After I clicked into the understated Peak 98 skis and hit the slopes at Stowe, Vt., I used to be stunned at their tenacious maintain in difficult situations. Nevertheless it wasn’t till I skied them in Idaho powder that I actually understood the depth of their versatility.
Lots of skis declare to be all-mountain skis, however a lot of them have a tendency to slide and skid when the situations get icy and hardpacked. However in contrast to these, the Peaks 98 by Bode delivers on its “all-mountain” guarantees. Whether or not I used to be on chalky groomers, refrozen mank, or in deep powder, this ski carved, floated, and helped me have an superior day each time I used to be on it.
Since I began using the Peak 98s 2 months in the past, they’ve change into the skis I attain each time I’m unsure what the ski day will ship. I like this ski a lot, the remainder of my quiver has been getting dusty in my storage. And once I packed skis for a visit to Idaho, which had snow within the forecast however not so much on the bottom, that is the one I selected.
Briefly: The Peak 98 is uniquely suited to navigating variable East Coast situations that usually embrace a strong dose of slick, frozen, hardpack, and corduroy. This ski can carve by means of chunky artifical snow with out getting overwhelmed by the contemporary stuff — even when it’s deep. They’re comparatively stiff. However they ski like they’re a lot softer because of Peak’s proprietary KeyHole Expertise used within the core’s development. For anybody who rides on lots of ice, they’re an excellent choice.
To match the Peak 98 by Bode to different all-mountain skis, try GearJunkie’s information to the Greatest All-Mountain Skis.
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Weight
1,918 g/ski (178) -
Shovel
128 mm -
Waist
98 mm -
Tail
116 mm -
Accessible in
160, 168, 178, 184, 190 mm
Peak Ski Peak 98 by Bode: Evaluate
Peak Skis is former professional skier Bode Miller’s model that he launched in 2022. He’s teamed up with one other ski business legend, large mountain skier and mountaineer Chris Davenport.
The Peak 98 is the right expression of the model’s purpose of making skis which are “mild sufficient however not too mild.”
This was one of many few skis that I felt I may ski with confidence on any day of the season at any East Coast resort. I by no means fearful that I’d be slipping sideways down the hill once I tried to edge and switch. The Peak 98 doesn’t get pushed round once you hit a bit of ice, refrozen mank, or detritus on the path from poor snowmaking — all frequent East Coast skier experiences.
The tip deflects chunks, and it doesn’t chatter usually. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless versatile sufficient that once I hit a bump run or dipped into Stowe’s sidecountry Angelfood zone, I may carve, wiggle, and cruise between tight timber in contemporary snow, and over skied-off traverses.
Peak Skis’ Secret Sauce: KeyHole Expertise
Peak builds its skis with two sheets of metallic sandwiching a paulownia and ash core. Between the ash and the metallic, these skis are fairly heavy and stiff. However that’s not how they ski. Because of Peak’s signature KeyHole Expertise, they really feel like a a lot lighter and flexier ski.
KeyHole Tech makes use of partial metallic sheets, with an oval reduce into the highest sheet of metallic. That makes it simpler to provoke turns with out compromising this ski’s tenacious grip. That oval cutout helps the Peak 98 observe higher in softer snow and untracked sidecountry snow. It lets the skis articulate round bumps, whether or not they’re frozen or comfortable. It additionally helps the tip float when there’s pure snow on the paths.
First Impressions
Selecting these skis up, they felt frontside ski-solid. However they weren’t so heavy that I felt like they might be tiring to maneuver by means of a day of carving. The graphics are nice, however they aren’t flashy.
I first clicked into these skis with my alpine Tecnica Mach 1 120 on a low-tide, groomer-only day at Vermont’s Stowe Resort, hoping I hadn’t made a judgment error. I knew the artifical snow would get scraped off in a couple of runs. Then I’d need a ski that I may edge on ice with.
On my first run, the skis felt responsive, carvey, and enjoyable. By my sixth run, they had been nonetheless holding tight whether or not I had them absolutely on edge or was snowboarding them extra gently.
Observe: For 2024/25, the Peak 98s include a built-in monitoring gadget that can assist you discover your skis on the rack, when one will get misplaced within the snow, or when the airline ships them to Antigua, not the Alps. The skis I examined didn’t have this characteristic.
East Coast Chops
I haven’t met one other all-mountain ski that felt prefer it was so properly suited to East Coast snowboarding. The Peak 98 was straightforward to get on edge, and it carved confidently once I was snowboarding.
It additionally dug in once I was pushing it laborious, letting me pace by means of the arc of my turns with the throttle open. The ski at all times went the place I pointed it. Its edge management was glorious. And whereas a real frontside carving ski, like a Volkl Kendo 88 or a Stokli Montero AR, and even the Peak 78 or 88 by Bode, would be the final trenching frontside carver, this ski may bounce between completely different situations. It was enjoyable in all places I took it.
I usually dread bumps, even on my greatest ice-gripping skis. The guidelines are often so stiff that bumps simply aren’t enjoyable. On “ice-coast” days, I often default to my Armada Declivities, however these skis are a one-trick pony. They claw into variable situations, which is nice. However I hate taking them down bump runs or tree runs.
The Peak 98’s suggestions had zero chatter. They flexed round bumps and let me playfully scamper between tight timber. This ski made me really feel just like the queen of the hill wherever I went. It gave me the arrogance to ski ridiculously quick on any slope, and I may bounce out and in of the woods with out regretting what I had on my toes.
Within the Subject
On Refrozen Groomers
After I subsequent skied the Peak 98, Stowe had gotten a couple of inches of contemporary on prime of the artifical snow. Hayride, considered one of my favourite trails, hadn’t been groomed — so it was a sea of frozen waves underneath a bit fluff.
The Peak 98s offered one of the best expertise possible in these situations. The entrance of the ski flexed round path options with out making me really feel like I needed to combat. When there was sufficient snow to wiggle by means of the woods, the Peaks had been straightforward to show. And once I popped again onto the groomers and needed to make large GS swoops, they complied.
In Powder
Then I went to Idaho. It wasn’t clear what the situations could be. So, I packed the Peaks in addition to a pair of 105-underfoot Line Sakana. With a contemporary 6 to eight inches of snow on prime of a comfortable groomed path at Solar Valley, these skis excelled. Regardless of not having the extra-wide shovel of some skis, they stayed on prime of the snow and didn’t dive or get buried.
Whereas they don’t have the float of a 103, 106, or wider ski, once I left the fluffy woods and skied out on a refrozen groomer, I didn’t miss a beat.
When one other foot of snow fell, I switched to powder skis. However considered one of my journey companions additionally occurred to be on Peak 98s, and he skied the storm — 18 inches of medium-density powder cat snowboarding at Idaho’s Soldier Mountain.
The ski didn’t auger, and as we dropped decrease on the mountain and hit zipper crust, he had much more management and confidence than I did. A number of days later at Magic Mountain, we had probably the most snow of the journey. It was a banquet of almost 20 inches of untracked, lift-served powder.
I hadn’t anticipated a lot snow. So I’d introduced the Peaks, not the Sakanas. It was one of the best day of my ski season. I chased three locals all day lengthy, zipping between aspens and firs, slashing broad open bowls, and popping off little booters hidden in all places.
Nice Off-Piste, Heavy for Backcountry
The Peak 98 is heavier than a non-metal development ski. Nevertheless it’s not so heavy that they beat me up or drained me out. On the slopes of Idaho’s Soldier Mountain as I alternated between groomed and ungroomed slopes, contemporary powder interspersed with sun-affected snow, I opted for the Peak 98s once more, not my powder skis.
Once more, they proved a succesful groomer ski in a surprisingly broad number of situations.
The ash and metallic core contribute to this ski’s predictable efficiency on the hill. Whereas this ski is made for 50% on piste and 50% off, it’s not designed to be a backcountry ski. Certain, you may mount it with an Atomic Shift binding or a Marker Duke and also you’d have a hybrid setup. It could simply be very heavy for critical touring.
Peak’s lineup contains the Peak skis in a wide range of widths — 78, 88, 98, 104, and 110 cm. All are Bode Miller-designed and have the ash, pawlonia core with two sheets of KeyHole metallic.
Peak additionally sells the Peak 98 and 104 “by Dav” (a.okay.a. Chris Davenport). These skis are constructed from a paulownia-poplar-isocore, which is extruded closed-cell PVC, between two sheets of metallic. It’s lighter than what’s used within the Peak by Bode skis and higher suited to backcountry use.
Room for Enchancment
I usually have a laundry listing of attainable tweaks to a ski that may make it carry out higher for me. However I don’t have lots of solutions for this ski. Certain, if it had been lighter I’d mount it with a hybrid binding. However Peak sells a ski that’s extra suited to that use case. Possibly if the shovel was wider, it could float even higher in comfortable snow. However as designed, the ski was distinctive.
I did chip the highest sheet on the sting of one of many skis this season, however I can’t say that was a weak point within the ski. I’ve put the Peak 98s in a ski bag on a airplane a number of occasions, I’ve chucked them at the back of my truck, and I’ve pushed round Idaho with them bouncing round in a Dwelling Depot trailer. They haven’t been coddled they usually’re holding up.
Peak Ski Peak 98 by Bode: Conclusion
Should you’re primarily a deep powder skier, purchase a unique ski. Should you solely ski when situations are chalky to fluffy, there are lots of skis that can higher meet your wants.
However for those who’re an intermediate to superior skier who goes out in all situations, and also you need confidence carving on probably the most variable slopes, for my part, there is no such thing as a better option than Peak 98 by Bode. And also you don’t must be an knowledgeable to ski it.
The Peak 98 is available in 160cm to 190cm lengths. It meets lots of skiers’ wants, whether or not you prefer to carve down the mountain at a relaxed tempo, or for those who prefer to cost.
I additionally recognize that the ski is gender-neutral. As a feminine skier, I didn’t really feel like I wanted this ski to be softer or to have completely different graphics for me to have enjoyable on it. And the 98-width was a candy spot for many situations.
I opted to journey with these for his or her functionality in so many alternative situations. If I’m headed for deep powder, this isn’t the ski I’ll seize. After I’m unsure what situations I’ll encounter, thus far, the Peak 98 has had my again.
