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The 7 Best Backcountry Skis of 2013

If it’s been a while since you bought telemark or alpine touring gear, you’ll notice that the game has changed quite a bit. Skis that used to be fat are now narrow, almost every new model has some degree of rocker, and Dynafit and Dynafit-style bindings, once deemed appropriate only for backcountry use, are becoming increasing common at the resort. All of this is good: As backcountry gear has gotten more sophisticated, it’s also gotten lighter and made skiing more enjoyable. To maximize your fun, you’ll want to assemble the perfect setup. Our Gear of the Year-winning ski, K2’s BackDrop, mates well with just about any binding. That isn’t always the case, so in the following pages we’ve paired some of the best-performing skis and bindings from our week-long test at Utah’s Powder Mountain. The trickiest thing, as always, is finding your ideal weight-to-performance ratio. Just as an ultralight setup won’t have the guts to plow through crud day after day at the resort, touring with heftier skis and bindings requires more energy. Then there’s everything in the middle: As more skiers look to the sidecountry—backcountry terrain close to a resort or road—manufacturers are responding with gear that is equally competent on both sides of the rope.

2013 Winter Buyer's Guide
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

K2 BackDrop

By: Category: Winter Buyer's Guide, Gear of the Year, Snow Sports, Skis, Backcountry Skiing, Gear
K2 BackDrop Photo: K2

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GEAR OF THE YEAR: With the BackDrop, K2 has refined its proven recipe for a powder ski—a perfect blend of rocker and sidecut combined with a bit of carbon fiber—with fantastic results. “Catlike quickness, and it floats like a cork,” one tester said. “Requires minimal skier input to smear, slash, or rail any turn,” said another. It’s also light enough to tour with, thanks to that lattice of carbon in the tail and forebody. The result is a go-anywhere, shred-anything ski that craves powder but can handle resort chop without complaint. Bonus: K2’s pre-trimmed skins ($200) snap into the BackDrop’s tip and tail holes in seconds. 142/112/131; 8 lbs

Versatility: 4.5
Power: 4

Brand: K2

$880

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