What’s The Best Touring Ski For You?

Not all skiers are created equal, so why should your skis be?  This phrase is the backbone of Folsom Custom Skis, and rings home particularly in the world of lightweight, uphill touring skis.  For some, this means a simple binding swap on an existing pair of skis (or better yet a pair of Daymakers), while others that are more committed are seeking out full replacement setups (skis, bindings, and boots).  No matter what type of uphill setup you’re looking for, Folsom has your back.  The following are a few uphill customer types we’ve catered to in the past and are quite familiar with…

 

The “Fitness Uphilling” Resort Setup (UltraLITE)

Shape(s): Spar 88, Rad Dad, Catwalk

Core: Aspen

Composite: 100% Carbon with Functionalized Graphene Oxide

Weight: ~1000 – 1600 g/ski

For those that have very little desire to get into the backcountry, and are perfectly content skinning up then skiing down their favorite ski resorts while the lifts are closed, we’re likely to go with a narrower shape offering in as lightweight of a construction as we can.  Our award-winning Spar 88 fits the bill in terms of width here, and on shorter length builds can hit a weight target of around 1000-1200 g/ski.  Wider options like a Rad Dad or Catwalk will add slightly more weight but maintain a resort-oriented focus.  Pairing these shapes with our Aspen core blend and 100% Carbon with Functionalized Graphene Oxide composite layup with provide you a supremely light ski that’ll have you back to the base of the resort well ahead of your group.

 

 

The “Hybrid” In-bounds & Out-of-bounds Setup

Shape(s): Primary 104, Trigger II, Completo

Core: Poplar & Bamboo

Composite: 70 / 30 Glass Carbon

Weight: ~1500 – 1900 g/ski

Maybe this is the first time you’re diving into the uphill world, or at least the first time you’ve really had resort skiing taken out from under you.  You’d like a competent and light setup but may end up skiing the resort on these skis in future seasons (Yes, we pride ourselves on the durability and shelf life of our skis, backcountry and resort builds alike).  In this instance, the narrower of our mid-width shapes (~95-105mm underfoot) are a safe choice.  Instead of going with the 100% Carbon Fiber composite option, it’s advisable to have some fiberglass in the construction of hybrid skis for damping properties when you’re skiing the resort.  For this reason our composite blend comprised of 70% fiberglass and 30% carbon fiber is a great mid-weight option.  Going with the lightweight Poplar & Bamboo core blend will provide you the optimum balance of weight and stability for whatever type of skiing you throw at this setup.

 

 

The Dedicated Backcountry Setup (UltraLITE)

Shape(s): Trigger II, Cash 106, Primary

Core: Aspen

Composite: 100% Carbon with Graphene

Weight: ~1400 – 1800 g/ski

Screw the resorts, they were never your thing anyway.  The only thing changing for you with lifts closing is more people in the backcountry, you can beat them up the skin track anyway.  Ring a bell?  For these skiers we’re likely to again drop down to our lightest construction style (Aspen core blend bonded with 100% Carbon with Functionalized Graphene Oxide composite), just on slightly wider shapes to accommodate that (ideally) soft snow we seek out in the backcountry.  The mid-width skis (~100-110mm underfoot) shine in most backcountry terrain, and can ski everything from pinner couloirs, to rowdy pillow lines, to those ugly low-elevation exists with confidence.  All of this while staying relatively light in the weight department.

 

 

Not convinced that you fit into one of these categories?  Don’t worry, we can easily modify any of our shapes and construction styles to fit your exact needs.  Just because the lifts are closed doesn’t mean that the mountains are as well.  Fill out a Custom Fit Form to get started on the perfect pair of uphilling skis to keep you on snow through the spring.