Free delivery on orders over £80The Best Skis of Winter 2023
The Ellis Brigham range showcases the very best skis available today. It's the result of many years' extensive testing and knowledge of the ski equipment market. In addition to our core test-team that test the skis before we make our yearly selections, we hold our very own Ellis Brigham Ski Test where we invite colleagues from all our stores to test the skis themselves prior to the skis arriving.
This gives us a real understanding of what is needed by our customers and covers all styles, abilities and experience. It also means, more importantly, we can help you select exactly the right pair.
Below we've listed our favourites for 2023 - but what makes a ski special to be called our winner or runner-up? Apart from being the ones that really stand out, go beyond the areas where they are anticipated to excel, perform in terrain and conditions past what they were designed for or possibly appeal to more than just their target audience; they are the skis we buy ourselves.
PISTE SKIS
WINNER: Head Supershape e-Magnum
We’re never disappointed when we take the Head Supershape e-Magnum for a test, in fact it always seems to exceed our expectations. Bullet proof pistes or late in the day soft and cut up, it deals with it all, and it does it whether you want to work the ski and tap into the performance, or if your legs are done and it’s time to cruise.
Price: £670 complete with PRD 12 GW Bindings
WINNER: Nordica Belle DC 72
Also a joint winner of our Overall Ski of the Year
When we first saw the Double Core concept we were very interested in how it was going to ski, and we were not disappointed. The Nordica Belle DC 72 has a wonderfully smooth feel with instant energy waiting if you want to work the ski. The testers loved how easy it was yet also how much performance was there, whether cruising or pushing the limits, it was totally comfortable.
PRICE: £500 complete with TP2LT11 FDT Bindings
RUNNER-UP: K2 Disruption SC
We heard whispers around the test site that for a piste ski with no metal, the K2 Disruption SC was putting a lot of grins on faces, including on some very good skiers. It’s the easy liveliness and the effortless turns, plus a neat turn radius, that keeps this ski at the top of the testers’ favourites.
PRICE: £565
RUNNER-UP: Salomon S Max 8 W
The Salomon S Max No. 8 W never fails to impress, even after multiple tests and comparisons. We can safely say that there is not another piste ski on the market that provides the performance and thrills it does at this kind of price. It’s quick and precise on the turn, with grip for ice or speed, and it’s never a demanding ski to use.
PRICE: £450 complete with M10 GW Bindings
ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS
WINNER - K2 Mindbender 89 Ti
Also, the other joint winner of our Overall Ski of the Year
We were excited to test this one as we know how good similar previous models have been. It ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of skiers; versatile waist width, easy at slow speeds yet stable at high speeds and playful under foot. We had such a mix of conditions, but rarely did they feel unable to deal with any of it and we saw such a different mix of skiers love it for different reasons, hence why we awarded it our top spot of Ski of The Year.
PRICE: £565
WINNER - Nordica Santa Ana 84
We have always loved the Nordica Santa Ana range for their soft snow handling and forgiving surfy feel. This new 84mm version still kept a lot of the heart and soul of the Santa Ana series, but the narrower waist felt like the perfect balance of responsiveness edge to edge for hard snow performance with stability and floatation for venturing off the beaten track. By slimming down the waist it makes the Santa Ana experience more accessible to more skiers, especially those who really like the handling characteristics of freeride skis but are put off by the 90mm+ waist widths.
PRICE: £440
RUNNER UP - Armada Stanger
The conditions were super changeable going from rock-hard groomers in the morning to soft and sometimes slushy in the afternoon. Tester after tester came back in with a big smile on their face and word quickly got around that this was one of the must try skis. Some enjoyed it because of the way they hugged the piste when carving, others loved how stable and planted they felt in all conditions, and most could appreciate just how versatile they were. One thing we knew, anything that put that grin on your face that big was worthy of being in our range.
PRICE: £560
RUNNER UP - Elan Ripstick 88 W
The Elan Ripstick 88W was a ski that we’d been looking forward to getting on and we weren’t disappointed at all. It has that Ripstick DNA of feeling light and easy, yet totally stable in any conditions and comfortable whether going slow or fast. It was as good or better than many piste dedicated models and whilst we didn’t have much of the soft snow we craved, where conditions were choppy, slushy or fresher, it handled perfectly. Like the perennial best-selling Blizzard Black Pearl 88, the Ripstick 88W has massive performance bracket and will suit a wide range of skiers and abilities.
PRICE: £520
FREERIDE SKIS
WINNER - DPS Pagoda 112 RP
While we appreciate these might not be within everyone's budget, knowing what goes into them and actually skiing on them, we could see why they demand the price they do. Only the best materials are used with a progressive freeride shape that had a truly noticeable effect on the ride quality and handling. They were smooth, effortless and had a distinct fluidity, no matter where we were skiing, that felt second to none and for 112mm under foot they carved on-piste as well as many narrower models too. We had to give them our top spot for freeride skiers.
PRICE: £1300
Runner Up - Salomon QST Blank
It doesn’t need to be knee deep powder to enjoy these. We tried them in the late afternoon baked slush and they were so much fun. The pistes were choppy and off the sides were slushy, yet these were so stable you just cruised over it all jumping from lump to bump and floating off little drops. Obviously, they have all the hallmarks of a good powder ski like a wide waist, decent amounts of rocker and set back contact points but not every day is a perfect powder day so it’s important that they ski well the rest of the time too.
PRICE: £720
FREESTYLE SKIS
WINNER: Armada ARV 96
They have everything you want from a park ski; decent stability, poppy and energetic core with a forgiving cruisy feel. Sometimes twin-tips can feel a bit one-dimensional away from the jumps and rails, but the Armada ARV 96 is pretty handy everywhere else on the hill too. A lighter playful core makes them nimble to flick about and they feel well balanced going easily from on to off-piste and back again with lots of grip on hard snow conditions.
PRICE: £475
RUNNER-UP: Atomic Bent 110
One of the first things we noticed was how light they felt in your hand, compared to other wide models. When skiing them you felt that lightness translate to underfoot as they had such an easy to manoeuvre, quick to engage and playful feel to them. Way more than you’d expect from a 110mm ski, but with all the stability you’d want. They would be a great choice for anyone needing, but nervous about getting a wide ski.
PRICE: £550
BACKCOUNTRY SKIS
WINNER: Nordica Enforcer 88 Unlimited
We felt like Nordica had hit the nail square on the head with this one. Its 88mm waist had just the right amount of hard snow nimbleness and variable snow stability plus that extra bit of rocker and long nose to really help them to float in softer conditions and skip over crud. Even though light, the ride still felt planted and the carbon chassis let you really put the power down when you wanted to. Pop a tour binding on for a super capable go anywhere option, but also worth thinking about if you’re after a lighter downhill focused all-mountain package.
PRICE: £480
WINNER: Nordica Santa Ana 88 Unlimited
Our testers loved the soft snow inspired shaping with the combination of touring lightness and slimmed down waist width for all-mountain handling and versatility. They had all the stability, dampness and surefooted handling you’d expect from a decent all-mountain ski but Nordica had managed to combine it with lightness for better touring performance which also added a nimble and agile feeling that seemed to magnify the smooth easy to use nature. Rarely does a ski do so much so well, it had to be our BC winner.
PRICE: £470
RUNNER-UP: Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited
Normally you expect wider skis to feel cumbersome and slow to react on firm snow, but you compromise because they’re good in soft snow. Pick these up and they feel light in your hand and testing them they felt nimble, reactive with the addition of carbon rather than metal giving them such a positive poppy energy. Stick any binding you want on these; pins for the ultimate lightweight freeride set up, hybrids for total versatility or just standard alpine ones for if you’re not fussed about touring but want a light all-mountain/freeride set-up.
PRICE: £550
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