Looking for a killer deal on new skis? This time of the year is always your best bet, as shops look to clear inventories for the coming spring and store traffic drops off. And the best part of the season lies ahead—plenty of time to enjoy your new babies.
But here’s what we wanted to know: Which skis, among those we tested, were the best values to begin with?
It’s a simple formula—we divided the final score of each ski by its suggested retail price to get a “value quotient.” The results turn up great values, especially in the narrower waist widths built for everyday versatility.
While all Gold Medal skis ski great, value quotients range dramatically, from 239 (sorry, Stockli Stormrider, $1,299 flat) to a standout high of 743. Congratulations to the Salomon Origins Lava, which put up that top bang-for-buck score as the No. 1 ski in the Women’s Hard Snow category. It crushed the competition.
Look for these bang-for-buck values in the shops, maybe priced to sell.