Seventeen ski instructors, coaches and shop buyers spent a week last February at Deer Valley, Utah, grinding 20 all-mountain skis through groomers, bumps, crud and powder for SKI Magazine's annual test. When the scores were tallied, one familiar name came out on top: the Nordica Enforcer 99, priced at $850, takes the Best in Test crown for 2027. It's a ski that has defined the category for two decades, and even without construction changes this year, testers again rated it highest for its rare mix of power and approachability. It bulldozes through heavy, broken snow, holds an edge on firm groomers, and thanks to shape tweaks from 2025 it now has enough tail rocker to make it more fun when you're not charging. The trade-offs: it punishes sloppy technique and floats below average in deep powder.
The rest of the podium covers a spread of styles and budgets. The Blizzard Rustler 9 ($800) won Most Versatile — precise carver on hardpack, playful drifter in tight terrain, though it sinks in deep snow. Bargain hunters get the Rossignol Soul 92 at $700, a forgiving ski that suits anyone progressing from blue runs to double blacks.
Geography matters here too. For Eastern skiers who spend most days on ice and groomers, the Völkl M7 Mantra ($900) is the pick — a stiff, no-nonsense carving machine that rewards committed technique. Out West, the Dynastar M-Free 100 ($750) is the narrower-powder specialist, stable at speed and happy in the worst crud a resort day can offer, but it's heavy and needs a strong pilot.
Three more rounded out the list of eight. The Stöckli Stormrider 95 ($1,599) is the expert-only option, absurdly stable at speed but pricey and not playful. The Head Kore 94 Ti ($799) is the most agile, quick and snappy yet easy to sink in soft snow. And the K2 Mindbender 96 ($850) is the most forgiving of the lot — a good match for skiers who value error tolerance over thrills.
What does this mean if you're shopping for a ski this season? First, don't buy the marketing: 'all-mountain' covers everything from fat carvers to narrow powder skis, and no single ski does it all. Match the ski to your home mountain — hard-snow grip for the East, float and crud-smearing for the West — and be honest about your ability, since several of these winners are explicitly aimed at advanced and expert skiers. The standout takeaway from the test is that versatility and crud performance are what separate the great skis from the good ones, because those are the conditions you'll actually face most days. And if you just want the safest all-round bet, the Enforcer 99's two-decade track record is hard to argue with — just size it thoughtfully, since it runs long and demanding. Source: Ski Magazine
