23/24 Test Day 28: Waterville Valley

Honestly, we live for late season test days. Gone are the biting winds and trails made of ice, replaced with slush, spring bumps and warmer temps. Parking lot après is usually met with sun, plus more of us also have the chance to get out on snow the later it gets. This particular test day brought us to Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. 

It was a rare day when the snowboard testers outnumbered the ski testers. Temps were warm, and the snow was a little firm in the morning but got softer and slushier as the day went on — classic spring conditions. We spent the day cruising down groomers that felt smooth enough to flow turns through without hearing the typical East Coast crunch underneath. Waterville also had a bunch of sneaky side-hit features that made some of the more mellow runs more interesting.

We spent the day on some of our season favorites, mixing it up with things we might not have had a chance to test yet. 

Head of the softgoods department and tester of many talents, Devon Scovill switched it up and spent the day showing off her snowboarding skills. She rode the Ride Magic Stick, a softer board than she generally prefers. The conditions of the day were incredibly variable, so she did say she had a tough time finding consistency on it. Generally, the Magic Stick is an all-mountain, directional board that can power through crud — like we had this day — while still feeling nimble in turns. The strong camber profile adds stability and grip, but its softness still makes it easy to maneuver. While it wasn’t her favorite board she tested this season she did love the clean design. 

I spent some time on one of my season favorites, the Fischer Ranger 102. Carryforward for next season, the Ranger 102 was great at plowing through slush but still felt stable, and easy to get up on edge for deeper turns. The Ranger line consistently ranks high on our lists for this reason. Pretty much all season this ski has been the one I gravitated towards when I was heading out and thought the conditions were going to be more varied. 

Snowboard buyer, Neil Soucy, spent his day riding the Capita Aeronaut — taking it everywhere from groomers to the park. “This board felt composed when making fast turns and handled any surprise chop from the soft snow getting moved around well,” said Neil. “Where it was most impressive was making small side hits feel big and making big ones feel small. In other words, it has tons of pop but has a way of making landings feel easy and effortless.”  

Eric Gerrmann, TSM co-founder, skied the Blizzard Rustler 9, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti and the Head Titans. The Rustlers and the Mavericks were some of his top picks from the testing season, saying they both ski equally as well, with the Rustler feeling like it had a slightly higher speed limit. As for the Titans, that was a new test for him. 

“They ski exactly how they look,” he said. “They are tight and fast — a great groomer ski that wants to make a lot of strong, short-to-midsize turns.”

All in all, it was a great day. We love getting the opportunity to test stuff throughout the season, giving us a more well-rounded view of how this stuff actually works. As winter starts to wind down, keep an eye out for our complete top tested skis list and season recap. 

For any gear questions, book an appointment to see us in Boston or contact one of our gear experts!