Men's Freeride touring ski reviews 2018
The skis in the “Freeride touring” category are selected for a mixed piste/freeride programme, and are light enough to be mounted with touring bindings. The skis are halfway between freeride or all-mountain skis, designed for descent performance, and touring skis that are narrower and very light, perfect for ascents.Designed with uphill glides on skins in mind (more or less ambitious depending on their weight) to extend the scope of freeride exploration, they are still great fun in descent skiing. The review criteria are the same as for all-mountain back skis, as is the weight, the main performance yardstick for gliding uphill. The skis are relatively wide (from 92 to 100 mm underfoot) to give good float in the powder and fluidity in spring snow. The shape is similar to that of All-mountain skis, but they're far lighter (between 1300 gr and 1900 gr for the ski alone).
BEST SKI
Völkl 90Eight review 2018
Men's skis 2018 > Freeride touring Best ski 2018
Since the brand’s Kendo, Mantra and Cochise regularly score high in the PROSKILAB reviews, we were curious to see how Völkl’s 90Eight (for "98") behaves in this category where we’re also looking for lightness. It was no surprise that the 90Eight is a bit heavier and stiffer than its playmates, with more emphasis on performance. It behaves well and is efficient both on and off the groomers.... Read on
AWARD
Elan Ripstick 96 review 2018
Men's skis 2018 > Freeride touring Best Accessibility/Enjoyment!
Elan’s Ripstick 96 is very impressive in this "All Mountain light - back" category, and just missed the top of the podium. Good (no more, no less) weight distribution, versatile, happy on all terrains, it scored well for its great responsiveness that makes it incredibly playful underfoot and great fun in the powder and soft snow. The ski is remarkably accessible, especially off-piste where its flotation,... Read on
The Wayback 96 from K2 is a Swiss knife that will wow riders who love to explore the virgin slopes. More of a ski touring than an All Mountain ski it’s a bit less playful on the trails, especially for carving/slicing clean arcs. In freeride, on the other hand, it performs extremely well. The ski is user-friendly and comfortable overall. The easy rotation, consistent skid turns and flotation in powder make the rider’s... Read on
The Camox Freebird from Black Crows puts the focus on accessibility and comfort. The ski is very easy to steer, enjoyable in soft snow, and agile. The highly present tip lets you glide effortlessly on deep snow, even at low speeds. Its behavior on the piste is good up to medium speeds, even if the ski is not the most incisive on the market. At high speed and on uneven snow or crud, you can feel the lack of rigidity, which... Read on
True, it came last in a demanding preselection for the best skis on the market, but the Rossignol Sky HD has kept its predecessors’ character. Very flexible, especially at the tip, it’s remarkably easy to handle and will even go slightly into overdrive, with great float in deep snow up to intermediary speeds. But when we step up the pace, this flexibility makes it much more difficult to steer. It’s nonetheless... Read on
The UBAC 95 scored high for its lightness and great accessibility. It's really very easy to steer and handle, and great fun for its rider. With 1413 grams underfoot (ski only), it's easy to take uphill and is a joy to ride down. However, it lacks the stiffness and character needed for the "all mountain" segment. Its behavior on groomed trails and through choppy snow falls a little short due to the... Read on