“Whenever I travel to ski, unless I have a specific objective, I take a Helio Carbon 104 ,” Merriman says. But most of the time, 95 to 105 is that sweet spot for a backcountry ski. “In places where they get a ton of snow, you’ll see people skiing with 115mm underfoot. “When it comes to the width of the ski, the snow that you ski is obviously a factor,” Merriman explains. (Around 5.5 to 8 pounds is a good ballpark range, though your ideal ski weight will vary depending on your height and weight.) Merriman recommends finding a ski that hits the middle of the weight spectrum by using a mix of materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber, and lighter woods like paulownia or balsam.
Plus, the lighter the ski, the less durable it will be. Lighter skis, on the other hand, are dreamy while touring, but they can result in a bouncier, more unstable ride. Resort skis, which are often made of heavier materials like fiberglass and poplar wood, handle well on the downhill, but the weight will leave you huffing on the uphills. “Weight isn’t everything, but it does matter,” Merriman says. Your boots, bindings, skis, and skins should work in harmony. Before you buy something new, ask an expert how it will pair with what you’ve already got. Different bindings work better with different boots, and some skins work best with certain skis. Think of your boots, bindings, skins, and skis not as four distinct pieces of gear but as a single system designed to work together, Merriman says. Think of your backcountry ski setup as an integrated system. As Black Diamond’s ski category manager and an experienced backcountry skier himself, he’s got some insider tips for picking the perfect setup.ġ. To demystify the process and help you choose a backcountry ski setup that works for you, we talked to Andy Merriman, who’s been involved in engineering and designing skis for nearly 17 years.
If you find yourself leaving gear conversations with your head spinning like a kid throwing 360s at the terrain park, you’re not alone. But it can also be pretty overwhelming.Ĭamber or rocker? Paulownia or poplar? Fiberglass or carbon? There are so many skis out there (and so many friends with really strong opinions). Making the leap is one of the most exciting parts of getting started in backcountry skiing. The Heli Stinx were great skis in their day.So you’ve been backcountry skiing a few times and you’re ready to choose a backcountry ski setup. Note that Voile does not recommend using inserts on the Ultravector. Others that come to mind are the K2 Wayback 96 and the Voile Ultravector. For example, the non-carbon Helio Recon 95 (descendant of the Route 95) has identical dimensions to the carbon version and is not that much heavier, and it has no binding restrictions. four screws for many other tele bindings.īut why are you focused on the Helio Carbon 95? There are other similar skis with no binding restrictions. Also, the more screws the front half of the binding has, the better off you are - e.g., 22 Designs bindings toe pieces all mount with six screws vs.
If you are more of a finesse skier and have never broken a tele binding or ripped one out of a ski, then you are probably OK with trying out a tele mount on a Helio 95. I have heard of others that have mounted the Helio carbon skis with tele bindings and have been problem-free, but it depends on your tele style and perhaps which binding you are using. I don't have the Helio 95 skis, but I think I have some useful comments.
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