In March 2022, I found myself in the backroom at SkiUphill looking at next year’s Scott Superguides 88. I only knew a little about them or the company, and they had me wondering if I’d ever skied on Scotts. Joel from SkiUphill offered to mount me up a pair, which was great because I also had next year’s Plum Oazo binding that needed testing, and it seemed like a great match. My next upcoming trip was the annual group trip to Egypt Lake, a great familiar testing ground for new gear.

The snow we found during our Egypt Lake trip was great. A supportive mid-pack with some fresh snow on top had the Superguide ripping down the mountain effortlessly, and the overall stiffness let me pop off little rolls without much thought. My first impression was that this ski mostly wanted to go straight and fast, but as I moved to firmer conditions, I found just how adaptable it was.

Ripping skins on a fresh pair of Superguides at Healy Pass. Photo by Anna Elkins.

Fast forward to the current season. Conditions early on were terrible, and I ended up skiing at the resort more than usual. I started using my Superguides inbounds and on groomers, and I was honestly blown away. The Superguide is not a “carving ski”, but it is a hoot to carve on. You can crank some sweet turns on these, and if I wasn’t in ultralight backcountry boots, I’m sure I could have pushed these skis pretty hard in uneven/chop snow too.

The Superguide 88 is fairly stiff throughout, has a slight early rise and has a cap/sandwich mixed sidewall. The ski is light at around 1300g, but the stiffness offsets any “getting pushed around” feeling that many other light skis often give off. They excel in steeps and firm snow; they are a blast at speed when you can open up. They could be better in deeper snow, as the overall stiffness doesn’t allow for great spring-loaded turns, but if the slope is steep enough, this becomes less of an issue, and in the end, they aren’t designed for deep powder anyway.

Shredding some fresh snow over a spring snowpack on Observation Peak. Photo By Anna Elkins

I’m looking forward to shredding some spring corn on these skis. Steep, technical descents on hardpack or opening up on a long alpine face at 6 am, is where I see myself using these the most. And when the spring powder is supportive, or I need to burn out my legs on some groomers, I’ll also look to the Scott Superguide 88. If you’re looking for something similar, then check them out. The price point is also excellent on these.

For more info, check out the Scott page at:
https://www.scott-sports.com/ca/en/product/scott-superguide-88-ski

Or check them out in person/online at SkiUphill:
https://skiuphill.ca/collections/backcountry-skis/products/scott-superguide-88

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