Nov 16 2017
Now that the pendulum is swinging back from the fringes of phat skis to moderately wide skis, what used to called fat but is now even skinny, Black Diamond’s Helio 88 should perk your interest. It’s a solid ski that lets you minimize weight without sacrificing good performance. Of course, a lot depends on …
Mar 07 2017
Skis are a funny business. They are a combination of what one might consider mere mechanical construction, yet they are also part art. A portion of that is certainly due to the delight we experience when shussing through the snow, but the real magic is how ski designers can take what are essentially a common …
Nov 23 2015
It was over a decade ago that Fischer broke the mold with waxless metal edged skis when they introduced their S-Bound series. In the interim, Karhu pushed the envelope with their 78mm wide Guide, then Voile picked up the ball where Karhu left it, and kept expanding the waistline to 115mm with their Charger …
Oct 13 2015
Even with a pair of one of the heaviest alpine tech bindings mounted to them, Marker’s Kingpin, Volkl’s new VTA88 is a bonafide welterweight. Without bindings you might even consider them to be featherweight, but that would suggest an absence of muscle that in reality, the VTA has no shortage of. Think of the VTA88 …
Mar 04 2015
I have been skiing the ‘regular’ Charger (181cm) for the last two seasons. They turn on a dime, float like a butterfly, etc. I had been considering a fish scaled, down hill oriented ski as there are some areas I ski with short (¼—½ mile) approaches or exits that are just tilted enough to make …
Mar 02 2015
Last week I managed to get out on Blizzard’s Zero G for two days and can confirm they are a worthy contender for next year’s addition to your quiver. The Zero G is Blizzards entry into the lightweight, carbon enhanced backcountry ski category that continues to amaze with skis weighing less than three pounds per …
Feb 12 2015
To say that next year’s new skis from Dynafit are probably the best turning skis they’ve ever made only confirms what backcountry skiers have known for years; there’s a limit to how light you can make a ski if you want great downhill performance in a lot of conditions, at any speed. In short, when …
Recent Comments