Related: Ferreol Surfeur 112 Review (2025): A Playful Powder Shredder

Quick Specs

Playground: All-Mountain Powder Ski, Versatile Backcountry Ski
Length: 188 cm
Dimensions (tip-waist-tail): 137-105-126 mm
Turn Radius: 17 m
Weight per ski: 1820 g
Construction: Poplar Core, Titanal Mounting Plate, Fiberglass/Carbon Inlay
Bindings: Atomic Backland Summit 12 LSH
Binding Mount: Recommended Line
Climbing Skins: Pomoca Tour Pro

Construction

Ferreol also gave the construction a thoughtful update. An aluminum mounting plate adds underfoot rigidity for added strength and confidence when you’re carving at Mach 16. Replacing the full-length carbon layer is a 100-mm carbon strip, boosting durability while trimming down the ski’s carbon footprint compared to the previous version. Skiers will be relieved to see a rubber tail reinforcement with the ever-so-useful indentation onto which climbing skins clip. Needless to say, it’s a no-nonsense solution to the topsheet durability issue of the previous generation, specifically at the tail, observed by a few backcountry skiers. It seems like Ferreol is truly listening to its customer base.

Weight

At 1820 grams per ski, the Ferreol team updated an already lightweight all-mountain powder ski that can easily be hauled around in the backcountry. For how well its multi-layered construction can handle variable conditions, crud and chop, they have no doubt pulled a magic trick on us. The Pionnier 104 handles crud, chop and groomed runs as well as some heavier contenders such as the ever-popular Salomon QST 106 at 2190 grams per ski. Striking a thoughtful balance between weight and performance, the Pionnier is also a great option for slackcountry days where you’ll start your day in the backcountry and finish with a few inbound runs as the sun sets over the peaks.

In the backcountry, the Pionnier 104 2.0, mounted with the Atomic Backland Summit 12 pin bindings, made travel effortless. Sure, the Pionnier is no featherweight, but I prefer that. I’d rather have a supportive ski in the 1700-1850g than a 1500g noodle. Working as a ski guide in all sorts of conditions, I need my skis to handle everything the mountain will throw at me. The Ferreol Pionnier 104 2.0 will do just that.

Downhill Performance

While The Uptrack is mainly focused on ski touring, I’ve spent some time on the Pionnier 104 inbounds, shredding moguls and carving on groomers. One of my biggest gripes with lightweight skis is their erratic behaviour at speed when the tips start vibrating uncontrollably. The Pionnier’s updated construction solves that problem, making it quite damp on groomers. Its damp character, especially for its weight class, combined with the triple-point cambered shape, gave me that extra confidence to carve Super-G turns at supersonic speeds. Its 104mm-wide (105mm in the 188cm model) provided a rather snappy edge-to-edge transition for an all-mountain powder ski.

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In the glades and moguls, the skis, in 188cm length, were agile enough to weave through the terrain. Coming off the Ferreol Surfeur 112 (184cm), the brand’s de facto powder ski, the Pionnier offered an exhilarating, albeit very different experience. Since the ski has less tip and tail rocker, its longer effective edge and much stiffer tail offered greater stability at the expense of feeling a little more cumbersome in tight terrain features. At first, I found it considerably harder to locate the longitudinal sweet spot. I felt the tails were constantly catching in turns. After a few laps of trial and error, I figured out the correct position and had an absolute blast plowing through powder, refrozen moguls and hardpack. As much as we all dream of resort skiing in deep powder, that’s often far from reality. The Pionnier’s increased stability and control when compared to the Surfeur 112 was especially beneficial in variable conditions. This ski definitely requires an aggressive, dynamic stance where you really drive the shovels around. I suspect the shorter length models would allow for a more relaxed skiing style.

Ski Touring Performance

In deep untracked powder, the Ferreol Pionnier 104 2.0 offered a fine-tuned balance between weight, stability and float. Its 104mm-wide waist and large shovels provide plenty of floatation in boot-top to knee-deep powder. I haven’t tried it in snorkel-deep blower, but would most likely prefer the Surfeur 112 if that were the case. I’ve spent a few days on the Pionnier in untouched powder at Balu Pass (Rogers Pass) and in the RMR slackcountry. I was blown away by how well it handled the knee-deep powdery pitches followed by the icy, hardpack bobsleigh track at the valley’s exits. At the end of a tiring day of ski touring, it makes a huge difference. I’d rather avoid crashing on hardpack in the evening. In practice, backcountry skiing isn’t always all powder. Armed with the Pionnier 104 2.0, I’ve had the pleasure of effortlessly slicing through wind slabs and melt-freeze crust. The skis handled those difficult conditions brilliantly. I’ll do some more testing in Spring, but I could definitely see this ski shining on ski-mountaineering trips where conditions are often anything but powder.

On the uphill, the 188cm model is light enough to haul up the mountains. Kick-turn initiation is smooth enough, with the shovels naturally tilting up when needed. Breaking trail, the ski’s wide tip easily surfs on top of the snow, which thankfully spares your hip flexors on the uptrack.

The Brief Rundown

The talented team at Ferreol crafted a lively, confidence-inspiring ski that weaves through tight trees, charges when you ask it to, and adapts beautifully to a variety of snow conditions. Compared to the previous version, it’s got the same pioneer spirit, just sharper, stronger, and ready to chew up terrain.

You could go either way with this ski. Mount it with a downhill binding for a stable, agile tree-skiing machine or with a hybrid binding for maximum versatility on and off piste. Tooled with a lightweight pin binding, the Pionnier 104 2.0 will grant you access to any backcountry terrain with minimal compromise. If anything, I wish Ferreol would offer the ski in an intermediate length between 180 and 188cm. Personally, a 184cm model would be an absolute dream, granting a little more agility and a slightly snappier pivot.

The post Ferreol Pionnier 104 2.0 Review (2025): The Ultimate Quiver Killer appeared first on The Uptrack.

Quick Specs

Playground: Resort Powder Ski, Powder-Oriented Backcountry Ski
Length: 184 cm
Dimensions (tip-waist-tail): 141-112-130 mm
Turn Radius: 17 m
Weight per ski: 1895 g
Construction: Poplar Core, Titanal/Flax/Carbon inlay
Bindings: Atomic Shift 13 MN
Binding Mount: Recommended Line
Climbing Skins: Contour Guide Pure 2.0

Construction

Sourced from sustainably managed forests located within 100 km of the factory, the Ferreol Surfeur 112 has a carefully crafted poplar core that comes from selective harvesting practices with a focus on forest regeneration. The result is a lightweight but strong and reliable ski. Ferreol added a Titanal mounting plate to increase underfoot stiffness, which results in great stability at speeds and edge hold on firm snow. Along its length, an optimized blend of flax and carbon fibres reinforces the ski, providing added stiffness while maintaining its low weight. In addition to the flax fibres, a biosourced epoxy resin and topsheet incorporate renewable materials, lowering the ski’s carbon footprint while offering exceptional durability.

Weight

While optimizing the carbon and flax fibre mapping within the Surfeur 112, Ferreol produced the perfect 50/50 ski. It’s equally happy hitting the resort slopes on a powder day or exploring our backcountry playground. On one hand, it’s on the lighter end of the resort ski spectrum. Fear not, its lightweight design can definitely hold its own in chop and crud. On the other hand, its 1895g (184cm model) is on the heavier end of the ski touring spectrum.

Mounted with a pin binding, the Surfeur 112 is tailored to ski tourers searching for a downhill-oriented option that can still be hauled up the mountain with a little extra effort. Personally, I prefer a slightly heavier ski that can offer added stability in variable conditions. Let’s be honest, backcountry skiing involves more than just blower powder. Oftentimes, you’ll encounter difficult snow conditions, especially closer to the valley bottom, something that’s easily handled by the Ferreol Surfeur 112.

Downhill Performance

The Surfeur 112 shines in soft snow on the resort or in the backcountry, especially when tree skiing. It’s an incredibly playful, intuitive, and maneuverable ski that can handle powder, tight trees and moguls with ease. Its light tip and softer tail make releasing or smearing turns as effortless as possible without getting thrown around too much when you don’t hit that bump perfectly. It has a progressive mounting point, 7-8cm behind the true center, which helps maintain its agility in tight terrain without compromising on flotation. There’s nothing better than slashing powder stashes all over the resort with the Surfeur 112. There’s no doubt – Ferreol has found an elegant solution to their “surfy” aspirations.

When the terrain opens up, it can keep its composure at speeds or in variable conditions. While it’s not a true charger compared to dedicated 2000+ grams resort straight-liners, the ski will happily rail groomers. Through chop and crud, it’s surprisingly damp and stable for its weight. Thankfully, the poplar core keeps the skiing lively enough. In any case, I’m not looking at a 112mm-underfoot powder ski for carving super-G turns on groomers, but it can handle its own to get to and from your favourite powder stash or if you’re looking for varied terrain after a half-day of powder skiing.

Ski Touring Performance

Having put a few backcountry days with the Surfeur 112 in a variety of conditions, I can confidently say this is my ideal powder touring ski. While there are lighter options on the market, none offer the same blend of agility in all snow conditions, stability at speeds and edge hold on firm snow. On a recent trip to Rogers Pass with more than 60cm of fresh snow, I had a blast surfing waist-deep powder, slashing turns on a whim, and navigating the early-season bush down in the valley. I cannot reinforce enough how well the Ferreol Surfeur 112 floats in the deep stuff, from 15cm of boot-top powder to 60cm of faceshot-friendly snow. It’s by far the most fun I’ve had in years – and that’s coming off the Atomic Backland 109, known for its flotation and playfulness.

On the uphill, the 184cm model pivots easily during kick-turns and stays afloat when breaking trail in deep snow. This is most likely due to its mounting point and weight balance. Since I had the ski mounted with the Atomic Shift 13 MN, the sheer weight and ergonomics of the binding did feel cumbersome after some time, but that’s totally an issue with binding choice. This is a compromise I made when selecting a ski that would work for resort, helicopter and slackcountry skiing. I’ve got no illusion. The Surfeur 112, mounted with a lightweight pin binding, would be my perfect touring partner at Rogers Pass.

The Brief Rundown

The Ferreol Surfeur 112 could be a great addition to your ski quiver. It’s an incredibly versatile ski that can be mounted with downhill, hybrid or pin bindings. Its playfulness truly whips the fun back into skiing, and its maneuverability helps tackle a range of conditions. It’s clear to me that the design emphasis is on powder skiing. It really comes alive when surfing on soft, untouched snow. This ski wants to be thrown sideways, hence the French naming “Surfeur”. While relatively damp and stable at speeds and in variable conditions for its weight, it’s no crud-busting resort charger. That’s an acceptable compromise for a ski that can handle the resort and backcountry alike. By all means, look elsewhere if you’re hunting for the best ski to race down a steep resort chute at Mach 1000 or climb 2000 vertical meters up Mt Baker in Spring.

Personally, I would also gladly mount a pin binding on the Surfeur 112 for a dedicated powder touring ski, perfectly suited for locations along the BC powder highway, such as Revelstoke and Rogers Pass. Mounted with a hybrid binding, the Surfeur 112 could be your 50/50 ski for hitting the resort slopes in the morning and ducking the rope into the backcountry in the afternoon. The ski essentially guarantees versatility with minimal compromise.

The post Ferreol Surfeur 112 Review (2025): A Playful Powder Shredder appeared first on The Uptrack.