How to cut your skitouring climbing skins right

Want to cut touring skins to fit? Our guide will show you how to trim and fit climbing skins to your touring skis or splitboard. It’s not difficult and can be done in just a few steps.

It is not always necessary to cut the skins, as there are two types of climbing skins: trim-to-fit and pre-cut skins. Only trim-to-fit skins must be adjusted to fit your touring ski or splitboard. For those who don’t have the confidence to cut their climbing skins, or simply don’t feel like it, we offer cutting as a free service.

TRIM TO FIT SKINS

If you decide to cut skins, there are two options:

Trim length and width or
You already have the right length of skin for your ski/board and just need to adjust the width of the skins.

For option 2, you should know what length of skin you need for your ski. Nothing easier than that! Each climbing skin product description will give you the length you require. For example, the Kohla Peak Mix Multifit 135 mm climbing skin is available in lengths from 149 cm to a maximum of 191 cm. The 149 cm skin length is suitable for skis 149-155 cm long. The base length is usually given in the product size. The base width of the ski is frequently given in the product name (in mm). You should make sure that the base width fits your skis.

-25%

Kohla

Peak Mix Multifit 135 mm - Hotmelt Glue Climbing Skins

MSRP 159,90 € 119,95 € You save 39,95 €

-19%

Contour

Guide Mix 135 Climbing Skins Blue

MSRP 159,95 € 129,95 € You save 30,00 €

-22%

Kohla

Vertical Mix Multifit 120 mm - Smart Glue Climbing Skins Pink Women

MSRP 179,90 € 139,95 € You save 39,95 €

-22%

Contour

135 mm Mohair Climbing Skins Orange

MSRP 204,95 € 159,95 € You save 45,00 €

Find the full range of our trim to fit skins here

HOW TO CUT CLIMBING SKINS CORRECTLY

This is what you need to trim:

Cutter (sometimes supplied with the skin)
Optional: ruler
Optional: clamp to hold the ski in place

It is important that the edges of the skis are not covered by the skin so that you still have edge grip in the snow. At the same time, as much of the surface of the ski that comes into contact with the snow as possible should be covered with your skin. This is the only way to provide the necessary support, especially in steep and icy terrain. This means that the skins must be cut as precisely as possible. The rule of thumb for skin width is: ski width minus edge width. Precision is required here because the edge width typically varies by +/- 1 mm depending on the ski model and manufacturer.

Cutters or machines that automatically cut the skin width are therefore not suitable for relatively thin ski edges. Our experts in the ski shop rely on the good old Stanley knife, which can be guided very precisely and delivers a precise cut.

Easy trimming in four steps

Step 1

Make sure the skin is the right length for your ski before you start cutting. Unfold the skin and place it in the middle of the ski so that the skin protrudes equally on both sides. You can also use a ruler to check this.

Step 2

Take a cutter and start by cutting off the side lengths of the climbing skin. Cut directly along the entire edge of the ski until the skin fits perfectly on both edges of the ski and is the same width as the ski. Important: Cut in the direction of the skin. This means from the tip of the ski to the tail: i.e., from front to back! It’s best to extend the cutter by 2-3 centimeters and cut at a 45-degree angle.

Step three

Remove the skin from the ski and place it back on the ski: align the skin so that the long edge of the skin runs parallel to the edge of the ski, at a distance twice the width of the edge of the ski. (About 2 mm, depending on the width of your ski edges).

Step four

Cut off the excess skin on the opposite long edge along the direction of the pile. Place the skin back in the center of the ski. Now, both edges of the ski should have the same amount of pile.

The Kohla brand explains how to cut the skin in the following video:

PRE-CUT SKINS

Some manufacturers offer pre-cut touring skins or splitboard skins of the correct length for their touring ski and splitboard models. All you have to do is unpack it, roll it out, put it on, and you’re ready to go!

You can often recognize these skins by their product name, which is similar to the name of the ski or splitboard model. You can also find a wide range of ready-made ski skins in our online shop. A selection of ready-made ski touring skins: