Fischer Ranger 102 - Women's Review
Our Verdict
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Fischer Ranger 102 - Women's | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | $850 List $576.63 at Amazon | $524.93 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 4 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | The combination of spring-back energy and too much heft makes this a tough ski to handle for intermediates | Perfect for those looking for a single ski to rule them all | Lively and nimble, but also stable and grippy | A blast to ski in fresh snow, mogul fields, and popping around on groomers | For intermediate and advanced skiers looking for something that’s easy on the snow and on the wallet |
Rating Categories | Fischer Ranger 102... | Nordica Santa Ana 98 | Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... | Elan Ripstick 94 W | Salomon QST Lumen 98 |
Stability at Speed (20%) | |||||
Carving Ability (20%) | |||||
Powder Performance (20%) | |||||
Crud Performance (20%) | |||||
Terrain Playfulness (15%) | |||||
Bumps (5%) | |||||
Specs | Fischer Ranger 102... | Nordica Santa Ana 98 | Blizzard Sheeva 9 -... | Elan Ripstick 94 W | Salomon QST Lumen 98 |
Waist Width | 102 mm | 98 mm | 96 mm | 94 mm | 98 mm |
Sidecut (Tip-Waist-Tail width) | 137-102-127 mm | 132-98-120 mm | 129-96-118.5 mm | 136-94-110 mm | 132-98-120 mm |
Available Lengths | 155, 162, 169, 176, 183, 190 cm | 151, 158, 165, 172, 179 cm | 150, 156, 162, 168, 174 cm | 154, 162, 170, 178 cm | 152, 160, 168, 176 cm |
Length Tested | 176 cm | 172 cm | 174 cm | 178 cm | 176 cm |
Turn Radius | 18 m | 16.3 m | 16 m | 18 m | 16 m |
Camber Profile | Freeski rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot | Rocker tip and tail, cambered inside edge, Amphibio tech | Rocker tip and tail, camber underfoot |
Weight Per Pair | 8.4 lbs | 8.1 lbs | 7.9 lbs | 7.4 lbs | 8.2 lbs |
Construction Type | ABS sidewalls, classic sandwich construction | Energy Ti W | W.S.D. Fluxform Duramax sandwich full sidewall | SST sidewall | Double sidewall |
Core Material | Beech and Poplar | Performance Wood & Metal | W.S.D. Trueblend Free Woodcore; Beech, Poplar and Paulownia | Tubelite wood | Poplar |
Ability Level | Advanced-Expert | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Expert | Intermediate-Advanced |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Ranger 102 is a strong ski capable of charging at higher speeds, as long as you like making larger radius turns. Within these parameters, it works just as well on hardpack as it does in powder.
Performance Comparison
Stability at Speed
Underfoot, the meat of the Ranger 102 feels relatively stiff and very sturdy when pushed to higher speeds. Unfortunately, the tips tend to get a little squirrelly when you push on the throttle. This is likely a function of the rocker and the tapering of the titanium inlay to lighten the swing weight of the tips. And yet, some of our testers were quite impressed – some were even a bit surprised – with how stable the Ranger felt at speed in spite of the wider waist and rockered tips. Fischer's Shape TI 0.5 (the titanium inlay) seems to have added just the right amount of stiffness to give the Ranger 102 a powerful and confidence-inspiring feel at high speeds on hardpack snow.
Carving Ability
The Ranger 102 offers decent edge hold to grip through a carved turn. But our testers had to be very patient while waiting for the edge to engage. The 102-millimeter waist and heavier build require perseverance – moving from one set of edges to the other takes longer than other, similar skis we tested. Once rolled over, it still takes a moment (and some speed) for the edge to latch onto the snow in a carved arc. As a result, it feels as though the 18-meter turn radius is an underestimate. A number of our testers commented that the Ranger 102 carves more like a ski with a 20-meter turn radius. Whatever the case, the outside ski tends to run away at the start of the turn, which makes for tricky turn initiation.
Powder Performance
The prominent shovel tip on the Ranger 102 might bounce around on hardpack, but it is definitely a boon in powder. Its flotation is on par with many of the better-ranking skis in this metric, and our testers enjoyed bouncing and soaring through deep powder fields on this turquoise dream. The length of the turn radius makes the Ranger 102 a great option for big, open bowls in deep snow. But when things get a bit tighter in trees or steep chutes, this ski is less nimble and more difficult to force into a tighter turn.
Crud Performance
The Ranger 102 is a beefy ski, and most of the time, it can throw its heft around to blast through chunky snow conditions. Sometimes, though, our testers felt that the shape of the rockered shovel in the tip created a large deflection area. Depending on the hardness of the snow, you might instead find yourself getting knocked around in the chop.
Terrain Playfulness
This ski isn't very playful, at least not in the traditional sense. While one of our testers claims that the self-assurance derived from a very reliable ski makes skiing “fun,” that still doesn't mean that the Ranger 102 has the pop and spring of a conventionally playful ski.
Bumps
The design of the Ranger 102 – heavy, stiff, with a longer turn radius – means that it is a bit dismal in bumps. It doesn't offer much rebound at the end of a turn, so it hardly ever feels very agile. Unweidly and lumbering in this terrain, we would never pick this as a bumps ski. Rather, the Ranger is notable for its strength and is a bit more capable of eating up bumps than dancing through them.
Should you buy the Fischer Ranger 102 WS?
The Ranger 102 is a solid choice if you're a capable skier who prioritizes stiffness and backbone over agility. If you prefer to make large turns in wide open spaces – in powder or on groomers – you will love the Ranger's capacity to charge. But if you have only just started skiing black runs or have only recently begun dabbling in off-piste terrain, this ski will likely be too much for you to handle.
What Other Women's All-Mountain Skis Should You Consider?
If you're newer to the sport, the Salomon QST Lumen 98 is less stiff, more playful, and overall a much friendlier option for less experienced skiers. For hard chargers that love stability but want something a bit more versatile, consider the Volkl Secret 96. For something more carefree but competent, the Blizzard Sheeva 9 is a much more playful ski.