The 10 Best Carving Skis of 2024
By: Jordan Sunshine: Ski Buyer | October 7, 2023
If you love to lean deep into your turns, trusting in your edges as you drag your hip pulling high G’s on pristine corduroy, you’re in the right place. When choosing skis a pair of carving skis are a great choice as they bring the power and performance of race skis to every lap, in a more accessible package. They’re not as one-dimensional as traditional race skis, instead, they can handle the occasional off-piste lap. But really, they’re made to rail turns, as hard as possible.
New This Year:
The 2024 collection of carving skis embraces a playful ethos while retaining a slalom turn radius characteristic, heralding a season of spirited yet precise skiing experiences. This year, the focus is on fostering a playful mindset on the slopes, allowing skiers to enjoy the thrill of carving with a dash of spontaneity. The slalom turn radius design ensures precise and tight turns, making the skis responsive and agile, while the playful essence encourages skiers to explore and enjoy the slopes with a zestful spirit. This blend of precision and playfulness is a nod to the modern skier's desire for a ski that doesn't just perform excellently but also resonates with a fun-loving attitude. The 2024 carving skis lineup is about merging the technical excellence of slalom skiing with a playful demeanor, promising a delightful and exhilarating journey down the slopes.
This Year's Best Carving Skis:
Season Kin
Forget gate bashing, aerodynamic optimization, and torture devices disguised as ski boots. Skiing is supposed to be fun, remember? The Season Kin Skis know it, and they won't let you forget. These twin tools of all mountain destruction are perfect for skiers who view the resort as one giant playground, boasting a playful, pressable flex and a versatile sub-100mm waist width that hits the sweet spot for life spent both in and out of the park.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Poplar Wood | 97 | $599.00 |
Armada Stranger
Despite what the latest TGR movie would have you believe, most days in the mountains actually aren't chest deep pow and endless cliff drops. Sure, those days happen, and they're the stuff dreams are made of, but in between there are a whole lot of other days that really make up the bulk of skiing. The Armada Stranger Skis are made for those other days. The groomer days, slush days, park laps, hot laps, and laughing all the way to the bottom. They have a short turn radius for carving up fresh cord, springboard tails for boosting off every side hit in sight, and big edgeless tips so your buddies can get a good laugh out of watching you try to nose butter every roller you see. We may all be strangers on a powder day, but we're all friends on a Stranger day.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Poplar Ash Core | 100 | $749.95 |
Black Crows Mirus Cor
A unique ski with a crazy and distinctive shape, the Black Crows Mirus Cor Skis have consistently amazed our testers as some of the most fun planks on the market for "in between" days with a bit of fresh snow over a firm base. Think of a twin-tipped ice skate with fantastic edge hold on the firm stuff but enough tail rocker to confidently ski switch all day long, and a smooth progressive flex that encourages ollies and tip butters, and you've got a "fun day" ski that pleases everyone from your dad to your park rat friends. Impressive, and reality.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Poplar / Fiberglass | 87 | $999.95 |
Salomon Stance 80 Skis + M11 GW Bindings
Step away from the rental counter for good and make the Salomon Stance 80 Skis + M11 GW Bindings your rig; you'll be stoked with both the performance and freedom from standing in line each time you head to the mountains. Classic Salomon goodness in an all-mountain package featuring a Poplar woodcore and rocker-camber-rocker profile that's designed to speed your progression on the slopes.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Poplar Full Woodcore | 80 | $549.95 |
Völkl Deacon X Skis + vMotion 10 GW Bindings
Step up to Völkl quality for your first pair of skis and feel the difference in quality. The Völkl Deacon X Skis + vMotion 10 GW combo is designed to let you navigate the learning curve with ease and stay with you longer than most beginner ski packages. A narrow 72mm waist lets you master the art of transitioning from edge to edge and a mellow flexing overall design lets you progress with confidence.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Composite Core | 72 | $499.99 |
Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revo S Skis + X 12 GW Bindings
The fastest, stiffest, and most aggressive member of the Redster Q line, the Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revo S Skis + X 12 GW Bindings package has everything you need to take the hill at full speed. Made with a power wood core, reinforced with titanal, and finished with full sidewalls and a world cup base finish, these sticks don't mess around. Pass everyone you see on fresh morning corduroy and learn to arc turns with precision. The 100% cambered power piste Redster Q9.8 Revo S skis are ready for all the mountain has to offer.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Power Woodcore | 84.5 | $1099.95 |
Stöckli Montero AR
An exceptional all-mountain ride that puts the emphasis squarely on quality turns, the Stöckli Montero AR Skis are a new model aimed at skiers who know and relish the feel of a fast, clean turn. Here's a ski that produces near-race edgehold but doesn't limit you to that type of skiing; a lighter overall construction, shorter turn radius, and mild tip and tail rocker mean you can take this ski anywhere and dance with "the one you brung."
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Light Core | 84 | $1349.00 |
Dynastar M-Pro 85 + XP 11 Bindings
Smooth runs with perfect grooming call for a frontside specialist like the Dynastar M-Pro 85 + XP 11 Bindings. The M-Pro 85 is designed to lock you into short-to-medium radius turns for the time of your life, and keeps it smooth and confident with the addition of damp Polyurethane integrated into the Poplar wood core and a frame of Titanal over it all. Torsionally stiff Sandwich Full Sidewall design tops off this package that makes you look like a winner at all speeds.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Hybrid Core | 85 | $749.95 |
Line Skis Blade
With their super wide tip and ultra short radius, the Line Skis Blade Skis are able to lay down insane carves but are surprisingly stable and a ton of fun in variable snow and off-piste as well. A new concept that's shaken up the ski industry and made believers of of many, the Blade is a unique and awesome variation on boring "all-mountain" shapes that you need to ski to believe.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| Aspen Core | 95 | $799.95 |
Rossignol Forza 20° V-FG1080 + Xpress 10 GW Bindings
Ready to set a new PR? The Rossignol Forza 20° V-FG1080 + Xpress 10 GW Bindings are your introduction to fast, aggressive groomer ripping. Engineered with a powerful layup that provides all the edge you need for arcing turns, this front side beast is perfect for intermediate to advanced riders who love carving up the piste.
| Core | Waist Width (mm) | Original Price |
| PEFC™ Certified | 74 | $499.95 |
Learn More With Our Other Ski Guides:
Skis - Kids' Size Chart and Buyer's Guide
Skis - Rocker Technology Explained
Ski Bindings – How to Choose & DIN Setting Chart
Ski Boots - Sizing & Buyer's Guide
Ski Boots - Boot Sole & Ski Binding Compatibility
Ski Boots – How to Make Your Boots Fit Better
Ski Poles - Size Chart
Skiing - Beginner Skiing Tips
Skiing - How to Fly With Skis
Skiing - How to Get in Shape
Ski Maintenance - Base Repair
Ski Maintenance – How to Store for the Summer
Ski Maintenance – How to Tune
Ski Maintenance – How to Wax
Gloves & Mittens - How to Choose
Goggles - How to Choose
Goggles - Wearing Goggles with Glasses
Helmets - How to Choose & Fit Guide
Outerwear - What to Wear Skiing & Snowboarding
Outerwear - How to Wash Waterproof Jackets & Clothing
Outerwear - Regional Ski & Snowboard Guide
Ski Socks - Sizing & Buyer's Guide
Avalanche Probes - How to Choose
Backcountry - Choosing an Avalanche Airbag Pack
Backcountry - Choosing an Avalanche Beacon
Backcountry - Climbing Skins Size Guide
Backcountry - Dynafit / Tech Binding Basics
Backcountry - How to Buy Alpine Touring Bindings
Backcountry - How to Buy Alpine Touring Ski Boots
Backcountry - How to Choose an Avalanche Shovel
Backcountry - How to Choose Climbing Skins
Backcountry Backpacks - How to Choose
Backcountry Basics - How to Get Started
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The Selection Process:
Our ski buyers have an endless amount of knowledge on all things skiing stemming from years of experience in the ski industry in tandem with their countless hours spent on slopes everywhere from groomers to the remote backcountry around the world. evo's buyers assess all products coming to market, lean into this knowledge, and put together this selection of the best products. They have a unique perspective as they truly see everything offered across the category.
Jordan Sunshine
I was born and raised in northern Vermont and moved west as soon as I turned 18. I bounced around the PNW for a while eventually following evo’s store openings to Denver where I have called home since and although I will always take even the wettest of pow days, have come to appreciate any day skiing in the sun, be it with friends or my kids.I have been skiing since I was 2 and started working in a ski shop when I was 14, which was way more fun than washing dishes. Over the years I have worked as a ski tech, boot fitter, liftie, product copywriter, and eventually came to manage evo’s Portland and Denver stores. Now I am the Ski Buyer, overseeing ski hardgoods and backcountry accessories.