I mostly ski nights at small local hills in Ontario and Quebec. Mostly groomers that have been torn apart by 3,000 snowboarders before me. Not pure ice or anything, just old, slightly hard bumpy snow.

I'm an advanced (not expert) skier, 200+ days experience, I'm not expecting to progress more for the foreseeable future since I'm skiing with kids. Last skis were Atomic Redsters. I'm looking for something more playful, fun, and forgiving so I can ski a little more leisurely with the kiddo.

If I could describe what I'm looking for in one word, it'd be: "weeeeeee" . 70% skidding and baby carves on blues, 15% side hits / drops / small jumps, and 15% bombing it down the last 500m of the run.

I don't want anything too stiff or demanding, like Enforcers or Dancers. Probably no metal.

Contenders so far are:

Armada Antimatter 88

K2 Mindbender 90C

Elan Ripstick 88

Salmon Stance 84 R

Atomic Maverick 88C

I'm not particularly attached to 88mm skis.…