Best Carving Skis for Winter 2026 - 2027

I started my carving journey in 2023, when the off piste was really poor, but the pistes were in really good shape, using the Carv Digital Ski Coach with tech insoles, the last two years have been on the latest version of Carv, which has all the sensors integrated into one simple, clip-on unit fixing to the power strap of the boot.

At first, my Carv Ski IQ scores, the metric that takes the best eight consecutive carving turns in any segment, were somewhat disappointing, but as the season progressed and after watching many videos, I started to get the vibe and the feel of pulling big G-forces, leaving clean railroad tracks in the snow, which put a huge grin on my face.

THE RIGHT SKI FOR CARVING

Mid-season, the purchase of a pair of dedicated SL carving skis ramped it up another notch. After a couple of days when we had hero snow, I really started getting some high edge angles and outside ski pressures. It became a real workout at this point and had me gritting my teeth and huffing.

I can see now why carving is so addictive, but the right ski helps a bunch.

CARVING SKIS ON TEST

These are the carving skis that I have taken out for a (fast) spin at the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz, end of January 2024 and at the Ski Force Pro two-day test centre in Serre Chevalier, early February 2025 and 2026.

Each ski was tested on the same pistes at each resort with Carv on board to compare the scores. I approached the major players and asked to demo their recommendation for the best pure on-piste carver and took them at their word.

Just one caveat, though, I’m 167cm/5’6” and 69kg/152lbs. My ski length of choice for pure carving is around 162/165cm as I like to make short to medium turns; unfortunately not all the skis on offer fell into that size range, so they were not ideal for me to test.

All ski prices and weights include bindings as tested.

So, in no particular order here are the test reviews (scroll to the end for my best in test verdict):

ATOMIC REDSTER S9 REVOSHOCK S+I

 

A.Great.Ski. From the first turns I knew I was on something special, the Redster grips like an FIS Slalom ski, but is somewhat forgiving at the same time.

But, you can’t forget you’re on a ski which wants to turn and grip, it doesn’t really tolerate mid-turn changes very well and likes to be committed to the turn once you’re in it, a good thing for many, but can feel a bit “locked in” at times, especially on a busy piste! Despite the SL turn radius, it’s very stable at speed and can be eased into a turn without tripping over the edges.

Overall though, I got on really well with the ski which is reflected in the Carv score!

CARV SKI IQ: 146

ELAN ACE SC9+

 

So, here we have a slightly wider carving ski from Elan, giving a bit more versatility for differing snow conditions, but still offering great grip due to good torsional rigidity.

Not as aggressive as the Elan ACE SLX also tested here, the SC9+ still gives outstanding edge grip, but with a little more latitude due in part to the wider waist, very easy to initiate the turn and hold the edge through the arc, it also lets you vary the shape of the turn as you go along, making it more of an all-day ski than some of the “edgier” skis here on test!

Good Carv score too, due to its accessibility.

CARV SKI IQ: 143

SALOMON EQUIPE SL 12

 

'Equipe', now that takes me back to the 80’s when if you had anything Salomon, whether it was skis or bindings, they had to have the Equipe logo to show you were serious about your kit!

And believe me, this is a serious ski, almost a full-on SL race ski, it demands that you’re on your A-game pretty much all the time, but boy does it reward you!

Tenacious grip and stability through the turn, a little fluttery at high speeds, but that’s to be expected, it’s no Giant Slalom ski!

I loved the explosive nature of the SL12, ripping from arc to arc with aplomb, but for a long day’s skiing this would be a tiring ski to be on, great Carv score though, which was unsurprising.

CARV SKI IQ: 147

FISCHER 'THE CURV' GT76

 

A very popular ski for carving wannabees, the Curv makes the art of railing your turns very easy!

It’s never going to carve deep trenches like some of the more race-inspired skis here, but makes the art of carving very accessible to the masses, which can only be a good thing!

Easy to initiate the turn, the triple radius makes the Curve incredibly versatile for all shapes and size of turns and would certainly be one of the skis I’d prefer to be on all day long, it’s that effortless!

CARV SKI IQ: 141

NORDICA MULTIPISTA DC74 Ti*

 

The Multipista’s performance lives up to its name, the dual wood, Ti reinforced core giving a powerful, typical Nordica feel to the ski, while the slight rocker tip and tail makes the ski more versatile in changeable conditions.

For pretty much any turn shape, the 15m radius seems well chosen, I could bend these bad boys into a 8m radius (stats care of Carv) without too much effort, stable at speed as well, the Multipista is a true all-round piste weapon!

CARV SKI IQ: 145

VÖLKL PEREGRINE 72 R-Motion T

 

As you’d expect, this is a typical Völkl offering, powerful, tenacious and stable, without being dull!

The strong internal layup and 3-D radius makes for a rock-steady feel at all speeds, the tip rocker giving easy turn initiation without sacrificing edge hold and while damp, the feel of the ski is still entertainingly lively, I really enjoyed ripping this ski all over the mountain, but a little like the Nordica Multipista, it rewarded a bit more effort in order to get the most from it.

CARV SKI IQ: 145

ROSSIGNOL HERO MASTER ST

 

Another ski supplied with the R22 Race Plate serving two functions: allows the bindings to flex freely under the boot and also raises the boot for more leverage and prevents 'boot-out', where the side of the boot contacts the snow at high edge angles.

The Master ST was a very agile ski, pulling nice tight turns with great edge hold, smooth and easy to turn it’s great for short radius turns, but also for longer turns and easy enough to ski all day despite being a detuned FIS race ski.

I would have preferred to ride the next length down, the 156cm, but sadly not available to test. Overall a great step up from one of the most popular carving skis in this category, the Hero Elite ST.

CARV SKI IQ: 147

STÖCKLI LASER WRT*

 

I’ve never got round to skiing the Swiss-made Stöcklis prior to this test, clearly a huge mistake! Speaking to the tech on the stand, he was tight-lipped on the exact internal construction, but said with a glint in his eye 'just go ski them, you’ll see the diFFerence'!

And boy was he right, with the 158cm I tested, the ski showed tenacious edge grip while ripping short or long radius arcs, with explosive exit from the turns, yet was still smooth and stable at speed, denitely a premium carving ski, just that eye-watering price tag.

CARV SKI IQ: 148

ELAN ACE SLX

 

The Elan Ace SLX certainly stands out with its bright green colourway! Luckily it skis as well as it looks, a very lively, light-feeling ride with great edge grip through a variety of turn shapes, especially short-medium, while still staying stable at higher speeds.

A very easy ski to get along with but capable of turning up the wick on demand!

CARV SKI IQ: 146

NORDICA DOBERMANN SLR DC FDT

 

Wow, this ski lives to be on edge, biting into the snow and carving trenches! An extremely lively ski which just explodes out of the turn, the Dobermann lives up to its name.

It feels more suited to shorter turns than long, but still works just ne at speed and loves being cranked over and driven. Probably not the easiest ski to live with all day long, but that’s not really the point of this test!

CARV SKI IQ: 148

ATOMIC REDSTER S9 FIS M

 

This is for sure not the first choice for someone to jump on and rip from the get-go, but a ski I wanted to try to see the difference between a full-on World Cup race ski and a top-end recreational carver.

I was a tad apprehensive of the ski, never having skied anything like this before, not helped by the minimum DIN setting of 8 (I normally ski on 6) and the cheery “good luck!” from the Atomic guy as I walked away from the stand.

Ok, I normally ski on a detuned race SL ski, the Dynastar Speed 963, so not as much a departure from the norm for me compared to some, but still a major leap up in the precision, concentration and effort required to get the max from this ski.

After a few edgy turns, I quickly got into the ski and realised just how much edge grip can be generated without feeling in any way on the limit or unstable.

Sooo quick edge to edge with its narrow waist and powerful rebound, if only I could have spent the whole day on them I think I would smash my Carv PB of 154 without much difficulty!

However, not a ski to be on most people’s carving ski wishlist, partly due to the commitment of effort required, but also the eye-watering cost!

CARV SKI IQ: 147

ATOMIC REDSTER X7 REVOSHOCK C

 

Caveat: the 176cm that I tested was for me too long, but it’s what Atomic recommended and was the only length they had.

Clearly a great all-round piste ski with good edge hold and stability, easy to find fore-aft balance and capable of all kinds of turn shape, very comfortable to ski all day long, but lacking the oomph I was looking for in a high-end carver.

CARV SKI IQ: 140

ROSSIGNOL FORZA 60 Vti

 

The Forza series effectively replaces the React from Rossignol and ranges from the 20 to the 70, with the Forza 60 Vti tested being in the upper mid-range and suited for skiers looking for an advanced carver that can be skied all day long.

What stood out with the Forza was its accessibility, probably due to the tip rocker and a great flex pattern, the ski was fast edge to edge and excellent grip, very stable at all speeds with easy turn initiation, in my opinion a great mid to upper range carving ski from Rossignol.

CARV SKI IQ: 142

HEAD Wc REBELS e-SL

 

Phew!

Well, this ski feels so similar to my own Dynastar Speed 963, sometimes I had to look down to check! A really smooth feeling ski, very accessible and easy to get on with, but responds awesomely to ever-increasing inputs and edge angles.

For a short ski, the e-SL is really comfortable at low and high speeds and really rewards rider input, highly recommended at the upper end of the price range of carving skis.

CARV SKI IQ: 145

SALOMON ADDIKT

 

The Addikt series looks to be a big seller for Salomon and rightly so, an extremely light-feeling and playful ski with a multi-turn radius for all turn shapes.

A really easy ski to get on with and ski all day long, with good edge hold and stability, but for advanced skiers looking to get more from the ski, try the Addikt Pro tested next.

CARV SKI IQ: 141

SALOMON ADDIKT PRO

 

A very similar ski on the snow to the Addikt, but with the narrower, more SL-oriented sidecut and the added Blade technology, ultimately a faster turning, better edging and more rewarding ride than the regular Addikt without being overly demanding.

In fact, the more you push the ski, the more it gives back and would be a great choice for upper end carver.

CARV SKI IQ: 143

DYNASTAR M-CROSS 88 OPEN

 

Now you may be wondering why I’m testing an all-mountain ski here, but as I was also revisiting my own Dynastar Speed 963 for this test, they insisted I rode the M-Cross to compare, so somewhat reluctantly up I went.

One word sums up this ski, versatility! It’s never going to be the #1 choice for pow or carving trenches on the piste, but the Dynastar guys were right, as it's a really playful carving ski that will obviously work fine to the side of the piste. It’s up there!

The wide shovel engages really nicely and despite the 88 waist is plenty quick edge to edge and the more you push the angles, the more it asks for more.

A really accessible ski for carving to a medium level with the versatility a wider ski brings.

CARV SKI IQ: 143

DYNASTAR SPEED 963 KONECT

 

Like an old friend, I was comfortable with these from the start as they’re the same as my own skis! It was good to ride them as it gave me a good baseline to allow for variable snow conditions over the duration of this test.

What I like about these skis is that they are extremely accessible and I can ride them all day without getting tired, but put them on their edge and push, you’re one step down from a WC Slalom ski, the performance/ease of use ratio is superb.

They’re stable at all speeds and easy to initiate turns, whether short or long, definitely one to recommend to pretty much anyone from advanced intermediate or upwards

CARV SKI IQ: 145

ELAN PRIMETIME 55 

 

So, making sure I had the correct ski on each foot I launched into the final ski of our test.

First impression was how easy to ride the Primetime is, then pushing it progressively harder, how tenacious too. The harder you work it, the more it gives without ever feeling it’s going to bite you!

Great edge grip, very fast edge to edge and stable at all speeds, a truly great set of skis to cater for the carv-hungry advanced skier!

CARV SKI IQ: 146

AND THE BEST CARVING SKIS ARE...

All the skis with the exception of the Atomic FIS Slalom were well-suited for an intermediate/advanced skier looking to perfect their trenches, but two stood out from the rest:

*Stöckli Laser WRT

Still for me the ultimate carving tool, if a little single-minded.

*Nordica Multipista DC74 Ti

A new entry, but a very versatile and powerful all-round carving ski.

STYLE ALTITUDE has no affiliate arrangement with any brand or retailer and will not profit from any sales made through links in this feature.