The Fischer Ranger 94 FR Skis are versatile, all-mountain skis for intermediate-to-advanced skiers. They’re designed for a bit of everything — groomers, off-trail, and even some powder.
To get us a closer look, Fischer sent Man Makes Fire a 177cm review unit at the very tail end of last year’s ski season in Idaho. After we added some demo bindings so multiple skiers could easily test the Rangers, I had so much fun that I bought a pair of Ranger FR skis at the 185cm length for the next season.
After riding both skis, this is what we’ve learned so far:
Fischer Ranger 94 FR Review
I am an intermediate-to-advanced skier. I’m not anywhere near the high-end of advanced and I generally avoid putting myself in air-launching situations where I might get injured and end my ski season . . . if not affect my ability to fly fish, raft, kayak, SUP, hunt, and haul heavy coolers down steep trails while off-grid camping.
Still, my preference is to spend as much time off the groomers as possible . . . and yet I end up spending 50% or more of my ski time on groomers anyway. Why? Sometimes the snow isn’t great, but most often I’m skiing with family, friends and kids — and part of the whole point of going skiing is skiing together and having a great shared experience.
The Fischer Ranger 94 FR skis are ridiculously playful.
So why the Fischer Ranger 94?
I wanted a fun, playful ski that would let me enjoy the groomers while giving me the option of blasting down the un-groomed edges of groomers and off-trail runs that still let me meet family and friends farther down the mountain or at the lift. If you are a skier who often skis with friends and family who aren’t quite as experienced, you know what I mean — you’re looking for bits of untracked snow, interesting terrain and diversions through trees while also making sure you don’t actually ditch your fellow skiers.
But when the snow is great, I also wanted a ski that would let me have fun in conditions where I’m chasing better skiers — and so I have a hope of keeping up so we can get as many runs in as possible and not hold them back. But it’s not just keeping reasonably close to expert buddies — I want to have fun, too.
Enter the Fischer Ranger 94 FR Skis
What I found is the Fischer Ranger 94 skis are ridiculously playful. They’re super forgiving and easy to swing and throw around. They feel lively at slow and moderate speeds with plenty of spring and pop to bring the fun most anywhere on the hill. For me, they maintain decent bite on the groomers at speeds fast enough to annoy the ski patrol (but to be fair, the Ranger 94 FR is not aimed at speed demons and I’m not a speed demon).
One of the things I appreciate about the Fischer 94 skis is that I can make a mistake — and I make many — and the Rangers rarely punish me for them. When I have good form, the Rangers feel fantastic. But when I don’t, they still feel stable and able to get back on track. I’m guessing the lightweight carbon nose has something to do with this — it feels like I can redirect the Ranger 94s better than my actual skill level would suggest.
The Ranger 94 FR Design Details
You might already know how numbers affect ski names, but I think most intermediate skiers don’t, so bear with me if you do.
The ’94’ refers to the waist width — the width in millimeters at the middle of the ski. So a ski with an “84” at the end of the name would refer to a ski with an 84mm waist width. Basically, anything less than 90mm is primarily meant for groomers. Skis in the 90-100mm range are generally considered all-mountain, freeride, do-it-all sorts of skis. Skis with waist widths over 100m are generally powder skis for those who spend nearly all their time off-trail or want ultimate float on monster pow days.
Hardcore experts can argue over the finer points, but frankly, different skiers with different close-to-home ski hills will have different one ski quivers. The fact is, most advanced skiers have more than one ski — just like most advanced fly fishers have more than one fly rod.
When it comes to skiing, it’s hard to beat a mid-90s waist width ski if versatility is your primary metric: say 50% on trail and 50% off. (If you wanted, for example, 75% off trail and 25% on, the Fischer Ranger 102 FR could be a better fit.) Of course, this changes if you’re skiing generally heavy snow, fluffy light powder, or packed and icy runs.
I try to remember though, that what I want — 80% off trail — and what I actually get in a season and each day depends on conditions and friends/family. My season usually ends up being a lot more 50-50 skiing than I hope for. So, if you keep the reality of the likely snow conditions and friends/family in mind when you decide to buy, you’ll more likely end up with the best ski for you.
Tip-Waist-Tail
Some manufacturers will produce skis with slight variations in the widths depending on the length of the ski (and presumably size of the skier). One key specification as you compare skis are three numbers in millimeters that represent the tip, the waist, and the tail widths. The 185cm Fischer Ranger 94 for the 2022 has a tip-waist-tail of 127-93-118 while the 177cm Ranger FR comes in at 126-92-117. For more detail on each of the lengths, check out Fischer’s Ranger 94 FR page.
Small Camber, Lots of Rocker
The Fischer 94 FR has a bit of camber, which means the center of the ski arcs upward. It makes skis have a bit of spring and pop that helps with turning and carving.
At the same time, the Ranger 94 FR has a lot of rocker, which is basically the opposite of camber — placed at the ends of the skis. The Ranger 94 FR has a lot of rocker in the tip and quite a bit of rocker in the tail.
This shortens the effective edge of the ski and helps float the tip, making it easier to turn. The rocker in the tail also helps in turns.
At the same time, the carbon nose of the Ranger 94 FR is thin and light, which again, helps the ski float while improving maneuverability.
The result, for me and another gear tester, is that the Ranger 94 FR is nimble and easy to turn at multiple speeds in multiple kinds of snow in a variety of terrain.
On the groomers, the rocker makes the Ranger 94 FR skis feel shorter than they actually are. I think this is one of the reasons why the Fischer Ranger 94 FR skis feel so playful and fun — you can get reasonable float over softer snow due to the rocker but also feel in control on the turns in less than ideal snow.
Drawbacks
The only drawback to the Fischer Ranger 94 is that the top sheets tend to show scratches more easily or visually than expected. I think it’s a minor annoyance, but because the ski is so reasonably priced (and fun to ski) I’m willing to overlook it.
Who’s It For?
If you’re an intermediate-to-advanced skier looking for an all-mountain ski you can grow with, the Fischer Ranger 94 is a great ski. It skis shorter than its actual length, which makes it easier to turn and inspires confidence. The generous tip and tail rocker makes it easier to start and exit turns at any time over varied terrain — which is excellent for skiers learning to ski through trees or play with reasonable drops.
When it’s time to pull the trigger and buy a ski, ideally you would have had an opportunity to ski multiple demo skis yourself, but not many people manage to get that done. It’s hard to do with other gear, too — backpacks, fly rods, tents. If you’re looking to buy right now, either an end-of-season or pre-season sale, know that the Ranger 94 FR will work well for most intermediate-to-advanced skiers who like to ski in lots of different conditions both on and off the trail.
The Verdict
Fischer aimed the Ranger 94 FR at intermediate-to-advanced skiers looking for a go-anywhere, do-anything ski. For me, I can carve a few satisfying turns on a groomer then spot some better terrain off the edge and go hit it with a smile on my face. The Fischer Ranger 94 skis come alive with little effort, go where I want to go, and inspire confidence along the way. Very highly recommended.
Get the Gear
Check Pricing/Availability:
EVO | Fischer | Moosejaw | REI | SkiEssentials.com | The House
