Curated Ski Expert Jessica Whittam tested the 2023 Fischer Ranger 102 Women’s skis this spring at Powder Mountain in Utah. Check out how it performed, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different. If you have any questions about the Ranger 102 or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Ski Expert here on Curated.

One final point before we dive in: It's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does Fischer claim about this ski? So the brand claims that these are built with a sandwich construction, which helps with rebound and flex. These also have titanal in them, which makes them a little bit lighter without compromising the stiffness. These are still pretty stiff skis.

But the tips it has makes the contact length with the snow really narrow, which helps with float and powder as the brand claims, and it can also help with the turns.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of this ski? I actually felt like the skis performed just as well as I’d read about them. They were really fun, really easy to turn, and really nimble. They were fun in the trees. The conditions today aren't super great for 102 underfoot, but these would do really well in light powder and a little more snowier conditions than what today is. We're working with some ice and slush. It's like 45 degrees here at Powder Mountain. It's beautiful, but the snow is not ideal, unfortunately, for these 102s. I would recommend these 102s to somebody looking for a freestyle, all-mountain ski.

Either way, I was actually really, really impressed with these skis. I didn't think I would like them as much as I did. I had so much fun riding these just now. They have free ski rocker, meaning that they are a partial twin tip.

What is a partial twin? Partial twin means that the backs of the skis have some rocker in them, meaning that they would have some float skiing switch.

Carving

How is it to turn? These have a 17-meter turn radius which means that they're more of a GS-type ski if you're going to rip them on groomers. I was able to ski a little bit, to get some narrower turns in there, but these are definitely better for wider angles. These are not like slalom skis at 102 underfoot. They're going to be better for wider turns.

How does it perform at speed? They were fast. That was something that I was super excited about with these skis; they held up super well at high speeds. They would get through everything. And, like I said, even though the conditions today just weren't ideal with it being a little bit choppy, they still absorbed everything. I didn't feel too much chatter. They felt great in all conditions, in the trees, on the groomers, and hitting little side hits. They were just fun to play on and for a little bit of switch skiing (skiing backwards).

Freestyle

How is the ski’s playfulness? What makes these skis fun is the playfulness. They surprised me because I thought that they were going to be just stiff, all-mountain skis, but they were super poppy. They were way lighter than I expected them to be. That could have to do with the titanal layer in them, which reduces weight but still keeps the skis stiff enough to handle all sorts of conditions.

How is it on jumps? There weren’t a lot of jumps out here today, but I'm working with what I have here, little sidehits and such. It's a blast, but there aren't very many options to hit cliffs right now. But these would be really fun to hit cliffs with if there were options. I would definitely love to take these on a deeper day and start hitting some cliffs again.

What location is it ideal for? Could I take it on the East Coast? You could take these on the East Coast, but they're definitely a little bit better for Midwest to Western skiing. You definitely want a little bit more snow on the 102s. If you're going to ski on the East Coast, these do come in smaller sizes. Also, maybe having a little bit of a narrow waist would be a better option for an East Coast skier. But if you're an East Coast skier who does get pretty decent snow, then these would be the ski for you.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend this ski to? I would recommend these skis to somebody probably in the Midwest all the way to the West, looking for a nice pair of all-mountain-to-powder skis. These are going to be an intermediate-to-advanced ski with the wider 102 underfoot. They're going to be a little bit more difficult to handle for beginner-to-intermediate skiers, but if you're looking for something that you can really grow into and take anywhere on the mountain, these are the skis for you.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you want help finding the best skis for your needs, reach out to Jessica or any other Ski Expert here on Curated. They’ll help you find the right skis for you.