Free skis, boots & bindings
New developments in the world of Free skis, boots, and bindings.
- Author: Niccolò Zarattini
- Photographer: Alberto StortiMichele GuarneriGiovanni Danieli
The merging of the Free and Tour classes is increasingly evident: the freeride of the past has today become a niche market for a select few and is gradually giving way to freetouring. This in turn is seeing the new generation of ski tourers choosing to have at least 100 mm underfoot as their daily tourer. As always, the overarching goal remains downhill performance.
When it comes to freeride, everything that can be written has been written. The very top freeriders and visionaries have discussed and expressed their opinions on the subject, philosophizing and elevating the discipline to the status of artform, much like poets penning love poems. Okay, maybe comparing freeriding to love may be sacrilegious to some, or even blasphemous. But let’s be honest—how many of us would face a real dilemma if we had to choose between a cozy morning in bed with a lover and a perfect day carving through half a meter of fresh powder?
We were blessed with the usual good fortune of fifty centimeters of fresh powder at the Capanna Presena Mountain Lodge on Passo Tonale. The venue remains the same, but two new members of our tester team have injected a new school vibe, shaping kickers and executing bold jumps of cliffs à la FWT, carving new lines on a mountain that seemed to have no more room for creativity. We put the gear through its paces on extremely varied terrain, from powder to chop and hardpack, at full throttle and also cruising speeds, and a variety of turn radiuses, so we could write reviews that will prove useful to all users.
Over the years, everything that could be written about freeride has been written. Countless freeriders and dreamers have discussed and expressed their thoughts on the subject, philosophizing and elevating the discipline to an art form, like poets writing about love.
FREERIDER TYPE
Defining the stereotypical freerider is not easy, and even the ‘free’ prefix itself is problematic: if there were a common model, then it wouldn’t really be ‘free’ anymore. There are hugely diverse styles and aims, but there also many common traits, the first of them being park skis, with waists rarely under 90 mm—a width that a typical freerider would already consider to be exclusively for use in firm conditions and on steep terrain. The priority remains on downhill performance. The standard one-ski quiver has around a 100 mm width. Freeriders are ready to make some sacrifices in terms of speed and sweat on the ascent to enjoy the thrill of carving their own lines on the descent. They’re generally not fans of excessively chittery skis, much less lack of edge precision caused by the skis warping, or —heaven forbid—the nose suddenly diving in powder due to lack of float. They like to arc wider turns than standard tourers, you need stability when riding deep powder, but also the agility to change pace.
Some arrive from the world of resort skiing and adapt the techniques learned on the slopes to the variable off-piste snow conditions. And that doesn’t mean just floaty powder: riders often encounter moguls on the more popular descents, or wind-blown snow. They use a range of different skis, ideally mounted with step-in bindings that ensure the suspension and lateral play they’re used to. There are also tourers—usually more accustomed to lighter skis—who are looking for burlier tools exclusively for powder days, which are less tiring on the legs and can be mounted with a more robust pin binding for tackling ascents in excess of a thousand meters. Freeriders are generally not scared off by ascents that would be unthinkable to users of lighter equipment, who stare slack-jawed at the fat rigs some skiers manage to haul to a summit. And then watch as they charge down the mountain wearing huge grins. Today’s freeride skis are significantly lighter than they were 10 years ago—a factor that allows everyone to push further into the backcountry. Or which allows them to take high-performance skis on missions which used to be the exclusive realm of tourers with lightweight setups.
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Materials are evolving, which is increasing the opportunities for pushing the boundaries of mountaineering splitboarding. It’s no longer just about easy tours, a few jumps and a beer. Thanks to innovative new setups and growing knowledge within the community, long ascents and steep terrain no longer intimidate.
Weighing from less than 100 grams to nearly a kilo, the common denominator are the pins into which you stick your boots and that enable you to climb. From the revolution of the pin binding to the latest hybrids for freeriding, here are all the best bindings the skimo market has to offer.
Probably The most accurate ski test out there.
