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.

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57: Summer Skiing in Switzerland, Eco Ski Clothing & Dave Ryding

57: Summer Skiing in Switzerland, Eco Ski Clothing & Dave Ryding

In Episode 57, Iain reports on skiing in the ‘new normal’ on his trip to Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland - including an exclusive interview with Dave Ryding. Jim and Iain interview Rachael Westbrook from new sustainable ski clothing retailer EcoSki  Jim reveals the challenges set for him by Dave Burrows and we wonder if anything has changed in the world of ski since 1988. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. SHOW NOTES Jim says goodbye as he moves on from The Ski Podcast. Thanks Jim - it won't be the same without you! Jonny Goldsbrough is "gutted" Ged Ainsworth wonders "What will happen to this essential listening for all snowsports enthusiasts?" (The good news Ged, is that it's going to keep going!) Jim reported on summer skiing in the 'new normal' in Les 2 Alpes in Episode 56  Iain travelled by train to Saas Fee where he reported on skiing in the new normal for In The Snow Magazine He also went to Zermatt, where he went ski touring up Breithorn Resorts in Victoria are closed, but other Australian resorts are open New Zealand resorts are open for kiwis only and have been very busy Rachael Westbrook is the founder of new sustainable ski clothing business EcoSki Jim was set three challenges by friend of the show Dave Burrows Iain met Dave Ryding in Saas Fee where he is training on the glacier. We previously interviewed Dave in Episode 54 Thanks to everyone who has reviewed us on iTunes Ged Ainsworth said: "Just to hear the title music puts me in eager anticipation  of sliding on snow again! " Andrew Brennan was looking at an 1988 ski magazine and realised that much is the same as the podcast now, with Graham Bell, Eddie the Eagle, climate change and people travelling by train all featuring! Amy Moore told us she's never heard of the Magic Pass and asked if we know of any other Alps season passes? We discussed both Snow Pass and the Magic Pass in Episode 35 You can find out more about 'Ski A La Carte' here: www.skialacarte.fr Other big area passes include the Ikon Pass and the Epic Pass   Coming up We're going to have a short break through August, with Episode 58 going live on or around 08 September. Have a great summer and you can hear from us again then!  The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

5 Aug 20201h 2min

56: Australia, NZ & Skiing in the 'New Normal' in Les 2 Alpes

56: Australia, NZ & Skiing in the 'New Normal' in Les 2 Alpes

In Episode 56 Iain interviews Rachael Oakes-Ash, founder of the Australian website, Snowsbest.com. Jim reports on skiing in the 'new normal' from Les 2 Alpes and we wonder if bears do that thing in the Arosa woods.  There’s news on a new virtual Ski Show and Iain looks forward to a visit to Saas Fee. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. SHOW NOTES Jim was summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes Why not visit the bears in Arosa? Iain is going to visit Saas Fee and Zermatt to test out skiing in the 'new normal' in Switzerland The 'World's Largest Ski Show' will be taking place virtually in October There may be some similarity between the WLLS logo and the Chamonix logo You can sign the petition to restore the ski train here Rachael Oakes-Ash is better known as MissSnowItAll and runs the website Snowsbest.com, focusing on the Australian and NZ markets Thredbo and Perisher had huge problems trying to pre-sell lift passes when their websites crashed Mt Hutt opened last month with no social distancing restrictions Coronet Peak experienced one of their busiest night ski sessions ever, despite the current lack of a 'Trans Tasman bubble' You can watch the brilliant 'Iso' videos from MissSnowItAll on her Facebook page Yes, it's true. Jim is leaving the podcast. Episode 57 will be his final episode!

15 Juli 20201h 1min

Q&A with Graham Bell (Bonus Episode #2)

Q&A with Graham Bell (Bonus Episode #2)

In this one off special, Jim and Iain were joined by BBC Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell. Questions were sent in advance or submitted live by our community and included: - Have you ever snowboarded? (Keith Webb)  - Is there any country you see joining traditional powerhouses on the World Cup circuit in the future? (Steve Whitaker) - Will we ever see a Chinese skier on a downhill podium? (Iain) - Who is the best skier you have ever skied with or raced against? (Keith Webb) -  I would love to know how you filmed opening titles for Ski Sunday - it never ceases to amaze me (Helena Taylor) - Will Ski Sunday include more mogul skiing next season, as the GB mogul team was very successful last year? (Kay Bates) You can watch the Q&A on our Facebook page here. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

23 Juni 20201h

55: The Perfect Ski Run, Laurie Taylor & Andermatt

55: The Perfect Ski Run, Laurie Taylor & Andermatt

In Episode 55 Jim and Iain chat to UK slalom skier Laurie Taylor and ski journalist Megan Hughes about how to get into the industry. There’s an update from Andermatt, news on the end of lockdown in Zermatt and we find out more about this autumn’s possible London ski show. We finish off with Dave (Burrows) and Jim debating what makes the perfect ski run – have a listen and let us know if you agree. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout. Show Notes Jim has been mountain biking and hiking in La Clusaz Lars updates us from Andermatt, where he works at the Radisson Blu hotel Iain interviewed Lars about the history of Andermatt in Episode 52 This photo shows how Zermatt looks almost ‘normal The Portes du Soleil offered a limited number of season passes at half-price The website for this autumn’s London Ski Show is now live and is scheduled for The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead in late-Sep Megan Hughes is Social & Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com Laurie Taylor scored his first World Cup points at Kitzbuhel You can view Laurie’s YouTube channel here. ‘What makes the perfect ski run?’ – let us know what you think  Jim and Dave recorded this in Anzere, previously featured in Episode 49 and also the location for our Avalanche Special Thanks to Ster, Mike Pow and Primrose&Blue for your reviews on Snowheads Coming Up Keep tuned to our Facebook page for details of our oncoming Live Q&A with Graham Bell.

2 Juni 20201h

54: How to Build a Chairlift In Your Garden & Dave Ryding Interview

54: How to Build a Chairlift In Your Garden & Dave Ryding Interview

We would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support Find out more about the Escape to Valais challenge here The recent industry survey by Skipedia had some worrying results On a more positive note Chamonix is preparing to open lifts from May 16 And there is already skiing in Austria Iain interviewed Steve Cross, responsible for creating the super-viral 'garden chairlift'  Thanks to Pablo Rodriguez and Leon Rossi for their reviews via our Facebook page and Mike for his via Snowheads Pedro Davidenko didn't agree, but 93% of our iTunes reviews are 4* or 5* - why not have your say and give us a review or send us some feedback Thanks Andrew for your question about gay ski weeks. We'll put this on the list for next season Dave Ryding is the UK's top Alpine skier with two World Cup podium finishes and four Olympics under his belt already

13 Maj 20201h 6min

53: Aspen's Cocaine problem, Goggles for Docs & Courchevel

53: Aspen's Cocaine problem, Goggles for Docs & Courchevel

This week Jim and Iain go searching for good news in our post-COVID world find out about Aspen's cocaine problem and how Timberline is on the up. There's interviews with Alex from Courchevel and Mark from Disability Snowsport UK and we discover yet another Ski Club of Great Britain CEO has resigned.  Show Notes In Alpe d’Huez, they are using ESF uniforms to make facemasks for frontline staff More face masks has being made in ski as businesses pivot their production Find out more about the Goggles for Docs project Mt Baldy opened for skiing last week, with social distancing in place Just in case you haven’t seen the homemade ski lift in a garden yet Zermatt has been projecting onto the Matterhorn to show their solidarity Zermatt has also been in the news for other reasons The CEO of the Ski Club CEO has resigned. Listen to our look at their travils in Episode 44 Jason Auslander tells us about the cocaine problem in Aspen You can listen to our interview with Jason about ski thief Derek Johnson in Episode 52 We first covered the problems in Timberline in Episode 38 Our competition winner is GJ Harvey Pablo Rodriguez asked about Scotland, where Iain hopes to ski next winter and Spain (we mentioned Baqueira in Episode 49) Jim interviewed Mark from Disability Snowsport UK Iain interviewed Alex Irwin about his ‘150 days of Winter’ project Thanks for all the reviews from Daniel King, Paul Gilpin and Leon, as well as ‘wsirhc’ on Snowheads  with the rest of the world  In the meantime, Dick Yates Smith has a different Covid message: An exclusive interview with Dave Ryding – we’ll be finding out about life behind the scenes and how his barrista training is going!

27 Apr 202058min

 The Ski Podcast Live: Q&A with Jim & Iain

The Ski Podcast Live: Q&A with Jim & Iain

Jim, Iain and group of ski and podcast fans gathered on Friday 10 April to record a live episode of The Ski Podcast online.  Topics ranged from what do Jim and Iain actually do to what are the Alps like in the summer?  Throughout the podcast, listeners post questions to the duo via the Facebook stream or joined them live in the virtual studio.  You can watch the full Facebook Live video on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/theskipodcast

13 Apr 20201h 2min

COMING UP - Live Q&A with Jim & Iain

COMING UP - Live Q&A with Jim & Iain

On Friday the 10th of April at 11 am BST we are going to be live on our Facebook page answering your questions in an ask Jim or Iain anything Q&A session. If you would like to put a question to Jim &/or Iain, you can email jim@theskipodcast.com before the show, or you can ask us in the live stream comments or request to put your question to us live by joining us in the virtual studio. Join the FB event for a reminder https://www.facebook.com/events/2996209590457404/

7 Apr 20201min

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