Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 42
SKIN CARE
Selecting, Caring for, and Maintaining
Alpine Touring Skins By Andrew Drummond
R
ather than go through the basics of touring skins, it’s
more practical to walk through an example of selecting,
caring for, and maintaining skins. For this example, we’ll
use a pair of skis a customer just purchased: the Blizzard Hustle
10s (102 cm waist) in a 156 cm length. These are going to be
used for East Coast terrain, and also trips out west—we’ll be
touring on ice, slush, crud, and hopefully, powder.
MATERIALS
We need a skin that has excellent grip and glide—and is also
durable. Most skins now have a hybrid plush that will endure
harsh conditions without ripping out and allow climbing
efficiency. Pure nylon skins are the most durable and grippy
on climbs, while pure mohair (goat fur) have the best glide.
For these skis, I’m going to pick a hybrid because I want the
best of both worlds.
MODELS
Next, I’m going to pick out a model. I’m recommending the
POMOCA Climb 2.0, which has a thin plush that will work well
with these skis and is budget friendly. There will be plenty of
surface area to offset the reduced grip of the thin plush—and
they pack up very small, helping to offset some of the weight
of the ski. Since there’s more surface area, the ski will have
plenty of grip with a thick plush. If I had narrower skis, I would
consider a thicker plush to help with the grip.
SIZING
Dimensions are another way to save weight. I make sure to
find a skin that covers the power zone, the area extending just
in front of the toe to just behind the heel. These skis are 102
mm waist, so 120 mm skins will work; but if you want more
coverage (and weight), 140 mm skins would work as well,
but are more appropriate for true powder skis (over 105 cm).
The tip and tail don’t do much in terms of grip, so I don’t care
about those dimensions. For length, I’m going for a size that is
the shortest length that will fit these skis. For a 156 cm ski, I’m
selecting a size XS, which is for ski lengths of 145 to 160 cm.
CUTTING SKINS
Most skins come with cutting tools—some nicer than others—
that will trim the skins so that only the edge is revealed. If the
edges are covered, or the base is showing underfoot, the skis
will slip when traversing on an off-camber skin track. Cutting
skins takes a bit of confidence, but a steady hand and sharp
tool make this task a breeze. Some skins come pre-cut which
is generally an easy option and skips this step.
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