The Best Skis for Telluride
Telluride offers ski slopes for all abilities, and there are great skis to fit the needs for all types of guests!
When seeking out a high-quality winter sports adventure, Telluride—hidden in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado—emerges as a must-visit destination. Some may associate it with daunting black diamond runs, formidable moguls, and steep terrain, but the resort offers slopes for all abilities, making it a great place to explore for just about everyone.
But to ensure the highest-quality experience, visitors will want to make sure to pick up the best skis for the terrain they plan to tackle. In this guide, we'll unveil our top picks for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skis, tailored to elevate your adventures on Telluride's world-class slopes.
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Best Beginner Skis: Rossignol Experience 78 C
If you’re just starting out, the Rossignol Experience 78 Cs are our pick to tackle Telluride’s beginner slopes. These skis offer a winning combination of lightness, flexibility, and a narrower profile, making them ideal for skiers who don’t have much experience with the sport. These skis provide ample forgiveness in the event you lose balance while turning, making them great for practicing. However, they can also handle a bit more speed, making them suitable for progression—which is key when purchasing a pair of skis at this stage of your winter sports journey.
The Experience 78 C’s are not for powder, but novice skiers will not need to worry about this type of terrain yet. These skis will help you conquer the groomers, and they act as excellent companions as you perfect your turning technique.
One other benefit: the Experience 78 Cs come packaged with bindings, at least if you buy them through Evo. As a result, you won’t need to shop around for a separate system to link your boots to your skis.
Photo via: Evo
Best Intermediate Skis: Salomon QST 92
If you already have some experience under your belt, the Salomon QST 92s may be the skis for you. These sticks can still play ball on the greens if you want, but they’re built to bring out your best on Telluride’s much more diverse intermediate (and even some advanced) terrain.
These all-mountain skis bring a unique blend of both flexibility and resistance, setting you up to not just cruise down groomers, but also carve your way down many of Telluride’s twisty, turny mogul runs (of which several are blue-rated!). If you want to try a short mogul jaunt than cool down with an easy slope, the QSTs have you covered.
These skis are perfect for the everyday skier who’s looking to try as many different slopes as possible—and wants the peace of mind that their gear can handle every one of them.
Photo via: Evo
Best Advanced Ski: Stöckli Stormrider 102
For adrenaline junkies, those who love a good steep black diamond slope, and even for the pros, these Stockli Stormrider 102’s will be the skis you want strapped to your feet.
These top-notch skis will give you the best performance outcome with precision. Not only are they lightweight for expert-oriented skis (many other skis for this ability level are quite heavy), but their responsiveness allows you to adjust to any type of terrain. Whether you’re looking to glide through powder, tightly turn down moguls, or tackle some gnarly chutes, the Stormriders have your back.
These skis are not cheap, but they’re unrelenting in their performance—and if you don’t mind being a bit flashy, their appearance will draw many other skiers in as well.
Photo via: Evo
Best Touring Ski: Black Diamond Impulse 112
The Black Diamond Impulse 112 skis are our top choice for exploring Telluride’s legendary hike-to and backcountry terrain.
With a 112mm width underfoot, they handle powder well—ideal for the deep, light snow conditions in these seldom-tracked areas. Should you choose to take a backcountry route back to town, the rockered tip and tail make for swift maneuvering in glades and tree runs. These skis are lightweight, helping to limit fatigue during lengthy ascents, and their carbon fiber construction offers both strength and stability.
Whether you're headed to Palmyra Peak or exploring Telluride's backcountry, these skis provide an ideal blend of agility, floatation, and weight savings, making them tough to beat for dedicated turn-earners.
Photo credit: REI
Final Thoughts
Telluride is one of the most memorable ski resort destinations in Colorado, if not all of North America. And to make the most out of your trip, you’ll want to make sure to bring the best possible skis for any type of terrain that comes your way. The resort offers diverse terrain for all abilities, and thankfully, there are skis for each ability to help you make the most of your trip there.
Still not sure on which skis to pick? Telluride is also home to some awesome shops. Stop in at any of the Telluride Sports locations, and they’ll fit you with a ski that not only caters to your skill level, but also takes your unique style of skiing into account.
