These hand made skis manufactured in Whistler, Canada, have captured exactly what it takes to be a all mountain free ride ski. I was fortunate enough to demo the Prior Ski 181cm and the 175cm at Banff Mount Norquay.

Model: Prior Ski
Size(cm) / Radius(m): 165/17 171/18 175/19 181/23 188/27 193/29
Sidecut : 118-87-110(165) 121-90-113(171) 125-92-117(175) 125-95-115(181) 127-98-115(188) 128-102-114(193)
Length tested: 175 & 181

Manufacturer's Description:

"The Prior ski is a progressively shaped, performance freeride ski that excels in all-mountain winter conditions."

Ski-Review’s verdict:

At 6' 2'' and 190lbs I currently ski on Rossignol Bandit XX 191cms and I had no problem skiing on the 175cm Prior in pretty much all conditions the mountain had that day. I skied them fast and carved them hard on the groomers and I skied the fast over the crud and I skied them hard and fast on the fresh pow. I even skied them over the bumps on a 40 degree pitch called lone pine. These skis definately do it all without hesitation and with little effort from the operator.

I found the 181 to skid out a bit on hard carving but after going to the 175 that was not a problem because of the slightly smaller waist. They are very light and nimble fat ski that will definetly be in my bag this year. I belive they are limited in production this year being the 1st production year but I will be placing my order and hoping they deliver.

Reader Ski Reviews of the Prior Ski (2005)

Excellent Ski
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2005-07-22 04:30:03

I was also fortunate enough to stumble across a prior demo booth. (at Sun Peaks, B.C)

I too tried the 175 and 181, and found the 175 to be the perfect size (I am 6'3 175lbs)

Sun Peaks is not the best mountain to test out a ski such as this as it has not a lot for steeps and not a lot for powder. It was also wet spring conditions when I did the test.

Regardless of that, I was impressed. Despite their width, these skis were very easy to get up on edge and carve hard... even through slush. At speed it was like being on rails, and through bumps they were stable and surprisingly nimble.

I managed to find some powder and these skis are great there as well. I would say they are a little bit stiff if you're planning on skinning them up and hitting the backcountry, but perfect if you like to shred all conditions and live in an area with lots of powder.

Fat genius
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-01-24 15:03:45

Going on reviews from friends, I bought a pair of 193 Prior Original Skis... they big, pretty stiff and turn out to be fantastic. Amazingly for such a big ski they are great on groomers and even ice. Obviously the natural environment of off piste and they truly excel - very fast, very very stable and they are able to burst through crud/chop/wind blown/etc. I was on old school Rossi Bandit XXX (185cm) but have to say the Prior's are in a different league (they also get admiring looks in lift lines...)

i want them bad
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2006-02-02 01:04:15

these comments have only strenghtened my want for a pair.

Telemark
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2007-01-29 11:17:24

I am falling in love with the ski and would like to try it out as a telemark ski. But has anybody tried it as a telemark ski?

telemark
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2007-09-17 19:16:12

I was lucky enough to get my Prior skis and I can only describe them in one word:

MORNINGWOOD! They are that good.

I'm sure they would be outstanding as a tele because they are so light and they dont take a lot of effort edge to edge. They do have a new ski out called the Warlord also worth checking out for a tele.

The Original
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2008-01-10 19:19:18

I did a ski season in Whistler and happened to come across a pair of second hand originals (175) and never looked back, an incredible ski that i hit powder, groomers and the park with no effort at all!

I have however finally worn them out but am just placing an order for a new pair to be flown to England all custom designed which again is a fantastic option that the Prior team have done.

They're expensive but worth every...single...penny. You got to get yourself a pair!!

Original
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2008-01-16 08:52:30

Hi everyone!

ordered a pair after your mega reviews)

one important question: how was the binding centered on your skis for better universal performance?

randy Tokai
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2008-02-14 13:21:01

it jeremy from NY

Prior Original
Written by Ski Review Guest on 2008-03-17 21:40:48

I have the Original in size 175. Ski is ok. You can feel the tail catching (not in a good way) during arcing turns on groomers. Skis bend easily, and unfortunately customer service for warranty issues is poor. Topsheets damage easily too.

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