4FRNT Hoji Ski Review

Overview

The 4FRNT Hoji is Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson’s namesake ski — the middle child in 4FRNT’s backcountry-focused Hoji Collection, slotting between the narrower Raven and the wider Renegade. It’s built around a fully reverse-camber, banana-shaped profile that trades traditional edge-to-edge carving for effortless float and surfy playfulness in soft snow. This is a ski for backcountry skiers and freeride-minded resort skiers who prioritize powder performance and uphill efficiency over hardpack precision.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Dimensions (tip-waist-tail)	130-112-121 mm
Turn radius	30 m
Effective edge	1370 mm
Mount point (from tail)	885 mm
Length tested	191 cm
Weight (per ski)	2066 g
Profile	Full reverse camber, multi-radius rocker
Core	Aspen/maple with carbon fiber stringers

Performance

The Hoji’s defining trait is its fully reverse-cambered, “banana” shape — there’s nothing traditional about it other than being made from wood, and it’s reverse-cambered, nearly center-mounted, and shuns sidecut. That shape is the whole point: in deep snow, the ski plans up effortlessly instead of requiring you to muscle it to the surface. Testers describe floating and slashing through fluffy snow with minimal effort, calling the experience the kind of thing skiers dream about, and one Gear Junkie reviewer jotted down mid-run that it was “As much fun as you can have on skis.”

That playfulness comes with a learning curve, though. One long-term owner who switched from a more traditional DPS Wailer noted that his first groomer runs left him feeling disconnected and stuck in the back seat because he didn’t feel connected with the ski due to its shape, with a full rocker profile that made it hard to find the front edge and load it up. The fix, according to that same reviewer, is to stop skiing it like a cambered ski entirely — ski from the center of the ski, trust the edge will be there instead of waiting for it to engage, and it turns out the ski can carve like a traditionally shaped ski once you adjust. That’s a real trade-off to know going in: if you’re coming straight off directional carving skis, budget a few days to recalibrate your stance.

On firm snow, the consensus across reviewers is consistent and unambiguous: this is not a hardpack ski. Gear Junkie’s tester put it plainly — they’re not the right tool for hard snow conditions, and yet they’re manageable when the snow trends toward soft. The 21/22 redesign tried to close that gap somewhat; 4FRNT updated the rocker profile with a multi-radius design and slightly reduced the curvature under foot to increase effective edge and improve firm-snow capability, while also adjusting tip and tail height to preserve the surfy powder feel and deep-snow performance. Blister’s testers noted the ski runs strong overall but with fairly soft tips and tails — a bit softer through the shovels than the 4FRNT Raven, but stiffer through the tails. Later updates went further: 4FRNT added triaxial-braided fiberglass for hard-snow grip without altering the flex, rubber in the tip and tail for dampness, and four quarter-inch carbon stringers for added pop, all while keeping the tip/tail heights and 30m sidecut unchanged.

For uphill travel, the Hoji 4-Lock version pairs the ski with 4FRNT’s integrated skin system, which was a standout in testing. One reviewer reported that even when skins froze after repeated laps in freezing, powdery conditions, the skin stayed locked to the ski and never dropped. The system ships with Pomoca skins, which testers praised as among the best on the market — mohair glide comparable to skimo race skins using the same formula Pomoca uses in its race skins, and super thin, light, and packable.

It’s also worth noting the lineage here: the current Hoji represents years of refinement of what’s been in 4FRNT’s lineup for many years but got overhauled for the 21/22 season, adding the 4-Lock version with Hjorleifson’s signature skin system, and it remains one of 4FRNT’s best-selling skis with numerous industry awards to its name.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Exceptional float and effortless planing in deep snow thanks to the full reverse-camber shape
• Playful, poppy, and forgiving in trees and tight terrain once you adapt your stance
• 4-Lock skin system is genuinely reliable — skins don’t shift or detach, even in freezing conditions
• Reasonable weight-to-skiability ratio for a 112mm-underfoot ski, making it viable for touring
• Ongoing construction updates (carbon stringers, triaxial fiberglass, rubber damping) have improved hard-snow manners without sacrificing the powder feel

Cons

• Genuine learning curve for skiers used to traditional cambered, directional skis
• Not the right tool for firm or icy conditions — edge hold and confidence drop off noticeably
• Reverse camber and center mount feel unfamiliar and squirrely at speed on groomers
• At 2066g per ski (191cm), it’s not a lightweight touring option compared to dedicated skimo or minimalist backcountry skis

Who Should Buy This

The Hoji makes the most sense for advanced-to-expert backcountry and freeride skiers who spend the bulk of their days chasing soft snow — powder days, storm cycles, and tree skiing where a playful, surfy ski shines. If your terrain is mostly firm, wind-affected alpine, or you want one ski that carves confidently on hardpack between powder days, look at 4FRNT’s cambered Nevar or the narrower Raven instead. Skiers coming from traditional camber-dominant skis should also expect an adjustment period before the Hoji’s full-rocker shape starts to click.

Verdict

The Hoji delivers exactly what it promises: a genuinely fun, float-forward powder ski with a touring-capable skin system that actually works as advertised. It asks you to unlearn some traditional ski technique and it’s a poor choice if hardpack performance matters to you, but for backcountry skiers chasing deep snow, it’s hard to find a more purpose-built tool. I’d put it at an 8/10 — outstanding at its intended job, with clearly defined limits outside of it.