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Freeride skis suit you if you spend time off-piste, chase softer snow, and want a ski that stays calm when the terrain turns rough. You want float in powder, a stable platform in chopped-up snow, and enough edge hold to get you back to the lift on firm pistes without feeling like you are fighting the ski.
In this InTheSnow freeride ski test and review, we focus on the best 2026/27 skis for advanced and expert skiers who want confident off-piste performance across powder, variable snow, and freeride lines, with the stability you need when conditions get tracked and heavy.
How we test and why you can trust the results
Each season multiple testers ski a wide range of our favourite models before we agree on the best skis in each category. Every ski is tested by more than one skier to ensure balanced feedback across conditions and skiing styles. All testers ski at advanced level as a minimum, most commonly equivalent to BASI Level 3 instructor standard, and our test team is strengthened by former Olympic skiers. This combination of technical expertise and elite performance experience allows us to deliver results that are credible, consistent and genuinely reflective of how these skis perform on snow.
Brands provide the skis and help the test run smoothly, but the judgments stay with us. The test team sets the scores, agrees the shortlist, and writes the final verdicts independently.
Where we tested: Champoluc, Slide on Snow
We tested in Champoluc, Italy, in the Monterosa Ski area, during Slide on Snow, the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain on-snow industry test week. SIGB held the event in Champoluc for 2026, the week of 26–30 January, which gives brands, retailers and media repeat access to next season’s equipment in a focused test environment.
Sponsors and thanks
Our headline sponsor for this test was Ski Weekends, specialists in flexible ski holidays. Our kit was supplied by Helly Hansen, gloves by Hestra, and goggles by Bollé.
You can try many of these skis with Ski Weekends at the Avoriaz Ski Test each year as part of Rock On Snow Avoriaz Opening Weekend. For 2026, dates are 11–13 December, with a day lift pass priced at £65 and unlimited ski testing included.
InTheSnow Best Freeride Skis 2026/27
These skis won their votes because they deliver float and confidence off-piste, then stay composed when the snow turns tracked, heavy, or inconsistent. The difference between them is feel. Some favour a playful, pivot-friendly ride. Others lean into stability and power for bigger lines and higher speeds.
These are next season’s 2026/27 skis, tested ahead of general sale. Final UK prices, full size runs and first delivery dates tend to arrive closer to launch. We will update this guide as pricing and stock windows are confirmed.
This review covers the category winners, but we filmed far more than the shortlist. We have individual ski test review videos for each of the key models, plus on-snow reviews of many more skis we tested that did not make this top list. If you want the deeper take on feel, turn shape and how each ski behaves as conditions change, watch the individual reviews before you buy.
Rossignol Sender Free 100 (2026/27) review
Model details
Model: Rossignol Sender Free 100 (2026/27)
Category: Freeride / All-Mountain Playful
Terrain: Powder, trees, variable snow, freeride lines
Target Skier: Advanced and expert skiers who want playfulness with confidence on big mountain terrain
Price, length, radius, weight
Price: £TBC (UK pricing not confirmed)
Length: 162cm, 170cm, 178cm, 184cm, 190cm
Radius: About 18m at 178cm
Weight: £TBC
What the manufacturer says
A 100mm freeride platform designed to blend float and agility. Twin Rocker and a progressive sidecut support easy initiation and a more playful feel in softer snow. A poplar wood core targets lively response. Air Tip reduces swing weight for quicker pivots. Full sidewall construction supports edge transmission, backed by a sintered base for glide.
What InTheSnow says
Sender Free 100 is the ski you pick when you want freeride manners without committing to a wide powder specialist. At around 100mm, it gives enough platform for soft snow and tree lines, then stays quick enough to flick through tighter terrain. The Air Tip concept matters when you ski technical snow, because lower swing weight makes the ski easier to place and easier to recover when you get nudged off line. You also get a predictable edge when you need it, which helps on the run back to the lift, or when you drop into firmer entrances and you need the ski to hold rather than skid away.
Summary
Best for advanced to expert skiers who want a playful freeride ski that still feels composed in variable snow, with enough edge hold for resort skiing between off-piste laps.
Völkl Mantra M7 (2026/27) review
Model details
Model: Völkl Mantra M7 (2026/27)
Category: All-Mountain Freeride Performance
Terrain: Off-piste, powder, mixed snow, variable slopes
Target Skier: Advanced and expert freeriders and all-mountain explorers
Price, length, radius, weight
Price: £TBC (UK pricing not confirmed)
Length: Approximately 163cm to 191cm, exact size run £TBC
Radius: Multi-radius design, exact figures £TBC by length
Weight: £TBC
What the manufacturer says
A performance-driven freeride ski built around a multi-radius sidecut designed to adapt through different turn shapes. A MultiLayer wood core blends poplar and beech for strength and response. Tailored Titanal Frame supports stability, Tailored Carbon Tips support agility and control. Rocker in tip and tail adds float, camber underfoot supports grip. Full sidewall construction and a sintered base focus on power transmission and speed.
What InTheSnow says
Mantra M7 targets skiers who want one ski to charge hard across the whole resort, then step off the side into variable snow without changing tools. The multi-radius concept suits skiers who change turn shape as terrain changes, tighter arcs in steeper entries, then longer lines when the slope opens. Titanal support points to a ski that stays calm when snow turns rough and when speed climbs, which is often where softer freeride skis start to feel vague. If you like a planted feel and you ski with pace, this is the most directional, performance-led option in this group.
Summary
Best for advanced to expert skiers who want stability and power for fast all-mountain freeride skiing, with turn-shape range and strong composure in chop.
Black Diamond Impulse 104 Ti (2026/27) review
Model details
Model: Black Diamond Impulse 104 Ti (2026/27)
Category: All-Terrain Freeride Charger
Terrain: Powder bowls, mixed snow, big mountain lines
Target Skier: Intermediate to expert freeriders seeking float and stability
Price, length, radius, weight
Price: £TBC (UK pricing not confirmed)
Length: 172cm, 179cm, 186cm
Radius: Around 17m at 172cm, 18m at 179cm, 19m at 186cm
Weight: £TBC
What the manufacturer says
A 104mm freeride ski built for stability in soft snow and variable conditions. A poplar wood core pairs with a Titanal sheet and full ABS sidewalls to support torsional stiffness and power transmission. Pre-preg fibreglass adds strength and dampness. Rocker tip and tail supports float and easier steering, with camber underfoot for grip.
What InTheSnow says
Impulse 104 Ti sits in the charger lane. The waist width gives you meaningful float, yet the stated radii suggest a ski that likes medium to longer turns once you point it down the fall line. Titanal support is the headline here. It helps the ski track when the snow turns chopped and when your line crosses old tracks, wind effect, and heavier patches. For strong intermediates pushing into freeride, the stability helps confidence because the ski does not get knocked around as easily. For experts, it brings that solid, planted feel you want in bowls and faster off-piste descents.
Summary
Best for freeriders who want a stable, confidence-building ski for variable snow and bigger terrain, with a supportive feel when you ski faster and push harder.
Black Crows Atris (2026/27) review
Model details
Model: Black Crows Atris (2026/27)
Category: Big Mountain Freeride Ski
Terrain: Deep powder, big mountain terrain, off-trail exploration
Target Skier: Advanced and expert freeriders wanting float and versatility
Price, length, radius, weight
Price: £TBC (UK pricing not confirmed)
Length: Typically 172cm, 178cm, 184cm, 190cm
Radius: Approximately 20m at 184cm
Weight: £TBC
What the manufacturer says
A big mountain freeride ski built around a waist around 105mm for float and stability in softer snow. Double rocker supports manoeuvrability, camber underfoot supports grip. A poplar wood core and fibreglass reinforcement target energy and response. Semi-cap ABS sidewalls focus on durability and edge contact, backed by a sintered base for glide.
What InTheSnow says
Atris suits freeriders who want float and a loose, confident feel in softer snow, without losing control when the slope firms up. The 20m class radius points to a ski that likes speed and space, yet the double rocker helps when you need to pivot, feather speed, or change direction quickly in tighter terrain. This is the ski here that best fits a rider who moves between bowls, powder stashes, and technical off-trail lines in the same day, and wants one platform that stays predictable across all of it.
Summary
Best for advanced to expert freeriders who want a versatile big mountain ski with strong float, a stable feel at speed, and easy steering when terrain tightens.
How to choose between these freeride skis
If you want a playful, pivot-friendly freeride ski with strong resort range, start with the Rossignol Sender Free 100.
If you prioritise stability, power, and a planted feel for fast all-mountain freeride skiing, look at the Völkl Mantra M7.
If you want a charger feel with a 104mm platform built for bowls and variable snow, choose the Black Diamond Impulse 104 Ti.
If you want float and big mountain versatility with a looser feel in soft snow, choose the Black Crows Atris.
If you plan to demo before you buy, early season test events are the easiest route. Ask for these models by name and ski them back to back on the same runs. We will update this page once UK prices, full size runs and retailer availability are confirmed for winter 2026/27.