10 GREAT FREERIDE SKIS

When the snow isn’t deep enough for the Atris Birdie, the Camox Birdie comes into play. This ski is very efficient on soft snow, and the stiff flex underneath the bindings also gives it great grip on hard pack and staying comfortable during the turn, while still being softer than the unisex Camox and therefore better suited to the female skier. With a waist width of 97 mm, the ski is precise on harder surfaces, and still has the float you need in variable snow and powder. The flared tip also aids good float in powder and on crud, making this the perfect ski for those who love all types of snow and terrain.

Though it is similar on paper to the Black Pearl from Blizzard, the Captis Birdie is tuned more for the hard charger. The tight sidecut means it’s quick and easy to carve, and the ski is relatively narrow making it very responsive and meaning quick edge-to-edge transition. Like the Camox Birdie, it’s lighter and softer than the unisex version. Featuring a sturdy poplar wood core and forgiving rocker-camber-rocker profile for the best combination of carving performance and easy turn initiation, the Captis Birdie is a great all-mountain ski that’s precise and stable on the groomed and still has the chops to handle that 6” of fluff that falls overnight.

It’s all about shape with Salomon’s new QST range. It’s long nose and set back contact points make for plenty of floatation and cruisy handling. Thanks to a quick turning radius, the ski is equally at home in the back bowls and on the frontside groomers, and with a 92mm waist and Salomon’s All Terrain Rocker 2.0, you’ll find that this ski performs well on both hardpack groomers and off piste tree runs, as it’s kitted up for shock absorption and superb float alike. Less weight at the extremities with increased dampening from the Kororyd tip dramatically increases manoeuvrability and ease of steering on rocked skis. It’s a fun ski that doesn’t take much work to handle a variety of terrains.

Just like her brother the Kendo, the Kenja was revamped in 2016 with a tighter turn radius and the addition of rocker in the tail. With this, the Kenja is significantly better in soft snow and off-trail conditions. It features a 90mm waist, moderate taper in the tip, and the added manoeuvrability of the tip and tail rocker. This makes the ski feel agile and quick when you’re carving on the frontside, while offering floatation off the groomers if you get a big storm. Volkl’s Multi-Layer WoodCore and Full Titanal Layers make the Kenja incredibly stable with strong edge hold in firm or cruddy conditions. In comparison to previous Kenja models, this ski is a little more forgiving on the front side and floats far better, displaying impressive amounts of stability combined with a relatively manoeuvrable, playful feel. It is quite understandable why the Kenja is a long-time favourite of experienced freeriders who love speed.

The legendary LINE Sir Francis Bacon Skis have defined the all-mountain freestyle category for years and the 2017-2018 version is no different. Equipped with a lightweight construction, intuitive 5-cut Geometry, and an ever versatile 104mm waist width, the Sir Francis Bacon is engineered to tackle all corners of the mountain with energy and personality. The new Cloud Core is a combination of synthetic and woodcore that is fused together to make a torsionally rigid yet lightweight ski. Lighter weight makes the ski a much better touring option than the previous Sir Francis Bacon models, as well as a better soft snow ski.

The Mantra is a classic. Even though it comes with a full rocker construction (which does improved the float in powder substantially), the ski still follows its initial philosophy, functioning as a never-failing always-reliable workhorse everywhere. Taking on any snow conditions, from powder to ice, requires a well-designed ski that turns compromises into advantages. Thanks to early taper in the tip, a 100mm waist width, and the perfect match between rocker and ski flex, the Mantra’s signature soft snow performance is forgiving and confidence-inspiring. Two sheets of titanal and a perfectly matched sidecut give it the tenacious edge grip that it’s always been known for. The Mantra will hammer – rather than dance or slither – through all terrain and conditions.

The most innovative, popular, and playful freeride ski in the world, the all-new SOUL 7 HD has been 100% redesigned for even more instinctive versatility and progressive freeride performance. Featuring all-new Air Tip 2.0 and Carbon Alloy Matrix technologies, at 106mm underfoot the all-new SOUL 7 HD is lighter, and more powerful, with the uncompromising versatility to go wherever the snow takes you. The ski has high-definition energy, mobility, and strength due to the new, unique carbon and basalt weave. All this comes together, making the new SOUL 7 HD the ultimate fusion of lightweight backcountry innovation and uncompromising freeride performance.

Head into your freeride adventure with the Kore 105. The Tip-Tail Rocker gives you the perfect buoyancy in the finest powder. The Karuba wood core makes skiing extremely easy by helping to reduce the weight of the skis, without sacrificing any of the stability. The Graphene, Koroyd, and Carbon sandwich construction redefines your performance level. In addition to dampening, the processed Koroyd gives you precise control on every terrain. The carbon layers guarantee torsional stiffness for better agility and solid use of edges. Graphene on the tip and tail allows for a thin profile, so that you can glide along soft snow. No matter what is waiting for you out on the mountain, you will be ready with ski that is appropriate for a wide range of skiers thanks to the light weight Head has achieved.