Review: Moment Deathwish Tour 104

If I were to choose one word to describe the Deathwish Tour 104 from Moment Skis, it would be "uncompromising"—and for good reason. For those unfamiliar with the Deathwish line, let me first introduce you to the small, American ski company you’ve been looking for. Moment's planks are built with precision, dedication, and a craftsmanship that’s second to none. Everything from the design, to the materials, to the topsheets are first-class and badass. Not only that, they’re also durable as hell—I’ve skied a pair of their Commanders at Bridger Bowl for years, smoking rocks and scraping stumps without ever catching a core-shot.

After compressing an edge on my previous pair of touring skis (from a much larger, international, and made-elsewhere ski company), I knew I needed something that could hold up to backcountry terrain. The ski must be light, durable, and... uncompromising. And even though I know that a topsheet doesn’t affect how a ski performs, it’s still the thing I'd be looking at most of the time, especially when skinning up a mountain. I looked to Moment’s lineup first; and thank goodness I did, as I couldn’t have dreamed up a better backcountry ski—in terms of performance and appearance— than the Deathwish Tour 104.

Adapted from one of their longest and most popular models, this ski is made for folks who want one set of boards that can do it all: ready to charge through chunder, slash fresh tracks in freshly fallen fields of powder, and maneuver back up quickly for a second lap. These babies are as fast going up as they are coming down—meaning you don’t have to choose between heavy & durable and light & fragile. They’re called the Deathwish, after all—so if that’s how you’d describe your skiing style, then there's no better ski for you.

I chose the 104 length, despite being six-four; if you’re looking for something beefier for those heavy snow days, check out the 112. No matter what you do, just be sure you don’t miss out on these skis. Yep, they're that good.

Available at momentskis.com; $900.