Freeride Ski

Freeride skis – The perfect tool for powder days

Unfortunately, these days are rather rare in the alpine area. But when they do arrive, you need to get those skis out of the basement. Because that is how to make the best of your powder day. The challenge is to get that surf feeling, and the wider your ski, the better it is. Freeride skis, big mountain skis, powder skis – whatever you want to call them – all have one thing in common and that’s width!

That little extra underneath the bindings

Starting of with widths at around 95mm up to the widest planks the industry has to offer. Top of the list are the K2 Pontoon with 132, the Armada Magic J 126 and the Line Pescado 125. There is nothing wider. And all the big players in the industry have those skis. Because having them as part of your product range is crucial. The brands are Armada, Atomic, Black Crows, DPS, Fischer, Line, Rossignol, Salomon, Scott, Völkl and others.

Freeride skis are different in their construction, shape and rocker but the one thing they have in common is a width of more than 100mm. The more rocker, the more float on powder. With the classical tip rocker and flat tail, the bending up of the shovel is stronger than on the tail. The freestyle-oriented twin tips often have a tip & tail rocker. For those loving the fun in the snow, this will be the best pre-conditions to go for. This is especially true for the full rocker ski, a ski that has no camber construction in it at all. The softer the ski, the easier it is to ski with!

The camber is the exact opposite of a rocker. Here, the pressure is built right underneath the binding or in the central area. The more camber, the more stability and control. This makes for a larger radius and higher speeds in tough conditions.

©Freeride ski construction by K2

Real powder skis and real achievers: Freeride Touring Ski

The characteristics of each freeride skis are mostly dependent on the balance of rocker and camber. Another key factor is the weight. Especially very sporty skiers want to be independent of ski lifts and use their freeride skis as touring skis. These days, there are lots of touring skis with around 110mm or even more out there, weighing barely anything. The Freebird series by Black Crows are a good example. Also die Tour1 series by DPS. These powder-oriented touring skis usually weigh around 1300-1700g/ski, meaning they are great for ascents through the powder as well!

Being lighter leads to less energy consumption in the uphill, and more float in the downhill. However, higher weight means more stability and grip, which is useful when in high speeds or tough conditions.

©Tree skiing by Armada

Backcountry freerider oder big Mountain freerider

These two words define the spectrum of freeride skiing. Backcountry freerider will be more in the trees and fun terrains. Here, it is not about speed but rather about jumps and drops and making use of the terrain. The rocker will be stronger.

Big mountain freerider on the other hand are longing for high speeds and stability. Great lines down the powder slopes are what they are aiming for.

But one thing is sure: These powder planks are not made for the occasional trip into the deep snow. They are specialists for powder days and not allmountain skis or made for the on-piste. As of this, they are classical 2nd or third pairs of skies for all those epicures, making the best of their skiing day.

Read more regarding freeride skis

• How to find the right ski length
• Skiing in Japan: The best resorts for powderhounds
• What avalanche safety equipment do I need?