Doug Mock is a Folsom athlete who, from the first skis he bought from us, to the builds we sponsor him with today, have all been full carbon, lightweight touring skis. He hasn’t ridden a chairlift in nearly a decade and knows exactly what to look for in a good backcountry ski. For these reasons, the current state of the ski industry has not interrupted his ski flow, here’s what he has to say about it…
Everyone is talking about backcountry skiing right now. And with good reason.
The lifts may have closed early this year, but the mountains are still open. The snowpack is still a month from peak, the storm train is lining up, and there’s plenty of skiing to be done. But how are you going to get yourself up the hill?
As a backcountry-exclusive athlete, I’ve spent the last ten years working with different brands to craft the greatest touring skis a skin track has ever seen. Conditions outside the resort ropes can be a lot more variable than what you’re used to in-bounds, and a backcountry ski must offer one-hundred-percent confidence on your way down the hill. But that same ski also has to be light and maneuverable for the climb up. While your favorite resort skis certainly offer the stable, smile-inducing turns you crave, simply slapping a touring binding on those bad boys and heading for the summit may not be the best choice.
Well, you could I guess… but then you’re quickly gonna learn to hate backcountry skiing. It takes a lot of work to #skiuphill.
The crew at Folsom knows that you want to ski the backcountry steep and deep with confidence and style, but without suffering too much to get to the top. That’s why we’ve developed unique, touring-specific core constructions using strong, lightweight woods like aspen and bamboo. We pair these light cores with a full-carbon layup process. Our structural carbon is substantially lighter than traditional fiberglass builds, and offers your backcountry touring skis a sweet and energetic feel that you have to ski to believe.
The best part about our touring-specific builds is that they’re available on all your favorite Folsom shapes. An ultra-light Spar 88 is perfect for long approaches and huge vert on the biggest peaks. A touring Primary is ready for all conditions, every day, no matter what the mountains throw at you, uphill or down. My carbon Rapture has the greatest flex pattern of any powder board I’ve ever made a turn on with float and agility for days, and just as much float when (gasp!) breaking trail for the next lap. Every single one of our athlete proven, award-winning shapes is ready to become your new favorite backcountry companion, offering energy-saving light weight, vertical-devouring stability, and the hand-crafted, American-made quality the Folsom name represents.
Whether you’re exploring a new kind of skiing for the first time, or used to logging 25k of vert a week like I am, a backcountry ski from Folsom Customs is an investment in happiness. While the world seems like it’s spinning off its axis and everyday brings new questions, you can be certain of two things: skiing in the backcountry is about as much fun as you can have with your pants on, and the best way to get there is on a pair of Folsom Custom Skis.
Follow Doug’s adventures on Instagram here. Interested in a lightweight setup of your own? Fill out a custom fit form and we’ll get you setup on the perfect backcountry setup for your skiing.