We always want what we can鈥檛 have. Or better yet, what only a few of us can have. Many of our favorite brands have released limited edition skis this fall, adding a little freshness to the ever-revolving cycle of annual ski launches.

This season, we鈥檙e excited to see skis that highlight unique artist collabs and fundraisers, celebrations of brand heritage, and even a nod to some old fan favorites of the past. Here are a few of our favorite limited edition skis this fall that celebrate ski culture far and wide鈥攇et 鈥榚m before they鈥檙e gone.

Rossignol Sender 90 Share Winter Giveback Ski ($450 with bindings)

Lengths: 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180cm
Dimensions: 118-90-106 (160cm)

It鈥檚 one thing to donate to an organization. It鈥檚 another to bring that organization鈥檚 work front and center on a pair of skis. Rossi to create a limited edition of their Sender 90 Pro skis in celebration of expanding diversity and accessibility to snowsports. La鈥檉ord selected Andre Thomas, a student from the Bronx in New York City who learned to ski through his school鈥檚 ski and snowboard program, to collaborate with her on the ski鈥檚 topsheet artwork. Thomas was inspired by the idea of moving fast through the mountains in contrast with a quiet, glowing sunset, and the skis are a reflection of his time on snow聽at Mountain Creek, New Jersey. With a 90-millimeter waist width and a generous size run鈥攆rom 130 centimeters to 180 centimeters the Rossignol Sender 90 is a versatile all-mountain ski designed for a wide variety of skiers of different ability levels. All proceeds (yes, the full 100 percent) from the sale of this limited edition ski will go directly to the Share Winter Foundation.

Blizzard Sheeva 10 Hilaree Nelson Ski ($850)

Lengths: 162, 168, 174cm
Dimensions: 133-102-122 (168cm)

Paying homage to Hilaree Nelson, the late pack-leading She Wolf, is bright and beautiful. The artwork on these skis, created by Blizzard Tecnica ambassador Malia Reeves, was inspired by Nelson鈥檚 two proudest accomplishments: her first descent of the Lhotse Couloir (accomplished with partner Jim Morrison); and raising her two boys. Much like Nelson, the is powerful and fun-loving, with a 102-millimeter waist that鈥檚 right at home exploring back bowls and steep trees. Fully redesigned for the 2023-24 season to bring more energy and liveliness to each turn, the Sheeva 10 is the kind of ski that makes you feel like you can do just about anything (a perfect homage to Nelson herself). One-hundred-percent of the proceeds from each pair will be donated to the Hilaree Nelson Fund, which provides financial support for climate change initiatives and scholarships for female empowerment in the outdoors.

Line Bacon 122 TWall ($850)

Lengths: 170, 178, 185cm
Dimensions: 152-122-144 (178cm)

The popularity of mega-fat skis has waned somewhat in the past decade, so this limited edition run of the Line Bacon 122 is a welcome return for pow seekers. You鈥檒l only find 300 pairs of these worldwide. Not every day calls for a seriously fat ski like this, but when you need 鈥榚m, you need 鈥榚m., With a 122-millimeter waist, the Bacon 122 sits at the top of the Bacon collection (see the more modest Bacon 108 or Bacon skis for the other 95 percent of ski days). A specific tool for a specific type of skier, the Bacons are built with thick sidewalls (designed to stand up to sliding rails and other park shenanigans) and a symmetrical flex that allows an even, stable feel while riding switch. It鈥檚 a ski that turns the whole mountain into a playground, designed for those with the itch to butter, stomp, and slarve their way through deep snow. If you miss out this round, fear not: The regular edition of the Bacon 122 will be available in the fall of 2024 (you just won鈥檛 get the Tom Wallish touch).

Nordica Unleashed 90 Cultura ($449)

Lengths: 144, 152, 160, 168, 174cm
Dimensions: 122-90-111 (160cm)

The Cultura, a , and Evo, is a limited edition version of Nordica鈥檚 Unleashed 90 that aims to raise money and awareness for Latinx advocacy groups. Proceeds from each ski ($150 per pair) will support the , , and . Lemus, who designed the top sheets for the skis, wanted to incorporate colors and images that reflect his Latino heritage, and the Cultura celebrates and embraces a more diverse ski culture as a result. The ski itself is an all-around resort ski, built with full wood core, tip and tail rocker, and a 90-millimeter waist that makes for a playful and friendly freeride ski. It comes in a wide size range (144 through 174 centimeters), suitable for up-and-coming rippers and advanced skiers alike. Nordica only produced 250 pairs of the Cultura, which are sold exclusively at evo.com and Nordica.com.

V枚lkl V.Werks 100 ($2,500)

Lengths: 170, 178, 186cm
Dimensions: 140-100-122 (178cm)

One hundred years of making skis calls for celebration. The V.Werks 100 is a nod to V枚lkl鈥檚 major milestone, a culmination of the German manufacturer鈥檚 century of expertise in ski development. V枚lkl released just 1,923 pairs of these limited edition skis (do some basic math and you鈥檒l get why the odd number), which join the lightweight, performance-oriented V.Werks collection (V枚lkl鈥檚 line of skis that use top-shelf construction). With a versatile 100 millimeter waist width, the V.Werks 100 was designed as a hybrid ski for inbounds and out-of-bounds skiing. Flax fibers create stiffness without carbon, and a zippy 17-meter turn radius (178cm) and tip and tail rocker allow this ski to remain responsive and reliable in variable snow, powder, and hardpack alike. Like the rest of the V.Werks collection, it comes with a hefty price tag; think of it as a collector鈥檚 item you can actually play with.

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While hauling his luggage out the door, Eric Derflinger ticks off each item from his mental packing list.

Jackets, pants, and gloves? Check, check, check. Skis and poles? A split second of panic, then he remembers he鈥檚 renting this time around. Old habits are hard to break.

A few years ago, skis would have been the first thing Ohio-based Derflinger tossed in his car before driving to the airport for a ski trip, but hefty baggage fees have convinced him to give renting a try. Lugging gear around an airport and to the resort was always a hassle, anyway.

He鈥檚 not alone: resort town ski shops are bursting with people renting their gear. By all accounts, the number of skiers and snowboarders hopping flights or driving across state lines in search of stoke is up, and more of those powder-hungry winter enthusiasts are leaving their gear at home. Instead, they鈥檙e renting and demoing on (or near) the mountain.

Flying Solo

鈥淩entals have been extremely successful, and increasing,鈥� said Bill Irwin, a seasoned rental manager for Elan USA Corp. In his 25 years of visiting ski shops and resorts around the U.S., he鈥檚 watched the rise of rentals sweep across the industry.

Why? Convenience, for one. 鈥淚 always rent when I fly,鈥� said Roddie Haley, a skier picking out demo gear at Jackson鈥檚 Base Camp in Park City, Utah, one day last December. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pain to take my gear with me and pay extra.鈥� With round-trip baggage charges ranging from $100 to $200 and a demo package of brand-new products running about $50 a day, the math makes sense.

Nick Sargent, president of SnowSports Industries America, has been watching the trend unfold as the next generation of skiers hits the slopes. He defines the group as 鈥渃ost-savvy, time-sensitive, and technology-driven,鈥� which translates into unique customer habits: they follow the snow and book their trips last-minute.

What鈥檚 more, skiers are increasingly purchasing multi-resort passes, allowing them access to unprecedented terrain around the globe. With Vail Resorts鈥� Epic Pass (access to 65 resorts) or Alterra Mountain Company鈥檚 Ikon Pass (38 resorts) in hand, trips to Whistler Blackcomb, Keystone, and Squaw Valley in one season are that much more doable.

Try Over Buy

There鈥檚 one more reason skiers and riders, especially experienced ones, might be tempted to travel without gear: to take high-performance demos for a spin. 鈥淚f they were to bring their skis, they鈥檇 only bring one pair,鈥� said Sam Beck, director of marketing and communications for Nordica. 鈥淏ut if they鈥檙e renting or demoing, they can trade it in or out according to the conditions.鈥� Skiers and riders lust after testing the latest technology, and shops are keeping up with customer demand by offering a wide selection of high-quality performance skis.

The old trope of beat-up rental skis is on the outs as ski shops, particularly at destination resorts, upgrade their rental and demo fleets more often. Jackson Knoll, owner of Jackson鈥檚 Base Camp, replaces his 168 pairs of skis and boards with new products every single year.

Jack Walzer, general manager at JANS Mountain Outfitters in Park City, has begun changing his fleet to cater to this experienced demo crowd, swapping out the novice-friendly sport skis that used to be popular for high-performance demo models. 鈥淲e had about 260 sport skis a couple of years ago, and maybe 150 high-performance [packages],鈥� Walzer said. Now, the shop maintains a more even split.

Give 鈥楨m What They Want

A subset of skiers鈥攐ften city dwellers who travel once or twice a year to ski鈥攍ike demoing and renting so much they鈥檝e gone all in, choosing to demo indefinitely over purchasing their own set of skis. Industry leaders say Europe has already moved in this direction and, based on numbers, the U.S. is likely to follow.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a steady increase in rentals balancing a steady decrease in retail,鈥� Irwin said.

Nordica recently updated its most popular retail skis (which are increasingly used for demos) to have a thicker topsheet for added durability, Beck said, answering the call for gear that can stand up to repetitive use and continuous tuning. In the 2018-19 season, Nordica released its rental-specific ski, the Drive; the tail shape, ski width, and rocker were all designed so beginners and novices could more comfortably navigate off groomers. And in F19, the brand will launch its new boot line, the Cruise for adults and Speedmachine J3 for juniors. The boots are lighter and more comfortable, and include a dual soft flap opening to make slipping them on and off easier. Rockered heels and Gripwalk technology in the soles are aimed to improve walkability.

Elan has experimented with a new way to increase flex and maintain durability in skis. The resulting technology, called U-Flex in junior skis and Groove Technology in adult products, has lines cut into the topsheet that flex like little hinges.

This technology is in the F17 junior Explore ski and the F18 adult Element ski, which are available now for rental and retail. The bumped-up durability is breaking into the company鈥檚 rising demo market as well. 鈥淥ver the last two years, we鈥檝e doubled our performance rental market share,鈥� Irwin said. 鈥淎nd this year, I think we will go higher than that.鈥�

Demo skis have also become an increasingly important part of DPS鈥檚 sales, said spokesman Alex Hunt. The brand recently partnered with Aspen Skiing Company to provide its innovative base treatment, Phantom Permanent Waxless Glide to be used on the company鈥檚 demo fleet. Once ski shops apply the one-time treatment, they eliminate the time-consuming process of re-waxing skis and boards.

As the travel-to-ski trend gains steam, it can鈥檛 hurt to make it easier for footloose skiers鈥攁nd the shops that serve them鈥攖o rent and demo gear. And brands that embrace it might just gain the upper hand.

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