Types of Telemark / Alpine Touring Skis
For simplicity’s sake, Telemark skis can be broken down by the amount of time you’ll spend in the backcountry versus on groomed trails at resorts. This makes it easy to narrow your choices to a few similar offerings by brand, and then pick based on your specific ability level and style. "Lift-served" skiing is used below to describe skiing on groomed slopes, and "backcountry" means skiing on natural snow that has not been altered by machines.
Note to Alpine Tourers (AT): Though this section was originally written for Tele skiers, all of the selection parameters below basically apply to you as well. You have the added flexibility to use standard alpine boards as well--come in and talk to us about the pros and cons of this, depending on where you want to ski.
Mostly Lift-Served / Harder Snow:
- these skis are relatively narrow at the waist, between 72-78mm
- will allow the best performance on groomed terrain
- make a nice, light ski to go backcountry if you decide to do so
The narrow waist is what makes these skis quick into turns and also gives them superior edge hold on the snow found at Eastern ski resorts. On skis with narrow widths, the transition from one edge to the other takes less time to complete. If transitions are faster, then you spend more time on your edges and the skis will hold better on harder snow without washing out. But don’t be afraid to venture into the trees or the backcountry with these planks; they can handle powder and variable snow well, it just takes more effort and skill. Some people prefer narrower skis for the backcountry because they are the lightest (so you can do more laps with less fatigue) and because they track well while skinning.
K2 Super Stinx
Half Lifts / Half Backcountry:
- moderate to chubby waists, roughly 78mm to 88mm
- good edging and turning ability on the groomed, and great fun in the backcountry
- wider width offers stability and floatation – you fall less in variable snow conditions
If you are a frequent backcountry skier, you’ll spend more of your time facing Mother Nature on her turf, which means infinitely variable snow. In a single turn you may skid over ice, through a drift of powder, and then into some mush sitting in a sunny patch. Wider waists are much more stable in these conditions and fat tips keep the skis up in powder. You’ll turn with less effort and certainly won’t eat snow as often. These skis hold their own on groomers as well and are great fun for exploring less-traveled trails and glades at the resort. Jack-of-all-trades skis.
Rossignol Hip Chick & K2 Shuksan
Mostly Backcountry / Soft Snow:
- waists from 88mm - 100mm+
- the heaviest skis, but you’ll be less fatigued on the way down (though more on the way up)
- stability and floatation are the primary goals—edgehold is not as dramatic
No apologies for the pun, but this a rather broad category. Within its bounds are skis 88mm at the waist as well as 100mm biggies. We often equate these skis with full-suspension mountain bikes; they float gracefully over any terrain at the expense of extra weight (which you only feel on the uphill, when gravity sits upon your shoulder and chortles in your ear). A great choice for dedicated backcountry / off-piste skiing. The fatter models will be noticeably sloppy on anything but soft corduroy, so don’t expect to slice turns on steep and hard slopes. There is plenty of variation in this category, and manufacturers are beginning to develop skis that are soft enough longitudinally to handle powder but stiffer torsionally to give enough edgehold on the hard stuff.
BD Killowatt
