Black Diamond

Helio 88 Ski - 2020

Weighing in at just over 5 pounds per pair, Black Diamond's Helio 88 Ski is at home on long tours or quick ascents. Built with a redesigned pre-preg carbon fiber layup for better vibration dampening and more torsional stiffness than the previous version, and the same ultralight balsa flax wood core for a featherweight feel, it's ravenous for long approaches, technically demanding ascents, and fast climbing. For ski-mountaineering racers, high-altitude die-hards, and dawn-to-dusk expeditioners searching for a bit of levity, these skis are an instant game-changer.

Though the Helio 88 feels like two buoyant balloons attached to your boots, you won't feel like they're floating away from you when you lock your heels in for the descent. The ABS sidewalls and the durable, chatter-gobbling sandwich construction provides burly torsional rigidity, reliable edge grip, and a smooth, stiff flex for aggressive performance on hard snow, while the early rise tip and tail lend a touch of float and reduce your effort while breaking trail. After all, with the Helio's weight savings, you're sure to be at the front of the pack time after time.