Blossom White Out for Sidecountry?

[njdiver85]

Thinking of putting touring bindings on a pair of Blossom White Out's for sidecountry and some inbounds use. Has anybody done this and if so, were you still happy with how they skied?

 

[jmeb]

Personally a 77mm waisted ski without much rocker, titanal, and a tight turn radius isn't what I would want for backcountry skiing. Of course, depends on where you are and what you're looking to do. Those seem much better suited for ripping around inbounds.

 

[Dakine]

I have a mixed opinion.
Mine (176) are mounted with a plate and race bindings.
They are total frontside carving machines on groomed man made or packed natural snow.
But the other day I skied them in 6" medium dense powder over groomed.
They worked great and that 132 mm tip has some real float to it.
If you want to ski more down in the fresh than right on top, I think they would work surprisingly well in sidecountry.

 

[jmeb]

But the other day I skied them in 6" medium dense powder over groomed.
They worked great and that 132 mm tip has some real float to it.
If you want to ski more down in the fresh than right on top, I think they would work surprisingly well in sidecountry.

YMMV of course, but in my experience, the snow conditions in the backcountry are a whole lot more mixed than you get inbounds. How a ski performs in powder over groomed is not indicative of how it is likely to ski in unconsolidated, highly-variable backcountry snow. Despite the media around backcountry skiing which is powder powder powder, the reality is typically a world of weird you never really see inbounds because it gets beaten down by skier traffic and machines.

Which is why when I look for backcountry skis I tend towards things with ample tip rocker, taper, and a longer sidecut than I do for inbounds skis. You're rarely going to tip a ski on edge to straight carve, the ability to pivot and not hook in weird snow is much more important.

One example of this is Down skis "Long Radius Concept": https://www.downskis.com/about/construction . After skiing a variety of skis in the backcountry, I have to say I am a believer in this. For someone who just wants to skin up their local hill and ski down a groomer, it wouldn't really apply though. And I think that for a ski you want to spend some times inbounds on, there is probably a happy medium between something as sharp as the White outs mid-teen radius, and the LRC 41m radius.

 

[James]

YMMV of course, but in my experience, the snow conditions in the backcountry are a whole lot more mixed than you get inbounds. How a ski performs in powder over groomed is not indicative of how it is likely to ski in unconsolidated, highly-variable backcountry snow. Despite the media around backcountry skiing which is powder powder powder, the reality is typically a world of weird you never really see inbounds because it gets beaten down by skier traffic and machines.

Which is why when I look for backcountry skis I tend towards things with ample tip rocker, taper, and a longer sidecut than I do for inbounds skis. You're rarely going to tip a ski on edge to straight carve, the ability to pivot and not hook in weird snow is much more important.

One example of this is Down skis "Long Radius Concept": https://www.downskis.com/about/construction . After skiing a variety of skis in the backcountry, I have to say I am a believer in this. For someone who just wants to skin up their local hill and ski down a groomer, it wouldn't really apply though. And I think that for a ski you want to spend some times inbounds on, there is probably a happy medium between something as sharp as the White outs mid-teen radius, and the LRC 41m radius.

Interesting on the Down skis. Certainly makes sense. For one, just sidestepping in 3-d snow with a 15m 176would be annoying as the foot sinks.
Have you skied the Down? Never heard of them. Not that much rocker.

 

[jmeb]

ave you skied the Down? Never heard of them. Not that much rocker.

Haven't yet. But I should be skiing them come this weekend once I mount them up. The CD104Ls have plenty of tip rocker and just some mild tail rocker.

Full report to come.

 

[Philpug]

Talk about your missapplications.