Curated Skiing Experts Charlotte H. and Sara Beeken got their hands on the 2024 Icelantic Riveter 95 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 Icelantic Riveter 95 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 Icelantic claim about this ski? [Charlotte] Icelantic markets this ski as a directional, all-mountain ski for intermediate to advanced riders.

[Sara] The brand claims that this is an all-mountain ski for an intermediate to advanced skier.

Overall Impressions

What is your overall impression of the ski? [Charlotte] I love these skis! I had so much fun skiing these skis. We had the chance to take these out in about 7 to 9 inches of fresh powder at Copper Mountain. They were so fun! I was a little bit nervous about the waist width - being 95 underfoot is a little more narrow than one might hope to be skiing in that much snow. But, they did awesome. They were so fun, so lively, so energetic, and I just had a great day on them.

[Sara] I was really impressed by these skis. I wasn't expecting them to perform quite as highly as they did because they're kind of a more intermediate ski. They're also coming from Icelantic and not a twin tip, which is a little bit unusual for them. So, I didn't have super high expectations, honestly, but I actually loved it. It had so much energy. It was very intuitive, it did exactly what I needed it to do, and it was really there for me.

How does the shape of the ski affect the way it rides? [Charlotte] Something to note about this ski is they have a fair amount of rocker in the tips, but in this year's model they actually reduced the amount of rocker in the tails which makes them more of a directional ski. So, they are less floaty tips and tails and more pointing down the mountain. But, because they do have this rocker in the tips, that lets you ease into your turns pretty easily which makes them a very intuitive ski.

Backing up that rocker is a fair amount of camber underfoot - it's going to give you a lot of life and energy into each turn. That's something that I really felt while demoing these skis on little runouts to the chair or like hops into the woods here and there - they were really lively and energetic.

[Sara] This ski has a lot of camber underfoot as well as rocker in the tip. It's got a little bit of rocker in the tail, but it does not have a twin tip, unlike a lot of Icelantic skis. So, that kind of sets this one apart, making it their more directional all-mountain option.

What is the flex like? [Charlotte] Given the intermediate to advanced level of these skis, they're not the stiffest skis out there. But, they're stiff enough where if you're pushing through your tips they're not going to wash out or be chattery underfoot.

[Sara] The flex of these skis are a really good middle ground. They're not super soft like a beginner - intermediate ski but they're not going to be the hardest charging ski out there, which gives you a lot of versatility on who could use this and who might really enjoy the ski.

Carving

How does the ski turn? [Charlotte] The Riveters turn really easily, really intuitively. You push through the fronts of your skis and they are there to turn for you no matter what. They're really a responsive and intuitive ski.

[Sara] I found that this ski was really easy to turn - definitely appreciated that rocker in the tip. I mostly skied soft snow in them, but anywhere on the mountain that I took them, I felt like they knew exactly what I wanted them to do.

What is the edge hold like? [Charlotte] I found that the edge hold was great on these skis. We were skiing in softer conditions, so I wasn't really able to put it to the full test of carving down an icier groomer. But, they were really easy to lay over, and I could really lean into my turn and make short, medium, and long radius turns without feeling wary that they were going to slide out on me.

[Sara] For a slightly softer ski. I felt like the edge hold was really solid on these. We didn't take them on to the iciest groomers, but I think that just based on my experience with them, they would do pretty well. They're not going to have the strongest edge hold of some skis with more metal in them, but they held up really well for the conditions we were in.

What about dampness? Any chatter in the skis? [Charlotte] The Riveters are made out of a Poplar Power Core so that's going to add a lot of life to the ski. But, it also has a drawback where it's not as damp as a ski with more metal in it. So, when I was skiing over more chattery areas or chunked up powder, they felt a little bit unstable underneath me - nothing to the point where I was feeling nervous on the skis or like I wanted a different ski, but they do feel a bit of chunder underfoot.

[Sara] The Riveter did a great job of balancing the dampness of a heavier ski with the lightness and maneuverability of some lighter, more entry level skis.

How does it feel in terms of speed? [Charlotte] We were heading down some steeper walls in the back bowls of Copper, and I was really laying into some turns back there moving pretty fast. They were great underfoot, and I felt like they held up really well.

[Sara] These pleasantly surprised me at speed. They held up really well when I was on more uneven terrain. I probably wouldn't want to be charging down a really fast run on uneven terrain on these just because the dampness isn't going to be that of a heavier, more metal ski.. But for what I was doing, and especially for an intermediate - advanced skier, these are phenomenal.

How is its energy/acceleration? [Charlotte] The Poplar Power Core in these gives so much life and energy to the ski. They are so fun.

[Sara] The energy of these skis is incredible. I loved how poppy they felt when I would make a turn - I would really get kind of popped out of it and into the next one. So, it just made my skiing feel really nice and bouncy, even in the softer snow today. The combination of the camber in these skis plus the bounce of the powder was so much fun.

Freestyle

How is it for freestyle skiing?

Could you speak about playfulness and pop? [Charlotte] They are so poppy and just a really playful ski.

[Sara] I felt like the ski was just the perfect amount of playful. It's not a park ski, but it's definitely a lively all-mountain ski. I really felt the pop of these skis when I was in bumps and when I was going over a little side hits.

Is it good for skiing switch? [Charlotte] Icelantic reduced the amount of rocker in the tails. So, as you can see, they have a bit of lift back here, but nothing that would make you feel really secure if you were to be skiing switch on these.

[Sara] Of all the skis Icelantic makes, I would definitely not go with this one if you're somebody who likes to ski in the park and ski switch. These don't have a full twin tip so, while they can handle a little bit if you're trying to just do some wild birds, I would definitely go with something else from their brand if you wanted a twin tip.

How is the ski with jumps? [Charlotte] These things spring off jumps. It felt like I had a trampoline underneath my feet. I would go off just a little jump and I would be flying off of it. And then, when I landed, I felt really comfortable landing on them. They didn't feel unstable underfoot.

[Sara] I felt great on jumps - no problems with stability on landing, and the pop coming off the jumps was just so much fun.

The difference between these and a ski with more metal in it is going to be that this Poplar wood core and all of the camber in it really pop you off of the jump; whereas a metal ski is going to kind of absorb that and really you feel the dampness, but you won't have quite the same energy as something like the Riveter.

Can it handle the park and what features is it best for/should avoid? [Charlotte] These wouldn’t be my first choice to take into the park.

[Sara] You could certainly take this off some natural features. I probably wouldn't choose it for a park ski, but it's not to say that you couldn't take it in there just for fun every now and then.

Freeride

How is it for freeride skiing?

How is it in powder? [Charlotte] They are 95 millimeters underfoot, so they're not in that powder range. With that said, they ski powder pretty well and I would do it again on them.

[Sara] For the 8 inches of powder that I had when I was skiing these, I actually had a great time on them. I was a little worried about being on a 95 underfoot ski, but they held up really well thanks to the rocker. Every now and then my tips would get a little bit buried, so 8 inches is about where you want to cap it out. But, Icelantic also offered some really great wider skis for those situations.

How is it in uneven terrain and chunder? [Sara] I felt like because these were so intuitive it was easy to ski chunder as long as I was going at kind of a moderate speed. If I were trying to go really fast, I would feel a little bit unstable on these. But, because they're so approachable, they would definitely be a great choice for somebody who wants that safety, stability, and also energy when skiing less than ideal conditions.

How is it skiing in the trees? How is its maneuverability? [Charlotte] These are THE skis that I would choose to take into bumps, trees, and tighter areas. They're really maneuverable, they pivot really easily, and they're pretty light underfoot for a ski that feels this stable. So, these are a really great option for someone who likes to be in tighter spaces and someone who likes to weave through bumps and tighter trees turning on a dime.

[Sara] I love these in the trees. I think that was a fantastic environment for them. They felt like they could turn really quickly and every time I needed to avoid a tree and turn, they were just immediately there to turn. At 95 underfoot, they give you just enough float but it's also a pretty quick edge to edge. So, if you're someone who's skiing a lot of trees, these are a great choice.

What terrain is this ski good for? [Charlotte] I love these skis for someone who wants to ski the entire mountain. I think they're awesome on a steep wall on a powder day or some kicked up wind blown powder. With that said, they are really great on the runout down to the lift. They're awesome through bumps and trees. I love them for the whole mountain for someone who likes to have a lot of pop and energy in their ski.

[Sara] These are a really versatile ski that you can take almost anywhere on the mountain.

What terrain should skiers avoid with it? [Charlotte] These skis are really versatile, but they're probably not going to be the first pick for someone who is really hard charging, cruising down groomers all day and someone who's regularly skiing over a foot of powder.

[Sara] The only things I would probably avoid are powder that's like a foot plus deep or maybe somebody who's spending all their time in the terrain park - not your ski.

Recommendations

Who would you recommend these skis to? [Sara] I would recommend these to a lot of different people - anywhere from intermediate to expert level skiers. As an expert level skier myself, I would definitely add these to my quiver. I think that they could definitely be a one ski quiver for someone as well. If you're not trying to hit really big lines and ski really deep powder, this is a fantastic option. If you're on the West Coast and you want something that can ski trees and bumps, these are really good in those environments.

Who should avoid these skis, there are better options out there for them? [Charlotte] These aren't skis that I would recommend to a beginner skier. I think that they're going to pack almost too much energy in them where they'll feel a little less predictable. I also don't think that they would be the first pick for someone who's skiing park every single day out on the mountain or someone who's skiing a whole lot of snow every day.

[Sara] I would avoid these skis if you are looking for a park ski specifically for the terrain park.

I would avoid the ski if you are a total beginner because first of all, it only comes in a little bit longer lengths. So, for some of those smaller beginners, you might want something a little bit shorter, a little bit lighter, and more maneuverable.

And then as a powder ski, this is just not a powder ski. So, while it's a great all all around ski, it's not going to be your go to deep powder day ski.

If you could pack these skis for anywhere in the world, where would you take them? [Sara] I think that these skis would be a great fit for somebody on the West Coast. They could be an East Coast ski for sure, but I just had so much fun with them today in Colorado that I think these are a fantastic environment for them.

Skis work differently for different types of skiers. If you are wondering whether the Riveter 95 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.