The best touring skis of 2024

The trend towards ease of skiing has led to the creation of very centered equipment designed to appeal to the entire skimo world, and extending beyond the confines of Touring. That said, there are clear differences, as you’ll see in our People’s Choice and Smart categories. But the emphasis on downhill performance remains a core theme of the equipment in this category, and clearly essential in any lineup aimed at the most discerning skiers. These, too, have followed this general trend, becoming more intuitive. But it’s an understandable decision, given that it’s been achieved without compromising structure. 

Put simply: Faction craft great gear. The Agent lineup concentrates on the down-to-earth engineering of this Verbier-based ski manufacturer, without adopting shapes overly influenced by the freestyle world. Agent 2 is a ski that will appeal to many tourers: neither boring nor frivolous, it’s both fun and versatile on the downhill. K2 Mindbender 96C is too heavy on the uphill to win the award, but is nonetheless a great ski. 

A hard-driving ski for hard-driving skiers. But Navis Freebird will appeal to others too, as despite being the Pro’s choice, the latest mods have made it more docile and intuitive. But to be clear: the ski provides a large terrain contact area to always ensure good control—and a little extra beef (and weight)—because demanding skiing requires a little extra substance. But you won’t regret it.

«Almost perfect in all situations and conditions and ideal for the wider public. If you ski this in a relaxed way, without driving it hard, it’s extremely easy and forgiving». After winning last year’s award for the best ski, Enforcer Unlimited 94 is it any surprise that it’s topped this year’s People’s choice category? Scott Superguide 95 is penalized because it’s too demanding for the wider market, but performs great on long ascents and technical terrain. 

A great all-rounder, that’s lightweight, manageable and easy to ski. An ideal choice for novices if bought on the short side. That doesn’t mean to say MTN 96 Carbon is exclusively for beginners. In fact, it’s actually difficult to find skiers who don’t enjoy using this ski. And you can always ramp up the length slightly. Check out also the 91 in the Light version... We also liked the Elan Ripstick Tour 94, though it’s not very intuitive as the left and right skis feature different designs.