Curated Skiing Experts Charlotte H. and Sara Beeken got their hands on the 4FRNT MSP CC this spring. Check out how it performed in the carving, freestyle, and freeride categories, but consider the fact that each and every skier is different; if you have any questions about the MSP CC or need recommendations on which ski would be best for you, reach out to a Skiing Expert here on Curated.

Before we get started, it's worth noting that Curated Experts are not sponsored by any brands. All of these reviews are completely unbiased.

Brand Claims

What does 4FRNT claim about this ski? [Charlotte] 4FRNT claims that this is an advanced, all-mountain, directional ski.

[Sara] 4FRNT claims that this is an intermediate to advanced, all mountain, frontside ski.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Charlotte] Overall, I really had a lot of fun on these skis. I felt like they handled a lot of different terrains very well. I really appreciated how stable and burly of a ski they are without packing all the extra metal that something like the Volkl Secrets might have in their core. However, there was an area where I felt like they were a little bit shaky for me underfoot, and that would be tighter areas like the trees.

[Sara] My overall impression of this ski was that it was burly and hard charging but not overpowering.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Charlotte] The 4FRNT MSP CCs have very limited rocker in their tips, which means that they're not going to really help you initiate turns as much as something with more rocker has. But, they do have a longer effective edge and pack a bunch of camber underfoot. So, when I was hitting little hits off the sides of the trails I was going at a really moderate speed and just kind of gave a little pop of my ski, and they sent me in a really stable and controlled way. So they were really fun because they have so much camber underfoot. I also felt it when I was carving down a trail. They had a lot of rebound, a lot of pop, and they felt pretty playful.

[Sara] This ski has a little bit of camber and a good amount of rocker in the tip, which makes it really kind of versatile. It can go anywhere and it'll power through cruddy snow. But, it's also got some good pop and incredible edge hold on groomers.

What is the flex like? [Charlotte] Because of how heavy and stiff these skis are, you do really have to put some effort into initiating your turn. These are a pretty stiff ski for a pretty strong skier.

[Sara] In terms of intermediate to advanced women's skis, this is actually pretty stiff. I felt like it was something that expert skiers can also enjoy because it is on the stiffer side.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Charlotte] These skis don't initiate the turn for you (they're not doing your job for you), but once you're in that turn they let you stay there or move into the next turn with little effort. I found that they felt pretty turny and maneuverable once I got going at a slightly higher speed. When I was moving a little bit more slowly, it was harder for me to initiate the turn.

[Sara] As far as turning the ski, I felt like it was kind of in the middle of the road. It wasn't hard to turn, but it also wasn't the easiest ski to turn. It likes to initiate the turns and it also likes to hold on to that edge for longer turns.

What is the edge hold like? [Charlotte] I really was grateful on a day like today where we hit some ice patches and some sloppy snow to have a ski like this underfoot. Their edge hold is really strong. So, there was nothing I was skiing where I felt nervous that my skis were going to wash out on me. I felt confident skiing these all day today.

[Sara] It does absolutely hold an edge when you’re going fast.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Charlotte] This is a very damp ski. These skis absorb a whole lot and you don't feel it in your legs, in your upper body. Even if you were to look down at your skis as you're cruising at a higher speed, you're not going to notice a whole lot of chatter going on.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Charlotte] I really enjoyed taking these skis at higher speeds. Once the skis get going, they turn really easily and underfoot I didn't feel any vibrations from chatter. I felt really confident, stable, and I didn't feel like I needed to speed check it all as I was heading down the mountain. I just felt great.

[Sara] I felt super comfortable at speed on the ski. If you're somebody who likes to go fast and is looking for a burly, all mountain option, this is a great one.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Charlotte] In terms of energy and acceleration, it is a more burly ski, so it is damp enough to be absorbing a lot of impact and vibration. Because of that, they're not the most energetic ski, but the camber underfoot lets them pop off things no problem.

Freestyle

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Sara] I feel like this ski leans a little bit more into stability and hard charging than it does into playful poppiness. That said, you can definitely take it off jumps, have a great time, and go through some side hits. It’s made by 4FRNT, which has a lot of freestyle - freeride background. I could feel that in the ski, but it wasn't the poppiest.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Charlotte] I would not be skiing this ski switch. It's got pretty flat tails, so I would be a little bit hesitant to be heading backwards down the mountain. I would be nervous to be catching my skis on things.

[Sara] There's very little tail rocker in this ski, so I would not recommend trying to ski it switch. I did try skiing switch on these - it's really meant more for directional skiing.

How is the ski with jumps? [Charlotte] I mostly just hit natural jumps, and I felt like they were really stable. Taking off, they had a lot of rebound exiting off the snow and then upon landing, they felt very stable for me and just really confidence inspiring. Especially as someone who is growing in my confidence in hitting natural features as they head down the mountain, these were a really solid option for me to have underfoot.

[Sara] I felt really stable on landing, but I didn't feel a ton of pop coming out of the jumps.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Charlotte] These aren't a park ski, so I actually didn't enter the park. You can if you want, but they wouldn't be my top pick on account of how heavy they are.

[Sara] You could take this in the park, but it's by no means a park ski. If you're just looking to do some jumps every now and then on your way down the mountain, it's still a good choice. But, if you're looking for something that's going to spend a lot of time in the park, there are some better options out there for you.

Freeride

How is it in powder? [Charlotte] The MSP CCs are 99 underfoot which makes them a really solid all mountain option. It means that you can be skiing groomers and with a little effort you can be laying them over edge to edge. But then at 99 underfoot, they're going to do decently well in a little dusting of snow. If it's a big powder day, I think these skis might sink for you because they are a heavier ski. So, you might really have to be sitting back on them if you have more than like 8 inches of snow. But, on all other accounts, I think they’ll be great for you with a couple inches on the ground.

[Sara] I got to make a couple turns in powder on this one and I had a blast. This would definitely be fun in a little bit of snow. It's not the widest, but at 99 underfoot, I really enjoyed this in the soft snow. I think that's definitely where it's going to be at home.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Charlotte] Today, we're at Eldora Mountain in Colorado. It snowed this week, but it's super warm today so that means that a lot of the snow on the ground feels pretty heavy and chunky. These skis struggled a little bit in that type of terrain where they were getting dragged back a bit. In chunkier snow, they plow through pretty easily. But, in heavier snow, they feel like a pretty heavy option that's not floating that well.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Charlotte] I felt like I could weave through a mogul field no problem. But, the second that I hopped into trees, that's when I started feeling a little unsure of myself on the ski. They didn't feel like they were that maneuverable, and I was skidding out a lot in the tighter tree setting because I was a little bit nervous and hesitant on these skis.

[Sara] This was pretty middle of the road in terms of turning. It's definitely something that's got enough power that those expert and advanced skiers are going to appreciate it and enjoy it. But, if you're an intermediate or an advanced skier and you're trying to go in the trees and have something maneuverable, this was surprisingly nimble for how heavy and wide it is.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Charlotte] I would recommend taking them in areas where if you don't make the turn, that's okay for you. On wider, open areas, I felt really awesome on them. Also, jumping off of natural features they felt really lively and energetic.

[Sara] At 99 underfoot with a rocker camber profile, these are really versatile. You can pretty much take them anywhere on the mountain.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Charlotte] I am a person who gravitates towards spending time in mogul fields and trees. And, because of that and how uncertain I was of these skis in tighter trees, that would be one area that I might look to avoid. I probably also wouldn't be taking them into the park.

[Sara] There's not a lot of terrain I would avoid with these skis, but if I had to pick one it would probably be the park.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Charlotte] I love these skis for the advanced - expert female skier. Someone who is centered in their skiing and even forward on their skis is going to be able to shred and rip up the mountain on these skis. Someone who really likes to be moving at high speeds is going to have a whole lot of fun. They go everywhere on the mountain, so you're going to have a good time no matter what you're doing.

[Sara] I would recommend these to stronger or heavier weight intermediates that are looking to progress all the way up to expert skiers. This is definitely something that an expert skier who is about my size would love.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Sara] If you're looking for something really playful, this is probably not going to be the ski for you because it is a little bit beefier than some other skis - it's got a layer of titanal in it. You can get something with carbon or something with just a wood core and get a little more energy and a little less weight.

If you could pack these skis for anywhere in the world, where would you take them? [Charlotte] I love these skis for a whole bunch of different mountains out West. Areas like the back bowls of Vail, they are just going to shred back there. Wider, open areas are going to be so fun. Somewhere where I probably wouldn't take them would be my homebase mountain, Mad River Glen in Vermont. They have a whole lot of tight trees, and I would feel pretty hesitant to be in an area like that. But otherwise, out West, they'd be so fun. Somewhere where I'd actually love to take them (maybe tomorrow!) would be the steeper groomers at Copper Mountain - they would just shred.

[Sara] I think this would be a really fun ski to take out to Tahoe sometime in the Spring and catch some of that really awesome Spring skiing. They're powerful, but they're also playful at the same time.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the MSP CC is the right ski for you, chat with Charlotte, Sara, or any other Skiing Experts here on Curated, and they’ll put together free, personalized ski recommendations on the best skis for your needs.

Note that the 2024 version of the 4FRNT MSP CC is linked below - same tech, just different graphic: