Men's Freeride touring ski reviews 2019
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
Black Crows Camox Freebird review 2019
Men's skis 2019 > Freeride touring Best ski 2019
Already selected and reviewed last year, the Camox Freebird from Black Crows did incredibly well this year with a new version and a new design featuring an updated core. The result is amazing.
On the groomers, it is very versatile and provides good edge grip and outstanding stability. The Camox Freebird is well-balanced, determined, easy to maneuver, and playful.
Off-piste, the ski is flawless. It performs... Read on
AWARD
K2 Wayback 96 review 2019
Men's skis 2019 > Freeride touring Best Accessibility/Performance!
This year, the K2 Wayback 96 was again selected for the PROSKILAB ski test and reaffirms its excellent performance (which we already noted last year).
The K2 Wayback 96 features a very progressive flex that makes it incredibly smooth and fun to ski. It is at ease in all types of terrain and in relatively soft snow conditions, including on groomed trails.
The ski is easy to use, lively, and a solid performer.... Read on
AWARD
Völkl VTA 98 review 2019
Men's skis 2019 > Freeride touring Best Accessibility!
During the pre-tests, we mentioned our preference for the Mantra V.Werks (an amazing model that we would like to review next year), but VÖLKL asked us to review the VTA 98, a ski designed for a larger market.
Overall performance is good. The testers said the ski was "very predictable," "playful," and "performed well" in all snow conditions, especially in powder where float and... Read on
Reviewed for the first time by PROSKILAB, the Atomic Backland 95 made a good impression.
It is a relatively stiff ski for this category. The result is excellent performance on groomed runs, with edge grip and stability that would make some frontside skis jealous. This stiffness is also a huge plus off-piste. The ski's strong performance in variable snow and its ability to go very fast were highly appreciated... Read on
The Dynastar Mythic 97 CA is fun and easy to control. It's an easy ski that is relatively soft despite what the letters CA in its name (for Carbon) would have us think.
The pro testers appreciated how fun and accessible the ski was in most snow conditions: "a solid ski that is easy to control," "an easy ski," "enjoyable on all types of snow...”
The Mythic 97 CA... Read on
The UBAC 95 from ZAG hasn't changed much compared with the model we tested last year.
The ski is light underfoot, maneuverable, and very easy to pivot. It is fun and does what you ask as long as you don't go too fast.
Performance is good off-piste. The testers were particularly impressed by its ability to float and pivot in powder: “A really fun ski in powder."
On the... Read on