Freeski
Buyer's Guide

If you're an advanced skier, then you're comfortable all over the mountain. You can get down any piste, you go off-piste regularly and can do laps in the park. Here you can handle all the skis we have. You might be looking for more specialised equipment, or perhaps you want one setup to do everything. Either way is cool - we have the right skis for you!

An intermediate skier is starting to explore. You are gaining confidence abilities, and with this, new areas of the hill are opening up to you. You begin to try steeper runs or try to ski a little off the side of the piste. If you're feeling adventurous, you might take a run through the smaller jumps in the park. Now, all-mountain skis are still great, or you could go for directional twin freestyle skis. They can ride in the park, but also all over the mountain too.

Shorter skis are suitable for beginners as they make your first turns easier. All-mountain skis will help you ride across the hill and learn quickly.

This shape has a twin tip but isn't symmetrical. A directional twin is a versatile shape which can work for riding on and off-piste or in the park. This shape twin is designed to ride forwards, with a sidecut and mounting position geared towards directional riding. However, the twin tip on the tail allows you to throw tricks in or outside the park. You can find directional twin freestyle, all-mountain and freeride skis.

This shape is for forward-faced riding. If you spend your days riding fast downhill or touring for fresh turns- a directional ski could work for you. With a longer nose, a more set back binding position and a specific flex profile a directional ski offer you most stability and power for riding forwards.

The most common rocker profile found on freeskis. An all-mountain rocker has a strong camber underfoot with rockered tips and tails. This means that you’ll get the grip for riding piste from the underfoot camber but also soft snow performance from the rockered tips.

Park rocker is a mixture of mellow camber and tip and tail rocker. This mix means that you’re less likely to catch an edge with landings and rail tricks. Secondly, the rocker shortens the running length of your ski meaning that it’s quicker to spin. Plus, rockered tips are softer and more forgiving on your not-so-perfect landings!

A nose rocker features rocker only in the nose with camber through the waist into the tail. This profile is found mostly in directional skis because it ensures excellent grip and power for charging fast all over the mountain. The added grip of the tail means that these skis power through a turn and the rockered nose will help you float through soft or variable snow.

Powder rocker profiles feature a slight camber underfoot with a big rocker in the tips and tails. This ensures a little grip underfoot for piste or variable snow performance with massive floatation and surface area from the tips. With a powder rocker, you won’t sink regardless of how deep the snow gets!

Skis with a waist width between 90 mm - 110 mm are great for all-mountain riding. This width means that the ski can turn quickly but still has a little more meat under your feet so you can float better in soft snow.

A wider platform means that you will float better in softer snow. Combined with a nose or powder rocker you can ride powder snow until your smile is wider than the skis.

An all-mountain ski should be between your brow and chin in length, this means you have a little more stability for going fast.

Freestyle skis like all-mountain should be between your chin and brow. Go longer if you want to go bigger off kickers, shorter if you want to spin onto rails and boxes.

With freeride skis, the bigger, the better! Go with a length over your brow for maximum float in powder snow.

The sidecut defines how your skis turn on the snow. A longer sidecut radius (larger than 19) makes wider turns which are better for going fast with long carves. A shorter radius (smaller than 19 m) makes smaller turns which are easier to handle and more agile.

At Blue Tomato we divide out ski bases into three categories: Sintered, extruded and premium. An extruded base is typically the cheapest, but the lowest maintenance. An extruded base is straightforward to repair and will run even when it isn’t waxed as often. A sintered base is harder and faster but requires a little more maintenance. If damaged, repairs can be a bit tricky. A sintered base should be regularly waxed to keep running fast. The top level is the premium base. This is made from World Cup standard base materials and is the fastest available.

Skis have sidewalls to fix the base to the topsheet. Cap construction is the cheapest and easiest. Capped skis are durable and can take a beating. Full sidewall skis have the best edge grip for railing hard turns. Hybrid construction sidewalls have a combination of increased grip underfoot and durability in the tip and tail of the ski.

To turn your freeskis, you need steel edges. Some skis have strengthened edges, which either use thicker or tempered steel. For freestyle skiing, these edges take abuse from rails and boxes.

As you progress as a skier, you will push your equipment a little harder. Intermediate bindings have a little higher release values to support more aggressive skiing.

When you are learning to ski you want a binding which will release easily when you fall – beginner bindings have lower release settings.

If you want to get out into the backcountry with your own energy look at touring bindings. The allow you to skin up the mountain with a ‘walk’ mode. They are either mounted on a frame or use pins which attach corresponding holes on a ski touring boot and let you glide up the mountain with help from climbing skins. When you are at the top you change back to ‘ski’ mode and ride down. When buying ski touring bindings be careful to make sure that your boots fit with the bindings.

A step up for the lowly ski pole – the adjustable pole! If you are ski touring or want to change the length of your poles you can. If you want a lighter pair go with carbon.