Where: The massive ski hill right above the town of Revelstoke.
Why: Terrain worthy of caviar dreams but lift-ticket priced.
Suggested ski: Icelantic Nomad 105 Lite
RMR is surrounded by cat- and heli-skiing terrain—in fact, you can do both right out of the base area. Or with the right set-up and a little local beta, you can spend the whole day playing in the same terrain, while using the lifts to do most of the heavy lifting. The runs beyond the boundaries range from mellow trees to Freeride World Tour craziness.
by RYAN STUART in December 2017 issue
Icelantic Nomad 105 Lite
BEST FOR: Slackcountry * LENGTHS: 161, 171, 181, 191 * RADIUS: 19@181 * SIDECUT: 140-105-130 * WEIGHT: 3.8kg/pair * $850
The Nomad is one of Icelantic’s most popular skis for its freeride style and go-anywhere, do-anything nature. The 105 Lite is the company’s effort to unleash that versatility on the backcountry. It lost 300 grams by swapping out the core from straight poplar to a lighter, mixed wood that’s 30 per cent lighter but almost as powerful. “It was super-easy to initiate and a ton of fun in a wide variety of conditions,” said Bob Brett, who tested the ski on an April powder day at Whistler. “It shone in powder, crud and mixed conditions, yet was versatile enough that I still enjoyed soft bumps and groomers.” The twintip style gave it a playful feel that tended toward surfy turns, and it worked best in a slightly back-of-centre focus, noted Ian March at Whistler: “This ski was light and easy, and a lot of fun in soft snow.” The Nomad 105 Lite was the most resort friendly of the skis tested in the backcountry category. With the right binding combo, it would make a great one-ski quiver or a slackcountry scalpel for playing in a variety of terrain and conditions.
Marker F12 Tour EPF
BEST FOR: Slackcountry * WEIGHT: 2.2kg, with brake * $469
If you didn’t know this was a touring binding, you probably couldn’t tell even skiing with it in-bounds—or standing in the liftline. Compatible with just about any ski boot, it’s not that different from Marker’s freeride models, except a plate under the binding releases for uphill trekking when the opportunity occurs. marker.net
