The Best Women's Skis of 2021

D: 27-88-111mm
R: 14.5m

At 88 underfoot, the Earhart is the narrowest skis we tested, but our testers found that it nailed its intended use: carving “The ski really shines on groomers,” says Jooles LoVecchio. “If you don’t load them up they turn. If you load them up they actually rail.” Renoun’s schtick is a core construction including non-Newtonian polymer, which changes hardness under stress. The idea is that when you bend the ski it stiffens up, strengthening your effective edge, and testers said they could feel that. It was quick and responsive in bumps and stable in a turn. A lot of testers felt like it could give intermediate skiers confidence to lean into their turns and ski harder. The Earhart is not a pow ski and it’s not a versatile in and out of bounds stick, but for carving ice in Vermont, where Renoun is based, we bet it shines. —Heather Hansman

D: 133-96-119mm
R: 16m

There’s no learning curve on Kastle’s FX96W, and you don’t need a racing background to rail confident, fast turns. “All you have to do is look in the direction you want to go, and they respond,” one Powder Union member reported. Another skier agreed, noting, “this is a ski I can trust. I forgot they were on my feet.” Which is not to say the FX96W is forgettable—it just functions effortlessly for an advanced skier. This directional ski has a shorter turn radius (16m at the 172 length) and a 96 cm waist, making it an ideal choice for a day on the resort if you like to complement groomer runs with swift maneuvers through trees, or maybe a tango through moguls. This ski’s sibling, the FX96 HP, comes in longer sizes, and features a carbon sleeve wound around the wood core. —Clare Menzel

D: 136.5-97-118.5mm
R: 15m

If the world needed more proof that women are superior, and that you don’t need a massive, um, tip to impress people, the Blizzard Black Pearl 97 received the highest average score in the whole dang test. The Union loved the versatility and energy and said it made every turn shape beautifully.

The Black Pearl transitions easily from steep trees, to groomers, to soft chop. When put on edge, it rips on firm snow and doesn’t deflect on bumps. Most of all, it is a blast to ski. The Black Pearl 97 has great energy coming out of turns so you don’t lose speed and is quick going from edge to edge. One of the longtime best-selling women’s skis, it got some small updates this year to the wood core construction, which smooths out the flex pattern and the geometry. It makes the ski even more fun, especially for those who spend time on firm snowpacks. —Heather Hansman

D: 138-103-128mm
R: 18m

Introducing Rossignol’s all-new women's Black Ops RallyBird TI skis that are not only made with sustainable materials but can also conquer the mountain. These lively built, freeride skis are made for more advanced ladies who like the weight and dampness of a metal layup ski that is also agile and fun.

With a little more rocker in the tip then the tail and slight camber underfoot, they handled everything at Red from powder to ripped up bumps and slopes. Keeping it light with their air tip technology and 2LTC construction, skiers will find control and stability that might make this your go-to ski for resort days and backcountry skiing. —Michelle Nicholson

D: 134-104-123mm
R: 16.5m

A powerhouse of a ski, for the hard-charging aggressive females. When I originally picked up the Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, I was intimidated by the weight and stiffness of the ski and wasn’t sure what I was in for. My reservations changed immediately with my first turns. Dropping into a steep chute with less than desirable snow conditions, the full wood core with metal top sheet created a stable and sturdy platform that you could trust in anything. Braced for rough crud, it never came, the Santa Ana charged right through it, with me along for the ride. Due to the shorter active edge and sidewall, the skis retain their nimbleness and maneuverability, which makes them shine off-piste in the powder and tight trees of Red Mountain. Meant to be ridden by strong confident females, the Santa Ana performs best driven from the tips. The rocker profile allows an easy release of the tail to effortlessly navigate bumps and tight turns and the early rise shovel for surfy powder laps.
The Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free fills the niche for a women’s specific ski targeting advanced to expert lady shredders who want to leave the boys in their dust. —Kate Verhagen

D: 135-105-125mm
R: 17.5m

Icelantic turned to their women’s team to develop the surfy, poppy, fully-rockered Nia Pro, and the signature of what those ladies like to ski came through in the design. The Union found the ski nimble and intuitive, thanks in part to a design that Icelantic calls Reflective Rocker, where the rocker mirrors the sidecut radius, which means the length of the ski is engaged when you put it on edge. It was easy to throw around and quick to pivot in trees and steep bumps. Some testers found it a little sluggish and lackluster, especially at speeds and on firm groomers, and thought that it had to be skied with a light touch but all agreed that it was a high-utility, easy-to-understand ski for playful skiers who want to surf through all kind of soft snow, and aren’t afraid to get airborne. At 105 underfoot, it’s capable in a variety of conditions, and its playful, undemanding nature made it fun in pretty much all of them. —Heather Hansman

D: 146-106-128mm
R: 23m

Built light (1,569g) and with uncompromising stability, this all-mountain ski could be a daily driver for someone looking to wander from the resort every once in a while. With a titanal binding plate, rather than a full titanal frame, the women’s Blaze is powder-focused. The use of elastic material in the tip and tails, plus a poplar/beech core, creates a lively energy when you dip into the trees. Rocker in the tip and tail, as well as a touch of camber underfoot, makes the Blaze 106 W maneuverable and responsive. Thanks to the 3D radius sidecut, it initiates turns like a dream. —Michelle Nicholson and Clare Menzel

D: 139-106-124mm
R: 15m

This Mindbender is an ideal candidate for a fat ski that requires no overthinking. The all-terrain rocker profile (gradual rise in the tip and low-rise tail) encourages easy turn initiation in variable terrain while allowing the tail to wash and release with minimal effort. It shines as an all-mountain ski for an intermediate skier looking to progress their abilities or for a strong skier who doesn’t want an instruction manual for their equipment. With a carbon mesh overlaying the wood core that varies in angles and density as needed, the Mindbender creates a firm base while maintaining maneuverability and playfulness. —Kate Verhagen

D: 122-106-136mm
R: 16m

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. After slight updates last year, this year’s Stella remains unchanged–and that’s something to celebrate. A well-rounded, dependable ski with identical construction to the unisex QST 106, the Union sang its praises no matter the condition, from laying out hard GS turns to soaring across powder fields. A light poplar wood core keeps it playful and will carry you through mellow groomer days or on more aggressive excursions. The Stella is the perfect partner for an intermediate skier looking to start charging harder. This skill will help you get to the next level. —Sierra Shafer

D: 134-106-124mm
R: 18m
The Union found Faction’s Agent 3.0 X to be a highly capable all mountain ski that checked all the boxes. You could take it through crud and bounce through moguls. It was surfy in turns, and quick edge to edge. It locked upon groomers, and powered through turns, but dumped speed easily, too. It’s a ski that wants to be skied forward. The stiff tail, which held you through a turn, was hard to break out of, but if you can find the balance point it will perform for you, “I think any level can ski this ski. It’s good for beginners, but advanced skiers could push this ski hard,” says Rossland wine connoisseur Kate Verhagen. Faction billed the Agent, which has a light karuba core, and a carbon weave, as a touring ski, and while testers like the “unique combination of a lightweight construction that felt bombproof on groomers and in skied-off bumps,” many felt that it was too beefy to be a backcountry-specific setup. But if you’re going to be skiing inbounds, in variable snow, or taking it on slack country walks, this could be your agent. —Heather Hansman

D: 136-107-123mm
R: 17.4m

The Atomic Backland 107 W is like having an ace up your jacket sleeve when leaving the lifts behind. A carbon runner inserted into the lightweight beech and poplar core creates a stable platform without adding any unwanted weight. With the Backland underfoot, we were able to run up the slopes and fly down the powder lines. In the untracked deep snow, the ski was reactive, energetic and had great floatation with its rockered tip and flat tail. Inbounds, the Backland is capable, yet challenges its rider to be on edge and control its lightweight construction in the ruts. Made for a skier who is looking to progress her skill level and still have a ski that performs once she’s mastered it. Overall the Backland 107 W is at home in the back/slack country yet can hold its own in variable conditions on resort. —Kate Verhagen

D: 135-107-124mm
R: 17.5m

Here’s a ski designed not just for women, but also by women, including Olympic freeskier Keri Herman. The Union loved this ski in soft, open steeps, where it floats like a dream and cruises through mixed snow conditions in the apron. Because of the large amount of rocker in the tip and tail, combined with a smaller turn radius, the Valhalla skis better off-piste than on. A soft ski that’s easy to schmear and butter, it’s light and effortless to turn. Its construction includes a poplar wood core, beech wood mounting plate, and tip-to-tail triaxial weave fiberglass laminate for max durability. —Sierra Shafer

D: 133-108-124mm
R: 21.5m

Hailing from the Teton Valley, this well-rounded ski is one of Sego’s newer models, based on their hard-charging UP series. The Lupine's revamped tip and tail gives the ski a snappier energy while also improving backcountry performance. Its poplar wood core is reinforced with a fiberglass laminate, making it a playful pick for a wide variety of skiers. The Union was impressed with how lively and surfy the Lupine is for a more traditional ski, due in large part to the early rise in the tail. ”This is for the progressive lady who still wants a directional ski to shred pow,” one member reported. And it’s presented in a trendy, aesthetic package, with art by Bellingham, Washington-based illustrator and skier Brooklyn Bell. This year, Sego also debuts the Lupine Tour 100 with carbon stringers replacing some of the fiberglass to lighten the load. —Clare Menzel

D: 144-110-130mm
R: 16.5m

The Pandora’s lightweight construction is perfect for soft snow while maintaining enough stability underfoot to inspire confidence when exploring new terrain at speed. At 110mm underfoot, it shines in powder, but edges kick into gear when the crust pokes through. We really noticed the strengthto- weight ratio of the paulownia and maple core. The Pandora is a solid choice for any advanced skier looking for a powder ski that will float in the good stuff and won’t blow up at speed or on hardpack. At 1,500g per ski, it’s a great slackcountry player. —Sierra Shafer

D: 129-112-120 mm
R: 30m

The adjective we heard the most to describe the 4FRNT Hoji CC was “poppy” the second was “intuitive,” and overall the ski felt fun and easy to understand The Hoji CC has what 4FRNT call ReflectTech, which means the camber and side cut reflect each other, and when you turn the edge stays in contact, and the turn radius changes with your turn shape. We saw that design feature in a few pairs of skis this year, and it made a difference in how the ski hooked up and engaged in variable snow. Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson initially designed the ski—hence the name—but then 4FRNT pushed it over to their women’s team, to adjust the shape for skiers with lower centers of gravity and people who get their power from their hips. As someone who has been called out for having childbearing hips, I can’t say I noticed a significant difference, but testers who don’t normally like a rockered ski, like modern elder Jooles LoVecchio, said they were surprised at how much they liked it, and how fun it was. It’s probably not your ski if you exclusively ski hardpack, but in softer snow it feels like the surface springs up to meet your skis, creating energy out of every turn. —Heather Hansman

D: 141-116-131mm
R: 21m

Powder days—ahhh, the days we live for. When you know you’ll be out all day, even after the slopes are tracked out, this is the ski to grab. It is built with that all-too-fun mustache rocker profile that provides plenty of flotation in deep snow while keeping it lively through the trees. The Bella layup and bombproof sidewall construction make this ski a tank for blasting through mashed potatoes and variable snow conditions. She holds a reliable edge on groomers and firmer snow when the goods have all been gotten too. —Michelle Nicholson