The best powder skis are made to be your shepherd through the deepest snow on earth. But there’s more that goes into it than just width. From rockered profiles to carbon stringers, there’s an art to making a pow ski. It needs to surf well, intuitively flowing with your turn to help you barrel your way through another best day ever. Below are the 2025 skis that the FREESKIER crew is taking out when the conditions are deep and the smiles are ear to ear.
4FRNT Hoji
Lengths 170, 177, 184, 191 cm
DIM 128-112-120 mm
Radius 30 m @ 184 cm
Legendary freerider Eric Hjorleifson (Hoji) collaborated closely with 4FRNT engineers to craft a shred stick with a seamless blend of stability, playfulness and lightweight performance. Unlike many skis in its class, the Hoji sets itself apart with a fairly straight sidecut, along with noticeably tapered and significantly rockered tips and tails and a flat section underfoot. This combination enhances predictability and versatility on edge while providing excellent float and playfulness in deep snow.
Black Diamond Impulse 112 TI
Lengths 181, 186 cm
DIM 139-112-126 mm
Radius 20 m @ 181 cm
The new Impulse Ti 112 features a poplar core, topped with a sheet of Titanal, to deliver the power, precision, and stability that epic lines demand. This redesign completely transforms the feel of the ski when it’s pointed downhill. The core retains the torsional stiffness of previous years, with the added metal acting as a dampener that significantly reduces vibrations from the rigid wood core. This inspires confidence on variable terrain and adds top-end stability.
Dynastar M-Free 112
Lengths 183, 189 cm
DIM 139-112-133 mm
Radius 22 m @ 189 cm
The all-new M-Free 112 takes the helm as the widest ski in Dynastar’s four-model, progressive freeride M-Free line. Although its dimensions allow it to operate as a dedicated deep-snow ski, its agility and maneuverability make it so much more than a one-trick powder pony. The M-Free 112’s playful profile sports moderate camber underfoot and generous tip and tail rocker with minimal taper. This allows the rocker to provide float in the pow while maintaining substantial edge contact when it’s fully engaged on firm snow.
Blizzard Rustler 11
Lengths 168, 174, 180, 186, 192 cm
DIM 142-114-132 mm
Radius 20.5 m @ 186 cm
Blizzard’s redesigned Rustler 11 is the epitome of a high-energy freeride ski, built to tackle deep snow, soft chop and tracked-out leftovers with unwavering confidence. It’s rare to find a gem like the Rustler 11 that provides a playful and fun ride without sacrificing its chargeability.
K2 Reckoner KF
Lengths 172, 177, 184, 191 cm
DIM 137-114-132 mm
Radius 23 m @ 184 cm
The brainchild of Karl Fostvedt, the Reckoner KF 114 is K2’s latest pro model and unlike anything else on the market. While the Reckoner KF is an undeniably unique ski, it’s not just a niche tool for high-level pros like Crazy Karl. Designed for playful-minded advanced and expert skiers, it features a soft flex and a twin-tip shape that encourages you to send big booters, stomp deep landings (forward or switch) and shred the gnarliest lines with a playful touch.
Nordica Unleashed 114
Lengths 174, 180, 186, 191 cm
DIM 147-114-136 mm
Radius 21.1 m @ 191 cm
If you’ve yet to step into the Unleashed 114 from Nordica, you don’t know what you’re missing. This incredibly confident powder tool is the ski of choice for Freeride World Tour athlete Valentine Rainer, along with the majority of Nordica’s freeride team. And while the Unleashed 114 is a highly-capable ski in soft snow, it’s just as capable of charging at mach-chicken speed when conditions get firmer and chunkier.
Völkl Revolt 114
Lengths 177, 184, 191 cm
DIM 146-114-128 mm
Radius 19 m @ 184 cm
With its wide shovel and rockered profile, the Revolt 114 provides ample float in deep snow. This ski has a flat tail, which is combined with a fairly long effective edge, providing agility without sacrificing stability at speed. In terms of flex pattern, the Revolt 114 effectively balances responsiveness and stiffness. Its progressive flex stiffens toward the middle of the ski, offering the power aggression skiers love.
Atomic Maverick 115 CTI
Lengths 177, 185, 193 cm
DIM 140.5-115-129.5 mm
Radius 18 m @ 185 cm
Forged in the fires of freeride fury, the Atomic Maverick 115 CTI is the new big gun in the brand’s fully redeveloped Maverick collection. Designed by athletes like Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Craig Murray, who live to push the limits, this ride is a harmonious blend of powerful precision and playfulness. A powder board that speaks to a wide range of skiers, this 115-mm underfoot ski is a beast when unleashed on big mountain terrain and maintains composure in deep chop.
Scott Sea 116
Lengths 174, 182, 190 cm
DIM 143-116-132 mm
Radius 21 m @ 182 cm
The engineers at Scott have entirely redesigned their freeride presence for the 2024-25 season. The new Sea lineup complements the successful Pure line with a freestyle-focused, big mountain arsenal that retains the dependability and precision that Scott skis are known for while venturing into the world of big airs and floaty backflips. This 116-mm underfoot monster features a poplar core with a strip of Titanal running underfoot for added reinforcement. From bottomless powder to massive stomps, the Sea 116 is ready to conquer the highest peaks and deepest snow.
Head Oblivion 116
Lengths 181, 189 cm
DIM 142-116-132 mm
Radius 30.8 m @ 189 cm
The Head Oblivion 116 is the brainchild of Cole Richardson, one of the most unique and prodigious freeskiers on the planet. According to the fine folks at Head, their engineering and design teams sat down with Richardson to craft all elements of the ski, inside and out. It was created to play in the deepest snow one can find. But, it wasn’t made simply to make turns through the depths; it was made to butter, spin and paint your way down the hill, as Richardson does in any of his staggering film segments.
Salomon QST X
Lengths 178, 184, 192 cm
DIM 142-116-132 mm
Radius 25 m @ 184 cm
Salomon’s QST line has been a staple for freeride skiers at resorts across the globe for a number of years and the new QST X brings a pivoty, surfy and slarvy feel to the series. Sharing some of the tried-and-true characteristics of its narrower QST predecessors, this ski was built to float atop the deep stuff.
Rossignol Sender Free 118
Lengths 176, 186 cm
DIM 146-118-141 mm
Radius 25 m @ 186 cm
When Rossignol announced that they would be sunsetting the much beloved Black Ops 118 they struck fear in the hearts of skiers around the world. Those same skiers breathed a collective sigh of relief when they found out Rossi would be replacing it with the Sender Free 118, a pow board built with the same tail shape as the Black Ops 118, but notably a nimbler, more playful version. Our testers got to take the Sender Free 118 into the deep-deep at Vail and it did not disappoint.
Atomic Bent Chetler 120
Lengths 176, 184, 192 cm
DIM 143-120-134 mm
Radius 19 m @ 184 cm
Designed by freeski savant Chris Benchetler and beloved by the Atomic Freeski Team, get stoked to experience wildly adored new Bent Chetler 120. From supremely deep freeride lines to backcountry booters with plentiful powder landings, the widest offering of the Bent family is ready and waiting for your deep snow exploits.
