and day out, our testers remain quite impressed with their versatility and intuitive nature. If you’re a powder hound looking to earn your turns while getting freshies in a variety of terrain, the Hyper Manti just might be the perfect match.  

Whether you’re cranking out a fast dawn patrol lap or heading out for a technical all-day butt kicker, the Black Diamond Helio Carbon 88 Skis ($850) make a reliable, versatile, fun backcountry partner. Despite being extremely light, they perform well on both the ascent and descent in a wide range of terrain and conditions. 

One of the lightest options on our list, these skis were our go-to for sunrise skins up the intimidatingly vertical slopes of our hometown mountain, Snow King, in downtown Jackson. They allow us to cruise uphill more easily and quickly than others in our quiver. But we also skied steep, icy groomers, burly bumps, tight trees, and a solid amount of freshies with confidence, thanks to the Helio’s stiff construction, short turning radius, and carbon fiber layup, which damps vibrations in a big way.

Throughout our year of testing, we also took the Helio 88 skis on over 30 tours in the true backcountry of Wyoming and Colorado. At 88 underfoot, these aren’t the skis to reach for on an epic pow day unless you want to really test your powder skiing technique. However, their early rise tips kept us afloat during the 8-12-inch refreshes that continually grace Teton Pass throughout the winter. Even when we pushed the limits of these skis on some more significant pow days, our tips didn’t dive like we expected they would. Instead, the Helio 88 skis kept moving right below the surface (with a solid amount of leaning back from us) in up to about 16 inches of freshies.

These boards also excel at cutting through crud and holding an edge in refrozen corn, which we discovered on a few steep spring missions up peaks like Mount Aetna and Mount Taylor in Colorado’s Sawatch Range. They’re incredibly responsive and snappy, making them ideal for dropping into spots where jump turns are required.  

Because they perform so well on the downhill, we brought these skis on some pretty gnarly adventures. Their light weight made skinning long distances or hauling them up a steep boot pack more efficient than with heavier skis, which means we had a lot more energy left to enjoy the downhill. A small but thoughtful feature — a bumper on the tail — keeps your climbing skins centered, which minimizes snow creep and the potential for losing a skin in wonky conditions.

There are only two places where these skis don’t excel. You’ll want something wider like the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 or the Voile Hyper Manti on super deep pow days. And, though the Helio 88 skis hold a solid edge on hardpack, they chatter more than others, but really only if you’re going mach speed on a groomer. Since this ski shines in the backcountry, you probably won’t experience that too often unless you’re solely lapping an icy resort, in which case you might want a heftier ski. One note: if you love these skis but want something for pow or other conditions, the Black Diamond Helio Carbon does come in other widths, including 95, 105, and 115.

These super solid skis minimize weight for the uphill yet inspire confidence when skiing technical terrain or committing lines. Choose the Black Diamond Helio Carbon 88 skis for your light and fast high-alpine adventures and long-distance tours if you want to crush the ascent and expertly tackle the descent.

The Atomic Bent Chetler ($850) was significantly redesigned for 2025 by its namesake, Chris Bentchetler, who calls it the harmonic convergence of art and skiing. We agree and crown it as the best touring ski for deep powder. Fun and poppy, it makes you want to jump and play. The Bent Chetler uses Atomic’s lightweight poplar wood core that’s just a tad stiffer than previous versions. So it’s just as good for jibbing and jumping, carving and smearing, but even more fun and responsive.

This twin-tip ski has a relatively long turn radius. The turned-up ends let you carve any shape you want with it — long cruisy turns on open slopes or short radius wiggles through the trees. Turn with the bases flat, and this ski has a much shorter effective edge that makes it nimble and not just for nose butters. The updated profile improves float, enhances balance, and boosts playfulness with the next-generation HRZN 3D with a full wrap tip/tail profile for playful skiing and better float in the deepest snow.

The Bent 120 can be used in more snow conditions than might be immediately obvious, including in moderate snow conditions when you need some float. Exaggerated rocker keeps the tips up and above whatever is lurking beneath the snow’s surface to waylay you. Early season, when water bars are still open, a stiff ski can be jarring. This one takes the sting out of the inconsistencies in the snow. But what it’s made for is inspiration. Clipping into these skis makes us want to ski more creatively. Size up or down depending on how fast you want to go and how quickly you need to maneuver.

Atomic’s Bent Chetler 120 continues to evolve its sustainability story. It uses a lower-impact design with a new core that uses more poplar and other wood, as well as less metal, fiberglass, and resin, to decrease the ski’s environmental impact. The higher-content recycled top sheet reduces the skis’ carbon footprint by 13%. A new ash wood binding mount replaces metal reinforcement, adding 10% more strength. And as always, the ski displays art by Chris Bentchetler adding to the fun feel of these planks.

You’ll want to save these skis for the deepest days. These fat boards are a quiver ski meant only for the deepest days. They’re not the ski of choice for groomer runs or a few inches of fresh.

For those conditions, grab the Line Vision 104, which is a ski that can handle front and backside. And for days when you don’t know what you’ll find once you head out, the Backland 109 dishes out notable float even in cruddy snow.

Want the freedom to freeride, and the float to skip down snowy slopes with all the style you can muster? Then, these skis are for you.

Read Review: Locking Skin System for Backcountry Powder Laps: 4FRNT Hoji Ski With 4-Lock Skin System Review

On paper, it’s hard to wrap your head around 4FRNT’s Hoji 4Lock ($979), but on snow, its unique features combine for a stellar skiing experience.

There are so many things we love about this ski. The super long turn radius — 30 meters — is incredible for wide-arcing turns. But you can also pivot the Hoji 4Lock on a dime because it’s fully rockered.

This ski makes you want to jump off things. Total turn control made us want to find the tightest lines in the tightest trees, pick our way through the woods, and choose the most fun path. The skis were fast, and we felt like we could maneuver them quickly and go anywhere. They also carved beautiful, long, arcing turns when we put them on edge.

The 4FRNT Hoji 4Lock has a maple and ash core denser than many touring skis. Skinning uphill, they never felt heavy, but skiing downhill, they never got deflected by variable snow as some super light ski do. The innovative multi-radius rocker let us surf sweet powder fields and control our line when the conditions were less than ideal. The aspen/maple core is energetic and gives back what we put into it. That’s thanks to pre-stretched carbon fiber stringers that give this ski more pop and flex than a ski with fiberglass inside at a reduced weight, which makes this ski great for touring.

We’ve skied plenty of skis with multi-radius profiles, including most of the Volkl skis, which, like the Rise Beyond 96, have 3D sidecut. However, the 4FRNT Hoji 4lock has a variable rocker profile with a lot of rise in the tip but a long turning radius. When we finally had the space to open up the throttle on these skis, we could rip and we learned how to make them work even in Teton Pass tree runs. While their default is a long turning radius, they’ll wiggle through tight terrain when you want them to.

The Hoji 4Lock also adds a neoprene insert in the tip of the ski that practically bumps up the damping, eliminates chatter, and prevents the tips from delaminating, according to 4FRNT. The race bases are integrated with carbon to further strengthen their gliding properties. And they’re a tough 1.4 mm thick, so you won’t be constantly getting core shots.

The 4FRNT Hoji 4Lock ski is unique, and it’s impossible to fully sing its praises without a deep dive into the 4Lock skin system. The system uses a low-profile 12×9 mm hole through the ski’s tail where the bespoke Pomoca skin inserts. By inserting the self-locking skin strap through this hole, the skin is locked to the ski, eliminating skin failure. The system uses a shorter skin, which saves weight with zero impact on performance.

The 4Lock System reduces skin length by up to 12%. This reduced skin length weighs in at less than 240 grams per skin and folds up so compactly that the skins easily tuck inside a jacket or into a pocket. We experienced no lost performance on the slopes, less weight in the pack, and faster transitions. The Hoji is available with or without the 4Lock System, and we strongly recommend getting these skis with the skins.

These skis are for a backcountry powder skier who loves a surfy feel and who will take advantage of the cool custom skin system.

A light and reliable downhill performer, Volkl’s Rise Beyond 96 ($750) is a great ski for East Coasters and other backcountry skiers who want good float and fun carving on the downhills without dragging a heavy weight on the uphill. And it’s 100 g lighter than its predecessor, which makes touring on it even better.

The ski’s 3D radius sidecut, a signature Volkl design, lets you choose how you want to ski it based on conditions and terrain. It’s a quick turner and a sweeping GS turn carver. Volkl’s 3-D sidecut gives the ski three radii including a shorter one in the waist of the ski for agility and easy turning, a huge boon in tight east coast trees like those in Vermont’s Mount Mansfield Thunder Basin.

Wider radii in the tip and tail areas kept this ski from being twitchy and unpredictable when skiing fast, especially when the hill had wind-blown, crusted, or tracked-out snow. When a ski does what you want it to quickly and intuitively, it saves energy so you can focus on the experience.

At 96 underfoot with a decently wide shovel and tail, we expected these skis to carve easily, but in heavier snow, they got bogged down. Because of the pure wood core, they also got pushed around when snow conditions weren’t ideal. While expert skiers wanting to keep their swing weight down report being able to drive them in all conditions, the rest of us preferred these in soft conditions in the Vermont side-country. In a handful of inches of fresh powder, when we wanted to click off some miles, this ski excelled. When the snow was more variable, we preferred Blizzard’s slightly wider Zero G or the spunkier Faction LaMachine 2 Mini.

Use Volkl’s Smart Skin clip system with pre-cut mohair or hybrid skins, or skin up with your favorite aftermarket option. A discreet indentation in the tip gives the Smart Skin hook lateral guidance and prevents it from coming off when you walk. But they didn’t have as good glide as the Pomoca pink or yellow skins we typically prefer.

The Rise Beyond 96 also comes in a women’s version with the same features as the Rise Beyond 96, but in shorter lengths and with different graphics. A sunset graphically inspires the unisex model, while the women’s model takes its design cues from dawn.

The closest thing to a freeride ski that’s uphill-oriented, Dynafit’s Ridge 95 ($800) weighs in at just 1330 g. This is one of the lightest skis we can recommend to skiers who aren’t just in it for exercise but want a fun ski to carve on the way downhill.

Yes, this ski is light. And it’s one of the most playful lightweight touring skis in its class. Dynafit keeps the weight down with a paulownia core augmented with extra thin strips of Titanal, a metal usually found in freeride downhill skis along the ski perimeter. The Titanal Boost technology gives this ski notable torsional rigidity for its weight.

The pronounced rocker at the tip and tail made the Ridge 95 highly steerable, even in tight trees and deeper snow. The tip rocker is gradual and progressive, shortening how much of the ski edge is on the snow, which made this ski an agile handler. It’s responsive and not overly springy or squirrelly. Full sidewalls give this ski some durability and add damping for a less rattley, chattery ride. A longer sidecut means more control. On firm and variable snow, we were able to carve turns. The progressive tip rocker helped this ski float and made it easy for us to initiate turns.

This ski is a smidge lighter than LaSportiva’s Tempo, and we liked its edge hold. The Dynafit Ridge skis feel slightly higher performance than the LaSportiva Tempos, and are very predictable in the way they handle. They are more energetic than the Volkl Rise Beyond.

This ski is a quiver ski. We skied this ski for resort laps at home in Vermont, uphill adventures in Aspen, and recon in the San Juans. When the snow is firm, it’s a great choice. When it starts to get deep, there are better skis. For speed uphill, pick this ski. If the downhill matters more to you than the uphill, a heavier ski will be easier to control.

Pair this ski with Dynafit’s precut Speedskins. Tip and tail notches mate with those skins to save even more weight on the uphills. This ski is a great choice for uphill-focused adventures when a light ski means you can get further faster.

Scott is leading the charge for versatile, lightweight skis with its freeski-inspired Scott Superguide 95 ($750). Designed to help skiers conquer new summits and have more fun and control on descents, this backcountry ski is an ultralight performer that can handle big terrain. Its low swing weight makes it ideal for hop-turning in steep terrain, snappy kick turns, and a superior uphill touring feel.

For the newest Superguide, Scott swapped carbon stringers interlaid at a 45-degree angle for straight carbon stringers down the ski’s length, making them more responsive than previous iterations. Thanks to its paulownia and beechwood core, the ski was poppy and lively.

Scott added thicker, concave, elliptical sidewalls to help the ski hold better in mixed conditions. We felt this when laying into a long radius, GS-style turn on the Superguides without slipping out. A longer tip and tail sidecut with less sidecut underfoot gave the ski a longer transition zone for smoother carving.

The Superguide 95 has Scott’s 3D touring sidecut for versatility and maneuverability, which means it can operate at various radius turns. Full-length sidewalls gave the ski torsional stability, and the ski’s edges held well in ice and punchy sugar snow. The Superguide’s 95 mm waist was quick on the uphill, elegant, and reliable on the down. Although narrow for deep powder days, the wider rockered tip had solid float and forgiveness in fresh snow. Camber underfoot let us power the ski’s edges when things got firm.

The Scott Superguide 95 is unquestionably light, but after skiing challenging terrain in a mixed bag of conditions, we can report that despite their weight, they held an edge, didn’t get tossed around, and never distracted us from the task at hand. As a bonus, Scott makes pre-trimmed, compatible skins that clip into cutouts in the ski’s tip.

These skis are best for expert skiers looking for a daily driver that can also handle big missions in steep, demanding terrain and for those who prioritize the uphill. This ski is one of the lightest of all that we tested, and it’s a solid performer to boot. This would be our ski of choice for a long glacier traverse in the Alps, which is where we mostly put the Superguide through the paces.

Built for long days skinning and skiing far-off lines in prime conditions, the Blizzard Zero G 105 ($850) incorporates the same innovative and advanced construction techniques Blizzard uses in all of its skis, trimmed down into a highly capable, backcountry-specific model.

Blizzard’s Carbon Flipcore technology sandwiches a unidirectional carbon frame into the core of the ski for responsiveness that’s sensitive and energetic. The frame is fused to an ultralight paulownia wood core to hold the frame in place. The frame allows the ski to flex evenly while lending torsional rigidity to hold a carve.

The only downside to this light construction is that for its width, it can be prone to chatter at high speeds on hardpack. We’ll take that trade-off for its weight on the uphill. Blizzard also layers bidirectional carbon fiber edge to edge in the binding mount zone to give the ski strength, torsional stability, and the teeth to bite when conditions are firm. It goes without saying that the 105 waist and the rocker at the front of the ski help it float well in powder, too.

This ski has to be driven hard, making it ideal for advanced skiers and difficult for beginners and intermediate skiers to grow into. We skied the Zero-G 105 on Silverton Mountain’s boot-pack-accessed slopes, backcountry tours in the San Juans, and multiple backcountry zones in Vermont. We love the wide shovel that keeps these afloat in Vermont crud and knee-deep powder.

Other skis are better for beginner and intermediate skiers who are new to the backcountry. Even advanced skiers will have to work a little bit when slithering through the trees on the Zero G 105. Thanks to its long turning radius, the ski’s natural habitat is big open slopes. It complied with whatever we wanted it to do as long as we were willing to put the effort in, but it soars in big open bowls.

We’ve rarely experienced the stability, edge grip, and control that the Blizzard Zero G 105 brings to any descent. This ski is best for those looking to go full throttle on the downhill without compromising on the uphill and best for those inclined to make bigger, GS-style turns.

Like most skis from Blizzard, the Zero G 105 prefers to be driven and is perhaps less forgiving than other skis in the test, like the heavier Line Vision 104. The Zero-G is significantly wider underfoot than LaSportiva’s Tempo or Dynafit’s Ridge, so it’s better for deep conditions. It’s made for recreational speed, not race speed, and is awesome for advanced and expert skiers looking for a freeride, backcountry-specific ski.

The Vision collection, including the Line Vision 104 ($800 ) was revamped for 2024/25 to be backcountry free tour skis with a freestyle soul. Line’s Designers took the shape of the Optic skis, ditched the metal, increased the rocker profile, and added a new THC layup. The catchy acronym indicates carbon, glass and flax on the inside for damping. While Titanal is an isotropic layer that has the same flex when you bend it in any direction, THC is a quasi-isotropic layer with the same stiffness in any direction you bend it. So it’s a ski that stays quiet, doesn’t chatter, and doesn’t get thrown off its line when you ski across an avy path.

The redesign made the Line Vision 104 a lightweight and stable ski for the uphill, with versatility and performance for the downhill. In fact, we’d say that the Vision 104 is the most versatile ski in the collection. Mount it with a hybrid binding and ski it front and backside. The tails deliver control for tricks, progression, and play. With the Vision 104, the goal wasn’t weight savings; this ski is heavier than its predecessor the Line Vision 108. But it’s a ski that you can tour on and that will deliver stability and freeride performance on the descent.

If you love resort skiing and want to try our backcountry, this is a great ski for the job. It’s a well-rounded ski that’s easygoing on the slopes, whether those are lift-served or accessed by skinning or bootpacking.

The Vision 104’s mid-range turn radius gives the skier control. Want to sniggle through tight East Coast softwood forests? This ski can do it. Want to play in snowy pillows? This ski has the pop. It’s not as stable as some other skis in this roundup, but it has excellent float in powdery conditions, and it lets you play and explore. It’s not as poppy as the Faction LaMachine 2 Mini, and it’s not as light and fast as Blizzard’s Zero G 105, but it’s the perfect ski for beginner to expert skiers who want to try some tricks, get surfy, and generally have a low key good time.

Can a ski be a legit downhill performer and dish out the fun without being a burden on the skin up?Tthe Faction La Machine Mini ($900) proves that it can. If you’re looking for a good mix of uphill efficiency, all-mountain performance, and a ski that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this ski checks all the boxes.

With this 99-mm underfoot freeride touring ski, Faction delivers surfy and playful soft snow performance to skiers who equally appreciate its agile and energetic uphill feel. It’s not the lightest ski, but it has a personality that will resonate with the freeride skier exploring the backcountry. It also delivers the weight savings of paulownia and carbon in a superlight touring ski.

Compared to other skis with a similar waist, including the Weston Skyline, Dynafit Ridge 95, and Volkl Rise Beyond, the La Machine Mini 2 has more taper and reverse camber and is relatively stiff. Expert skiers will get the most out of this ski. It needs to be intentionally maneuvered through the backcountry to deliver truly. At least that was our experience riding this ski in the Grand Tetons backcountry in conditions ranging from crust to blower powder.

Faction gave this ski good grip and maneuverability, with full-strength sidewalls and a good dose of tip and tail rocker that allowed us to ski the La Machine Mini aggressively on the open slopes in the San Juans and off the backsides of some of Vermont’s highest peaks. Taper in the tips and tails kept it floaty in soft and deep snow, where this ski is happiest, whether carving creamy turns or jibbing off natural features in the snow.

This ski is a playful backcountry partner compared to DPS’ Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL 105, which is much more serious and focused on ripping. The La Machine Mini can handle the line, but it will inspire you to veer off in search of soft pockets of fun instead of passing them by. It’s lightweight but more surfy and freeride feeling than Volkl’s Rise Beyond or Dynafit’s Ridge 95, even though the tip is narrower than the Dynafit.

Faction’s La Machine Mini 2 has the soul of a freeride ski and the body of a ski made for crushing lap after lap and peak after peak. Mount it how you want it. Progressive skiers might choose a hybrid bunding, but this ski also performs with a pintech binding. We’re also fans of Faction’s focus on sustainability. Faction recycles excess/scrap base, sidewall, and top sheet material, uses bio-based resins, and makes skis with 100% renewable energy.

If you’re looking for a true jack-of-all-trades, quiver-killer ski, look no further than the Black Crows Navis Freebird ($899). As backcountry skiers, we’re always looking for one tool to do it all and do it well, and the Navis does precisely that. It’s light enough to tour well and keep you going all day on the uphill, reliable enough to handle any type of snow you can throw at it, and fun to ski on the whole spectrum of terrain choices.

The 102 underfoot waist hits the sweet spot between float, maneuverability, and weight. Progressive rocker in the front and long traditional camber underfoot, reinforced with Titanal and fiber, all lend to the ski’s solid and predictable nature.

The Navis punches well above its weight class in terms of downhill ability. Weighing in at 1550 grams per ski, the Navis is toward the lighter end of the spectrum but doesn’t make much sacrifice in attributes that many light skis lack, like stability at speed. The early rise profile in the tip also allows the ski to float well in powder without too hefty of construction to haul uphill. 

Where most backcountry skis lose points is their performance in less-than-ideal snow conditions, like icy hardpack and breakable crust — that’s when the Navis continues to shine. This is due to the reinforcement of the wood core with fiberglass and carbon to keep the ski both light and damp rather than reacting sharply to changes in riding conditions.

If you’re headed out on a ski trip where you may not know what conditions you’ll get or want a ski that can see you through all of your days of backcountry skiing from mid-winter powder to spring corn missions, the Navis can do it all.

The Navis has a 19 m turning radius, but due to its stiffness under-boot, it skis a bit longer than that and tends to prefer big, arcing turns. As a result, this ski may not be the best choice for beginners. While the construction lends the Navis a reliable, smooth ride, they can occasionally get a little chattery when pushed past the speed limit on firm snow.

As a bonus, we always like the simple and clean monotone graphics of Black Crows, especially with their witty mottos hidden on the sidewall of each model. The Navis quips, “Emporte-moi au bout du monde,” which translates to bring me to the ends of the earth. 

We’ve put hundreds of days on different iterations of these skis, from deep powder in the southwest Colorado backcountry to long, technical spring missions on Pacific Northwest volcano descents. If you’re an intermediate to strong skier who really wants to drive the ski to get the most out of its performance, we think you’ll love the Black Crows Navis Freebird.

DPS’s Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL 105 ($1,695) ski is a trusted backcountry performer. For 2025, the ski has fresh updates and a new waist width. DPS has tested these skis in mid-winter, record-breaking Wasatch powder, mid-summer ice at the summit of Mt. Hood, and New Zealand’s notoriously variable skiing conditions. We tested them in Colorado, and we agree with DPS when they say that the Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL 105 is a one-ski quiver.

In redesigning this staple of the DPS line, the company focused on three qualities they weren’t willing to compromise on — durability, performance, and sustainability. To meet the high bar they set for themselves, they developed a unique new carbon and flax laminate (CFL), which reduces torsional chatter while retaining that signature energetic DPS feel and durability, which is key to sustainability.

CFL is a unique, woven fiber, high-performance laminate that showcases the potential of embedding flax plant fibers within pure carbon construction. DPS Designers also shifted to Entropy bio-based (25%) epoxy resin and integrated Checkerspot Algal sidewall technology (~60% bio-based), which lowered its carbon footprint and accelerated DPS’ progress toward more sustainable skis.

The core of the Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL is solid paulownia instead of the foam/ash/algal rail used in the previous Carbon Pagoda Tour. It’s sandwiched between two sheets of CFL laminate, with a binding reinforcement layer of P-Tex 4000 base material. The addition of flax woven into the carbon layer made the Carbon Pagoda Tour CFL a damper ski while retaining the energy, longevity, and durability of carbon.