Freeride is getting away from the pistes and their regulated turns and crowds, finding your own way down, working with the mountain and the environment.
Untracked powder is the ultimate, but thrills are found in all the challenges and adventures that natural terrain and conditions present. Skis are stable and capable of handling anything, from cruisy laps on marked trails to blasting seat-of-your pants turns through tracked-out junk and, of course, fresh powder stashes.
These skis are always flat decked, meaning you can select either an Alpine or Backcountry binding for use with them.
Typically, a freeride ski has a waist between 90mm and 110mm+. Wider waists provide float for deep snow. Narrower waists in the 90’s are quicker edge-to-edge and feel nimble, suiting a bigger range of conditions. Sidecuts are straighter, meaning a longer radius and better stability; noses and tails tend to be long to create smoother handling when terrain is not groomed.
A big rocker on the tips works in conjunction with longer noses for predictable handling, better turn initiation and increased float. Camber underfoot provides grip on firmer conditions. Tail rocker aids turn release to improve control in soft and rough snow.
The ideal length for a freeride ski is from your forehead to over head height. This increased length ensures better grip, stability and floatation; and is essential to making the ski work to its full potential in variable terrain.
