Designed and built by skiers for skiers, the 4frnt renegade is one of the best big-mountain freeride designs out there. It’s a high-performance powder ski that performs well in a variety of terrain and conditions, but is at its most at home in deep, untracked, ungroomed mountain terrain with cliffs, pillows, and chutes. You’ve probably seen Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson descending spines and stomping abysmally large drops on this ski in the movies- it’s his weapon of choice for that style of skiing, and for good reason.
Hoji’s favorite pair of Renegades are his primary skis for high-speed descents and big drops, but he also wants to make the ski accessible to other freeriders. That’s why the current Renegade (as of 19/20-21/22) was built to float and maneuver well in a wide range of snow conditions, with a centered mount point that allows for a progressive stance and a lot of intuition baked into it.
It’s not a groomer ski, nor is it as light and nimble as touring-specific pow skis for backcountry use. But it’s still an excellent option for resort skiing in a wide variety of terrain and conditions. It’s particularly effective in deep, soft resort chop and moguls, where it handles a lot of speed without shedding stability or edge hold. It’s also highly intuitive to throw sideways in tight, variable terrain, and it sheds speed quickly and with minimal drama if you end up crossing the fall line.
