How to choose alpine skis for freeride: detailed and understandable. Alpine skis for freeride Hard freeride skis

Sheregesh is a traditional place for the opening of the ski season for most riders from Russia and neighboring countries. The resort is famous for its powdery snow and off-piste skiing. But ideas about the ideal skis for freeride in Sheregesh are ambiguous and directly depend on the preferences of the rider. Some strive to roll out exclusively untouched fields of fresh snow, while others strive to develop the entire space of the resort, regardless of the condition of the slopes on and off the slopes. We interviewed several experienced skiers to tell them what kind of skis they ski in Sheregesh themselves and give advice on choosing the ideal freeride model for this resort. In some ways their opinions coincided, but in others they predictably diverged.

Rostislav Akava

About the rider: Instructor at the SnowPro school, category B ski instructor in the NLI (National League of Instructors), athlete - finalist of Russian freeride competitions in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Rostislav Akava

Now I have two pairs of skis in my arsenal - Black Crows Corvus 2011 and Rossignol Super 7 2015. The first is a rigid tool for freeride on steep slopes in large mountains. Skis are demanding, and it took a whole season to get used to and make friends with them. But after that they showed themselves to be an excellent all-rounder and deservedly became my favorite “workhorse” - I ride Corvus almost everywhere. In addition, they help in my teaching practice. Since these skis are technically demanding, everything needs to be done on them as correctly as possible, and this is very clear and useful for riders learning off-piste skiing.

Rossignol Super 7- fairly soft, but at the same time stable skis that ride great not only in virgin soil. I also liked them because of their relatively light weight, since I ski tour in Luzhba and Kazyr every year.

Speaking about the ideal skis for off-piste skiing in Sheregesh, it is worth understanding that the snow here can be very different. “The same” powder that everyone usually talks about falls during the “Big Snow” period at the turn of November-December. At this moment it is really soft, very crumbly, snowfalls occur frequently and the snow cover is constantly renewed. For fun skiing on such powder, wide skis with a waist of 115-120 mm and deep rocker at the toe will be really relevant. The classics here are the wide Fischer Watea/Big Stix, Atomic Bent Chetler, Line Eric Pollard, old Armada JJ.

Glory to Akava. Riding in the “Camel” area of Sheregesh © Yulia Grebeneva

But the period of “Big Snow” does not last long. In the “high” season, there may be no snowfalls for several weeks, and fresh powder rolls out in the first half of the day. So you need to be prepared, including for skiing on broken slopes. In my opinion, maneuverable freeride station wagons with a waist of up to 115 mm are suitable for this. The Camber's deflection underfoot is definitely needed - for proper control over the skis in areas with rolled, blown or icy snow - there are plenty of them in Sheregesh, especially when there is no snowfall for a long time. These skis include Rossignol Super 7 and Soul 7, modern Fischer Ranger. It would be interesting to try the Movement Fly Swatter on the Sheregesh slopes, and Volkl Two exclusively for powder jumping and fun.

Andrey Makov

About the rider: A veteran of Sheregesh, who skied its slopes long before the resort acquired its current popularity. Experienced alpine ski instructor (“C” VAGI) with many years of experience. Preferences: off-piste, hills. I am not indifferent to ski touring. Winters in Krasnaya Polyana.

Riding experience: I first started skiing in the spring of 1996 in Sheregesh!

I learned to ski on the “classics”, shortly before the “carving revolution”, which ushered in an era of bold experiments with ski geometry. Together with the ski industry, so to speak, I have evolved as a skier. I skied on a wide variety of skis: wide, long, “rocker-schmoker”, etc. After experimenting with extremes, such as Hell Bent from K2 or Armada ARG, I came to moderation and healthy conservatism. My fondest memories are from Scott Pure and Scott Mission. The latter, without exaggeration, can be called legendary skis for Sheregesh in the early 2000s.

By the way, about Sheregesh in the 1990s and early 2000s. At that time it was a regional weekend resort. The snow that fell during the week lay quietly until the weekend and “waited” for its snow riders. We rode either in virgin soil up to our waists, or on hillocks of the same height. A stingy tear... :)

Now my main skis are Black Crows Corvus- they are quite strict and demanding on the rider’s technique and are more suitable for big-mountain freeride than for the simple terrain of Sheregesh with its soft snow. But I’m used to them and can ride them in any conditions, on completely different snow conditions on and off the piste.

If I recommend some ideal skis for Sheregesh, then I would focus on freeride all-rounders with a waist in the range of 105-108 mm, with a classic Camber camber and a slight rocker at the tip. Size, without fanaticism, height +10-15 cm. Fortunately, today there are a lot of similar models. Why stop at them?

This will be a truly universal equipment on which you can ride off-piste for your pleasure at a variety of resorts - from Krasnaya Polyana to Sheregesh.

In Gesha, contrary to popular belief, snow does not fall constantly, and fresh “powder” rolls out from the ski lifts very quickly - literally in 2-3 hours. Therefore, you can only allocate one pair of skis specifically for powder powder if you can afford to pay not only for them, but also for freeride programs. Most often, on days of heavy powder it is more profitable and easier to rent wide skis.

In the middle of the day in Sheregesh, you are usually already rolling on a real “sausage”. On it, wide skis with a waist of 115 mm or more hit your legs and you can’t really enjoy skiing.

For beginner freeriders, when choosing skis, I will remind you: “It’s not the skis that go, but the legs.” You need to improve your skating skills and maintain physical fitness. Otherwise, no amount of “rocker” and geometry will take you out of deep snow or from a steep slope. Roll the hills, ride with friends! :)

Sergei "Kamikaze" Turikov

About the rider: Co-founder and guide at the Mountain Patrol company, which organizes freeride programs in Sheregesh and Altai. Athlete, senior coach of the Novosibirsk Freestyle Ski Federation.

Riding experience: Over 20 years of skiing experience. I've been riding in Sheregesh since 2002. With the arrival of the season, training from the gym turns into daily skiing on the Mountain. Taking into account the specifics of my work, I have the opportunity to regularly ride in areas of Mountain Shoria remote from the resort.

Freeride in Sheregesh © Ekaterina Klimova, Instagram @egklimova

Throughout my skiing experience I have tried many models of alpine skis. If we consider the options specialized for freeride, which I had the opportunity to test and run, then, including a bunch of rare “firewood”, these will be:

Rossignol Bandit (XXl, B-Squad, Scratch BC);

Fischer Watea, Big Stix, Ranger;

Armada ARV, TST, Norwalk, ARG;

Line Eric Pollard, Sir Francis Bacon;

Scott Mission, Dozer, Punisher, Scrapper, SageBrush, Rock Air, Cascade 110;

Atomic Pimp, Bent Chetler, Automatic 107;

Salomon Czar and the Rocker series.

Maybe there was something else, but I don’t remember now :) Every time I tried to try something new in order to find my cherished ideal. In the end, when I “settled down” and realized what was really important to me, I came to the conclusion that I needed to have three pairs in my arsenal :) But for skiing in Sheregesh I have two favorite equipment - Fischer Ranger 122 And Scott Scrapper 115.

Of all the things I tried, at one time I really liked the Armada TST. Cool, light, nimble ski. But the lack of width made me try its older brother, Norwalk. I was pleased. But still, an aggressive riding style and a desire for more confidence in the equipment persuaded me to try the Fischer Big Stix 122. In fact, I still ride them :) And to be more precise, the Fischer Ranger 122 (aka Big Stix 122 in the past). Over the years, the model has undergone significant changes and has become an excellent universal projectile for different snow conditions due to its geometry and a number of design features. This is the ski I like to ski on broken soft snow and on the piste. Skillfully, they can be used in almost any conditions. But in the upcoming 2017-2018 season we will not see them in the Ranger lineup.

The Ranger 122 has been replaced by a new model with a 115 waist, less weight and a maximum height of 196 cm. 196 cm, Karl! Apparently, the manufacturer considered that 192 cm was not enough and decided to cut down two-meter “sleepers” for real men. I haven’t tested these skis yet, I’ll try them this season and it will be clear what they are like.

I like to take Scott Scrapper 115 when we go to unrolled snow fields on a snowcat. I like them for their noticeably lighter weight compared to the Ranger 122. I love jumping and spinning, which is much more comfortable to do on them. Scrapper 115 is a little softer and lighter, but is not inferior to the Rangers in terms of maneuverability. Scrapper, to put it in an accessible language, is more sophisticated or something... :) Fischer Ranger 122 for me is a “locomotive” that doesn’t care where it goes, doesn’t care what the snow conditions are and doesn’t care how it goes. He will go everywhere. But Scrapper don’t really like “sausages”, and on hard blown snow you have to be on your guard with them. In general, I would like to take the Scrapper 115 geometry and stuff the Ranger 122 “filling” into it, and then taste this explosive mixture :)

But seriously, this season I want to try the Fischer Ranger 115 in a size of 196 cm. It seems to me that this is a downright bad ski that should go straight and fast!

Dmitry Bogdanov

About the rider: Ski instructor since 2009. He teaches at freeride schools and courses to improve Snowpro riding techniques. Led top groups in Krasnaya Polyana, Sheregesh, Tignes (France), Monte Rose, Courmayeur (Italy), Gulmarg (India).

Riding experience: Over 20 years of skiing experience. I've been skating in Sheregesh since 2001.

My main skis for Sheregesh and not only - Line Influence 105, waist 105 mm, minimal rocker at the toe, fairly rigid heel and additionally reinforced with a titanium plate. Thanks to this design and geometry, they are very versatile - they behave adequately on the track and float quite tolerably in soft deep snow, unless it is super-fluffy powder. That's why I ride them 95% of the time.

We continue to talk about equipment and the second interviewee is Albert Baidaev (professional freerider, multiple winner of freeride competitions, guide, rescuer).

BM: How do you choose freeride skis? And first answer as if this were your only couple, and then how you would like it to be ideally.

AB: In general, I only have 2 pairs of skis. One is the main one, which I ride most of the time, and the other is for ski touring, which I use less actively. Therefore, willy-nilly, I choose a universal ski so that it is comfortable to ride on both virgin and hard snow. Therefore, it should not be a soft ski that will wobble on all uneven surfaces, but also not too hard, because to push a hard ski you need a lot of weight or high speed, which you cannot develop in places where you need to go in small turns. For example, in narrow couloirs (unless, of course, you drive them in a straight line). Or in the forest...

I don’t really like long skis; with a height of 172 and a weight of 70 kg, I prefer to take a ski from 181 to 185 cm. On such a ski you can accelerate well and maneuver comfortably.

As for the width, I’ll say that 100 mm is enough to ski on both powder and tin; a universal ski should not be too wide, because on a hard slope you will have to put more effort into turning. And yet, I think you need to keep up with the times and buy a ski with a rocker, as it provides good floatation of the skis from deep snow. True, on hard skis, due to the shorter contact length, skis with rocker hold the arc worse, but you quickly adapt to this (if the ski is good, of course;)).

A few words about fastening. Nowadays, many who like to ski not only with the help of a lift, but also to hike in wilder places, for greater versatility, put ski touring mounts, such as the Salomon Guardian, on their only pair of skis.

Still, for ski touring, I preferred to assemble a separate lightweight kit for myself, because such ski touring fasteners make the ski very heavy and I don’t like the platform because you stand higher from the ski and therefore feel it worse.

I attach fasteners to my everyday skis Vist v614 with adjustment range 6-14 (58-130kg).

And now I’ll dream that I have as many pairs as my heart desires and, since I ski for the Icelantic ski brand, I’ll tell you about the skis I ski and about those models in the line that I’m missing.)))

For daily riding:

For powder:

I would take the Icelantic Gypsy 180 cm, with reverse deflection. If you could describe the feeling of skiing in one word, it would be “power.” On the pauper you feel like a surfer. You don’t have to be afraid to crush one leg and “drown” because of this, you just stand there and do whatever you want. She's super bouncy, like a spring. When you jump from an upward-facing relief, you feel as if someone gave you a kick to take off))). Some people may think the 180 size is a little short, but no, the Gypsy has such a geometry of 152x125x148 that you don’t sink in the snow and the ski is well controlled.

Note: Since 2016, the Gypsy model has become known as the Nomad RKR 125.

For ski touring:

I’m a guide and therefore I walk a lot uphill, so that I can then have a great time going down the wild slopes). If the terrain allows, then you go on skis, but if it’s too steep or hard, then you carry the skis on your back - for a ski tourer the weight of the equipment is very important.

Therefore, I use the Icelantic VANGUARD 107 model, size 178 cm. This is a lightweight ski model, created specifically for those who like to wander around the mountains. A pair of skis weighs only 3,200! Moreover, this is a normal, strong ski with a real wooden core. No foam, which is what big factories like to stuff into skis. Manufacturers are so confident in the quality of their products that they give them a three-year guarantee.

The ski is quite rigid, the geometry is more classic than that of the Nomads. Those are a normal classic deflection and a flat tail. Front rocker.

Due to the fact that lightweight ski touring boots are still softer than usual ones, the skier often sits on the fifth point, but since the Icelantic Vanguard skis have a flat tail, this effect is somewhat compensated for. In addition, the ski does not jump out from under you.

Camber (camber) is classic, rigidity is above average, which allows the ski to firmly cling to the slope and maintain an arc even on the ice fields of Elbrus (this often happens in the spring, especially when descending from the peak).

But there is still rocker at the front, which allows the ski to float in the snow.

The weight of the ski is, of course, very important for me, but the priority is still the descent, and therefore, of the two Icelantic ski touring models, I took the wider one, with a 107 waist, and have never regretted it!

For spring:

For spring skiing, I would take the Icelantic Pilgrim 179cm with a 90mm waist. This is a lightweight ski with pronounced carving properties. In spring the snow is heavy, wet and dense. It sticks to a wide ski and it becomes difficult to ski, you get tired, so you need a lighter model. And sometimes you want to rush along the slope and feel the control that a carving ski gives. In addition, Piligrim is a twin type, so you can spin on it.

Now let's summarize...

VM: Favorite length?

AB: My favorite length is 181 cm with a width of 105 mm, but as advice to everyone, when choosing a ski for freeride, you need to take into account height and weight, on average, a universal ski is height + 7 +10, if the weight is heavy, then you can take a longer and stiffer ski.

VM: Favorite width?

AB: 100-110mm.

VM: Rigidity?

AB: Above average

VM: Geometry?

AB: If for everyday use, then with a double-sided rocker; for ski touring, with a front rocker and a flat tail.

VM: Is design important to you?

AB: Yes, it is desirable that it is not stressful. I don’t like skulls, if I suddenly get a ski like this I always try to cover them up. I don't like any evil mystical creatures. But I like it when nature is depicted. Mountains, animals. Just like Icelantic.

How to help a “beginner” freerider (regardless of his prior ski training) choose his first set of equipment?

If you look at skiing Internet resources, this is perhaps one of the most discussed issues there, in terms of the number of clicks comparable only to “teach kataze correctly” and “90-60-90 is looking for a travel companion for a trip to Courche Avel.” Often these three topics are started simultaneously by one user according to the principle “I want everything now.”

I’ll say right away, having seen such a question at the beginning of the topic, I don’t read further, because almost everyone who answers will certainly talk about themselves and their “favorite” (i.e., equipment), and the criterion of objectivity is by no means the most important thing in such discussions. Therefore, I don’t know whether my advice will be any kind of revelation for those interested, but in any case I will try to make it useful.

In fact, it is quite difficult for a person with extensive experience to advise anything to a beginner; one way or another, “experience” will dominate, and personal feelings from a particular model of skis will not coincide with the feelings of not only a beginner, but even a friend with experience. There is one win-win recommendation: try it yourself first, and then buy what suits you best. In theory, this article can be ended at this point. But I’ll also mention a couple of common truths on a couple of pages.

Riding experience since 1980. Worked as a ski guide and instructor.

On the issue of waist width

I’ll try to remember myself, looking for my first skis for deep snow... Like many, I diligently studied the test results of various ski magazines and forum gurus, and as a result I liked the skis, which at that time did not cause general delight. To be precise, these were my second virgin ones - Salomon Pocket Rocket. And I chose the first ones simply based on geometry: a combination of maximum width with a minimum own turning radius. They were Kneissl (a now defunct brand) with an 80mm waist, the widest not only in the brand's collection that year, but also on the European market. We’re not talking about the North American market, where there were already models from Atomic and Volkl for heli-skiing with a width of more than 100 mm, produced, oddly enough, since the “pre-carving” times.

Everything changed quite dramatically at the beginning of the 2000s, which began among ski equipment manufacturers under the slogan “Carving for the masses, freeride for the youth!” It is interesting that, one way or another, we still live in this paradigm. The first, as always, was our “American friends” in the mass segment - the K2 company. In addition to them, at that time there were already many garage brands in the States and Canada that produced wide skis for freeride and telemark. However, it would be unfair not to mention that there was something in Europe too. So, K2 ventured into a model with a waist of about 90 mm (AK Enemy, and then Seth Pistols), since then this width has become the standard for freeride station wagons.

Skiers with good technique who love piste skiing prefer just such models - with a waist of 90-100 mm, in terms of their performance characteristics they are closer to an extended giant slalom (classic setting of bindings, a combination of camber with a front rocker, the rear one may be absent, it may have titanal in construction, with good torsional rigidity) than to virgin twin-tips with mid-mount mountings. This waist is combined with its own radius from 18 to 24 m (a larger radius requires more powerful, high-speed skating, and, accordingly, greater skill and strength). These all-rounders behave excellently on a prepared track, but due to their width they already float up in the virgin snow, it all depends on its density and the skill of the skier himself, and this is required.

Soft vs hard

But it’s unlikely that experts read such articles—they make recommendations themselves. Therefore, we will continue for those who are not yet strong in technology (but maybe don’t think of themselves that way), but are no longer averse to freeriding.

I would immediately like to warn against the common misconception that the stiffer the ski, the “sportier” it is, meaning longitudinal rigidity. In fact, “sportiness” - grip on ice is associated with high torsional rigidity, which is easier to achieve in longitudinally rigid skis, but not necessary (modern technologies help with this). Choosing a model based on rigidity is a very individual and multifactorial matter. To summarize, we highlight the following design features that are characteristic of both narrow and wide skis:

The hard middle in models with camber provides better grip on ice: the longer this part, the higher the speed you can stably (without edge breaks) make carved turns.
The soft front part (let's call it the tip of the ski, although the tip itself is much shorter than what we mean by this name - the front third or quarter of the ski) makes it easier to enter the turn, but is demanding on “longitudinal” work - pendulum transfer of the skier’s weight along the length of the ski in the turn. Loading your socks too quickly can cause the ski to kick up and send you flying over your head.
A hard heel (again: not the heel itself, but, on average, the last quarter of the length), provides protection on landings, but is demanding on technique: if you “stay too long” in a turn, you’re already rushing straight down. In such a situation, a soft heel can simply take you across the slope, but if you make an error in landing, it can put you on your back. And how can we objectively judge what is soft and what is hard? Sometimes you can hear directly opposite opinions about the same model, although meticulous American guys conduct stiffness tests by loading the ski with a standard weight and measuring the change in deflection.

Rostovka

Perhaps only one indicator is not controversial - the area of the sliding surface of the ski. Absolute objectivity, neither add nor subtract, unless broken. It is clear that skis with a larger surface float up easier, i.e. at a lower speed. And then the brain of the novice freerider begins to smoke from tension. Logic advises taking wider skis, but the timid subconscious calls for caution: “You won’t be able to cope with skis that are 40 or even more millimeters wider than your usual ones!” I'll tell you a story. A man who didn’t know how to ski at all went heli-skiing with his friends. Well, he became bored, and maybe it was a shame to sit alone in a helicopter, waiting for others. I decided to try... And I went. Technically, it may be incorrect, but here we go. Because wide skis in virgin snow travel almost the same as narrow skis on a snow groomer. What you should be afraid of is, rather, not the width, but the excessive length, especially when forum gurus talk about “...wet and straighten and short skis sucks!”

Yes, the length gives advantages on moves, speed stability, but what to do if the technology is not yet enough and “turning with your feet” is an unfamiliar phrase, and in front of you is not glacial fields of an average slope, but a forest or a narrow couloir, the snow is wet, or even broken . There is only one answer: take skis at height or a little higher. Over the years, I and many of my good skating friends (interestingly, of different heights and weights) came to a decision: no longer than 186 cm! This length optimally combines stability and agility. Although the fashion for two-meter sleepers has not bypassed us.

Ski turning radius

Let's talk about the ski's own turning radius (SRP). For those who don't know what this means, I'll explain. If you extend the cut line of the ski (along the edge), then sooner or later it will close into a circle, the radius of which is indicated on each ski. Such a geometric action is only possible if the cutout has one radius (mono-radius) - this is what most ride skis have (we all have them), it ensures calculated arc control.

Multiradius

But there is also a multi-radius, for example, double, like models with V-shape (we don’t have such skis this season). V-shaped, the toe is wider than the heel, a smaller radius on the toe makes it easier to enter the arc, and a larger radius on the heel makes it easy to complete it; in addition, this shape ensures that the toe “automatically” floats up (and the narrow heel sinks). Scott in some of its models (for example, Scrapper) uses a different radius distribution: very large in the middle third and smaller at the ends (the ability to shorten the turn with active longitudinal work).

Skis with a radius of up to 20 m

The intended purpose of short-radius (up to 20 m PSA) models is backcountry-freestyle. Most popular among novice riders due to ease of use in virgin snow, they cut clearly on hard snow with a short central part, and fairly long ends with a rocker are included in work in deep snow, stable at speeds from low to medium.

Skis with a radius of more than 20 m

And the third group of skis, which I briefly mentioned at the beginning of the article, is with a PSA of more than 20 m. Quite rigid longitudinally, the rear rocker is absent or not pronounced, with a waist from 100 to 115 mm. Will be of interest to powerful riders in a wide variety of conditions. By the way, it is precisely these models that are duplicated by manufacturers in a lightweight version for fans of freeride/ski touring.

A couple of notes on the combination of ski shape with camber and rocker. The most characteristic thing is that the weight deflection (camber) in the middle part coincides with the cutout (the part of the ski from the section with the maximum width in the front part to the similar one in the rear; behind these sections the rockers begin - the rises of the toe and heel). To reduce the inertia of the tips (many people don’t like the way they “dangle” in a flat ski when the skis are slightly edged), manufacturers use various technological innovations designed to reduce the weight and area of these parts of the ski. Some brands produce full-rocker (camber on the contrary) models for pure virgin skiing. Their advantages in deep snow are obvious, but on hard snow they are more demanding on the skier’s technique (longitudinal balance).

Thus, having assessed your physical and technical capabilities (or their shortcomings), you can approximately understand what shape, size and stiffness your first skis should be; it is important, of course, to understand in what conditions you will be skiing. Many people are mistaken in thinking that they can find a universal one for all occasions in the mountains, and beginners also want to do it the first time. Blessed is he who believes.

Our top 10 skis for beginners in freeride

A selection of skis this season. Some are already in stores and online, others are on the way and will be available soon.

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Powder Powder

Powder - (from English - “powder”) a term meaning skiing off-prepared trails in very deep, freshly fallen snow.

Gender: Unisex Unisex

Unisex - equipment suitable for both men and women.

Card discount: 15% / 17%
Geometry: 140/118/127 (178 cm)

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In stock: 168
To order: 176, 159

Level of training: Level of training

Level of training- this is your experience and practice of skiing

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Freeride Freeride

Female gender Female

Women's - equipment designed and adapted for the convenience and comfort of the fair half of humanity.

Card discount: 20% / 22%
Geometry: 135/101/125 (168 cm)

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I want to get a discount card!

Level of training: Level of training

Level of training- this is your experience and practice of skiing

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Freeride Freeride

Gender: Unisex Unisex

Unisex - equipment suitable for both men and women.

Card discount: 5% / 7%
Geometry: 129.5/100/120 (180 cm)

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Complete immersion in your favorite topic - properly selected skis allow you to get indescribable pleasure from freeride.

If you are new to freeriding, you will find a lot of useful information that will definitely help you with choosing your next pair.

How to choose the right freeride skis
One or two pairs
If the manufacturer is already familiar
- Where do you ride?
- Preferences
- length
- width
- rocker/camber
- hardness/softness
- radius
Price
Models of yesteryear
Alpine skis for freeride used

To choose freeride skis with a minimum of surprises, you need to ski off-piste for several years on different models.

Then it will be possible to use the experience of past years.

Without this, the choice will be like pointing your finger at the sky or a lottery, be prepared for this.

First, we’ll go through the theoretical part, then we’ll take the skis for tests, and then we’ll make a purchasing decision.

What are freeride skis?

To answer the question, what is freeride, I wrote, read it if you are just starting out.

Now let's divide the freeride ski class into two large parts, which have subcategories:

Exclusively for powder (deep snow)
Universal

Powder skis provide maximum surfing pleasure in the snow and are not at all suitable for piste riding.

Freeride in deep powder

These are skis with a waist width of 110-115 mm and minimal camber (if you put the ski on the floor, there will be no clearance under the binding).

Freeride skis with a waist of 95-105 mm are usually compromise options. They have characteristics that allow you to enjoy even skiing on the slopes.

I ski 70-90 days a season in Krasnaya Polyana, where there is a lot of fluffy snow. And yet I prefer a 106 mm waist - even if powder falls out, the nearest reserves are quickly rolled out, and there is not always time for long trips.

Therefore, skis with a waist of more than 115 mm are suitable only for those who can afford to constantly ski in deep snow (heli-skiing), or they can become a second pair (which will add additional weight to your luggage).

How Right choose freeride skis

I've heard it before and I confirm it today - the best way to choose skis for freeride (and not only) is to test before you buy.

At large resorts this is not a problem at all - decent rentals, such as Riders Test & Rent at the Rosa Khutor resort or Rider in Sheregesh, will be very happy to let you test different models within one day without additional payment.

I’ve done this more than once at these shows, and I’m sure others do it too. In addition to setting up the bindings, I received useful recommendations on which model would be most suitable for a given type of snow now.

I did the same thing at resorts in Europe and the USA, for example, Aspen.

So if it doesn’t buzz in one place, you can quickly spend time, then test it. After riding four models through the Sheregesh forests, I realized that only one (of those tested) was most suitable for that terrain - that day it was the K2 Hell Bent.

One or two pairs

Having several pairs of freeride skis is cool, but not practical. If you are going for a ride in a car, then you can throw several models into the roof rack.

Then, in the morning, going out into the street, it will be a royal privilege to pull out the most suitable ski from your personal rack and anneal it without compromise.

However, I was frustrated by the need to constantly go downstairs to change shoes - it was a waste of time.

Today I have two freeride models - one is 106 mm, the other is 115 mm. I ride more on the first one, and go out on the second one when the mountains are really covered with snow.

If the manufacturer is already familiar

At one time I rode Seth Morrison's K2 models. I simply bought the same model, just a new year, and did not worry too much about the small changes that were made to the design.

In general, the skis were predictable.

Selecting skis based on popularity/reviews

Every year a huge number of alpine skiing tests are carried out on our planet. Including for freeride:

Powder magazine tests
Freeskier magazine tests

Conducted by stores and publications, brands and individuals. You can summarize the results and see that those who tested liked this or that model more than others.

But whether you like it is a big question. Therefore, the sensations of those who test strongly depend on their riding experience. And for tests they select, although not always, people who can really understand what is strapped to their legs and say something intelligible about them.

Let's take this review for example. The waist is 114 and so says that they are for deep snow, broken snow can be rolled, but it is better to choose an option with a narrower waist.

“Not ideal conditions” apparently means that the skis are rolling... on broken virgin soil or a broken track? It's not very clear here.

Good smoothness and buoyancy - I can only guess, but I’m not sure.

The model took 5th place in the tests, but this one took first place:

It can be seen that the relative indicators differ in short arcs and power, but otherwise they are similar. I can make the assumption that the winner handles better at low speeds, but I’m thinking about power again.

Tests are more likely to notify the market that new models have appeared, so reviews are a formality and not an aid in choosing.

How to choose the wrong skis for freeride

If tests are not available, then we will choose freeride skis remotely, taking into account several factors.

Freeride technique level

If you do not have much experience in off-piste skiing, then you should not choose wide skis over 110 mm. The chances are that you will spend your first years a short distance from the slopes, where the freshly fallen snow rolls out quite quickly.

Here, all-rounders are more suitable for you, for example, Salomon QST 106, with a waist of 106 mm.

How to choose freeride skis - Salomon QST 106

Where do you ride?

In this section we honestly answer the question: in what conditions do you ride most of the time?

For example, I go to Kirovsk (Khibiny) once a year. There is almost no deep snow in Kirovsk due to strong winds. A lot falls out, but it blows away quickly. Therefore, it makes no sense to bring wide skis to these mountains.

The same can be said about the hills near Moscow or St. Petersburg.

In the Kirov Khibiny snow is always dense and shallow

Just remember the terrain you've been skiing on for the last couple of years (if you have any) and draw a conclusion.

Preferences

If you ski (and don’t think that you ski) aggressively, then you should choose freeride skis in the Big Mountains category.

In such skis, the waist can be 100-110, it is necessary to have camber and a stiffness above average (it’s a pity that you can’t use my hardness scale, everyone has their own).

True, if you ride really extreme, i.e. not the first year, then you yourself know what characteristics should be included in your next model.

Selection of freeride skis according to technical characteristics

Skis have characteristics and parameters, and their behavior depends on them. That is, in addition to how you stand on your skis, what conditions you ski in will influence the level of fun driving these jokes.

Previously, when there was less technology - camber, composites, rockers - the values we are moving to had a pronounced impact on the behavior of skis.

Today, when choosing freeride skis, you need to take innovations into account.

Length

If we go skiing in open areas where we can gain speed, I take skis larger than my height (184 cm). The larger the size, the more stable the skis are when skiing like this.

If we go into the forest, we need controllability at low and medium speeds, so I take skis full height or smaller.

Width

If you ski quickly in deep snow, then width becomes less important - at speed the skis float closer to the surface rather than sinking.

If the snow is deep and you want to jump on bumps at a slow pace, the larger the waist (and ski area), the better.

If visibility is poor and there is a lot of snow, the waist is wide, the ski is smaller or taller. In such conditions there will be no room to accelerate, so we take wide skis again.

An example of a ski for freestyle in deep snow - Movement Fly 125:

Rocker/camber

The rocker helps the skis float (and in broken snow, even on pistes, it prevents the nose from digging in and protects against falls).

Rocker can start from the center of the ski or towards the end. If the rocker is closer to the ends of the skis, then there is camber in the center.

If you put your skis on the floor, the gap between the floor and the ski in the center indicates the presence of camber.

The larger the camber, the more stable the ski is at high speed and the harder it is to control when skiing slowly, for example, in the forest.

The greater the rocker (the maximum starts from the center of the ski, in this case there is no camber), the easier off-piste turns are. These skis, with their large width and relative size for each rider, are used for off-piste freestyle - jumps and tricks on virgin soil.

How to choose freeride skis - rocker

Hardness/softness

Stiffness plus camber makes freeride skis even more stable at high speeds and makes turns more difficult at low speeds.

If you are surfing non-aggressively in deep fluffy soft snow in the forest, then it is better to choose soft skis with a large rocker.

Stiffness (not longitudinal) is different for everyone, and it is known by comparison. With experience, bending the ski in the center with your hands, you can understand how hard it is for a particular rider, and not for everyone skiing on the mountain.

Radius

In this case, the usual rules apply: small radius (for example, 15 meters) - it is easier to make short turns; large radius (25 meters) - the arcs will be wide, the width of the track may not be enough for one full turn.

If the skiing will take place exclusively off-piste, but it will not be possible to put the skis on the edge (turns are made by dropping the skis), then the radius is not so important.

Alpine skis for freeride and ski touring

Off-piste skiing can be combined with ski touring. Then you will be able to reach the peaks without taking off your skis. And you won't drown in deep snow.

The bindings on ski touring skis allow, when moving upward, to tear off the heel of the boot, as on cross-country skis. In this case, walking becomes more natural and climbing faster.

Choosing alpine skis for freeride - skis for ski touring

This is an emerging class of skis that a) need to be light so as not to drag excess weight when going up, b) stiff enough to control the skis confidently on the descent.

Classic ski touring skis are not designed for downhill skiing (just to get downhill), because the main goal is to get to the top faster.

Freeriders have a different priority - descents in deep snow. But the question of how to get to the treasured peaks remained open until they saw the ski tourers.

From that moment on, the evolution of alpine skiing began, on which one could climb higher and confidently descend.

There were two main problems with ski touring skis: width and “snottyness.” If the first one was simply built up, then attempts to make the ski suitable for confident descents (adding cruelty) led to an increase in weight.

But these issues are solved by lightweight synthetic materials, and today there are excellent skis on the market that are both light and stiff.

An example of such skis: DPS Wailer 106 Tour 1.

Examples of freeride skis

Freeride skis – Head Core 117

Liberty Origin 116

Freeride skis - Liberty Origin 116

Rossignol Super 7 HD

Freeride skis - Rossignol Super 7 HD

Price

The cost of freeride skis depends on many factors.

New models of the latest season cost 40,000 - 60,000 rubles, sometimes more, but this is rather an exception. If you take a new one of the same model, but from previous years (which may differ only in graphics), then the price will drop by 20-40 percent.

In the example below, one of the most popular freeride models, Atomic Bent Chetler, is 40 percent off. Since the model was a success, the manufacturer is not playing with fire and does not make major changes to the design.

This means that when you buy these skis, you are getting a new season model, only with the old graphics. Of course, this is not a rule, time comes and the model becomes outdated, but this does not threaten these skis yet.

Discount freeride skis

If you are calm about used skis, then you can find them on Avito for half the price or less.

In the latter case, the question of the condition of the model and the compatibility of the bindings and your boots will certainly arise, as well as whether the DIN range is sufficient for your weight.

Let's pop up

What a pleasure it is to choose ski equipment! And, of course, freeride skis are no exception. It's like ordering a new dish at your favorite restaurant, where everything is delicious.

Lastly. I would first read on the Internet about new ski products in this class, then go to ski stores with a wide range (different stores may have different brands), talk with consultants, but do not buy, no matter how much money I have on my hands.

Instead, we test the models we like in the mountains. After this, we summarize: do the expectations after viewing the skis coincide with the results after test skiing?

If yes, then we take it, if not, then we gain experience - not all that glitters is gold.

And now we are leaving for the surface - the next dive of the Powder bathyscaphe has come to an end.

If one hike wasn’t enough, here’s more on the topic of freeride: