![]() ![]() Black Diamond also increased the size range in this line this year, adding a 155cm length for shorter skiers. Testers agreed it’s a sturdy ski that can take a beating on long backcountry adventures. Related: Eight ways to use ski straps in the backcountry.ĭurability was an obvious priority when BD added full-perimeter 5mm beveled ABS sidewalls and a tail protector with integrated skin-clip tab. “I like the direction Black Diamond is heading. “It’s strong and stable and feels at home on steep fall lines and technical terrain,” commented tester Luke Larson, owner of Salt Lake City’s Lifthouse Ski Shop. It also zips through the trees without having to put too much muscle into it, which is great when you’re slogging back to the car after a huge day of climbing. While testers agreed the Helio Carbon 95 wasn’t the most playful or creative ski, it inspired confidence in committing lines, which is no doubt what the ski was made for. A lightweight paulownia wood core maintains energy and snappiness, and an early rise tip allows for easy steering. Raring to tackle steep skin tracks, the lightweight Helio Carbon 95 is ideal for uphill chargers with big mountaineering days on their agenda when weight and reliability count. The 95 sits on the sleeker end of the Helio series (which includes an 88, 95, 104, and 115), making it a solid tool to tackle long missions in the backcountry. The Scores (out of 10)īlack Diamond re-designed its popular Helio Carbon series this season, revamping the skis with a pre-preg carbon-fiber layup that has improved the dampness, torsional stiffness, and the flex pattern of the ski. The 105 covers more bases (and honestly is wicked fun), but the 95 is friendlier in hard snow and a bit easier to ski.This article was first published by. Overall I think the Helio is an impressive ski at both sizes. The 95 is not the catch all that the 105 feels like, but it excels in its strengths : ski mountaineering, long ski tours, easy turning, light weight fun. The Helio 95 made fine and fast work both touring and turning in AK.Ĭonstruction: Prepeg carbon on a balsa flax wood core, ABS sidewall The Helio 95 at 183 has nearly the same turning radius as the Carbon Aspect (90 underfoot) at a 176 (20m vs 19m), maneuverability with less chatter and bit more ski make the 95 possibly a better version of an already good touring ski (with an extra 7 oz of weight). The tapered tail design (also with early rise), slightly smaller shovel dimension, and ultralight wood core seem to borrow what worked well with the Aspect and improve on it. Helio 105 skis powder like a big pow ski, but still manages to be remarkably carvey in making turns (perhaps a factor of the 185 size) in corn snow. Definitely a bit of chatter on hard pack (to be expected), but these feel stiff for the weight while still light. ![]() This was surprising for such a light ski, but big turns in good snow felt like the 105’s prime time. I found this to be true in just about any snow conditions. No time spent in bounds on either ski, but I took them out in variable conditions, mostly spring corn and spring pow, with a bit of hard pack and crust sprinkled in. I have done some spring skiing on these in Colorado and took these on a recent expedition to AK. The 105s I skied at a 185 length with both Dynafit Speed Radicals as well as Vipec 12s. The 95s I skied at a 183 length on Vipec 12 bindings. I ski toured both skis with both a 2-buckle boot (La Sportiva Spitfire) and a 4-buckle boot (La Sportiva Spectre). ![]()
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