For skiers, gear has become the new calling card. On today’s lifts, you’re just as likely to spot limited-edition topsheets and eco-conscious cores as you are logoed jackets and statement goggles. Ski tourism is booming and “ski fits” are having a social-media moment, with slopes-ready looks and après-ski outfits driving serious buzz. At the same time, ski brands are pushing tech forward: lighter all-mountain constructions, more playful freeride shapes, and gear tuned for everyone from first-time intermediates to backcountry obsessives.
Here are the ski brands trending hardest right now—and why they’re dominating gear lists and chairlift chatter.
Salomon
Salomon has quietly become the default answer when skiers ask, “What can I ski everywhere?” Its modern lineup spans frontside carvers, freeride sticks and backcountry-ready touring skis, but the buzz is largely about versatility and light weight.
The QST series, including women’s models like the QST Lumen 98, blends a playful twin-rocker shape with serious edge hold for mixed conditions. For tour-curious skiers, the MTN line has earned fans for uphill efficiency without sacrificing confidence on the descent.
For lifestyle-minded skiers, Salomon hits the “one-ski quiver” sweet spot: fewer decisions, more laps, and enough tech to grow with you as your skiing improves.
Atomic
If Salomon is the all-rounder, Atomic is the artsy sibling with a freestyle streak. The Bent series—especially the Bent 100—has become one of the most talked-about lines of the last few seasons because it blurs categories.
Rooted in freeride but tuned so an intermediate or returning skier can still have fun, these skis are built for trees, side-hits and the occasional park lap. More rocker, refined flex and a playful tail give the skis “pop” without sacrificing stability at speed.
For resort skiers who want to inject creativity into their runs rather than just carve, Atomic telegraphs: “I’m here for fun, not just drills.”
Völkl
Völkl has a long reputation as a brand for skiers who like to go fast, and its modern all-mountain lineup keeps that heritage while softening the edges for everyday resort conditions. The M6 Mantra, for example, is a fixture on best-all-mountain lists because it combines power and adaptability.
Völkl’s multi-radius sidecut and metal frame construction let the ski make both long, GS-style arcs and tighter turns without feeling overly demanding. If your idea of a good day is fast groomers, firm snow, and surgical precision—maybe with a detour into bumps—Völkl is the gear-nerd’s choice that still plays well in a mixed-ability group.
Nordica
Nordica’s Enforcer series has become shorthand for “confidence on a stick” among advanced skiers and serious weekend warriors. Stable at speed yet surprisingly smooth in soft snow, it’s a line that rewards good technique without feeling punishing.
Models in the mid-90s waist range hit the all-mountain sweet spot for skiers who want one pair that can rip groomers one day and chase a storm the next. Enforcer buyers tend to be skiers who know what they like—and the fact that this line continues to get test-lab love keeps Nordica firmly in the “it” brand conversation.
Black Crows
Born in Chamonix, Black Crows started as a small project by big-mountain skiers who wanted skis that fused beauty and performance for serious terrain. What began as a niche brand has become a full-blown cult favorite, sold around the world and adored by design-savvy skiers.
Models like the Atris and Corvus are known for being lighter, looser and more versatile than traditional chargers, while still thriving in soft snow and variable conditions. Distinctive geometric graphics and a strong lifestyle identity—outerwear, accessories, and “Chamonix chic” branding—make the skis highly visible in lift lines and on social media.
In short: Black Crows is the indie label that now feels like shorthand for “I care about both my turns and my aesthetic.”
Faction
Faction has carved out a lane at the intersection of freestyle culture, progressive all-mountain shapes, and athlete storytelling. Its Prodigy and Studio lines are marketed as quiver-killers that can handle park laps, groomers and off-piste in one package.
Poppy flex patterns, twin tips and sustainable European manufacturing all resonate with younger, fashion-forward skiers. Add in high-profile athletes and eye-catching graphics and you get a brand that is as much about culture as it is about construction.
For skiers who see the mountain as a freestyle playground, Faction’s look, feel and roster are very on-trend.
Blizzard
Blizzard built its name on powerful, metal-laminated skis that appealed to aggressive skiers. Recent updates to its freeride lines, like the Rustler series, refine that DNA into something more playful and accessible.
The modern Rustler is remarkably strong on hardpack for its width, yet still happy in soft snow and chopped-up afternoons. For skiers who split their time between storm days, tracked-out bowls and high-speed groomer laps, Blizzard is an emerging go-to that doesn’t feel punishing.
Wild Card
At the techy edge of the market, M1 Skis has debuted what it bills as a ski milled entirely from a block of aerospace-grade aluminum. The design promises impressive durability and a precisely tunable flex profile.
These skis are positioned as fully recyclable and exceptionally low-maintenance, designed for early adopters who want to be first in line for something radically different. With limited initial supply, M1 is less “every skier” and more conversation starter—but it offers a glimpse of where high-end experimentation is headed.
The big-picture takeaway: the hottest ski gear brands right now are those that don’t force a trade-off between performance, personality and planet. Whether you gravitate toward Salomon’s do-it-all security, Atomic’s creative freeride flair, or Black Crows’ indie mystique, the current seasons are giving skiers more ways than ever to express who they are—long before the après selfies go live.
Have a ski brand to add to the list? Email Julie at wegotnews at gmail.