2027 Fischer Ranger 108

The 2027 Fischer Ranger 108 returns unchanged for this season as a carryover model. As one of the wider Rangers out there, it’s mostly at home in deep and fresh snow, pairing a fun-loving shape with a burly build. This ski is all there, so whether you’re planning on taking it aggressively down a huge mountain face or are looking to deal with a more technical zone with big drops and tight lines, this ski is built and ready for the task at hand. Because of the weight and the stiffness underfoot, it is better suited for advanced and expert skiers who know how to drive a ski and those skiers will certainly be able to access the entirety of the performance, mainly due to the relatively shorter radius and more maneuverable tips and tails. This ski loves adventure and technical zones, preferably in softer snow.

At this point, the construction of the Ranger 108 should be well known. In the core of the ski, we get a mix of poplar and beech. The poplar’s light weight and high energy make for crisp and poppy performance while the beech quiets things down a bit to ensure stability and dampness to complement the metal laminate. Fischer’s Shaped Ti 0.5 takes a titanal laminate and makes it fit for the intended use of this ski. As a mostly full-width layer underfoot, the metal extends slightly into the forebody and tail, putting emphasis on the sides rather than the center. This increases playfulness by leaving the tips and tails metal-free as well as boosting confidence in more technical zones with the sturdier mid-zone of the ski. In the 185, the ski sits on the scale at 2120 grams, putting it on the heavier side, but not overly so. This makes it a nice mix of stable and agile, and for those looking for mainly powder skis, this is the place to be. Tester Jeff Neagle notes that the “Ranger 108 is interesting to me. For me it's harder to ski than the 102 or 116. It's kind of a tank with great stability and the ability to just plow through whatever is in front of it, but it lacks the quickness of the 102 or the smeary feel of the 116. Really good for someone who skis fast and aggressively with a big mountain style. Not the best here in Vermont, at least not for me.” There is definitely more of a comfort level at speed and in open zones with this ski.

We’ve often found it interesting that the radius of the ski is on the crisper side, but the on-snow character feels a lot longer. The 185 produces a turn radius of 18-meters, which is on the short side for a ski this wide, with the 185 measuring 109 mm underfoot, 143 mm in the tip and 134 mm in the tail. We’ve found it’s a lot happier at longer turns than the radius may let on. Conversely, if you try to shorten it up and make tighter arcs, the ski can be somewhat disagreeable. As such, it fits in better with the big mountain attributes and styles that most advanced and expert freeride skiers can attain and enjoy doing so. For profiles, the ski is dramatic in tip and tail, taper and rocker. The shovel is on the spoony and more spatula-shaped side, and while that leads to smooth and predictable flotation, it’s not very easy to turn in a short manner, which is kind of antithetical to what we’ve seen in wider shoveled skis in the past. This is not a bad thing, just something to consider overall. Tester Matt Stromecki had no issues here, noting that “The Ranger 108 carved way better than I initially expected! Once I figured out the radius it liked to do, it kept me in the turn very nicely. Finding this radius did not take very long and I was able to gel with the ski very quickly. Quite stable skiing through the chop and slush, you can absolutely see how much fun this ski could be in the fresh snow! For being a 108mm waist ski, the weight was reasonable and not exhausting.” In general, this shape works way better in softer and deeper snow than for anything firm or harsh.

We’ll get at least one more season out of the current Ranger 108. While this ski checks a lot of boxes for advanced and expert skiers, you could argue this is more of a specific 108. When it comes to deep snow and aggressive skiing, the 2027 Fischer Ranger 108 is one of the better floaters of the bunch. It may not be as burly as some or as turny as others, but it has its own thing going on, and that’s just fine. These skis are solid and determined, so make sure your abilities and desires align with those attributes. More specifically, we’ve found that terrain and openness allow for increased creativity, and that’s where these skis thrive.