Even though antique skis are thought to be completely straight, a hint of sidecut has graced ski design since Norway’s early telemark skiers of the 1880s. The subtle one- to three-millimeter sidecut of old underwent a dramatic advancement in the early ’90s with the boom of turn-centric hourglass-shapes. And all that changed again about a decade back, with the introduction of a new sidecut concept that’s now almost ubiquitous in backcountry skis.
Gearbox: With their Procline and X-Alp boots, Arc’teryx and Salomon rethink walk-mode mobility
Certain technologies have a way of interrupting the status quo. Such disrupters are often so simple that consumers wonder why nothing like it existed earlier. They change the way we work and play, often solving a problem we never knew existed.
My Kit: Nine Tools for Ski Mountaineering in Montana’s Tobacco Roots
Later this week, Editor in Chief Tyler Cohen heads into Montana’s Tobacco Root Mountains for a ski mountaineering course offered by Bell Lake Yurt and Montana Alpine Adventures. Here’s what he’s bringing along for the ride.