The sun had set by the time I reached the top of the skin track on Earthquake Dome, a popular backcountry skiing zone near my home in Mammoth Lakes, California, and I hadn鈥檛 packed a headlamp. It was a February evening and I鈥檇 driven ten minutes from my home in town to ski an after-work lap. I鈥檇 overestimated my speed and underestimated the low winter sun, and now I was transitioning a pair of uniquely shaped skis鈥攕o rockered they looked like a banana鈥攆or their first ever lap downhill. I couldn鈥檛 see a thing and just prayed I wouldn’t slip and take a pratfall like in a cartoon.

A few weeks earlier I sat on a Zoom call with Xan Marshland, the co-founder of WNDR Alpine. Marshland had wanted me to test the Intention 108, the Salt Lake City-based brand鈥檚 flagship ski made partially with stringers of an algae-derived plastic. Very few ski manufacturers put polyurethane (i.e. plastic) in skis right now, typically opting for combinations of wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and aluminum alloys. But polyurethane is an engineered material, meaning ski makers can tune its stiffness, rebound, and vibration damping properties to make the ski do exactly what they want. And only WNDR’s plastic is fully renewable. Marshland believes that not only does the algae make WNDR’s skis eco-friendlier, but it also makes them perform better. 鈥淚n the mountains, materials matter,鈥� he told me.

I鈥檝e tested skis for a living for the last five years, and I have long been skeptical of space-age and eco-friendly materials being responsible for marked increases in performance. But as I’ve spent more and more time on the WNDR Intention 108, it has turned into my favorite ski ever made.

Unfortunately, the future of WNDR Alpine is unknown at this time. The company recently put all of their skis and snowboards on clearance and seem to have sold the entirety of their backstock. Marshland told me that the brand has some prospective buyers in the wings, but did not offer specifics. It seems that, without a fresh infusion of cash, WNDR Alpine may fold entirely. I, for one, hope the brand finds a new home and continues to be a driving force of innovation and sustainability in skiing.

How Does WNDR’s Algae-Based Plastic Affect Ski Performance?

Standing atop Earthquake Dome that night and clicking into the skis, it was time for the algae-based plastic to hit the snow. (People say that, right?) I let my headlamp-equipped fianc茅e lead, figuring I could follow her light through the maze of tight trees back to the car. I followed, skiing by the faint, quickly-receding glow of white鈥攎y only guide. After getting used to the ample rocker (e.g. after a few tumbles in the dark) I began to increase my speed and feel what Marshland had described on our call in the ski鈥檚 construction. The Intention 108 was remarkably damp, the polyurethane in its core muting the vibrations that should have been transmitted to my body from the firm and choppy snow that had been sitting for a few weeks since the last storm.

As I began to ski the WNDR Intention 108 more and more in the coming weeks, I realized that the plastic was the secret sauce鈥攖hat it was sustainably sourced was just icing on the cake. Think of it like a ski boot. Heavier ski boots designed for expert skiers, and ski racers in particular, are made from a heavy polyurethane that is formulated to produce a smooth, progressive flex when a skier drives their shins into it. That flex then rebounds, popping a skier into their next turn. This ski had the exact same feeling鈥攖he dampness, the stability, and, when pushed, the return of energy that drew me across the fall line.

Why I Love Skiing the WNDR Intention 108

Since that first tour, I鈥檝e been skiing the WNDR Intention 108 whenever I can. Though I mounted them with a lightweight pin binding for backcountry skiing, I often ski them at the resort when the snow is soft. I鈥檝e traveled with the Intention 108 to Canada for my bachelor party at RED Mountain Resort, I鈥檝e skied waist-deep powder, bulletproof wind-crusted snow, and even rappelled with them into a 55-degree couloir with dubious sun-crusted ice. With its substantial weight, I could see putting a hybrid binding like the or ATK Hy Free on it and skiing it both in and out of bounds.

I鈥檝e skied many hundreds of different pairs of skis in my life, but the Intention 108 is hands-down my favorite. I trust it high in the mountains, deep in the backcountry, and in a variety of snow conditions. I ski more bad snow than good, and these skis are not just dependable鈥攖hey鈥檙e so much fun.

You can tame the loose, unlocked feel of the Intention 108’s full rocker shape聽by putting the ski on edge, or聽聽fully embrace it by skiing it on a flat base.聽In steep terrain with firm snow鈥攖he conditions many experts will tell you necessitate having camber under your feet鈥攖he Intention 108 can pivot and slide, making it easy to hop turn down sketchy stuff.聽The full rocker profile also makes the Intention 108 is easy to ski in moguls and聽air off the slightest bump or takeoff. It even carves surprisingly well for its width and lack of traditional camber. I鈥檝e never ridden a ski that possessed such mind-boggling versatility.

An obvious sticking point for a lot of skiers will be the Intention 108’s weight. In a 188 centimeter length, this ski weighs 2,000 grams. That’s a lot for most skiers to lug uphill, but WNDR doesn’t bill the Intention 108 as a dedicated backcountry ski. If your average day in the mountains has you clocking more than 3,000 to 4,000 feet of elevation gain, you may want to consider a lighter ski.

But for me, with a lightweight tech binding (a ) and a medium-weight AT boot (the ), I find that I don’t start to drag below 4,000 vertical feet. Even on huge days in the backcountry, the ski’s weight can be advantageous鈥攐n long tours in the high alpine you often encounter all sorts of weird and difficult snow textures; the Intention’s weight can help mellow out rough conditions.

I wish more ski manufacturers would consider putting polyurethane in their products. Regardless of the sustainability, which is awesome, they鈥檙e just more predictable than twitchy, carbon-filled backcountry skis, or even solid-wood core alpine skis. WNDR’s algae-based plastics and resins replace toxic glues and petroleum products in their skis, leading to a ski that’s both easier to recycle and less harmful if it ever does end up in a landfill.

Granted, skiers who prioritize edge hold in nasty snow will want to opt for a cambered ski. Those skiers are in luck: the Intention 108 also comes in a cambered shape.

Making Skis More Sustainably

WNDR made a move last year to make their Intention 108 in the Sideways Sports (SWS) factory in Dubai. The idea was to bring their algae oil technology, developed by WNDR’s parent company, Checkerspot, to a facility that also makes snowboards for Arbor, Jones, and Liquid Force. Once the factory knows how to use the microalgae-oil plastic, they can use it in other brands’ products.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, making their product in a facility that uses 100-percent green energy is a huge win. And I’m hugely supportive of the sharing of ideas that could make the snowsports industry less harmful to the environment. The SWS factory also has the capability to produce a binding plate made from the factory’s own reclaimed waste that is 35 percent stronger than the industry standard. That means fewer bindings rip out of skis, and fewer skis end up in the dumpster.

That said, making skis in Dubai鈥攆ar away from the snowsports world鈥攙astly increases product shipping distances, requiring more fuel and energy. Dubai also has a suspect history with labor rights and safety standards that shouldn鈥檛 be overlooked. My greenwashing (and ) antennae tend to prick up when I hear of sustainability and the United Arab Emirates, but I leave that for the reader to parse.

That said, I am certain that WNDR Alpine is good for the ski industry. Though its future is uncertain, I hope the company finds a competent buyer and continues to push skiing forward. In the meantime, you can find me high in the alpine through the summer months with the Intention 108 under my feet.

The post I’ve Tested Hundreds of Skis, But this Ski Made from Algae Is My All-Time Favorite appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I spent my first full ski season at Alta, Utah, waiting tables and skiing the deepest snow of my life. I arrived late in January, but by working breakfasts and dinners I managed to clock 80 days on snow skiing between my shifts. In a twist of irony, the deep powder snow was so good that it wasn鈥檛 until I left Alta that I realized I鈥檇 never really learned how to ski.

Moving to Mammoth Lakes, California turned out to be an exercise in learning to use my edges. The next three years produced pitiable snowfall totals and some of the strangest surface conditions I鈥檝e ever encountered. I skied knife-hard planar snow, buffeted firm by the wind. When it switched directions, the gales created a wildly uneven wave texture called sastrugi that is extraordinarily difficult to navigate. Rains and freeze-thaw cycles created strange frozen nodules on the surface that we called chicken heads.

The crucible of shitty conditions forged me into a much better skier,聽and I developed a taxonomy of snow textures both strange and sublime. Years in the Sierra prepared me for this moment: Publishing the definitive ranking of snow conditions for skiers and riders everywhere. I will not be taking any questions at this time.

Blower Powder Reigns Supreme

Surprising absolutely no one, sitting atop the throne of skiable conditions is that sweet, low-density powder. It鈥檚 called 鈥渂lower鈥� because when you pick it up in your palms and blow it like a dandelion, it scatters into the crystalline ether. Skiing real cold smoke is the closest we have to oblivion, in the Buddhist sense of the word. As they say on TikTok: No thoughts. Just vibes.

Wind Buff: A Surprise Runner-Up

Many skiers may be unfamiliar with this runner up, but Mammoth is known for this recycled powder that coats our faces and chutes with an ultra-fine magical carpet. When the wind picks up snow on the windward sides of mountains and tumbles it through the air, the crystals break apart, resulting in snow far finer than powder flakes. When the wind-tossed grains of snow settle on the leeward sides, they form a thin layer atop the snow surface that you can carve on steep terrain as if it were groomed. The best part? The more people ski it, the better it typically gets.

Corn: The Crown Jewel of Spring Skiing

Spring in the Sierra is all about chasing the corn cycle鈥攁n elusive window when the sun and聽air warm the firm morning ice and softens it to a perfect texture. Arrive too early, and you鈥檒l have to sit and wait, or brave the firm snow. Arrive too late, and the sun cooks the surface into isothermic slop. But when you nail the timing, the rock-solid snow softens into crystals that look very much like kernels of corn. When the corn is just right over a firm base, you can rip Super-G turns down large backcountry faces with remarkable consistency. It鈥檚 one of the greatest feelings I know, and it was hard not to put at the very top in this ranking on ski conditions.

Chalk: Synonymous with Stability and Confidence

Rare where I live, chalk is the result of consistent cold temperatures without precipitation combined with mild winds that dry out and soften leftover snow. The best part of skiing chalk is the energy you can generate by pressuring it with a ski at a high edge angle. You can rail very fast turns on chalk because of its easy and consistent nature, and it sticks around as long as the weather does. In California that can be a very long time.

Slush: Powder You Can Ski in a T-Shirt

We can ride chairlifts into July at Mammoth, and recently, even August. The low sun angles and higher temperatures create ideal conditions high on the mountain. While the lower elevations go to hell, the upper reaches turn into a playground of soft snow. Lots of die-hard skiers will tell you that the best part of their season is weaving through聽slushy moguls in Hawaiian shirts and bikinis in the spring.

Sierra Cement: We Ski It Because We Have It, Not Because We Love It

In a mountain range聽not far from the Pacific, our snow rarely comes in as Wasatch blower. Our snow-water ratio (a determinant of how wet, and therefore heavy, the snowpack is) is usually about half of the Rockies, if not even lower. All this is to say that when Mammoth gets ten feet of snow, it comes in so dense that our skis only sink down into the top six inches. This kind of snow can be difficult to push around and is more likely to knock you off balance. It鈥檚 often a source of the dreaded shin bang鈥攁n overuse injury caused by the front of your lower leg slamming into your boots, and exacerbated by uneven snow. It鈥檚 not the best, but hell, it鈥檚 fresh snow.

Sastrugi: When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Go Pro

It should be evident by now that we鈥檝e skipped a few snow conditions for concision, but fret not! See the bottom of the article for the exhaustive list. Getting into conditions that are objectively bad, we have sastrugi. This snow texture forms when wind direction shifts back and forth across the snow, creating beautiful and bizarre wave-like patterns that are reminiscent of seafloor sand. Soft sastrugi isn鈥檛 the worst, because your skis or board usually crush the crests of the ridge. But when the temperatures shift and sastrugi ossifies, it can be a terrifying firm and uneven surface to navigate鈥攅specially in steep terrain.

Breakable Crust: The Skier鈥檚 Trap Door

A good friend and great skier once told me that breakable crust is an immediate threat to his health and safety. In the ranking of snow conditions, it鈥檚 worse than sastrugi chiefly because it is deceptive. A slope of breakable crust often looks like smooth powder before you drop into it. But once you do, the firm skin of wind-affected snow on top gives way聽like a trap door to a softer layer, and locks your ski and board tips聽underneath the surface. I鈥檝e never fallen more times on a single backcountry run than on a face of pure breakable crust.

Chicken Heads and Coral Reef: The Worst. The Devil.

God help you if you decide to ski in these conditions. In serious terrain, they have killed great skiers. Known as 鈥渄eath cookies鈥� or 鈥渃hicken heads,鈥� these surface conditions occur when slush gets pushed around by skis or by wind and then freezes in place overnight. The Messner Couloir on Denali is infamous for these terrifying formations when warm fog freezes on the snow surface and creates chicken heads out of rime ice. The best strategy for skiing the reef is simply this: Don鈥檛.

The Definitive Ranking of Snow Conditions:

1. Blower Powder
2. Wind buff
3. Corn
4. Chalk
5. Slush
6. Heavy Powder
7. Soft Western Corduroy
8. Hardpack/Windboard
9. East Coast Corduroy
10. Ice
11. Soft Sastrugi
12. Bulletproof Sastrugi
13. Breakable Crust
14. Frozen Chicken Heads/Coral Reef

The post The Definitive Ranking of the Best and Worst Snow Conditions appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Meet AspectAvy, an app made exclusively for skiing and riding in the backcountry using avalanche data to help users better predict when and where catastrophic events will occur in real time.聽

鈥淭his one app has the ability to save hundreds of lives in the backcountry every year,鈥� Co-founder Jeff Banks explains.

鈥淪tatistics on avalanches show a clear relationship between the stability of the snowpack and the slope angle in which avalanches occur,鈥� 鈥淲e use this information to provide recommendations that take the guesswork out of determining where the safe slopes are.鈥�

Since the 2020 through 2021 season, there have been approximately 84 U.S. deaths in the backcountry due to avalanches, according to the . The vast majority of deaths are skiers which almost always double than any other activity including hiking, or snowboarding.聽

The team behind AspectAvy, a tech designer and an American Mountain Guide Association trainer and test administrator believe that all of these deaths could have been prevented, and that if users had been closely following the app they may still be here today. The app will take into account live data from the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale, which works much like a fire safety danger sign that you may see outside of a campground or state park and rates avalanche conditions based on a variety of factors. The scale also notes that there are different danger levels depending on the elevation a skier is traversing through.聽

The app will also take into consideration which are generated through four different factors including the type or description of the avalanche, the location, the likelihood of an avalanche occurring, and the potential size. While it is nearly impossible to predict exactly what type of avalanche will occur, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center notes that avalanches have myriad personalities and the four factors will help predict as closely as possible.聽

In addition to the data from the avalanche danger scale, and avalanche problems the app will offer a map feature that will give users the safest possible route through the backcountry based on the information available. Using , the same technology used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration AspectAvy will help users find the path of least danger for a backcountry tour.聽

鈥淟idar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth,鈥� according to the NOAA. 鈥淭hese light pulses鈥攃ombined with other data recorded by the airborne system 鈥� generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.鈥�

Finally, the app will offer coaching to help users find their 鈥渂lind spot鈥� and address what might be keeping them in harm鈥檚 way, 鈥淲e help riders identify their blind spots by coaching them to avoid their biases, improve their planning and execute on processes that will effectively manage their risk,鈥� according to the app.聽

The app launches in the app store for iPhone today, and you can . The creators note that the app is not a substitute for formal avalanche training.聽

The post Could a New App Help You Safely Navigate the Backcountry? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Let鈥檚 be honest: There鈥檚 a tried-and-true formula that most ski movies follow. A group of heroes is on an all-too-familiar quest, then cue the slow-mo slashes, steep spines, and stylized shots 鈥� and repeat until the end. It can all blur into one long segment at times. And that isn鈥檛 necessarily a bad thing鈥攚e love a shreddy stoke film as much as the next person鈥攂ut we can all agree that it gets repetitive at times.

, a Bend, Ore.鈥揵ased skier and filmmaker, decided to throw out the rulebook with The Blackcountry Journal, a short film that mixes backcountry freeskiing with his lifelong passion for jazz. Beneath the smooth soundtrack and savory facade is a complex story about race in skiing, although the nuance may take a few views to rise to the surface. Shot in monochrome and structured in three parts, the film abstractly follows Duncan鈥檚 story as black man trying to find his place in the white ski industry.

We sat down with Duncan upon his return from the Banff screening to learn about the making of The Blackcountry Journal. Be sure to when it鈥檚 released to the public on Nov. 8.

SKI: Welcome home! How are you?

Mallory Duncan (MD): I鈥檓 doin鈥� alright. Life is chaos right now. I鈥檓 juggling a lot, getting ready for the digital launch. I鈥檝e been handling all the post production, from festivals to distribution. It鈥檚 been a huge learning experience, but also exhausting. I just got back from screening it at Banff this weekend, along with a bunch of films from CK9 and Level 1, and that contrast certainly made the film stand out.

SKI: What are a few of the recent lessons?

MD: The biggest one is how to say no. I need some time at my house to regroup. I was gone for three weeks and have more travel coming up, so I鈥檓 grateful for time at home. It鈥檚 all a balance. Also, it feels uncomfortable to promote something this much. That鈥檚 not me. I know it鈥檚 important for the film鈥檚 success and I only get to release my first ski film once, but it feels weird to be posting about it everyday. But, I am proud of what we made and want people to watch it, so I鈥檓 just going for it.

Also Read:

SKI: What鈥檚 the theme of the film?

MD: I have been processing this a lot so I appreciate you asking. It鈥檚 about 鈥渁rtistic鈥� expression. Skiing doesn鈥檛 need to be the gnarliest line or raddest thing. It doesn鈥檛 need to be big, unattainable tricks. Instead of pushing limits, it鈥檚 about expressing myself on a slope. Looking up and seeing art. Developing my own style of skiing. I wanted to make the skiing relatable and focus on the creative aspects of filmmaking. Below that is a story about finding my place in the ski industry as a black man, but I didn鈥檛 want the race part to be heavy handed. You鈥檒l either pick it up or you won鈥檛, and either is okay with me.

SKI: The film is based around a couple poems you wrote; what are the most important lines?

MD: The first poem I wrote in late 2020 and it was the catalyst for the film. The second poem, the one that the film ends with, has been more impactful recently. One of my favorites I thought of while skiing Mount Jefferson. 鈥淒id you feel the rhythm of the wilderness, while you rested on a rocky shoulder, the beat of rock fall reverberating off the canyon walls.鈥� It was a beautiful moment and it needed to be in the film.

Another is about appreciating the art left on the slope. 鈥淲hen you look back, didn鈥檛 you see the piece you played, improvised on the peaks鈥� paper flanks.鈥� I love the alliteration of it. Making the film based on the poems helped me connect to skiing in a new way. I hope that it inspires others to express themselves too.

SKI: What other films did you use as inspiration?

MD: One in the ski world and one is not. The first is . It鈥檚 an experience just watching it. You can feel that energy without any words. I wanted to do that with The Blackcountry Journal. The second is by Topaz Jones. He鈥檚 a hip-hop artist and calling it a visual album doesn鈥檛 do it justice. It鈥檚 powerful because it can be interpreted in so many different ways. It鈥檚 a form of black art, by a black filmmaker, about black identity without putting it right in your face. I appreciate the subtly.

SKI: How does race play into your film?

MD: I wanted to show that black people have a place in skiing, not tell people how they do. I like to be about things, not talk about them. I live a black experience, but that doesn鈥檛 define me as a skier. While I will never deny my blackness, I don鈥檛 have to force it into conversations either. Just by existing in these spaces I am part of the movement for more representation in snow sports. It鈥檚 better to show, not tell.

SKI: Is there anything would you have done differently?

MD: There鈥檚 a lot of small tweaks and edits that I could obsess over for the rest of time, but generally speaking I鈥檓 really stoked on where it landed. Honestly. Sometimes I wish we added some of the bigger lines we skied in Alaska, but our goal was about the expression of the sport, not proving I鈥檓 a good skier. The open, mellow glacier skiing is where you really get to improvise and I鈥檓 happy we stuck to that.

SKI: Are you inspired to do more filming after this is behind you?

MD: Absolutely. I want to continue telling stories about skiing in a unique way, drawing connections to urban culture, music, and hip hop culture. We鈥檙e throwing around a lot of ideas right now and I can鈥檛 speak directly to them yet, but as someone who grew up in the city, I see an opportunity to make more ski films relatable to urban folks. I want to talk about skiing in a way that brings more people into the sport.

Watch The Blackcountry Journal on YouTube

The post 鈥楾he Blackcountry Journal鈥� Turns the Traditional Ski Film on Its Head appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

We love the winter backcountry because it鈥檚 never the same twice. Pristine powder one day is chopped up snow the next day and frozen coral reef chunks the next. Snow and weather conditions change the landscape every minute, and to be there to witness it is something special. But it also means that highly technical gear is necessary to stay prepared for almost any situation鈥攅specially if you鈥檙e a charger who gets after it. This backcountry ski kit鈥攈andpicked by the backcountry skiers on our editorial staff鈥攚ill maximize your fun and safety in winter鈥檚 best playground.

7 Gear Picks for Backcountry Skiers

Salomon QST Echo 106 ($800)

Brand new for the 2023-24 season, the backcountry-specific QST Echo 106 is the missing piece from Salomon鈥檚 legendary QST line. At just 1,760 grams per ski, the brand managed to keep the quiet, solid, and stable feel of the all-mountain QST 106 and transform it into a lightweight package better suited to the backcountry. The Caruba-poplar wood core with basalt fibers does away with the Titanal found in the QST 106, but keeps the ski stiff and responsive. With 106 millimeters in the waist, this is the ski you鈥檒l want for any backcountry condition imaginable鈥攆rom mid-season powder and crud to late-season corn. Read the full review here.

Lange XT3 Tour Light 130 ($1,000)

Lange might be known for its beefy racing boots, but the XT3 Tour Light 130 proves that the brand can crush the backcountry, too. Even lighter than last year鈥檚 XT3 Pro, the Tour Light features a Vibram outsole, lighter buckles, and the brand鈥檚 Dual Core Light Grilamid to make this uphill-charging machine. It鈥檚 sbactill fun on the downhill, too, perhaps partly due to all the energy you save on the way up. Look here for a boot that can handle your longest days (or multi-day missions) with ease. Read the full review here.

Strafe 3L Cham Jacket ($589)

For long days in the backcountry when you anticipate mostly mild weather, the Cham jacket is your best bet. Thanks to its Schoeller Aerobrane fabric, it feels extremely soft to the touch, breathable, and comfortable to wear, but it won鈥檛 tear during high-alpine scrambles when brushing against rough rocks. This jacket鈥檚 generous and accessible chest pockets make it easy to store skins when multiple transitions are imminent. Compare it with our other favorite ski touring jackets here.

Patagonia Untracked Bibs ($649)

The beauty of Patagonia鈥檚 Untracked Bibs is in the details鈥攁 drop seat makes peeing in less-than-ideal conditions easy, the membrane is free of all PFCs, and the backer is made with a recycled nylon-flannel fabric. But these bibs also excel in the bigger picture, too. The Gore-Tex ePE three-layer membrane will make a huge difference in repelling water during ceaseless snow and sleet storms. Whether intense storms or sunny skies are in the forecast, these bibs have you covered. Check out our other favorite ski touring pants of the year here.

Gordini Cirque 3-Finger Glove ($150)

The lobster claw glove design is taking over the backcountry ski scene鈥攁nd for good reason. The Gordini Cirque 3-Finger gloves provide the warmth of a mitten for cold descents, but the necessary dexterity for messing with bindings or taking off skins on stormy summits. Skiers will feel extra protected thanks to the reinforced panels on the back of the fingers. The low-profile cuffs slide seamlessly into jacket cuffs and make the gloves easy to stuff into jackets during transitions. Read the full review here.

Picture Komit.Tr 26 pack ($160)

This pack won us over with its plethora of features, including a zippered back panel to easily access buried layers, a dry pocket at the bottom of the pack to keep wet items away from dry ones, and a roll-top closure that makes it easy to compress or expand the pack. For tours in stormy conditions, the 210 Denier Ripstop nylon and PU coating made with 100 percent recycled polyester will keep gear dry. And it adjusts to fit a variety of body types, too鈥攖he sternum strap rests low enough on skiers鈥� chests that it feels secure even on those with longer torsos. Read the full review here.

Marker Confidant Tour helmet ($140)

The ultralight weight and ample vents make this the ideal helmet for long, sweaty tours in the backcountry (though skiers should note that the vents don鈥檛 close鈥攕omething to think about for frigid days). It has separate straps to hold goggles and a headlamp in place, making it a great choice for dawn patrol missions. Marker鈥檚 360-degree RTS system keeps the head centered in the helmet so it fits snugly, and if you do need to tweak the fit, the helmet is fully adjustable. For skiers considering multi-sport missions, this lid is also safety-certified for cycling. Check out more of this year鈥檚 best helmets here.

More From the 2024 Winter Gear Guide

The Best All-Mountain Skis
The Best Powder Skis
The Best Snow Safety Equipment聽

The post The Backcountry Ski Kit of Our Editors鈥� Dreams appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This article was first published by .

These women鈥檚-specific backcountry skis run the gamut, from narrow-waisted featherweights designed primarily for fast and light cardio missions to all-mountain skis that have undergone a little nip-tuck to make them light enough to get you far beyond the resort ropes. Can鈥檛 decide what鈥檚 most important to you鈥攚eight savings (narrower waist, lightweight construction) or performance (fatter waist, beefier materials)? Make like Goldilocks and choose something in the middle.

Looking for the best unisex backcountry skis of the year? You’ll find those here.聽

How We Test

Number of skis tested: 11
Number of testers: 12
Testing locations: Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Teton Pass, Wyo., Hatcher Pass, Alaska, Snow King Mountain, Wyo., Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Testing conditions: Deep powder, chalky windbuff, breakable crust, firm resort groomers, spring corn
Average age of tester: 29
Average height of tester: 5鈥�9鈥�
Average weight of tester: 155 lbs

We lucked out big time testing backcountry skis in the Tetons this winter, with record breaking snowfall that had us reaching for powder sticks more often than not. Our testers hit the skintrack for pre-work dawn patrols on Teton Pass and long alpine missions in Grand Teton National Park. Many were lucky enough to catch bottomless pow days, while others tested this year鈥檚 crop of backcountry skis in variable conditions between storms.

Our test crew included a mix of nine-to-fivers, weekend warriors, and self-proclaimed ski bums who cranked out laps in search of lightweight skis that held their own in soft snow and variable conditions alike. The goal: To find the backcountry skis that demonstrated the best balance of uphill and downhill performance. Bonus testing days chasing storms in the Wasatch and a ski mountaineering trip to Hatcher Pass, Alaska rounded out a solid mix of playful pow skiing, steep couloirs, mellow meadow skipping, slarvy spring corn, and sidecountry laps.

Meet the Testers

Age: 27 | Height: 5鈥�8鈥� | Weight: 120 lbs

Krass is a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured in SKI, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, and Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously).

Molly Belk

Age: 29 | Height: 5鈥�4鈥� | Weight: 120 lbs

Molly is a skier, yoga instructor, and Spanish teacher who splits time between Jackson, Wyoming and Charlottesville, Virginia. She鈥檚 an endurance machine (all smiles on hour 10 of a big mission), and has an uncanny gift for making variable snow look like hero pow.

Michelle Nicholson

Age: 38 | Height: 5鈥�4鈥� | Weight: 145 lbs

Nicholson hails from Driggs, Idaho and is on the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort race/events team. When she鈥檚 not working events for JHMR, you鈥檒l find her tearing up the bumps and extremes of Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee. She鈥檚 a veteran gear tester who has tested skis for Powder and SKI.

The Reviews: Best Women鈥檚 Backcountry Skis of 2024

Lengths (cm): 155, 163, 171
Dimensions (mm): 127-96-117
Radius (m): 15 (163)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,330 (163)
Pros: Versatility, Forgiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation

Faction鈥檚 Agent 2X proved to be one of the most well-rounded women鈥檚-specific skis in our test, one that built our confidence on the skintrack as well as in any terrain we pointed it back down. 鈥淭his ski is nimble and lightweight, yet can carve and hold up on firm snow,鈥� commented Jackson, Wyoming-based tester Molly Belk after skiing a mix of firm and chalky conditions in the Tetons. Testers found Versatility/Balance of Skills and Forgiveness to be two of the Agent 2X鈥檚 many strong suits, walking the line of trustworthy yet still fun and playful while navigating a range of steep, technical skiing and meandering low-angle glades. If you鈥檙e trying to charge, it could feel a little twitchy at mach speeds, which caused the ski to rank slightly lower in Stability at Speed. It wasn鈥檛 anyone鈥檚 top choice for deep-powder touring, although the wide shovel did allow it to float through soft snow better than some others we tested in the same size range. That being said, most testers agreed it was well worth the trade-off for a ski so agile and maneuverable in tight and more complex terrain.

Lengths (cm): 157, 164, 171, 178, 183, 188
Dimensions (mm): 134-95-113 (171)
Radius (m): 17 (171)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,425 (171)
Pros: Quickness, Responsiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation

With its impressive size run ranging from 157 to 188 centimeters, the unisex Camox Freebird let more female testers get into the mix this year. At 95 millimeters underfoot, it鈥檚 a bonafide steep ski, a balanced tool that seems to see no limits to what kind of terrain you can put it through. It鈥檚 got a ton of spring and energy thanks to its poplar-and-paulownia core, something that testers were surprised to rank high in Playfulness. A short 17-meter turn radius and fair amount of taper allowed the Camox Freebird to feel very nimble and responsive, an intuitive ride that had our backs no matter what. 鈥淭his is a really solid and reliable narrow touring ski, capable of smoothing out bumps and variable snow and inspiring confidence and grip in steep terrain,鈥� reported 5-foot-8 tester Lily Krass, who calls Wyoming鈥檚 Tetons home.

Lengths (cm): 156, 163, 170, 177
Dimensions (mm): 138-96-119
Radius (m): 16 (170)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,122 (156)
Pros: Responsiveness, Quickness
Cons: Crud Performance, Stability at Speed

Zippy and ready to take down big-vert days, V枚lkl鈥檚 Rise Beyond 96 W is a balanced touring ski with a lightweight construction that takes the edge off long climbs. The medium-width 96-millimeter ski excels on spring corn missions and in areas that see a lot of low tide during the winter, but the 138-millimeter shovel surprised testers with its ability to surf through soft snow without too much effort. V枚lkl鈥檚 multilayer wood core places harder beech in areas that need more power, like underfoot and near the sidewalls, and lighter and softer poplar throughout the rest of the ski. The result is a light set of planks with a poppy feel that has enough strength behind it to hold up to variable conditions. The Rise Beyond 96 W ranked high in Responsiveness and Quickness/Maneuverability, capable of transitioning through both tight trees and wide-open bowls. 鈥淭his ski feels really easy and approachable鈥攁 breeze to make quick, energetic turns within confined terrain,鈥� said Krass.

Lengths (cm): 156, 163, 170, 177
Dimensions (mm): 131-97-118
Radius (m): 15.3 (170)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,640 (170)
Pros: Crud Performance, Versatility
Cons: Flotation, Stability at Speed

Head updated its tried-and-true Kore lineup this season, lightening everything up and tailoring the construction to be more precise for each size ski. We found the Kore 97 W to be a solid everyday pick for areas that don鈥檛 see quite as much snow, and a killer spring ski for places like the Tetons, where we tested it this season. For 2023-24, Head threw in an extra carbon layer to the caruba-and-poplar core to slim the whole thing down, and added a progressive chamfer (don鈥檛 worry鈥攖hat was a new word for us, too), a sloping top edge that cuts chatter, allows for a more playful feel, and improves durability. Michelle Nicholson, who skis at Wyoming鈥檚 Grand Targhee Resort, noted that the Kore 97 W 鈥渉eld an edge well and stayed predictable and consistent in both fresh powder and firm conditions.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 ideal for someone who prefers a more traditional alpine ski and wants something that will really hold an edge and plow through crud,鈥� Krass agreed.

Lengths (cm): 151, 158, 165, 172
Dimensions (mm): 126-98-114
Radius (m): 18.3 (165)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,260 (165)
Pros: Quickness/Maneuverability, Responsiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Playfulness

The all-new Wayback 98 W is quick and responsive, a lightweight and trustworthy tool to access terrain deep in the backcountry. Alongside the lively paulownia core and unidirectional carbon-fiber layup, K2鈥檚 Ti Spyne technology utilizes a touring-specific Titanal laminate at the center of the ski to increase predictability and damping, which testers appreciated while skiing variable spring snow. 鈥淭his ski does really well in tight terrain, weaves well through trees, and holds up well on firm snow,鈥� said Krass. 鈥淚鈥檇 definitely trust it in a tight chute where I need to have confidence in my edge grip, and the low swing weight also makes it easy to initiate a turn.鈥� It may not be a quiver killer鈥攏ewer skiers might be turned off by the stiffness鈥攂ut the Wayback 98 W is certainly a top contender for a lightweight spring-specific ski.

Get More Gear Reviews

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The post The Best Women鈥檚 Backcountry Skis of 2024 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This article was first published by .

If you鈥檙e in it for the downhill, peruse the skis that are a little wider underfoot and weigh closer to 2,000g per ski. Trying to set a Fastest Known Time on your dawn and dusk patrols? Then you鈥檙e looking for something light and narrow underfoot. Whatever adventure you鈥檙e in the market for, you can鈥檛 go wrong with any of these unisex backcountry skis designed to maximize fun on the ups and the downs.

Looking for the best women’s backcountry skis of 2024? You’ll find those here.聽

How We Test

Number of skis tested: 11
Number of testers: 12
Testing locations: Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Teton Pass, Wyo., Hatcher Pass, Alaska, Snow King Mountain, Wyo., Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Testing conditions: Deep powder, chalky windbuff, breakable crust, firm resort groomers, and spring corn
Average age of tester: 29
Average height of tester: 5鈥�9鈥�
Average weight of tester: 155 lbs

We lucked out big time testing backcountry skis in the Tetons this winter, with record-breaking snowfall that had us reaching for powder sticks more often than not. Our testers hit the skintrack for pre-work dawn patrols on Teton Pass and long alpine missions in Grand Teton National Park. Many were lucky enough to catch bottomless pow days, while others tested this year鈥檚 crop of backcountry skis in variable conditions between storms.

Our test crew included a mix of nine-to-fivers, weekend warriors, and self-proclaimed ski bums who cranked out laps in search of lightweight skis that held their own in soft snow and variable conditions alike. The goal: To find the backcountry skis that demonstrated the best balance of uphill and downhill performance. Bonus testing days chasing storms in the Wasatch and a ski mountaineering trip to Hatcher Pass, Alaska rounded out a solid mix of playful pow skiing, steep couloirs, mellow meadow skipping, slarvy spring corn, and sidecountry laps.

Meet the Testers

Age: 27 | Height: 5鈥�8鈥� | Weight: 120 lbs

Krass is a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured in SKI, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, and Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously).

Age: 30 | Height: 6鈥�0鈥� | Weight: 180 lbs

Ritter is a photographer and writer based in Jackson, Wyoming who鈥檚 been skiing in the backcountry for over 10 years. He spends most of his time skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Teton Pass, and Grand Teton National Park. While he鈥檚 no stranger to long slogs, Ritter is really in it for the downhill.

James Temple

Age: 29 | Height: 5鈥�10鈥� | Weight: 165 lbs

Temple is a med student who splits time between Jackson, Wyoming and Charlottesville, Virginia. He鈥檚 a ripping skier with an affinity for cliffy freeride terrain and is known at times to be the first one to hit a questionable pillow or straight line.

The Reviews: Best Backcountry Skis of 2024

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Salomon QST Echo 106 ($800)

Lengths (cm): 157, 165, 173, 181, 189
Dimensions (mm): 139-106-126
Radius (m): 19 (181)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,760 (181)
Pros: Playfulness, Forgiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation

Known for their energy, playfulness, and solid feel in variable conditions, the QST skis have an uncanny ability to please pros like Cody Townsend as well as us mere mortals. The brand-new QST Echo 106 shares the shape and profile of the all-mountain QST 106, with a slimmed-down construction (the Echo shaves off 200 grams per ski) that鈥檚 spry on the skintrack while maintaining an impressively quiet feel through variable snow in the backcountry. Salomon ditched the Titanal in this model, opting for a lightweight and responsive caruba-and-poplar core, with basalt fibers that bump up the stiffness. 鈥淭his is your daily driver,鈥� said Jackson, Wyoming-based tester Max Ritter. 鈥淔loats in pow, nimble in tight trees and couloirs, but reliable and solid when it comes time to open up the throttle and ski fast through chunky snow.鈥� Testers agreed that the lightened-up construction made the QST Echo 106 feel more energetic than the QST 106, touting the benefits of the lower swing weight for confined couloirs where you need to get your skis around quickly.

Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.

Lengths (cm): 157, 164, 171, 177, 183
Dimensions (mm): 124-99-116
Radius (m): 19 (177)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,390 (177)
Pros: Playfulness, Quickness
Cons: Crud Performance, Flotation

Faction鈥檚 La Machine series is proof that lightweight touring skis don鈥檛 need to be boring. The Mini is the second-slimmest La Machine ski, with a 99-millimeter waist that proved to be a really solid ski for going after bigger objectives. A lightweight paulownia core keeps the weight down while allowing for an energetic feel, and full-carbon layers add a fair amount of stiffness underfoot. While many touring skis in this weight class can be stiff and unwieldy, the freeride-oriented rocker profile and twin-tip design allowed the Mini to score high in Playfulness and Forgiveness, which testers agreed felt like a new way to look at skis in the Unisex Backcountry category. It鈥檚 quick and maneuverable in tight trees, firm couloirs, and the occasional bump run after skinning up the resort before work. 鈥淎 fantastic steep-skiing machine that won鈥檛 tire you out on long approaches,鈥� said Ritter. 鈥淕reat for spring missions and still surprisingly floaty in deep snow.鈥�

Lengths (cm): 176, 184
Dimensions (mm): 140-106-127
Radius (m): 20 (184)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,672 (184)
Pros: Stability at Speed, Crud Performance
Cons: Playfulness, Forgiveness

A powerful ski that will take you places, the RMU Apostle 106 Carbon Tour is proof that you don鈥檛 have to sacrifice downhill chops for a ski that can knock out big climbs. This model is the dedicated uphill option in the brand鈥檚 evergreen Apostle collection, featuring a lightweight poplar-and-paulownia core laid up with carbon to deliver stiffness and power. 鈥淭his one is ideal if you want a stiff ski you can drive through turns in the backcountry, but also if you just want to lap powder,鈥� said tester Kyle Fowler, an expert freeride skier who calls Wyoming鈥檚 Tetons home. The 106-millimeter waist provides a solid platform for staying afloat in deep snow, and while the Apostle 106 Carbon Tour is a directional ski, there鈥檚 a fair amount of tip and tail rocker that one tester said made it 鈥渇eel way wider than a 106.鈥� Stability at Speed stood out, with testers deeming it a top choice for big freeride lines, handling crud with style and grace.

Lengths (cm): 170, 177, 184, 190
Dimensions (mm): 121-104-112
Radius (m): 29 (184)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,827 (184)
Pros: Playfulness, Quickness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Versatility

A cult-like classic that deserves love from the masses, the 4FRNT Raven is a tool that has the capacity to turn mediocre skiing into a heck of a lot of fun, smeary and playful in soft snow and smooth and forgiving while blasting through crud. Energy and pop come from a lively aspen-and-maple core, reinforced with carbon for a stiff feel that you can drive through turns. Some testers hopped on the Raven and felt like they鈥檇 immediately found a long-lost best friend, but more folks agreed that it took a few tours to get familiar with the reverse-camber ski. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty much the perfect one-ski backcountry quiver鈥攁s long as you take a few days to learn how to actually ski it,鈥� said Ritter. 鈥淭he shape definitely takes some getting used to for anyone coming from a traditional directional ski.鈥�

Lengths (cm): 176, 181, 189
Dimensions (mm): 138-110-126
Radius (m): 21 (181)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,800 (176)
Pros: Playfulness, Flotation
Cons: Responsiveness, Versatility

The all-new Draco Freebird replaces the Ferox as the powder seeker in Black Crows鈥� touring-oriented Freebird line, a floaty and playful option for creative skiers looking to charge. A poplar-and-paulownia core provides the right balance of energy and dampness, with a pretty straight sidecut that favors folks who like to ski fast. It鈥檚 also predictable, which testers appreciated while transitioning between mank, firm snow, and chalky pow, sometimes all in the same run. A big ski like this can certainly chew up a ton of terrain, inspiring confidence when you鈥檙e looking at a mixed bag of conditions. But despite an affinity for committing to the fall line, it鈥檚 not an overbearing ski; the double-rockered profile allows for an easy slide and pivot, dumping speed and washing out of turns if you need to. It ranked high in Playfulness and Flotation鈥攏o surprise given its 110-millimeter waist, twin-tip design, and generous rocker lines. 鈥淭his is really the ultimate powder touring ski,鈥� said tester James Temple after a record-breaking winter season in Wyoming鈥檚 Tetons, his home terrain.

Best for the Long Haul: Black Diamond Helio Carbon 104 ($950)

Lengths (cm): 160, 166, 172, 178, 184
Dimensions (mm): 131-104-118
Radius (m): 21 (172)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,450 (178)
Pros: Responsiveness, Quickness
Cons: Versatility, Forgiveness

The bread and butter of Black Diamond鈥檚 touring lineup, the Helio Carbon 104 is a do-it-all backcountry ski that chows down on big-vert days. Ranking high in Responsiveness and Quickness/Maneuverability, this ski felt spry and nimble while snaking through tight forests, and testers noted that it floats remarkably for a 104-millimeter-underfoot ski thanks to the early rise tip and tail. A carbon layup keeps this model stiff and damp, with a springy paulownia core that won鈥檛 weigh you down on long climbs. 鈥淩eally surprised me with its easy handling,鈥� said Austria-born tester Elmar Eidelpes, who spends winters skiing in the Tetons. 鈥淚t鈥檚 ideal for someone who鈥檚 heading out for big, long powder days and needs a light ski to keep up.鈥� It took us for a bit of a ride in firm snow and chunder, and testers felt that it made a better companion while meadow skipping and cruising down wide-open bowls compared to steep, committing lines.

Best for Big Objectives: Dynastar M-Tour 108 ($1,000)

Lengths (cm): 171, 179, 187
Dimensions (mm): 136-108-126
Radius (m): 22 (187)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,450 (187)
Pros: Stability at Speed, Flotation
Cons: Playfulness, Quickness

We鈥檝e loved the big-mountain chops of Dynastar鈥檚 M-Free collection, so anticipation was high to see what the all-new M-Tour 108 had to offer. With a 108-millimeter waist, it鈥檚 a beefier free-touring ski than some of the brand鈥檚 narrower models, scoring high marks in Flotation as well as Stability at Speed. Directional rocker features plenty of early rise in the tip and less in the tails, which rewarded more-traditional turn shapes, although it came alive the faster we went. This model held its own while opening it up in steep, wide-open bowls, inspiring confidence in variable snow, especially for testers who are used to charging hard inbounds. At just over 1,500 grams per ski, the M-Tour 108 strikes a happy middle ground in its weight-to-performance ratio, making quick work of long climbs without straying from its freeride roots. 鈥淎n approachable and balanced touring ski,鈥� reported Vermont-based tester Kyle O鈥橩eefe, who appreciated how well this offering transitioned between soft snow and crud.

Best for Spring Missions: Fischer Transalp 98 CTI ($900)

Lengths (cm): 155, 162, 169, 176, 183
Dimensions (mm): 133-98-118
Radius (m): 22 (176)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,410 (176)
Pros: Versatility, Stability at Speed
Cons: Flotation, Playfulness

Fischer totally overhauled its Transalp collection this season, adding a little more freeride flair to its technical reputation. The all-new 98 CTI is an excellent daily driver for areas with less snowfall, and its trim design and reliable nature make it a killer spring ski for big alpine missions. A touch of Fischer鈥檚 Shaped Ti places just enough metal in the 98-millimeter-underfoot ski (yes, metal in a touring ski) to optimize grip and stability on firm, technical descents, while a light and bouncy paulownia core and carbon stringers keep the weight low and the flex consistent. While it鈥檚 not the floatiest ski we tested in the Unisex Backcountry category, early rise tips make it easy to steer in softer snow, and it really kicks into gear when you start to step on the gas. 鈥淚deal for an aggressive, energetic skier who wants a reliable ski they can take into a range of conditions,鈥� said Eidelpes. 鈥淎bsolute fun machine. Just not for an absolute beginner.鈥�

Best One-Ski Quiver: Blizzard Hustle 10 ($800)

Lengths (cm): 156, 164, 172, 180, 188
Dimensions (mm): 133-102-122.5
Radius (m): 17 (180)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,780 (180)
Pros: Crud Performance, Versatility/Balance of Skills
Cons: Flotation, Playfulness

Blizzard鈥檚 Hustle collection takes the shape of the charge-y, freeride-inclined Rustler line, with a lightened-up, skintrack-ready construction. The Hustle 10 sports a versatile 102-millimeter waist and a rockered tip and tail, which can handle the soft stuff equally as well as it can plow through chundery snow (high marks for Crud Performance), earning trust from testers as conditions shifted from midwinter fluff to late-season mank to springtime corn. 鈥淕etting to ski what feels like a resort ski in the backcountry is a real treat,鈥� said Lily Krass, whose home mountain is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 鈥淎 super-solid ski that can charge through variable snow without leaving you gassed.鈥� Despite the fact that Blizzard substituted a carbon laminate for the Rustler鈥檚 metal DRT insert, the Hustle 10 still isn鈥檛 for weight weenies. At just under 1,800 grams per ski, it makes an ideal freeride touring tool for those who don鈥檛 want to sacrifice an iota of downhill performance.

Best for Inbounds Touring: V枚lkl Rise Beyond 96 ($750)

Lengths (cm): 156, 163, 170, 177, 184
Dimensions (mm): 138-96-119
Radius (m): 17 (177)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,262 (170)
Pros: Responsiveness, Quickness/Maneuverability
Cons: Flotation, Versatility/Balance of Skills

Big climbs are no match for V枚lkl鈥檚 Rise Beyond 96, a slightly more versatile option than the Rise Beyond 88, which we tested extensively last year. A directional shape and a decent amount of camber underfoot led to high marks in Hard-Snow Integrity and praise for its edge control, a predictable ride in a lightweight package thanks to a multi-layer wood core beefed up with a carbon tip. The 96-millimeter-underfoot ski boasts a wide 138-millimeter shovel (which surprised us with a decent amount of float for a sub-100-millimeter ski), and the zippy 17-meter turn radius made for an agile and responsive ride that felt right at home dodging trees and hop turning down chutes. Railing turns at high speeds caused the Rise Beyond 96 to twitch a bit, but slow and controlled precision is the name of the game. 鈥淭his is a great all-around touring ski for those with a traditional turn and good carving skills,鈥� said Ritter. 鈥淕reat for resort touring or spring ski mountaineering.鈥�

Best For Long Tours: Armada Locator 104 ($975)

Lengths (cm): 162, 170, 178, 186
Dimensions (mm): 130-104-121
Radius (m): 21 (170)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,375 (170)
Pros: Quickness, Playfulness
Cons: Crud Performance, Stability at Speed

Smeary, surfy, and a heck of a lot of fun, we found Armada鈥檚 Locator 104 to be our ticket to extended exploratory days in the backcountry. Featherlight on our feet for long climbs, and with a wide shovel and mid-fat waist for sniffing out powder stashes, this ski is a solid daily driver for areas that see a decent amount of low-density snow. An ultralight caruba core reinforced with carbon led to a stiff but approachable tool that isn鈥檛 afraid to be driven, but won鈥檛 tire you out at the end of a long day. Some might be surprised to see the Locator 104鈥檚 directional shape; a heavy amount of tip rocker noodles and floats through soft snow, while the flat tail maintains edge hold and control when you鈥檙e looking for precision. 鈥淭his ski excels in boot-top pow, and the low swing weight feels nimble in tight terrain,鈥� said 5-foot-8 Krass. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 your ticket to fast freeride lines, though. Instead, opt for playful tree skiing or controlled turns in narrow couloirs.鈥�

The post The Best Backcountry Skis of 2024 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This article was first published by .

Even among these top performers, a handful of skis stand out. Some are perennial favorites that, year after year, just keep blowing their competition out of the water (here鈥檚 looking at you, ). Some redesigned skis proved to be even better versions of their former selves (hello, ). And some not only won their respective categories, but snagged top scores in every skill department (kudos to the ). For all of these reasons, some skis receive an additional nod鈥攐ur prestigious Editor鈥檚 Choice award鈥攆rom the SKI and 国产吃瓜黑料 gear editors.

With that being said, just because our SKI Test crew thought these were the best this year doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that they are the best skis for you. Dig below the surface and check out the detailed scores for each ski, the reviews and scores of other skis in each category, and remember the basics of how to buy skis in order to determine what pair is right for you this winter. And if it鈥檚 one of these beauties, well, hate to say we told you so鈥�

How We Test

Consensus can be mericless. And when the results are in, we often have some tough phone calls to make. But for every brand that tanks in the test, there鈥檚 a brand that shines, and we want readers to know which factories are on their game. What we shouldn鈥檛 have to say is that objectivity rules our test, but we know what goes on at other tests. So we鈥檒l say it: There鈥檚 no 鈥減ay-to-play鈥� fee for entry. No medals are exchanged for ad dollars. No palms are greased. To make our list of the best skis of the year, a ski has to impress our crew of 24 testers.

Who are our testers? Sure, they all rip. But more important, the team includes some of the most experienced testers in the business, and that鈥檚 what counts鈥攂ecause testing 15 or 20 different skis in a day is a bewildering experience to anyone who lacks experience. The team includes a mix of natural gear evaluators: instructors, shop owners, former racers and freeride competitors, and industry product developers.

We educate our testers about leaving any preconceptions behind: about brands, about previous models, about construction of skis, etc. We set testers loose at our official SKI Test in , and at the Carving Test at , on the test skis (more than 150 models total) sorted by waist width and divided among the number of test days.

Testers ski each model and evaluate and articulate its character, strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use and user. They also rate each model numerically according to nine different performance criteria. We crunch their numbers, consider those along with tester votes and opinions gathered during daily end-of-day debriefing sessions, come up with the top skis, and review them here.

We even show you the data, controversy be damned, because it鈥檚 highly illuminating. We know testing is somewhat imperfect, and we know you know that, but we still think you want to see it. Use it wisely.

Meet the Testers

Kimberly Beekman

Age: 47 | Height: 5鈥�4鈥� | Weight: 112 lbs

Kimberly Beekman has been testing skis and writing gear reviews for longer than she鈥檇 like to admit. She鈥檚 a former editor of SKI and freelance contributor to both SKI and 国产吃瓜黑料. She lives in Steamboat Springs with her wonderful daughter and terrible cat.

Chad Jacob

Age: 41 | Height: 5鈥�10鈥� | Weight: 195 lbs

Jacob is a ski race coach from the East Coast and skis like one. At his home hill of Bristol Mountain, N.Y., you鈥檒l likely find him carving up icy groomers on a set of skinny skis. Jacob is a veteran gear tester who has tested skis for both 国产吃瓜黑料 and SKI.

Avery Pesce

Age: 40 | Height: 5鈥�6鈥� | Weight: 138 lbs

Pesce lives in Whitman, Mass., and calls the ski areas of Vermont and New Hampshire home. She鈥檚 an expert skier with an aggressive style that she applies to any and all type of terrain and snow conditions. Safe to say that as the head ski buyer for Boston Ski & Tennis in Newton, Mass., she knows a thing or two about skis鈥攈ow they鈥檙e built, and how they perform.

Tommy Flitton

Age: 30 | Height: 5鈥�10鈥� | Weight: 185

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Flitton joined the Snowbird ski team as a young racer at the age of 7. He worked his way through the ranks as a racer, spending time at a ski academy in Vermont before returning to his favorite mountain in Utah. Now he spends his time coaching young freeriders how to send it big at Snowbird. He鈥檚 a veteran gear testers who has tested skis for both Powder and SKI.

The Reviews: The Best Skis of 2024

Editor鈥檚 Choice: St枚ckli Laser WRT Pro ($1,449)

Category: Carving
Lengths (cm): 167, 172, 180
Dimensions (mm): 118-66-100
Radius (m): 14.8 (172)
Pros: Hard-Snow Integrity, Stability at Speed
Cons: Playfulness, Forgiveness

If the St枚ckli Laser WRT Pro were college bound, it鈥檇 be an Ivy League contender. This hard-charging model scored top marks in all testing categories, solidifying its spot as the No. 1 Unisex Carving ski in this year鈥檚 test, including near-perfect scores for Stability at Speed and Hard-Snow Integrity. 鈥淭he responsiveness was next-level,鈥� said tester Geof Ochs, director of marketing for Sync Performance in Vail, Colorado. 鈥淭his is an energetic, dependable, stiff ski with lots of pop. It will hold onto groomers, ice, or crud鈥攏o matter how hard you push it.鈥� The Laser WRT Pro鈥檚 construction comes directly from race skis, featuring wide metal edges and stiff racing sidewalls with full edge contact for direct power transfer. The metal-and-carbon sandwich sidewall layup elicited adjectives like 鈥渂urly鈥� and 鈥渂omber鈥�; however, testers were surprised by the variety of turn shapes this ski could offer, as well as what Chris Bivona, owner of Ski Town All-Stars in Vail, Colorado, called its 鈥渉eat-seeking missile energy鈥� out of each turn.

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the unisex carving category.

Category: Women鈥檚 Carving
Lengths (cm): 155, 160, 165, 170, 175
Dimensions (mm): 121-70-102
Radius (m): 14 (165)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,740 (165)
Pros: Carving, Hard-Snow Integrity
Cons: Forgiveness, Playfulness

The Blizzard Phoenix R14 Pro rose through the ranks to achieve No. 1 status for best-performing 2023-24 Women鈥檚 Carving ski. As one of the narrower options in this category at 70 millimeters underfoot, it scored high marks for Carving and Hard-Snow Integrity. 鈥淚t likes fast and firm,鈥� claimed Colorado skier Jordan Berde. 鈥淪teep groomers will allow you to get the most out of this ski. It also handled some chopped-up soft snow like a champ.鈥� The Phoenix R14 Pro favors medium- to long-radius turns, with short arcs requiring more work, said testers. Construction includes a double layer of Titanal, a dampening carbon plate underfoot, and a core made from a blend of two different types of wood that create three varying areas of densities: stiffer flex in the center, medium flex around the binding, and softer flex in the tip and tail. According to SKI test director Jenny Wiegand, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a serious carver for serious skiers, bred for charging in early season conditions.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the women鈥檚 carving category.

Category: Frontside
Lengths (cm): 163, 170, 177, 184
Dimensions (mm): 129-88-113
Radius (m): 16 (177)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,898 (177)
Pros: Hard-Snow Integrity, Stability at Speed
Cons: Forgiveness, Playfulness

The V枚lkl Kendo, like the traditional Japanese martial art it鈥檚 named for, has been around for a while. But, according to our test team, the Kendo 88 keeps getting better. 鈥淚t鈥檚 insanely fun and responsive,鈥� said ski coach and Snowbird, Utah, local Tommy Flitton. This ski received the highest scores for Hard-Snow Integrity and Stability at Speed among the entire array of Frontside skis鈥攂oth Unisex and Women鈥檚鈥攁s well as nabbed the No. 1 spot for the unisex group. Choose your length mindfully: the Tailored Titanal Frame adjusts for height and skier ability with a flex that鈥檚 stiffer in longer lengths and less so in the shorter ones. If you鈥檙e willing to put the effort into it, testers claimed, the ski will return in kind. 鈥淎s long as you do not need flotation, this ski has no limits,鈥� reported Michael Rogan, ski instructor and PSIA National Demo Team alpine coach. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not for the faint of heart, but you can ski everything from hard snow in a NASTAR course to bumps down a long run.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the frontside category.

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Elan Wildcat 86 C Black Edition ($1,150)

Category: Women鈥檚 Frontside
Lengths (cm): 152, 158, 164, 170
Dimensions (mm): 127-86-113
Radius (m): 14.7 (164)
Weight (per ski in grams): 2,955 (164)
Pros: Carving, Responsiveness
Cons: Crud Performance, Forgiveness

A frontside friend with benefits, the Elan Wildcat 86 C Black Edition earned the highest marks of all Women鈥檚 Frontside skis for nearly all traits, including near-perfect tens for Carving and Responsiveness. This model features the brand鈥檚 asymmetrical Amphibio Truline W technology, creating a right and left ski鈥攐ne of the elements that allows it to roll on edge quickly. The Black Edition adds a higher level of performance to the Wildcat line (plus a layer of carbon), and testers appreciated the combination of characteristics that allows for aggressive skiing鈥攚ithout needing Mikaela Shiffrin鈥檚 thighs or precision. 鈥淚 was blown away by this ski鈥檚 versatility for different abilities as well as the stability on hardpack and ice,鈥� said Vermont skier Avery Pesce. 鈥淲ait, there鈥檚 more: It swings effortlessly in short turns with zero resistance, holds solid in GS turns with no tail skid, and has just the right amount of rebound in the bumps.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the women鈥檚 frontside category.

Category: All-Mountain
Lengths (cm): 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
Dimensions (mm): 132.5-100-120.5
Radius (m): 17.3 (179)
Weight (per ski in grams): 2,175 (179)
Pros: Stability at Speed, Crud Performance
Cons: Quickness, Forgiveness

The Enforcer 100, the ski that has defined this category since its inception, swept away its competition yet again with an all-new layup. Advanced skiers and ex-racers alike will swoon the moment they put their foot on the gas, while intermediates and beginners may want to look for a more forgiving ride. Nordica鈥檚 redesigned charger treated our testers with a rock-solid platform, burning sidewall for thousands of feet from the top of Sun Valley, Idaho鈥檚 Challenger chair. The brand may have put its beast on a diet, but the Enforcer 100 hasn鈥檛 lost any of its teeth. And while the tech talk intimates that this ski was cooked up in the bowels of the race department, it is most at home carving off-piste chalk and snaking at the margins of groomed runs. Put simply by tester Luke Larsen, who owns a ski shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, 鈥淚f you love to ski, you will love this ski.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the all-mountain category.

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Blizzard Sheeva 9 ($750)

Category: Women鈥檚 Frontside
Lengths (cm): 150, 156, 162, 168, 174
Dimensions (mm): 129-96-118.5
Radius (m): 14 (162)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,765 (162)
Pros: Versatility, Quickness
Cons: Flotation, Stability at Speed

Last year, the Blizzard Sheeva 9 won best in test. This year, it repeats the feat, but while boasting a complete redesign that hones its strengths and eliminates its weaknesses鈥斺�渇avorite ski of the day鈥� was our testers鈥� refrain. The new iteration is 4 millimeters wider underfoot and has a longer effective edge to both float in powder and carve on groomers. It also boasts Blizzard鈥檚 Freeride TrueBlend Woodcore, which consists of denser wood where a stiffer flex is desirable, and softer wood in the tips and tails lends forgiveness and ease of turn initiation. A new fiberglass plate underfoot replaces the metal one, allowing the ski to go from tight slalom corkscrews to long, fast downhill turns just by thinking about it. The Sheeva 9 is quick and playful, and testers agreed that it鈥檚 the most versatile within the Women鈥檚 All-Mountain category in terms of both ability levels and terrain. 鈥淎mazing all over the mountain,鈥� said Avery Pesce, a Sugarbush and Jay Peak, Vermont, skier.

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the women鈥檚 all-mountain category.

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Nordica Enforcer 104 Free ($850)

Category: All-Mountain Wide
Lengths (cm): 165, 172, 179, 186, 191
Dimensions (mm): 134.5-104-123.5
Radius (m): 17.5 (179)
Weight (per ski in grams): 2,105 (179)
Pros: Stability at Speed, Flotation
Cons: Forgiveness, Quickness

The Nordica Enforcer lineup is no stranger to the upper ranks of the SKI Test, and the Enforcer 104 Free carries on that tradition by claiming the top step on the Unisex All-Mountain Wide podium for 2023-24. This model combines a wood core, carbon, and two sheets of metal sandwiched into Nordica鈥檚 Powder Rocker Profile to build a stout ski that earned top scores for Stability at Speed, Flotation, and Versatility. Testers agreed that the Enforcer 104 Free was best suited for strong, aggressive, and expert skiers who are looking for an option that鈥檚 competent in the soft stuff but can still hold an edge on firm snow. Some skiers found it to feel most comfortable in wide-open spaces and when skied assertively, which explains the low scores for Quickness and Forgiveness. Tester Luke Larsen, who calls Snowbird, Utah, his home hill, summed this ski up well: 鈥淚t will Enforce your will on pow days.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the all-mountain wide category.

Category: Women鈥檚 All-Mountain Wide
Lengths (cm): 158, 165, 172, 179
Dimensions (mm): 133-104-122
Radius (m): 16 (165)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,745 (165)
Pros: Versatility, Responsiveness
Cons: Hard-Snow Integrity, Playfulness

The Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free appeals to skiers of many abilities, from intermediates through ex-racers, with testers noting that it will meet you where you are and eagerly take you anywhere you want to go. Its comfort in all conditions earned this ski the highest score for Versatility in the Women鈥檚 All-Mountain Wide category while also guaranteeing it took home impressive marks for Crud Performance and Flotation. Testers reported that, wide appeal notwithstanding, advanced and expert skiers will be best able to maximize the Santa Ana 104 Free鈥檚 performance. Some in our crew were concerned that this ski could feel dull and lack energy, which saw it ranked low in the Playfulness category. Despite those reservations, however, Avery Pesce, a Boston, Massachusetts-based tester, described the Nordica as the 鈥渦ltimate all-mountain ski, to be taken anywhere regardless of the conditions or terrain.鈥�

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the women鈥檚 all-mountain wide category.

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Salomon QST Blank ($800)

Category: Unisex and Women鈥檚 Powder
Dimensions (mm): 138-112-127
Available lengths (cm): 178, 186, 194
Radius (m): 17 (186)
Weight (per ski in grams): 2,220 (186)
Pros: Flotation, Quickness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Forgiveness

Except for new graphics, nothing has changed about the highly popular Salomon QST Blank for 2023-鈥�24 season, and that includes how much skiers of all stripes love it. Proof: For the third year in a row, this unisex ski won the highest scores in the powder ski category from both male and female testers. What we loved most about this ski is how quick and playful it is. The QST Blank features a full poplar wood core and no metal, which keeps it feeling light underfoot (2,220 grams per ski) and makes it extraordinarily nimble. For a pow ski, it also has a more moderate waist width at 112 millimeters, a healthy amount of traditional camber underfoot, and relatively short turning radius (17 meters in the 186-centimeter length), which translate to enhanced responsiveness and quicker edge-to-edge transitions. We also appreciated how approachable the QST Blank is, with testers calling it a great powder option for intermediates to experts.聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 very easy to figure out. Skiers of lower ability could handle it, but it still charges for the higher-ability skier,鈥� commented Aspen-based ski shop technician John Jensen. One small critique: It鈥檚 not the most dependable at speed. A few testers noted a slight lack of stability when trying to plough through crud at mach speeds or opening it up when the terrain allowed. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a ski to go 100 miles-per-hour on,鈥� noted race coach Chad Jacob, 鈥渂ut is that what we really want in this category?鈥� For most skiers, the answer is no鈥攏o it鈥檚 not. What we want in a powder ski is flotation and fun, pop and pizazz, and the QST Blank delivers on those fronts in spades.

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the powder category.

Editor鈥檚 Choice: Salomon QST Echo 106 ($800)

Category: Backcountry
Lengths (cm): 157, 165, 173, 181, 189
Dimensions (mm): 139-106-126
Radius (m): 19 (181)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,760 (181)
Pros: Playfulness, Forgiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation

Known for their energy, playfulness, and solid feel in variable conditions, the QST skis have an uncanny ability to please pros like Cody Townsend as well as us mere mortals. The brand-new QST Echo 106 shares the shape and profile of the all-mountain QST 106, with a slimmed-down construction (the Echo shaves off 200 grams per ski) that鈥檚 spry on the skintrack while maintaining an impressively quiet feel through variable snow in the backcountry. Salomon ditched the Titanal in this model, opting for a lightweight and responsive caruba-and-poplar core, with basalt fibers that bump up the stiffness. 鈥淭his is your daily driver,鈥� said Jackson, Wyoming-based tester Max Ritter. 鈥淔loats in pow, nimble in tight trees and couloirs, but reliable and solid when it comes time to open up the throttle and ski fast through chunky snow.鈥� Testers agreed that the lightened-up construction made the QST Echo 106 feel more energetic than the QST 106, touting the benefits of the lower swing weight for confined couloirs where you need to get your skis around quickly.

See how this ski stacks up against the rest in the backcountry category.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does SKI test and rank skis?

SKI’s and 国产吃瓜黑料’s editors and veteran gear testers, who are all proven industry professionals, spend a week each March testing more than a 100 pairs of the upcoming season’s most exciting skis. We test men’s and women’s skis separately in six different categories: Carving, Frontside, All-Mountain, All-Mountain Wide, Powder, and Backcountry. Testers ski each pair of skis for one or two runs, making sure to take the skis into different kinds of terrain and conditions. They then immediately fill out a ski test score card, rating each ski in eight to ten different criteria, including Stability at Speed, Hard-Snow Integrity, Playfulness, etc. SKI’s editors then crunch the numbers to see which skis come out on top of each category and to determine each ski’s strengths and weaknesses.

How do I choose a pair of skis?

Do your research. Start by asking yourself what type of skis you are looking for, and being honest about your current ability level and goals for the season. Check out our “” article to get started. Then, use SKI’s Gear Guide and extended ski reviews to get an idea of different options in different categories.

Just remember: ski testing is not an exact science. While we rely heavily on the feedback and opinions of our veteran gear testers to rank and review each season’s skis, at the end of the day ski testing is subjective. That mean’s our top-ranking ski in one category might be a great ski, but it may not be the best choice for you if it’s above or below your ability level, or if it’s too wide or too narrow for the type of skiing you typically do. So do your research.

What’s the difference between men’s and women’s skis?

Most skis are technically unisex skis鈥攖hey are not specifically designed for men or for women. These skis come in a variety of length options, usually from 150cm to 190cm to accommodate for both men and women, as well as different ability levels. However, some skis these days are women’s-specific. These skis have adapted constructions, usually to make the ski a little lighter, less stiff, and to move the mount point forward to improve a woman’s ability to drive a ski. That said, many advanced and expert women, especially if they’re aggressive skiers, still prefer to ski a unisex ski. .

The post The Top Performing Skis of 2024 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

At 20,310 feet, Denali is the tallest peak in North America鈥攌nown as 鈥渢he high one鈥� by Athabascan tribes. The summit success rate up the standard West Buttress route usually hovers around 50 percent, although last year鈥檚 unprecedented dry spring created many weather windows, availing a 70 percent success rate (the 2023 season was around 31 percent due to challenging weather).

One of those ascents was completed by Mountain Trip ski guide, Jed Porter, assistant guide, Jake Skeen, and guided guest, Dave Riggs, in June 2022. 鈥淒enali is extremely hard in every single way,鈥� said Porter, a full-time IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) guide since 2005. While the challenges to summit may be vast, the glory comes in the experience and the knowledge gained along the way. Here鈥檚 the gear that Porter relied on to get himself up and down Denali safely.

Boots

Denali records some of the coldest temperatures of all the high peaks in North America. Throughout the spring and summer, temperatures between high camp and the summit dip well below freezing, oftentimes lingering around minus 20 to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and comfortable extremities are an absolute necessity. Keeping this in mind, Porter chose to go with the lightweight boot ($899). 鈥淐old temperatures at high endeavors meant a need for thicker foam liners,鈥� says Porter, who opted to go with a shell two sizes larger than his usual size to accommodate a thicker boot liner.

Skis

Ski mountaineering objectives tend to be more enjoyable with a lighter ski setup because they require less effort on the ascent. However, lightweight setups do compromise stability while traveling downhill, which Porter wasn鈥檛 willing to risk. With this insight he used the , a versatile and reliable option that weighs 1300 grams per ski with a hybrid Paulownia and PU core. In general, Porter recommends choosing a ski that weighs around 1400 grams per ski with a width of 90 to 100 millimeters and provides a good amount of agility and precision.聽

Ski Sleds

Denali requires a lot of equipment, which means guides often rely on a durable sled to transport gear between camps. Typically, groups will carry at least 60 pounds worth of gear in their backpack (sometimes even more), with a little less in the sled. Porter鈥檚 team climbed with sleds up to 14 Camp, and advanced without sleds from there to the summit. Skiing with a sled can present some challenges (for example, it can be difficult to stay balanced and keep the sled from rolling over on tricky terrain while the sled is pushing on the skier from behind). Porter went with ($260) and the ($145). 鈥淚t took ten minutes to set up and helped a ton with the downhill,鈥� he remarked.

Tent

Deciding between tents on Denali can be somewhat of a gamble. Some teams choose to haul up one tent for sleeping and another for a kitchen鈥攚hile others may just elect to bring one group tent. Porter and his group decided on one tent鈥攖he ($1,535), because the team didn鈥檛 want to be weighed down with any unnecessary gear. The Keron is quite strong thanks to the tent鈥檚 Kerlon 1800 outer fabric and 10-millimeter poles. Plus, the spacious vestibule provides enough room to dig out a kitchen for three people (which is great when the forecast is predicting dry weather). While the team lucked out on the weather, Porter said if they did catch a surprise storm, they would have been confined to one tent all day, which would have been a tight squeeze.

Crampons and Ice Axes

On a route like the West Buttress, crampons matter most on the upper mountain above 14 Camp. Porter and his crew down-climbed and belayed a section of the Rescue Gully from around 17,000 feet to just below 16,000 feet when conditions turned icy, with a fair bit of consequence below鈥攐pen crevasses, rocks, steep slopes, and slide for life conditions. Because of situations like these, the crampons, ice axe, and pickets to bring up 鈥渢he high one鈥� has to be a calculated decision. Guides need to consider weight and the ski mountaineering objectives. If you opt for lightweight crampons, you may compromise on security on unpredictable slopes. 12-point steel crampons, while heavy, are more durable and secure.

Porter chose to go with a modified, all-steel ($280) and the 45 cm ($120) aluminum ice axe. He picked lighter-weight options because he knew his team was experienced and wouldn鈥檛 need to use their axes for the majority of the climb given the current conditions. While Porter thought the ice axe was the right decision, he wish he had brought the ($170) instead, a more stable, lightweight steel crampon that holds 10 points (the Skimo Pure Nanotech crampon is 596 grams per pair, and the Ascent Universal is 776 grams per pair). According to Porter, the Skimo Pure Nanotech crampon was a little too light, with points that are too short (he described the Nanotech crampons as 鈥渟quirrely鈥�).聽

Porter also decided not to take any pickets, which he admitted was a slightly aggressive decision. A picket is an aluminum T beam with a pointed end that can be hammered into snow or ice to add extra protection on a climb or serve as an anchor for crevasse rescue. Bringing pickets is widely debated in the ski mountaineering community鈥攕ome argue that they鈥檙e always worth the extra weight. In this case, Porter figured his team could use a combination of the ice axes, screws, and skis if they needed to administer a rescue haul.聽

Rope

Deciding which ropes to bring up Denali requires a good amount of planning. Bring excess rope, and you could be carrying too much weight. Bring too little, and you could jeopardize your team in a dangerous situation. Ultimately, Porter and his team went with the ($195) at 46 meters for their ascent and descent below 14,000 feet, where navigating bigger crevasses is more prominent. They selected two 6-millimeter, 30-meter ($240) ropes tied together in the middle for the upper mountain. This allowed the front and the back person to drop an extra 10-18 meters of rope at the top, which helped lighten the load for the summit push.

The post The Gear a Denali Ski Guide Relies On appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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Back in the late ’90s when I was a high schooler and the snow was lousy at my local resort I used to pull out a pair of 210 centimeter Tua skis (maybe 75 millimeter underfoot?) mounted with flimsy Voile telemark bindings and then strap on a pair of thrift shop leather telemark boots. As you might imagine, getting down the hill with this setup was quite a challenge and made the shitty snow way more fun.

On a college trip around Europe, I was in Italy and came across a pair of plastic Asolo telemark boots in an army surplus store and thought I鈥檇 hit the jackpot. They weighed a ton and only barely came above my ankle, but they were plastic and afforded me that much more control. I carried those boots across Europe that summer and then used them through college with slightly fatter skis mounted to slightly more robust Voile bindings. I was always the last person down the hill in my ski posse but I enjoyed every single turn.

Fast forward to adulthood and I eventually left my telemark setup behind. By my mid-30s I鈥檇 wiggled my way into testing skis for publications like 国产吃瓜黑料 and Powder and no one cared about telemarking. I spent ten years on the best downhill setups (and best AT setups in the backcountry) and my telemark gear gathered dust in the garage.

Then I had kids. As any of you who have kids know, teaching them to ski can be a slow process. Even if I would get 30 days of skiing each season, my total vert was probably less than a person who spent two days skiing a place like Taos or Jackson Hole. I was skiing, but I was skiing on Bambi all day long. To freshen things up, I decided to get back on teles.

Today, my telemark setup is still in use. My kids are all skiing blues and an occasional black, and as they learn to navigate steeper terrain I get to work on my telemark technique. They鈥檝e been graduating from a snowplow to parallel skiing and I鈥檝e been thinking about how much I should drop my knee. They鈥檝e been learning to pole plant and I鈥檓 trying to get the back of my uphill skis to come around the turn without bouncing around too much.

I鈥檓 by no means an expert telemark skier. Those of you who are might even laugh at what I鈥檓 working on. But damn if I haven鈥檛 loved the past few years in large part because I鈥檓 on a telemark setup that鈥檚 challenged me, literally brought me closer to the snow, and helped me build semi-respectable quads. Telemarking has been an old frontier for me to re-explore and it鈥檚 helped me have the patience I needed to raise my crew of young skiers.

And while I hate proselytizing, here I am on the pulpit of telemarking saying that you, too, should give it a try. Even for those of you who don鈥檛 have kids, I promise that a day here and there of telemarking, be it in the spring after you鈥檝e had your fill of powder days, or even on closing day in your ’80s outfit, will be a lot of fun. You鈥檒l have a new challenge and telemarking will give you a new way to see your local hill. Your quads will ache and you鈥檒l want to scream halfway down the hill, but the apres beer will taste that much better.

To get a telemark setup dialed for this season, there are a couple of options. Like any kind of skiing, you can go used which will save you lots of money but probably cause you some extra grief. Or you can go new because some companies are still making telemark gear and some of the technology has come a long way. I鈥檝e detailed both approaches below.

Used Telemark Gear

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and we鈥檙e lucky to have a place called Regear. It鈥檚 a warehouse-sized used gear shop that鈥檚 stuffed to the gills with every piece of used gear you can think of. It鈥檚 so stuffed, in fact, that there鈥檚 an entire eight-by-eight-foot shelf stuffed with used telemark boots and several bins stuffed with old telemark skis and bindings.

Most of the boots on the shelf are beaten up. We all know that telemark skiers loved to be seen as dirtbags, so when they were done with their boots they had some miles. You鈥檒l find an occasional pair of Black Diamond or Crispi boots, but the vast majority are old Scarpa T2s. You鈥檝e no doubt seen these boots around, and they were obviously the most popular and best-selling model whenever Scarpa launched them.

In the ski bin, there are a lot of old K2s that are not quite as long as my Tuas, and not quite as thin, but still have that much more pronounced hourglass shape that was popular 25 years ago. The bindings are almost exclusively from Voile.

At Regear, or wherever you shop for used gear, a whole setup might cost you $150-$200 and if you鈥檙e just gonna dip your toe in telemarking, it鈥檚 the way to go. You鈥檒l look totally out of place on the ski hill, and making turns down the hill with this gear will be a challenge, but I guarantee it will also be plenty of fun. Those of you who can master a graceful turn on a setup like this will automatically be placed in a special category of skier.

New Telemark Gear

There鈥檚 no such thing as telemark skis anymore. You just have to figure out what kind of skis you want to make telemark turns on. As a gear reviewer, I have my choice of demos and for a new setup, I just asked to test two different pairs. First, I went for the V枚lkl Mantra 102. This ski is a fan favorite amongst hard-charging skiers because it鈥檚 so solid and reliable underfoot. It likes to be skied fast and favors big arching turns. The 102 will definitely be my choice for hardpack days when I鈥檓 trying to keep up with groms who are getting increasingly speedy and it鈥檚 gonna force me to keep working on my telemark technique.

I also asked to demo a pair of DPS Pagoda 100 RPs. These skis are known for being more playful and easier to pivot and slide and will work when I鈥檓 trying to make quicker and poppier turns. The Pagoda will be just fine on hardpack but will be extra fun in the bumps and in softer snow. Even though I thought I should go shorter on a telemark setup (not sure why I thought that), my contact at DPS advised me to ski mostly the same length I would for a downhill ski so I鈥檒l be on 184s (and 177s for the Mantras).

Both skis will eventually be mated with NTN telemark bindings, which do away with the heel strap and instead use an under-boot connection point that creates a more robust setup and adds more tension to your boot when your knee is bent. One pair of skis will get NTN Freedom bindings from Scarpa (or Rottefella, which Scarpa owns) and the other will get Outlaw X bindings from 22 Designs. I鈥檓 particularly excited to test the Outlaw X bindings because people I鈥檝e talked to say they have a really nice flex and add a noticeable amount of control. I also dig that they鈥檙e built in the U.S. by a small company. Both bindings have a touring mode, but for now, I鈥檒l be using them exclusively inbounds.

Finally, I鈥檒l be skiing with a pair of Scarpa TX Pro NTN boots, which can still be bought brand new in full-size runs if you know where to look. These boots have not changed in a long time (years!) because Scarpa put its energy into the AT market. They鈥檙e significantly heavier than a pair of Scarpa AT boots, but I鈥檝e had the chance to ski them previously and loved that they were super stiff and super comfortable. Mated with a pair of NTN bindings, the Scarpas are the most advanced boots 鈥渟till鈥� on the market.

Mark My Words: Telemark is Coming Back

I want to end this article with a prediction: in five year鈥檚 you鈥檙e going to see a lot more telemark skiers at your local ski hill.

Here鈥檚 why: Over the past ten years, we鈥檝e seen a lot of advancements in downhill and AT gear. You can barely go wrong with a pair of skis, boots, or bindings these days. As a result of this gear plateau we now sort of find ourselves on, telemark gear is going to get a refresh sometime soon. People like me who want a new challenge, or people who used to tele and miss those days, or people who just think dropping a knee looks cool, are a small but wide open market, and gear companies are going to exploit that market (in a good way).

In fact, I recently heard that a major boot company has plans to release a new telemark boot sometime in the coming years. One major step forward like that could spur the entire industry. I imagine this new boot will draw from AT technology and be lighter, stiffer, and come with an incredible walk mode. That will in turn inspire companies like 22 Designs to find new ways to harness that boot design, spurring their technology on as well. Ski companies, if they really wanted to, could use the ski constructions people currently love to build a ski that鈥檚 designed specifically for the telemark turn.

I鈥檓 not putting any money on this prediction just yet, but I hope that in five years I look back and I鈥檓 totally right. If I鈥檓 not, oh well. I鈥檒l still be telemarking.

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