2023 Twin Tip All-Mountain Ski Comparison with SkiEssentials.com 

Thanks, Eric! We'll keep pumping them out! SE

Thank you!

Thanks so much!

It's tough to argue against either the Blackops or the Unleashed, especially if you're looking for something on the sturdier end of the spectrum. For lighter and more playful/freestyle choices, the Candide and Bent fall more into that category. We really like the Unleashed overall.

You're welcome! Very fun lineup!

K2 is putting a TON of work into their boots right now and it shows. They're very committed to making good products throughout their entire boot catalog, which has become on of the biggest in the industry. It's quite impressive overall.

It certainly falls on the freestyle side of the spectrum due to the shape!

Glad you got a good deal on great skis! Have a great winter with all that extra $$$!

QST 92 have just cracked on me after about 10 days of using it, I am now thinking about buying a Reckoner 102.

@@leventeszilagyi8165 Yikes! Glad you’re ok

We would love to test that ski, especially in the intended conditions and terrain.

Oooh, I like that! Second, and will pass it along to the World Ski Vocabulary HQ.

Thanks! I'd check out the Head Oblivion 94--the more we get on that ski, the more we like it for in-air as well as on-snow capabilities. It's a real ski that has a ton of energy to it.

Armada ARV 96 and Faction Prodigy 1 should be on that list for sure!

It's always great when a ski can make those bad snow days better!

It's a hot commodity for sure. Good luck!

We've noticed that the Mirus Cor has a whole lot to offer in a short radius. It's a cleaner and sharper turner than the Bent, and still has great freestyle and park capabilities. While the Bent is a better pure freestyle ski, the Mirus Cor has quickly climbed our list of must-ski skis. I'd say you can size up to the 178 if you're caught in the middle.

I also had a chance to take a borrowed pair of oblivion 84s out for a day, they feel super solid all around. I’m assuming they would earn a solid review from me if I continued to spend time on them. Never gotten a chance to take the 94s out but I’m assuming they’d stand up as well. Head knocked it out of the park with the oblivion series

Great feedback, thanks for sharing!

When you say slightly behind true center are you talking about 1 inche or 2 inches ? Asking because i am in the same situation as you, mainly ski downhill (no pow no backcountry) and wanted to start park but still enjoy the slopes the 79 seems ideal Was wondering where to fix the bindings to enjoy downhill without affecting park as much

@@ahmedammar5980my 79s are mounted 1 inch behind true center

I like to make sure my style is in the forefront, rather than just massive rotations.

Do it! www.skiessentials.com/2023-black-crows-mirus-cor-skis-w-marker-griffon-13-id-bindings.html

I'd say the Bent 90 is about 20% worse controlling higher speeds than the Blackops. The Rossignol is a pretty stable and sturdy ski. If you're on groomers 90%, I'd lean that route for sure. Have fun! SE

@@SkiEssentials thank you!

Hey Drew! Either would work just fine. There is difference in width, and one could make an argument that the Sprayer would be more appropriate for where you live, but 90 mm (the Menace) isn't drastically wide by any means. Perfectly reasonable. We also have the Menace 80, which might be worth considering: www.skiessentials.com/2023-dynastar-m-menace-80-skis-w-xpress-10-gw-bindings.html

If it's too stiff it's hard to access the entirety of the sidecut, which at shorter lengths, can be on the short side. If it's too soft, then you'll simply push through the ski. Something like the Unleashed 98 blends the two pretty well.

I'd say the Line has some better all-mountain opportunities vs. the symmetrical helix. The Line is almost there, but still has some good versatility to it.

I don't find the weight difference to be a major factor between them, no. I would say the softer flex pattern and wider platform of the Chronic makes a bigger difference. Better in soft snow, easier for slow speed/ground tricks like butters, presses, etc, just not as precise, responsive, or supportive for big landings as the TW.

Bent 90 is an excellent choice. Bob's a good example of why. Little park, mostly trees and bumps, and he loves that ski. Captis would be a great choice too. Some of the wider skis would be worth considering too, notably the Unleashed 98 or Black Ops 98. Hope that helps!

@@SkiEssentials Definitely helped. bent 90 was exactly what I was thinking. And the black Ops has definitely on my radar for a demo day. Ski essential's videos have taught me well! You've confirmed my thoughts...s❄️🌨🏔

Yup! There's a lot to like about those skis!

Have you tried butters? Are they flexible enough?

@@fxnisy7273 cuh that’s his first pair of skis 😭

@@fxnisy7273 they are pretty stiff, but someone who is nasty probably can do it better than me

@@nico63323 I had some faith in him 😂

It often feels like it! Half the year is very busy office work, but the other half definitely includes a lot of skiing!

You can go totally symmetrical with something like the Volkl Revolt 90 or the Liberty Helix 88, and then you'll never have to worry that you don't have the best park ski out there. I'd look squarely at those two, and K2's Sight is pretty sweet too.

I find the 86 feels more like a dedicated park ski than an all-mountain ski. The 96 is a different story as that has more versatility and all-mountain capabilities. Hope that helps!

I'm happy with mine on the factory line. Jeff goes forward about 4-6 cm

Lots of good options! Rossi Black Ops 98 is a great one, as is the Nordica Unleashed 98. Both skis are very strong, but still capable in the park. A lot of other skis in this comparison would work too, but if you're looking for stability for really high speeds, it's tough to beat those two.

The M-Free is a better tree ski--I'll say that with quite a bit of certainty. I'd rather ski the Rossignol in almost every other situation, so I'd say it's a better all-rounder, but the tree and soft snow quickness of the M-Free is off the charts.

www.skiessentials.com/2023-ski-test/skis/2023-faction-prodigy-2/

We should have a ski test video up for this year's model when we've published the 24 ski test.

Unleashed is a different animal for sure--lots of stability there. Pretty good with Blackops, but not quite the same damping due to less metal. But, for a ski without metal, the Blackops is quite sturdy and strong--just not the same energy or grip as the Unleashed, which is really a twin-tipped Santa Ana, so a very high-performance ski.

If you're not full-time park, or know that you want true center, I'd go about -4 from the middle.

The Captis is more similar while the Camox is more different. You're getting more width, taper, and flotation out of the Camox while the Captis is quicker and more park-like. For more similarities in terms of shape, but with a snappier overall flex, I'd go Captis, but for more soft snow performance, Camox is a better choice.

We're pretty big fans of the Volkl Revolt 86 or 95 for those criteria. Nice and easy flex and they don't break the bank.

I'd put in a big vote for the Unleashed 98 due to the metal laminate and long camber profile. The ARV 96 is also a pretty sharp ski, but likely the Nordica is the best carver.

The M-Free feels just like the Stranger in terms of construction sturdiness, but you're correct in that it feels more like a freestyle twin with the crazy splay in the tail. I think you're on the right track for sure.

I ride the 23 dollos and I absolutely love them off and on piste. They are light enough to play in the park and they are thick enough to float in fresh pow. As far as edges go, they can carve like nobodies business. Downfall is they are sold out lol. I would look into the ARV series, they aren't exactly true twin, so their rocker on the tail isn't as playful, but still an amazing ski. Ive ridden both. other than that, the line TW are amazing and super playful, but they chatter pretty good when off piste. So my third recommendation would be the head oblivions. the 84s are better if your focus is more park heavy, but if you want an all mountain ski, go with the 94. hope this helps!

I'd stick to the low to mid-90's for your application, so the Bent, Oblivion, and Revolt make a lot of sense to me. I'd start there!

I think the mid-90's is a good place to be for skis like this. If you're looking for lighter and more agile, I'd go Chronic, but for more sturdy and stable, the ARV. I'd bump the Sight up to the Poacher to fit into this grouping, and that one aligns more with the ARV than the Chronic. If you're not sure which way to lean, get the Revolt. We have it at a great price right now as well: www.skiessentials.com/2023-volkl-revolt-95-skis.html

While we wouldn't likely put it into the all-mountain category on our site, it certainly has the width and ability to handle a wide variety of terrain and snow conditions. They'll do just fine on groomers and in powder, but since it's such a specialty ski with athlete design, skis like this don't usually fit into industry-wide categories as easily as some others.

Great ski! Affordable and fun performance. I believe we didn't have them in stock when we made this video, otherwise we would've included them most likely. We'll try to work it in sometime down the road.

Yup! I'd look to the 172 for your stats and application.

Yes, at least we stock and sell them that way. It is possible to get them flat, but we don't currently have any flat Reckoner 92s in stock.

I'd stick to the mid to upper 80's in terms of width, so the Volkl Revolt 86, Head Oblivion 84, and K2 Sight. Have fun!

I think if you're hesitant at all, it's good to go further back. Even -2 is still pretty forward for most skiers.

I think the Revolt 95 has a whole lot to offer a skier like yourself. The other two skis are perhaps a level down from the Revolt in terms of quality and performance. Great skis to progress upon for sure! SE

I'm right there with you in sizing. I'm 6/2 225 and like the 182, but love the 192.

I think the ~90 width makes sense, and in that range, the Black Crows Captis is a fantastic ski for fun all-mountain twins. Dynastar's M-Free 90 is also pretty sweet. Have fun! SE

Well aside from the obvious that park skis take a lot more abuse than normal skiing and are then more prone to failure. If hes doing rails and stuff he will definitely have to look after the edges of his skis since they will take abuse. I think generally the idea for park skiing is that people tend to replace them. When Line sends TWpro's to their pro skiers they give them 4-5 pairs for the season. Delaming at the tips implies that he probably slaps the tips a lot and puts the abuse there. Some people can make skis last though, generally its the skier and not the ski. If he is destroying skis, might just have to look around for deals on cheaper skis though I do know the Line's durability can be questionable on some skis. (I ride lines daily but each model is different) I know people who rode Line Chronics for over 100 days before they died. I think generally a good park ski should last you at least 50 days, one month (probably not skiing every day) is definitely a short time for delam, though maybe he just went too hard above his level and is taking risks so theyll take more abuse. ON3P has been well regarded for their durability though their skis are on the pricier side, and I remember hearing good things about the durability of the K2 poacher if you want to try a burlier ski. J skis

A lot of this ^^ is true, mostly that the park is hard on skis. Also Poacher and other K2 skis (Sight, Midnight) have burlier-than-average builds that use a lot of fiberglass. This makes them a bit heavier, but also more durable. If you move into the ~88 range of twin tips rather than the ~95, you'll also find some more park-specific builds rather than a pro model like the TW. Head Oblivion 84, Armada ARV 88, and Atomic Bent 85 all qualify for this realm, along with the K2's.

Not a whole lot of experience on the Prodigy, but for next year, we're seeing a few new twin tips coming from Elan that I'm sure we'll give a sharp focus on.

If you're looking for any type of all-mountain performance, I'd go with the -4 mount on that ski.

Sounds like Mirus Cor skier to me! They have a very unique blend of pop, woods, park, and groomers, and are surprisingly good on ice. I'd take a square look at those skis for your application!

Atomic Bent 100

Using the Reckoner 102 for that currently, gets the job done :) Just depends on what kind of flex u want.

I had a friend recommend the Bent 100 as well so thats good feedback thanks! Im in Maine so plenty of ice and trees. I dont go hard in the park, small jumps, skiing switch, 180s and some small 3's. Not really interested in falling of rails anymore LOL

Great thread! I'll say Bent 100 is right up there. Will throw in a Volkl Revolt 104 and a Line Blade Optic 96 for good measure.

I think the "tweener" demographic is larger than the rare instances of skiers like us looking for a 186 cm, 90 mm underfoot twin tip with metal. Sad, but such is life. SE

If you're looking for freestyle/park performance, I'd go true center and make the most of it!

The 84 is such a surprising ski, it's tough to go wrong, and the 79 is actually pretty heavy and stiff for its width. I'd lean to the 84. It won't feel too wide, and it's really only 5 mm wider than the 79 and a much better build.

@@SkiEssentials thanks 🙏 And what about length? 172cm ski for 175cm/65kg skier wouldn’t be too long?

It's awesome! Great flexibility for park and soft snow and still a decent ski on the trails. Not quite a slalom ski, but for its width and flex, it's pretty good! Black Crows Camox and K2 Poacher are also great options!

I'd probably go Bent 90 if I were you. I just think it's a little better in bumps, and even though that only 30% of your application, it's still something to consider. 175 would be a great length for you. Honey Badger would be just fine too if you decide to go that route. Your mention of bumps just has me thinking Bent might be a bit better for you. Regardless, you'll have a blast on either!

Great durability and stability in the Poacher--nothing wrong with TW, but it's a different flex and feel.

I'd say either the Blackops 98 or the Unleashed 98. Both of these have amazing and awesome on and off trail capabilities.

Poacher checks a lot of those boxes--it's sturdy and strong with a lot of confidence. I'd also put the Armada ARV 96 right there with it.

They're fine. Not the best not the worst. Definitely have the park focus more than all-mountain, but still not bad. Very nimble and agile, while keeping good energy for grip and pop.

On the narrower side, I'd say the Captis at 90 mm underfoot is a great option. Slightly wider, ARV 96 and Poacher will get you what you need.

I'd put in a good vote for the Chronic given your application. At 95 mm underfoot, it's got a good blend of width, flex, and park prowess to get you what you want out of a ski. Have fun! SE

def bent 90

@@user-nd6kj8yp8u Can't find them anywhere for my size, 157, if you know any good websites/shops let me know

The Bent 90 will give you more all-mountain performance while the Revolt is a better park option. I'd lean to the Bent as you're just starting out. And yes, the Picture and Temple are the same ski, just different graphic.

I like the ones that are junior versions of the adult line like these: www.skiessentials.com/2023-line-wallisch-shorty-junior-skis-w-marker-fdt-bindings.html Pretty basic, but comes with a system binding and is a totally serviceable ski. This: www.skiessentials.com/2023-faction-prodigy-0x-junior-skis.html Is more like the adult version--better build, more stout, and stronger for pretty aggressive park skiing.

Not great, not awful. The carving is dependent on the sharpness of the edges and the skill of the skier more than anything else. Great in the bumps and trees, but not the best on firm snow in a carved turn.

On them now: kind of "meh" compared to the others here but you cant beat the end of season sale on this model for something you will trash on rails. Very lightweight but was expecting a little more pop. Edge hold diminishes at higher speeds. I use these in PA and have a good time at the small resorts.

@@tylerboyer9523 ok thanks

3cm behind center

I like to stand on the ski with my boot on and see what looks good. Maybe +2 from the line?

If you have a narrower ski as a complement, I'd go with the 106. If this is to be your only ski, then the 96 makes more sense.

The 171 was 1670 g on the scale, perhaps Line is using the 178 as it's reference ski on the site?

It's a fantastic entry-level twin tip ski that punches above its weight. Great for tweener skiers and those beginning their park career, Line makes an awesome ski that's durable and easy to use.

Looks like the 177 to me.

Bent 100 fs

Got the bent 100 and the 2022 ct 2s, gotta say I really like the factions

Oblivion is considerably more flexible due to the park-style nature. The QST has more pop and grip as well as being a better floater due to the taper and rocker. If you're in the park a lot but still want all-mountain performance, the Oblivion is fantastic, but if you don't really venture into the freestyle realm, the QST is likely a better match for your application.

I really like the blend of performance and value for the new Revolt 96. Nice and sturdy for stability and great for tricks.

@@SkiEssentials thank you sm :D

Correct. 2023 was the last year of the ARV 96. You have the correct current widths of the ARV/ARW series since it's now the 2024 ski season.

I'd say those criteria point you to the Head Oblivion. You can go 79, 84, or 94 depending on how wide you want the ski. The 94 is the most well-rounded while the 84 is the most park/competition oriented.

@@SkiEssentials compared to the tw pro how much heavier are the 84 then the tw

Atomic Bent 90 and Black Crows Captis stand out to me for your application. With the Captis, it only goes down to a 172, but you could get the Birdie version (same build) in a 166 or 160. Bent 90 in a 157 or 166.

I got a chance to demo the k2 reckoner 102 in a 163 January 4th at Mary Jane during the big snow dump and like how they felt edge to edge and just floated. I am going to demo the Bent 90 next week hopefully, but do you think the k2 reckoner 102 is a good fit for my style or would you still push the bend 90s?

If you keep the width pretty similar, I'd check out the Black Crows Captis at 90 mm. This ski feels like a real ski so will be great at all-mountain but also has a twin tip for more creative skiing.

While a bit more low profile, the Bent 90 is certainly a twin tip in the freestyle realm. This makes it a deadly blend of park and all-mountain.

Since it skis short, Jeff would take that 185 over the 179 for sure.

For competitive park skiing, the Revolt 90, Oblivion 84, and Line TW Pro are your best bets.

That's definitely the natural progression that Line would like you to take!

I would go Revolt. BDog is better for someone with some existing park experience who wants to take their skiing in a specific direction. Revolt is more well-rounded and it great for getting started.

Should be able to get 1080x60 like most of our videos. Let us know if you're still having issues!

yeah now it’s gone. probably it was on my end

@@mikarolshoven RU-vid continues to process the video after it’s been uploaded. Usually only low quality is available initially.

I think you should take a square look at the new Volkl Revolt 90

Likely not, although many of these models have direct women's counterparts and are essentially unisex skis.

It's nice and smooth with a longer radius. It weighs just under 2000 grams so while it's not "light," it's about average for this category. The twin tipped shape makes it super playful and a lot of fun while still having good pop from the camber. With a nice even flex and poured sidewalls, it should stand up to some serious use.

@@SkiEssentials ok thanks so much. is the 88 lighter?

@@bossskis Yes, but only insofar as there's less mass overall due to the narrower footprint. They have the same construction, although the 88 is more symmetrical.

it's not awesome. It likes to be used at higher edge angles at speed rather than run flat and straight.

The ARV 96 is a stiffer and more responsive ski while the Revolt has more flex to it that allows for more creative ground work, easier butters and presses, and slightly better off-trail capabilities. The ARV 96 has more density to it, and more taper, so it's a smoother performer in more/different applications.

@@SkiEssentials it is so cool that you guys respond. Thank you so much!

Unfortunately our Faction shipment was a bit delayed and we were super bummed to not have them in time to film this. We have, thankfully, received most of our order since then, so at least we have them!

@@SkiEssentials I would love a faction prodigy 2.0 review. Your reviews are the best on the internet! Am debating on poachers, bent 90 and prodigy 2.0. All three seem like great choices, but when I watched the curated prodigy 2.0 review it was lacking information to make an informed choice.

Try again, seems to be working fine now.

not twin tip but great skis

We ran out. Would have loved to put Prodigy 1 or 2 up there for sure. Great twins.