Piste Ski Review - Advanced Piste Skis 20/21

Piste Ski review of our top Advanced level 20/21 Winter Piste Skis by JC.

The Skis we tested in this category are suited to the more advanced skier who enjoys all levels of Piste skiing & going fast. We have reviewed our top 7 Skis.

There are so many good Piste skis from various brands out there. It is genuinely hard to find a bad ski, but below I have summarised our top Piste skis from the 20/21 ranges. If we’ve missed your favourite ski, please let us know!

The Test

Testing results on these Skis is a combination of Ski testing reviews from the Ski Test in Pila & Scotland & features feedback from 3 main testers, JC, AD & AG. The Snow conditions were fairly similar with good Piste skiing conditions & a dusting of new snow.

How they ranked;

K2 Disruption MTI
Our Overall Rating – 9/10

“It looks fast, it skis fast & if I didn’t know K2 I would think they specialise in Piste Skis”
We were all a little apprehensive of how a full on Piste ski by K2 would ski as other all-mountain brands, like Scott, have tried in this area with varying success & usually come with a premium price tag.
K2 nailed this & if you want a strong Piste ski to short turn, long turn & generally blast your way across the mountain, look no further. It is lively in the turn, gives good pop & grips really well. You want to lean more & more into each turn until you are laying on the snow almost!
Looks great, skis better & very competitive for price, a great Piste Ski.

2.Volkl Deacon 74 Pro
Our Overall Rating – 9/10

“Expected a solid ski & got one. Does what you want & feels very solid.”
The Deacon 74 has Volkl’s race heritage, & was only pipped by the K2 on 2 areas, liveliness & price. I’s less lively than the K2, but that makes it feel a bit more homely & it’s super solid underfoot. It’s a little more expensive too, but it justifies that with it’s build quality & fact that it’s the most versatile of the skis we tested when the Piste was chopped up & bumpier.
Great ski, perfect for all Piste conditions & great on choppy Pistes.
The edge grip was excellent & stability at higher speeds was impressive. Less lively in the shorter turns, but still very easy to turn & they excel in the medium to longer turns.

3.Head Supershape E-Magnum
Overall rating 8.5/10

“For all types of fast turns this ski is awesome!”
The Magnum isn’t new, it part of Head’s successful Piste ski range that comes from their World Cup dominating race collection.
Other years, this would win. Maybe because it’s been around a while it gets overlooked, but it’s not the same ski every year! Each year Head upgrade it & this year is no different with the new EMC & Graphene technology. It’s better, again. The Magnum is super stable at high speeds, loves being on the edge & show how you feel the EMC system if you a being lazy in the turn, it kicks you back forward. I love it, some don’t.
I love this ski so much I own a pair (JC Ski), but the stiffness can be too much for some at lower speeds & it’s a little too heavy to take anywhere else other than the Piste.
Overall, if you ski quickly on Piste & like fast, quick turns…. Consider the Magnum. Plus it’s one of the best value top end Piste Skis we have tested.

4.Atomic Redster X9 S
Overall Rating 8/10

Atomic need no introduction to Piste skis, they are experts at anything that touches snow & the X series is a pretty decent place to look for Piste skis.
The X9 is at the higher end of the range & compares against the other skis we tested.
“Just point it, go straight, then launch the big turns across the Piste & smile.”
In the longer turns we loved the X9. It’s really stable, solid underfoot & gives you confidence to go fast.
We felt it was less fun & lively in shorter turns & for a lighter skier it’s not the friendliest at lower speeds. Like the Magnum, it’s really a solid Piste ski, but not much use elsewhere.
Looks good, feels solid & fair for the price tag. Not our personal favourite, but we’d still take it home if they let us. Certainly one to consider.

5.Dynastar Speed Zone 12 TI
Overall Rating 8/10

Dynastar make great skis for the whole mountain, the Speed Zone range is their Piste focussed collection & we like it.
“Loves quick & medium turns, really easy to transition.”
We found the Speed Zone 12 more than competent on the Piste & we really enjoyed it in the shorter & medium turns. In the longer turns it felt like it wanted to get turning again & at the highest of speeds it was less stable that others, but it’s also less expensive.
For the lighter skier or lover or shorter turns, the Speed Zone 12 will not disappoint, it grips well, feels great underfoot & very nimble.

6.Rossignol React 10 TI
Overall rating 8/10

The React range from Rossignol is probably the most impressive value for money Piste range, we loved the lower models & we loved the 10 too.
“The React range is the most user friendly Piste collection we found & perfect for Holiday skiers.”
We found the React 10 TI really easy to ski & it’s only downside was that it was a little less stable at the Higher speeds than others on test. The React 10 prefers the shorter turns & grips really well on varied snow conditions. If you ski less often, it builds confidence in your first turns & supports you as you build your speed.
Value for money is great, it’s easy to Ski & they love the shorter turns. A consideration for any Piste skier who likes easy turning.

7.Salomon S Force 11
Overall rating 7.5/10

The Salomon Force range has to be considered when looking at Piste skis & we liked the Force 11, it’s great, it was just slightly behind the others being tested in our opinion, largely due to the extra price Vs cheaper options.
“Easy to turn, great in shorter turns & quite lively.”
We found the Force 11 great in shorter & medium turns, but a little less stable than others at higher speeds & in longer turns. The only reason it featured lower on this list was due to the price being slightly higher, but if you don’t mind the extra few £’s then you will still be happy with this ski.

BEST ON TEST

K2 Disruption MTI
The Disruption was a unanimous winner amongst the testers. Maybe we were more impressed due to K2’s lack of previous performance in this category, but regardless, this Ski deserves credit & for the reasons above features as our BEST ON TEST for advanced Piste Skis 20/21.

BEST VALUE

Head Supershape E-Magnum
I’m almost certain that if this was a completely new Ski it would have been at the top, it is an excellent update on the already brilliant Supershape range. Like the other Supershape Skis, the E-Magnum performs beyond it’s price tag when compared to rivals at £625 including bindings.

MOST SUPRISING

Rossignol React 10 TI
Honestly, we thought the React range might disappoint in comparison. We were wrong. Like the all-mountain Experience range, Rossignol have built another great Piste range to suit all budgets. Easy to Ski, well priced & even down to the React 4 (in our entry Piste Ski review), they ski great. The React 10 can take you from Intermediate upwards & can satisfy the racer (or ex-racer) in you too.

FINAL THOUGHT by JCSki

There are many great Piste Skis & some we haven’t featured including from brands such as Nordica, Blizzard, Elan, Fischer & Scott. These were our top 7 in this category based on personal opinion & they would all be excellent Skis to consider for your next purchase. We test on average 20-30 different Piste Skis per category across all brands & base our results on our end of day test reports, it’s hard work….honest!

That completes our Advanced Piste Ski review. Check out our other reviews on Winter Insight & let us know if you have any questions.