Kessler Obsidian 92 Review: A Playful All-Mountain Ski With a High Ceiling

Introduction

The Kessler Obsidian 92 is a new addition to the all-mountain category, built for skiers who want one pair of skis to handle a wide spread of terrain and conditions. It pairs a playful, easy-going character with a genuinely high performance ceiling, and that combination is harder to find than it sounds.

With a 92 mm waist, a freeride rocker profile, and a soft flex, the Obsidian 92 leans toward quick, agile turns in trees, bumps, and glades. Its construction is also designed to keep the ski composed when you push harder, so it does not behave like a soft-snow-only option that runs out of support the moment conditions firm up.

Riders who split their time between groomed runs and softer snow will find the width and shape land close to a real middle ground. It is a ski that rewards an active, hands-on style rather than a passive one.

Who This Ski Is For

This model suits women looking for a quick, agile all-mountain ski with a softer flex and a high performance ceiling. It is a natural fit for intermediate and advanced skiers who value maneuverability over raw top-end stiffness, and who mix groomed runs with trees, bumps, and glades.

The tail includes a skin attachment, which opens up a second use case. Paired with skins, the Obsidian 92 can work as a highly maneuverable touring ski with strong downhill capacity, making it a realistic hybrid option for riders who want one setup for resort days and occasional touring.

Main Strengths

Three areas define what this ski does well: its shape, its lightweight construction, and the stability built into its sidewalls.

Versatile Shape for All-Mountain Terrain

The Obsidian 92 uses a freeride rocker profile with camber underfoot, generous rocker in the tips, and a fairly flat, squared-off tail with some early rise. That tail shape contributes precision and control, while the early rise lets you release from a turn cleanly and easily, which is a large part of why the ski feels so comfortable in bumps and trees. The tip rocker adds flotation and makes turn initiation noticeably easy, reinforcing the overall sense of maneuverability.

In the 169 cm length, the ski generates a 14.6 meter turn radius. That is short enough for snappy turns without feeling hooky, yet the ski still opens up into wider, longer arcs when you want them. The 92 mm waist is narrow enough to perform strongly on piste, and wide enough, combined with the rocker, to explore softer snow, glades, and bumps.

That balance is the heart of the design. You are not choosing between a carving ski and a soft-snow ski; you are getting a shape that tries to stay useful in both directions, and the numbers support that intention.

Lightweight Construction and Hollow Tech 2.0

Under the topsheet sits a beech and poplar wood core, which combines energy, dampness, and stability in a single build. A fiberglass laminate completes the layup and keeps the flex smooth and predictable.

Kessler’s Hollow Tech 2.0 shovel removes unneeded layers from the front of the ski. The result is a lighter, more maneuverable and responsive feel, along with a dramatic reduction in tip vibration. In practice, that translates into the kind of intuitive, predictable ride where the ski goes where you think about going, and steering and driving it takes less effort than the length might suggest.

Stable and Durable Build

Semi-cap sandwich sidewalls round out the construction. They are durable and stable, and they help the ski hold together when you are working it hard across variable snow.

Combined with the wood core, the sidewall construction gives the ski a planted feel underfoot even though the flex stays soft. That is the mechanism behind the high ceiling: the ski stays forgiving at low speeds and moderate inputs, but it does not collapse when you ask more of it.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The soft flex is the defining trait here, and it cuts both ways. Skiers who charge aggressively at high speed or who prefer a stiff, demanding platform may find the Obsidian 92 feels more relaxed than they want. This ski is tuned for agility and control rather than brute force.

The 92 mm waist is a deliberate compromise. It is versatile, but it is not a dedicated deep-snow width and it is not a narrow carving width either. Riders who spend almost all their time on one extreme of the spectrum may prefer a more specialized ski.

The touring potential depends on adding skins and a suitable binding setup. The skin attachment is built into the tail, but the touring capability is only unlocked if the rest of your setup supports it.

Finally, length choice matters more than usual on a ski like this. The characteristics described here come from the 169 cm length, and shorter or longer versions will feel different underfoot.

Buying Advice

Start by mapping your actual season rather than your ideal one. If most of your days involve groomed runs with regular detours into trees, bumps, and glades, the Obsidian 92’s mix of a 92 mm waist, tip rocker, and a soft flex lines up well with that pattern. If you are chasing deep powder most of the winter, look at something wider.

Consider the hybrid angle honestly. If you already own or plan to buy touring gear, the tail skin attachment makes this ski a plausible one-quiver choice for resort laps plus occasional uphill travel, since it is described as highly maneuverable on the way up with a strong downhill capacity.

Pay attention to length. A ski this easy to control can tempt riders toward sizing up, but the 14.6 meter radius in the 169 cm version is already tuned for quick turns. If your priority is snappy, agile handling in tight terrain, stay close to that reference point.

Finally, think about your own style. This ski rewards an active, engaged skier who likes to steer and drive rather than stand on the ski and let it run. If that describes you, the Obsidian 92 is likely to feel immediately comfortable.

Conclusion

The Kessler Obsidian 92 is a new all-mountain ski that does a difficult thing well: it stays playful and easy to control while keeping enough stability and precision to satisfy confident skiers. The freeride rocker shape, the beech and poplar core, the fiberglass laminate, Hollow Tech 2.0, and the semi-cap sandwich sidewalls all point in the same direction, toward a light, responsive ski with a predictable feel.

For women who want a quick, agile all-mountain ski with a softer flex and a high performance ceiling, this is a compelling option. It is especially appealing for riders who want one ski for groomers, trees, bumps, glades, and softer snow, and who like the idea of adding skins later for the occasional tour.