Winter is coming, what do you have to conquer it? This article will be focused on what will be the best skis for all of you Coloradans out there. This list will focus on the overall gliding and carving abilities, maneuverability, and the largest deciding factor: price. However, be aware that the price listed in this article may not be the cheapest price listed on certain websites.

1. Nordica Enforcer

This is a pair of skis I have seen at the top of the lists of multiple websites. They are probably the best of all mountain skis you can buy at the moment. As stated by Ski Magazine, “Rarely is a ski such an overwhelming favorite among testers, but the Nordica absolutely crushed this category.”

First off, there is a waist width of 100 mm which will not only help with flotation in powder, but will also provide good performance in carving conditions. Along with this, the tip provides a 130 mm thickness ideal for cutting through powder without getting submerged. The twin tip rocker provides ease for bouncing through moguls and keeping the country in technical conditions. Chattering isn’t much of an issue with these skis, in fact, Ski Magazine rated these skis a 4.38 out of 5 on stability at high speeds and a 3.95 out of 5 for maneuverability; a great rating for non carving skis. Plus at approximately 4.7 lbs per ski, you won’t have any trouble with too much weight at your feet. These skis are rated for advanced skiers, and at a price $800, these skis could be yours.

2. Armada Invictus 95 Ti

These skis are rated in the top five on multiple ski sites and magazines. These skis are made out of a light metal called Titanal (hence what the Ti stands for), which is a popular metal used by many ski producers for its durability, flex, and low weight. As stated by a Ski Magazine tester, they are a “nice step up from the version without metal. Nicely balanced with enough beef and bite.”

As for the skis themselves, the waist width is about 95 mm and the tip width 135 mm. Unfortunately, these skis they were rated a 2.48 out of 5 for gliding in snow, meaning they are much better when it comes to carving rather than powder. These skis got a 4.09 out of 5 for maneuverability and 3.95 out 5 for stability at high speed. The Armada Invictus 95 Ti may not be quite as good as the Nordica skis listed above for stability, but maneuverability was slightly better; meaning that if you want skis that will help you bounce off bumps and squeeze through those tree runs, then these are the skis for you. These skis are rated for advanced skiers and are priced at $775.

3. Völkl Mantra

The Völkl Mantras are my personal favorites. These are very similar to the previous Völkl Gotamas which were probably the best carving skis I have ever owned because of the light weight, maneuverability, and by far the best stability at speed. However, these are a little different because they are made for all mountain skiing.

For starters, the waist width is a solid 100 mm and the tip width is 132 mm. These were given a 2.96 out of 5 for their flotation on the powder; this rating is slightly better than the Armada’s. The rating for hard snow performance (carving) is a 4.2 out of 5, which dominates the Armadas and the Nordics. Finally on stability at speed, these got 4.09 out of 5, meaning less chattering on the slopes. If anything, these skis are closer to being carving skis than powder skis; however, they still perform well in hefty conditions. The price for these skis is a little larger than the other two pairs, approximately $875 overall. However, if you are looking for skis that have superb performance in hard conditions but also do well in powder conditions, these are the skis for you.

For more information on certain specs of skis and videos on test runs visit SkiMagazine.com.