The Best Skis of 2026: Piste | All Mountain | Freeride

The Best Skis of 2026: Piste | All Mountain | Freeride

We review the Best Skis for the new 2026 winter season, covering the best piste skis, best all mountain skis and freeride skis. Host Iain Martin was joined by The Ski Podcast’s equipment expert Al Morgan.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we'll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

SHOW NOTES

Iain and Al will be at the London Snow Show in October (3:00)
Best Skis of 2026 means the best skis of winter 2025/26 (4:00)
What are the different types of skis (4:15)
How important is that figure for width under your foot? (7:45)
What is meant by ‘side cut’? (10:00)
What is a ‘rocker? (12:00)
How long should your skis be? (15:15)
Is sustainability still important in ski production? (18:45)
The Ski Sustainability Forum is organised by POW, Atomic and FESI (21:00)
When and where did testing take place? (22:15)
SIGB is the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (22:45)
Most testing takes place at SIGB’s annual ski test in La Clusaz (23:15)
How much do bindings cost? (25:00)

THE BEST PISTE SKIS OF WINTER 2026

K2 Blur 74 W (women) (26:30)
£600 / 148cm-169cm

Blur is K2’s new piste ski range for winter 25/26. The 74W has a little lift through the front and back, is built around their aspen wood core and uses Flax with channels milled into it.

They only do this in this ski and the Blur 79W to enhance agility. It should also save a little weight, although the 74 is about performance and a perfect partner for advanced and expert female skiers shredding the groomers.

It has a 13.9m radius in the longest length and testers reported it as silky smooth, easy to ski yet snappy, with great boost turn-to-turn. It’s super reactive underfoot, quick to pivot and rotate for short turns.

Nordica Dobermann Multipista DC FDT (29:00)
£930 including binding, 160cm-185cm

The Multipista is new for this season, focussed equally on fun and performance. It may look similar to the Steadfast skis in its outline, but there’s a lot more going on than simply a curvy figure.
It has Dobermann in the name, which hints at this ski’s powerful drive, and when you open the throttle you’re rewarded by the bucketload!
The rise though the front and back, paired with the taper at each end, means you never feel like your locked into a turn. It can lay trenches on the groomers, but if you want to nip off the side, take on some slush or get a little airtime, it's as composed as you could ask for.

It’s built around their Energy 2 Ti Double Core (DC) construction. An elastomer layer is sandwiched between two beech and poplar wood cores, beefed up by two layers of Titanal metal, one above the wood-elastomer sandwich and one below.
Even though Nordica states the ski as having a Full Camber Profile, it has a longer rise through the shovel and tail than a regular full camber ski. This rocker profile is part of the Multipista’s magic, bringing a delightfully versatile nature. The tapered profile through the shovel and tail further adds to its performance across a range of conditions. The 74mm waist width, in all lengths, partners with their race on-piste shape underfoot for confidence-rocketing grip. This width is bang-on the money, with plenty of punch through the edge and enough float and stability to tackle a broad array of terrain and snow conditions.
THE BEST ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS OF WINTER 2026

Völkl V.Werks 100(32:00)
£1,750 flat, 170cm-186cm

Völkl has taken all they’ve learnt from ski manufacturing and turned the dial up to eleven with this ski! The company was founded in 1923, and in honour of this they have made exactly 1923 of these skis, with a retail price of €1923.

This ski is see-through. If you place your hand behind the ski, when holding it up to the light, you can see where your hand is. It’s quite spectacular. It also highlights the complex structure they’ve perfected for the fibre placement.
They combine carbon and natural flax fibres, which work in harmony with the superb 3D H-Woodcore. This is made of two enviro friendly FSC-certified poplar and beech cores, with a central reinforcement, and this all has a very noticeable and technical 3D shape.
The fibres, translucent layer and wood core allows the designers to transfer the movements and forces from the skier through the ski and to the edges, for a ridiculously intuitive control. You get a regular camber underfoot but enough rocker in the shovel and tail for a mega-versatile shape.
Atomic Maven 88 CTI (Women) (35:00)
£570 without bindings, 147cm-172cm

This ski is based around an ash and poplar wood core, boosted by the addition of carbon and Titanal. These laminates add greater damping and energy to the ski, whilst helping to keep the ski light.
The change of shape through the shovel, as we saw in the wider Maverick and Maven models last season, keeps this ski incredibly playful. This HRZN 3D Maverick/Maven tech sees the wood core extend right up to the very front of the ski, designed to improve stability and smoothness when charging hard.
These skis can certainly be skied fast, but the thing you notice most with all skis with HRZN tech is just how much it enhances the fun nature of the skis. They are not twin-tips, and have a directional shape, although the rise in the back means you can ski switch if you really want to. Atomic builds in a 15% rocker through the shovel and a 10% rocker at the back, with standard camber in the middle of the ski.
Salomon Stance Pro 86(Unisex) (38:00)
£640 flat, 151cm-185cm

Salomon’s Stance range sees significant change, taking what were already great skis and making them industry leading.
It has a full poplar wood core, with the Powerflex Ti metal layer sitting full width underfoot and tapering out in front of and behind the binding. The metal edge is made thicker to aid grip and power, and will endure more services, therefore lasting longer. The base has a 50% recycled content. The profile delivers regular camber underfoot with a 15% rocker through the front and a milder 12% rocker at the rear.
THE BEST FREERIDE SKIS OF WINTER 2026 (40:00)

Head Kore 99 Ti W(Women) (40:30)
£650 without bindings, 156cm-177cm

The Kore skis are redesigned for this season. This 99mm underfoot model has the same length options as the women’s Kore 97 of last season, but otherwise it’s a very different ski.
Where the men’s new Kore skis use beech and karuba, the women’s Kore models combine poplar with PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is a thermoplastic polyester polymer. Think of your favourite fleece, and the chances are it’s made of the same material.
This is complimented by a layer of Titanal, using at least 40% recycled material, above and below the core, along with a Graphene layer between the metal and top of the core. They add a damping layer between the bottom metal layer and the edges of the ski, to further smoothen the ride.
Again, as in the men’s, they add flax to the boundary of the topsheet to improve durability. Rocker front and back, with standard camber underfoot, gives the ski it’s undeniable freeride profile.

Salomon QST 100(Unisex) (43:30)
£570 without bindings, 148cm-188cm
New for this season in widths ranging from 92 through to 106, the 100 is an incredible freeride ski and was a hit with everyone at testing. It’s a unisex model, offered in a choice of two colours.
The new QST’s have full poplar wood cores with basalt and glass fibres, as well as Salomon’s proven Cork Damplifier, where they inlay a cork and TPU border at the tip and tail to dampen vibrations. The 106 has a 22% rocker up front and 18% rocker in the tail. As you step down in width to 100 then 94, they reduce the rocker proportion by 1% at each end, for each drop in width.

FEEDBACK

I enjoy all feedback about the show, so if you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any questions about skis we didn’t cover, then please let us know by leaving a comment at Instagram or Facebook – we are @theskipodcast – or by dropping me an email theskipodcast@gmail.com

There are now 273 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

- Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
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Jaksot(285)

45: Villars, Driving on Snow, White Lines Magazine & Les Arcs

45: Villars, Driving on Snow, White Lines Magazine & Les Arcs

In Episode 45, Jim visits Villars while Iain tests the new funicular in Les Arcs. We discuss tips for driving on snow after Iain's experience in Val d'Isère and Jim checks his sweat rate.  There's a Team GB update and we up our shred content with an interview about White Lines Magazine.  The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. https://audioboom.com/channels/4995750 Show Notes It’s virtual Christmas time on the pod…Jim has snow new Snowfeet from Iain, while Iain has a new copy of ‘Skiing with Demons’ from Jim We interviewed author Chris back in Episode 20  Jim has been slacklining to improve his balance  Iain tried #Snowga at ‘Yoga Week’ in Les Menuires in Episode 34  Graham Bell sells the ‘Skiers Edge’ in the UK  Jim visited Villars and Les Diablerets  He is using his 2019/20 Magic Pass, which we discussed previously in Episode 35  Iain and Jim swapped tips on driving in the snow Be careful out there  Iain recently visited Les Arcs to test out the new funicular  The new Folie Douce has opened in Arc 1800  https://www.facebook.com/skipedia/photos/a.178908528825764/2572542659462327/?type=3&theater  This is the statistically-impossible ‘bullshit survey’ Iain was referring to Ski A&E was on the W Channel from 09-20 December. It's being repeated in late-Dec and into January. You can listen to our interview with the producers in Episode 43 and Episode 44 Jim found out about the importance of staying hydrated with Precision Hydration You can get 15% off any of their products using the exclusive discount code ‘THESKIPODCAST’ Thanks to Jake Shap for his 5-star review on Apple Podcasts  Also to Ski Bro: “Regular ruminations on all things ski from the experts!”  Thanks also to the team at ‘Where Stags Roar’ for their update from Glencoe)  We interviewed Rod back in Episode 26 Thanks to Max Ellis for his comments via Instagram   Olympic medal winner Gus Kenworthy has joined Team GB You can listen to our interview with Charlotte Bankes (Episode 25) who also moved to Team GB, in this case from the French team  White Lines is bringing out its first print magazine for four years Iain spoke to Chris Moran, who featured on the cover of the first ever issue Chris Moran on Issue 1 This is the Ski Club faux pas at the KK with Mario Matt. Watch it 10:45 in. (Disclaimer - we get loads of stuff wrong too...!)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEFl2paZUVo

26 Joulu 20191h

44: Gstaad, Val Thorens, Verbier, and your dream ski job!

44: Gstaad, Val Thorens, Verbier, and your dream ski job!

In this episode of the Ski, Podcast Jim has been to Val Thorens, Iain talks more about Ski A&E & Dave Burrows drops us a report from Verbier. There is an interview with Chemmy Alcott about getting back to skiing after having a baby, John give us an update on Timberline, we discuss our book club and more.   The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.  https://audioboom.com/channels/4995750  Show Notes Exactly how do you pronounce ‘Gstaad’? Swiss Air and SBB are expanding their Flugzug programme There was no trip to Val Thorens, but hopefully Jim will be skiing soon Club Med and the ESF have agreed to open two new ski schools in China  We previously discussed the rise of skiing in China in Episode 36 Friend of the show Dave Burrows reports for us from Verbier Ski A&E starts on 09 December on the W Channel. You can also read Iain’s interview in print on InTheSnow.com We originally featured the story of Timberline in Episode 38 (our most listened to episode) SkiBro are offering surely everyone’s dream job…  https://youtu.be/si7s7UNXqJE  Sir Ranulph Fiennes spoke at the London Ski & Snowboard Festival Iain spoke to Chemmy Alcott about skiing again after giving birth Chemmy has previously appeared on the podcast in Episodes 24, 25 and Episode 42 Dave Moore contacted us:  “I loved the way you and Jim took the 2star in your stride. Great stuff Sure, as you say, you're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and the tone with which you both seem to look forward to a bad review makes it all the better!” Thanks also to @APNorthfields for the Twitter mentions and enjoy the train out to the Alps Jim and Iain are still trying to find a new book for the pod’s ‘Ski Book Group’ Jim really enjoyed ‘Inner Skiing’ by W. Timothy Gallwey We interviewed the author of ‘Skiing With Demons’ in Episode 20 What’s going on with the Ski Club of Great Britain? They lost a lot of money and you can find out more about it here

4 Joulu 201958min

43: 'Ski A&E', Val d'Isère & the World Fondue Championships

43: 'Ski A&E', Val d'Isère & the World Fondue Championships

In Episode 43 Jim gets his first turns of the season in Saas Fee, Iain finds out about the new TV program 'Ski A&E', filmed in Val Thorens last winter. Steve Angus reports in with the latest from Val d'Isère and we consider entering the World Fondue Championships. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Jim looks out of his window to give us a snow report for La Clusaz Sign up for free snow alerts and resort reports at J2Ski.com Jim shocked by all the snow in La Clusaz Iain is on the alert for 'greenwashing' with his Ski Flight Free hat on Definitely not greenwash are the changes made by the Tschuggen hotel group in Arosa, Switzerland Did you make it to the World Fondue Championships? Jim (almost) travelled to Saas Fee Iain interviewed John Quinn and Sean Doherty, producers of 'Ski A&E' - a new TV series coming to British television in December Podcasting is becoming more and more popular Jim interviewed Reuben Krabbe about his Nebula project Steve Angus reports in with the latest news from Val d'Isère We had our first 2-star review on Apple Podcasts :-( On the plus side, there was some positive feedback too... Coming up in Episode 44 Interview with Hannah from Winterized Chemmy Alcott with advice on skiing again after childbirth Interview with the producers of the TV program 'Ski A&E' Feature on White Lines Magazine Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their support of the podcast.

20 Marras 201954min

42: London Ski Show, High 5 Festival, Porsche chairlifts & Chemmy Alcott

42: London Ski Show, High 5 Festival, Porsche chairlifts & Chemmy Alcott

In Episode 42 Iain visits the London Ski & Snowboard Festival, while Jim checks out the Annecy 'equivalent' at the High Five Festival. There's interviews with Chemmy Alcott on racing weight, info on motorhomes, new lifts from Porsche and much more.  The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support. Show Notes We are delighted to announce our new partner: Switzerland Tourism There are new lifts by Porsche this winter in Gstaad and Arosa There is a Hublot lift in Zermatt Iain was at the London Ski & Snowboard Festival Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a bigger draw than Iain (who presented in the TalkZone about Ski Flight Free) Iain in the Talkzone Jim visited the High Five Festival in Annecy Iain interviewed Jamie Barrow at the London show about his record-breaking plans for 2020 We've previously interviewed Jamie a couple of times. You must listen to Episode 4, which covers his experiences in North Korea.  https://youtu.be/csoP8Didoi0  Iain spoke to Chemmy Alcott about the challenges for a professional skier in trying to hit 'racing weight'  You can listen to previous interviews with Chemmy in Episodes 24 and 25 Jim spoke with Hannah from Winterised, about motorhomes in ski resorts, a topic we covered in Episode 40 Frank Saffery kindly gave us this review (after listening to our feature on Japan in Episode 41) Having gone back and listened to all your backcasts. Also having lived my entire adult life in Japan it’s good to have some exposure here. Thanks to 'sdstarr' from across the pond in the States, who gave us this 5-star review on Apple Podcasts:  Michael Bury kindly send us this, also about Episode 41: Just sent the link to my son, Jack Bury he's off to Niseko for the season   We were also delighted to hear from Frankie at Inghams after Mike's comments on their Japan package:  It was really great to listen to your Japan expert though – fascinating! Do note that our trips to Japan are of variable durations, so they can be longer that a 7-nights should guests prefer. In our 'Ask Jim & Iain' feature we tackled the question 'How do I spot a good looking helmet?' Safety and fit is more important than how it looks, but there was a divide on whether sunnies should be worn with a helmet!   The 'punter gap' issue was more clear cut Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode You can also catch up with old episodes - in the last 30 days all 57 of our podcasts have been listened to, with over 30 people listening to Episode 1 Iain's favourite episode remains the feature on wolves in the Alps Thanks to all our listeners from around the world, including the Maldives, Japan, NZ and the USA ---- Coming up in Episode 43 - Part 2 of Jim's interview with Hannah from Winterised - Iain finds out about Laax, baby - Lots more…

6 Marras 201950min

41: Hakuba in Japan, Women-only in Méribel & Single Skier Advice

41: Hakuba in Japan, Women-only in Méribel & Single Skier Advice

In Episode 41 Iain finds out a women-only snowboard camp in Méribel, Jim talks to Mike about his adventures in Hakuba, Japan and we discuss why you should never ring a specialist travel agency if you're travelling on your own.  Show Notes Iain was at the winter edition of LISTEX We’ve chatted about Brexit in detail previously in Episode 8 and Episode 20 James Gambrill presented his research about UK consumers. You can view his slideshow with all the stats here The ‘Zuke’ was one of the products pitched in the LISTEX Dragon's Den Iain interviewed Corinne Matthews (‘Cozza’) about Ticket To Ride’s Womens’ Only Snowboarding Camp in Méribel This week’s ‘Ask Jim and Iain’ feature is a question about single travellers Neither of us recommend you ring a specialist ski travel agency Try Skiworld or Solos Holidays, or maybe join one of the Snowheads trips Hannah James enjoyed our feature in Episode 40 about motorhomes in ski resorts, especially as she’s done a lot of it herself. You can check out her blog at www.winterised.com and we’ll be interviewing her in a later episode. Jim interviewed Pod regular Mike Richards about Hakuba in Japan, which is now an Inghams destination Mike has previously been on the pod discussing skiing in Montenegro and Georgia  Frank Saffery asked on Facebook 'if you had some Japan features' – we did also cover Niseko in Episode 32 Danny Mayes asked if he could hear something about Andorra or the Pyrénées – we have featured the French Pyrénées in Episode 9 and Episode 33 and Iain is travelling to Cauterets in February Thanks to Zeid for his kind comments: "Thank you so much for creating this podcast" The London Ski Festival runs from 24-27 October Jim and Iain would love to read ‘My Story’ by Eddie the Eagle, but only if it’s less expensive than £100

9 Loka 201957min

40: Summer skiing in Saas Fee, rowing machines on Mt Blanc & motorhomes in ski resorts

40: Summer skiing in Saas Fee, rowing machines on Mt Blanc & motorhomes in ski resorts

In Episode 40 Jim goes summer skiing in Saas Fee, Iain finds out about the Warm Up Weekend in Val d'Isère, it's Ski Book Group time, plus we discuss motorhomes in ski resorts.

18 Syys 201953min

39: Skiing in Montenegro, Women Only Ski Camps & Summer in Morzine

39: Skiing in Montenegro, Women Only Ski Camps & Summer in Morzine

In Episode 39 Jim and Iain find out about Women Only Ski Camps, what it's like skiing in Montenegro and chat trail running in the Alps.

28 Elo 201951min

The mini mid summer don't forget us episode - Including a Saas-Fee snow report

The mini mid summer don't forget us episode - Including a Saas-Fee snow report

Just a quick episode to let you know that we are still here and to let you know that the next full episode will be out a the end of this month. Listen for a preview of an upcoming Emily Sarsfield interview and get the latest snow conditions from Saas-Fee.

19 Elo 20194min

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