Carver 2024/2025 Review
Date tested 3/8/24
Conditions: Sunny, packed powder groomers, powder in NW trees, mank and sunbaked crud/pow off piste. – 9 to -2 Celsius.
Boot: Lange Shadow 130
Me: 200lbs (91kg), 6ft (1.82m)
Fischer 2023/2024 RC4 The Curve GT 182 cm 17m Radius 125/76/110 2 Runs
The RC4 Curve is and easy ski to engage the tips into the turn. The Fischer Curve has good grip, but I did experience a small amount of chatter with a slight bite and a strange jumpy slip finishing a couple of turns but I will chock that to my first two runs and not having been on a carve ski in two months. Could have been the tune – stated .7/3. I skied it on moderate pitched groomers and it did not feel particularly lively coming out of the turn. The Curve RC4 GT is lighter and less stable than my Fischer progressor 9+ that I am looking to upgrade. The ski did not excite me enough to want to carve it all day, but I may have a different opinion of the ski if I had skied it third or fourth.
Atomic Redster Q 7.8 Revoshock C (Green 2024) 181 cm 15.2m Radius 136/85/120.5 3 Runs
This is the first carver I have skied over 80mm underfoot. Tuned .7/3. The Atomic 7.8 was quiet, controlled and damp on well-groomed runs. The 7.8 is stable and requires an easy ankle roll to get into the turn with finesse. It is an extremely easy ski to access the turn radius cleanly through the arc of the turn, but for me the ski did not have much energy or pop out of the turn. At my size these characteristics give the ski a precise yet forgiving feel for smooth easy skiing. On steeper piste that was not well groomed (ridges, little groomer runnels, small bumps forming) it was composed up to a point and felt less planted in the steepest most variable sections. Overall, the ski is extremely smooth and allows for round clean carves. The little bit of carbon combined with a Titanal layer works well for someone who want to cruise without putting a lot of energy into the turn and still make excellent short radius turns that can also be nudged a bit longer at speed without feeling like the ski is a one turn wonder.
Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S (Orange 2025) 181 cm 15.2m Radius 136/85/120.5 3 Runs
This is the burlier (more metal and less or no carbon version) of the 7.8. Tuned at .7/3. The Orange q9.8 has much more grunt through the turn and out of it and just feels more planted than the green q7.8. The q9.8Redster took on the poorly groomed steeper pitches with aplomb and never lost composure or chattered. It has solid grip. I felt this ski to have more pop in exiting the turn and power entering a new turn with a bounce to the opposite downhill ski. The tail feels stronger than the 7.8. Perhaps I noticed the 85mm underfoot vs a 70mm underfoot in edge to edge speed, but it was minimal. What is given up in quickness is gained in power. Like the less burly green version, the Atomic Redster q9.8 is smooth with a bit more dampness. Very accessible and easy to ski that makes high speed turns feel stable and controlled. The ski does not feel locked into the 15.2m turn radius but did seem to require more input to get the most performance from the 9.8 vs the 7.8. I could not find a speed limit and did not feel the need. If speed and control is paramount, this ski will allow you to do so with great suspension and power through shorter GS to longer GS turn shapes.
ROSSIGNOL FORZA 70° V-TI (2024) 181 cm 15m Radius 134/77/110 2 Runs
This is fun carving. Tuned at .7/3. The Forza 70° may be a one trick pony, but it is a seriously satisfying trick. What really impressed me was the pop out of the turn that adds a fun factor to the ski and excitement to the turn. The pop from the tail on this ski really launches you into the next turn and then the tip on the downhill gently pulls you into the next turn. The ski does a lot of the work for you with the energy out of the turn and ease of starting the next turn shape as the shovels naturally pull you into the 15m arc. The turn radius feels more locked into a certain shape than on the Redster, but the turns themselves are more exciting while almost as smooth. The Rossi Forza was not as powerful as the q9.8 on the steeper poorly groomed pitches so it gave up a slight bit in dampness there. I did not feel that the ski had a carve turn speed limit and was plenty damp but not with the suspension and power of the Redster q9.8. What the Forza gave up in dampness and planted feel, it makes up for in the wonderful pop and energy that lets you dance back and forth across the fall line and feel energized rather than tired. The ski does allow you to get to higher edge angles with relative ease (and speed) as the 70° name implies. I could ski this on groomers all day and be very happy on those days when off piste is a refrozen wasteland of pain. Well, maybe half a day depending on the mountain.
Volkl 2025 Peregrine 82 182cm 29/16/25m Radii 128/82/111 - 2 Runs
The 3D radius and sidecut stand out in this skis performance. Tuned at 1/3. It is a very agile ski as marketed but enters and exits turns in a vaguer manner than the carving shapes tested above. It is a powerful ski that inspires confidence with a planted feel and suspension. I would need several more runs to learn the ski and better pressure the tips into and tails out of the turns. The longer radius makes it more forgiving and tends to drift slightly at the end of the turn. The long front radius also allows a less precise entry into the turn. It was confidence inspiring on the steeper and choppier piste, but did not feel locked into the carve except during the middle of the turn through the skis center. The Peregrine gives you confidence to jump on top of the turns and push the ski as hard as possible without worry of catching the tip or hooking the tails. The Peregrine doesn’t inspire finesse like the Redster 7.8 or precision like the Forza, but may with more time on it. The power and confidence are there to push the ski in less than ideal groomed terrain, so I imagine it would be more manageable than most carve specific skis off trail. I am looking for a carver that is a carve monster start to finish, this ski seems a bit of a hybrid carver with some all-mountain positives. I think this ski would work better than the other carvers tested if it had been snowing through the day and the groomers had 2-6cm of pushed around snow on top - in such conditions I think the Peregrine would excel. The Peregrine 82 is not a dull ski and it does inspire excitement with different turn shapes to swoop into with confidence and aggression, but I think there is a learning curve to best access the performance of the entire ski tip to tail.
BIizzard Anomaly 84 2025 182cm 17m Radii 124.5/84/107.5 - 1 Run
I skied this towards the end of the day on the steepest groomer that had hardened up in the afternoon shade. Tuned at 1\2. These are powerful skis but the entrance and exit of the turn is less precise than any of the other skis tested. It is powerful and damp going straight but when edged across the fall line I got a lot of chatter and protest from the ski. It did not seem to want to turn the 17m radius on the steeper harder pitch. Could have been the archer not the arrow at this point in the demo day. I was fatigued after a day of demoing. I tried the Maverick 115 before it in mixed conditions from pow to hard pack to sun crusted old powder mank for three runs which did not freshen my legs. The Anomaly 84 is powerful ski with a strong tail, despite what people might think about it given the slight rocker and not aggressive (TITAN/Brahma) typical Blizzard name. The ski is strong, but the tips and tails are perhaps more geared for off piste forgiveness than carving precision. I did not feel a lot of pop in the ski. I did feel the skis power and dampness (despite the hardpack chatter) and the high-speed limit. When you look at the ski they look pretty straight compared to a typical shape of a carve specific ski. I would test it again on fresh morning legs rather than 3:00pm skied out legs. The Anomaly has the Blizzard DNA with two sheets of Titanal, strong tail and need for speed. Try it before you cast judgement on name and reviews alone. It requires a driver.
NOVELTY BONUS: LINE OPTIC 88 2025 184cm 17m Radius 121/88/111 - 1 Run
I jumped on this ski around mid-day just to break up the pure carve experience with an all mountain twin tip ski with metal. Tuned at 1\2. The 88 Optic’s tips and tails don’t engage as a typical carve ski, but the amount of camber and running length, combined with the Titanal allow the ski to carve nicely. The longer camber and lighter weight work together to allow the Optics to carve energetically and bounce in and out of turns. The pop is noticeable and make the ski fun. The Optic’s lower twin tip tails won’t hold on until the end like the other skis tested. This ski would be fun for someone looking for liveliness in a ski that will carve and still be able to do a lot of other things. This ski has metal but I would not call them damp or with much suspension when compared to any of the other skies tested, but it is not a flimsy lightweight. The Optic 88 is fun and playful and can rip a good carve without skidding the turn if you use some finesse at the beginning and end. The Optic 88 has a speed limit but it isn’t a skittery joke and can rip at speed. I wanted to try the Line Blade to compare with the carve skis, but the rep only brought the Optics and the soft park n’ pow skis. The 88 Optics are certainly capable narrow all mountain skis with a good amount of camber and a lively pop. They can carve and have enough metal to feel like a real ski. I think it would be a fun ski, but not a good choice for bulletproof or powerful carving.
All the skis tested are fine modern skis. For a pure carve the Forza 70 was the most exciting. For power and precision, the Redster Q9.8 was notable. Apparently, there is a 68mm underfoot Redster version with the extra Titanal that I may prefer. The Peregrine is inspiring but I would need more time to really figure out how to get the most out of it as a carver that handles fresh snow. It would have worked well in early January after 3 weeks of almost no snow when it dropped a couple inches during the day on cement hard groomers. I need to give the Anomaly another run or three to better get a feel for the ski on fresher legs that may be able to access its pop and carve better. As these are recreational skis, they all are pretty accessible by design to get into and finish a turn cleanly.
I am a bit bummed that I didn’t get to jump on the Line Blades that day to get a head to head performance comparison with the “not FIS” beer league carvers.
What width Head Kore does Ligety destroy groomers on? I have never seen Head do a demo day. It would have been nice to compare their carbon layup with the more traditional builds. I have found carbon only layups to be too light and pingy for me on hardpack.
I am sure there are (or will be) vastly differing experiences and opinions here about the skis I tested.
Date tested 3/8/24
Conditions: Sunny, packed powder groomers, powder in NW trees, mank and sunbaked crud/pow off piste. – 9 to -2 Celsius.
Boot: Lange Shadow 130
Me: 200lbs (91kg), 6ft (1.82m)
Fischer 2023/2024 RC4 The Curve GT 182 cm 17m Radius 125/76/110 2 Runs
The RC4 Curve is and easy ski to engage the tips into the turn. The Fischer Curve has good grip, but I did experience a small amount of chatter with a slight bite and a strange jumpy slip finishing a couple of turns but I will chock that to my first two runs and not having been on a carve ski in two months. Could have been the tune – stated .7/3. I skied it on moderate pitched groomers and it did not feel particularly lively coming out of the turn. The Curve RC4 GT is lighter and less stable than my Fischer progressor 9+ that I am looking to upgrade. The ski did not excite me enough to want to carve it all day, but I may have a different opinion of the ski if I had skied it third or fourth.
Atomic Redster Q 7.8 Revoshock C (Green 2024) 181 cm 15.2m Radius 136/85/120.5 3 Runs
This is the first carver I have skied over 80mm underfoot. Tuned .7/3. The Atomic 7.8 was quiet, controlled and damp on well-groomed runs. The 7.8 is stable and requires an easy ankle roll to get into the turn with finesse. It is an extremely easy ski to access the turn radius cleanly through the arc of the turn, but for me the ski did not have much energy or pop out of the turn. At my size these characteristics give the ski a precise yet forgiving feel for smooth easy skiing. On steeper piste that was not well groomed (ridges, little groomer runnels, small bumps forming) it was composed up to a point and felt less planted in the steepest most variable sections. Overall, the ski is extremely smooth and allows for round clean carves. The little bit of carbon combined with a Titanal layer works well for someone who want to cruise without putting a lot of energy into the turn and still make excellent short radius turns that can also be nudged a bit longer at speed without feeling like the ski is a one turn wonder.
Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S (Orange 2025) 181 cm 15.2m Radius 136/85/120.5 3 Runs
This is the burlier (more metal and less or no carbon version) of the 7.8. Tuned at .7/3. The Orange q9.8 has much more grunt through the turn and out of it and just feels more planted than the green q7.8. The q9.8Redster took on the poorly groomed steeper pitches with aplomb and never lost composure or chattered. It has solid grip. I felt this ski to have more pop in exiting the turn and power entering a new turn with a bounce to the opposite downhill ski. The tail feels stronger than the 7.8. Perhaps I noticed the 85mm underfoot vs a 70mm underfoot in edge to edge speed, but it was minimal. What is given up in quickness is gained in power. Like the less burly green version, the Atomic Redster q9.8 is smooth with a bit more dampness. Very accessible and easy to ski that makes high speed turns feel stable and controlled. The ski does not feel locked into the 15.2m turn radius but did seem to require more input to get the most performance from the 9.8 vs the 7.8. I could not find a speed limit and did not feel the need. If speed and control is paramount, this ski will allow you to do so with great suspension and power through shorter GS to longer GS turn shapes.
ROSSIGNOL FORZA 70° V-TI (2024) 181 cm 15m Radius 134/77/110 2 Runs
This is fun carving. Tuned at .7/3. The Forza 70° may be a one trick pony, but it is a seriously satisfying trick. What really impressed me was the pop out of the turn that adds a fun factor to the ski and excitement to the turn. The pop from the tail on this ski really launches you into the next turn and then the tip on the downhill gently pulls you into the next turn. The ski does a lot of the work for you with the energy out of the turn and ease of starting the next turn shape as the shovels naturally pull you into the 15m arc. The turn radius feels more locked into a certain shape than on the Redster, but the turns themselves are more exciting while almost as smooth. The Rossi Forza was not as powerful as the q9.8 on the steeper poorly groomed pitches so it gave up a slight bit in dampness there. I did not feel that the ski had a carve turn speed limit and was plenty damp but not with the suspension and power of the Redster q9.8. What the Forza gave up in dampness and planted feel, it makes up for in the wonderful pop and energy that lets you dance back and forth across the fall line and feel energized rather than tired. The ski does allow you to get to higher edge angles with relative ease (and speed) as the 70° name implies. I could ski this on groomers all day and be very happy on those days when off piste is a refrozen wasteland of pain. Well, maybe half a day depending on the mountain.
Volkl 2025 Peregrine 82 182cm 29/16/25m Radii 128/82/111 - 2 Runs
The 3D radius and sidecut stand out in this skis performance. Tuned at 1/3. It is a very agile ski as marketed but enters and exits turns in a vaguer manner than the carving shapes tested above. It is a powerful ski that inspires confidence with a planted feel and suspension. I would need several more runs to learn the ski and better pressure the tips into and tails out of the turns. The longer radius makes it more forgiving and tends to drift slightly at the end of the turn. The long front radius also allows a less precise entry into the turn. It was confidence inspiring on the steeper and choppier piste, but did not feel locked into the carve except during the middle of the turn through the skis center. The Peregrine gives you confidence to jump on top of the turns and push the ski as hard as possible without worry of catching the tip or hooking the tails. The Peregrine doesn’t inspire finesse like the Redster 7.8 or precision like the Forza, but may with more time on it. The power and confidence are there to push the ski in less than ideal groomed terrain, so I imagine it would be more manageable than most carve specific skis off trail. I am looking for a carver that is a carve monster start to finish, this ski seems a bit of a hybrid carver with some all-mountain positives. I think this ski would work better than the other carvers tested if it had been snowing through the day and the groomers had 2-6cm of pushed around snow on top - in such conditions I think the Peregrine would excel. The Peregrine 82 is not a dull ski and it does inspire excitement with different turn shapes to swoop into with confidence and aggression, but I think there is a learning curve to best access the performance of the entire ski tip to tail.
BIizzard Anomaly 84 2025 182cm 17m Radii 124.5/84/107.5 - 1 Run
I skied this towards the end of the day on the steepest groomer that had hardened up in the afternoon shade. Tuned at 1\2. These are powerful skis but the entrance and exit of the turn is less precise than any of the other skis tested. It is powerful and damp going straight but when edged across the fall line I got a lot of chatter and protest from the ski. It did not seem to want to turn the 17m radius on the steeper harder pitch. Could have been the archer not the arrow at this point in the demo day. I was fatigued after a day of demoing. I tried the Maverick 115 before it in mixed conditions from pow to hard pack to sun crusted old powder mank for three runs which did not freshen my legs. The Anomaly 84 is powerful ski with a strong tail, despite what people might think about it given the slight rocker and not aggressive (TITAN/Brahma) typical Blizzard name. The ski is strong, but the tips and tails are perhaps more geared for off piste forgiveness than carving precision. I did not feel a lot of pop in the ski. I did feel the skis power and dampness (despite the hardpack chatter) and the high-speed limit. When you look at the ski they look pretty straight compared to a typical shape of a carve specific ski. I would test it again on fresh morning legs rather than 3:00pm skied out legs. The Anomaly has the Blizzard DNA with two sheets of Titanal, strong tail and need for speed. Try it before you cast judgement on name and reviews alone. It requires a driver.
NOVELTY BONUS: LINE OPTIC 88 2025 184cm 17m Radius 121/88/111 - 1 Run
I jumped on this ski around mid-day just to break up the pure carve experience with an all mountain twin tip ski with metal. Tuned at 1\2. The 88 Optic’s tips and tails don’t engage as a typical carve ski, but the amount of camber and running length, combined with the Titanal allow the ski to carve nicely. The longer camber and lighter weight work together to allow the Optics to carve energetically and bounce in and out of turns. The pop is noticeable and make the ski fun. The Optic’s lower twin tip tails won’t hold on until the end like the other skis tested. This ski would be fun for someone looking for liveliness in a ski that will carve and still be able to do a lot of other things. This ski has metal but I would not call them damp or with much suspension when compared to any of the other skies tested, but it is not a flimsy lightweight. The Optic 88 is fun and playful and can rip a good carve without skidding the turn if you use some finesse at the beginning and end. The Optic 88 has a speed limit but it isn’t a skittery joke and can rip at speed. I wanted to try the Line Blade to compare with the carve skis, but the rep only brought the Optics and the soft park n’ pow skis. The 88 Optics are certainly capable narrow all mountain skis with a good amount of camber and a lively pop. They can carve and have enough metal to feel like a real ski. I think it would be a fun ski, but not a good choice for bulletproof or powerful carving.
All the skis tested are fine modern skis. For a pure carve the Forza 70 was the most exciting. For power and precision, the Redster Q9.8 was notable. Apparently, there is a 68mm underfoot Redster version with the extra Titanal that I may prefer. The Peregrine is inspiring but I would need more time to really figure out how to get the most out of it as a carver that handles fresh snow. It would have worked well in early January after 3 weeks of almost no snow when it dropped a couple inches during the day on cement hard groomers. I need to give the Anomaly another run or three to better get a feel for the ski on fresher legs that may be able to access its pop and carve better. As these are recreational skis, they all are pretty accessible by design to get into and finish a turn cleanly.
I am a bit bummed that I didn’t get to jump on the Line Blades that day to get a head to head performance comparison with the “not FIS” beer league carvers.
What width Head Kore does Ligety destroy groomers on? I have never seen Head do a demo day. It would have been nice to compare their carbon layup with the more traditional builds. I have found carbon only layups to be too light and pingy for me on hardpack.
I am sure there are (or will be) vastly differing experiences and opinions here about the skis I tested.
