Skin Skis: the Times are Changing

Do you already have a pair of skin skis? Personally, I have always preferred waxable classic skis. There’s nothing like sticky klister kick on an icy track; or the kick of buttery blue hardwax on day-old snow. There is no question that waxable skis are the fastest option for classic skiing--even if you are double-poling with no wax. 

Increasingly though, there’s a certain momentum behind skin skis. Fish scales have never had very good kick or glide, and the constant buzz underfoot takes away much of the joy of classic skiing. Zero skis were a small step forward in classic ski technology, but they only work in very specific conditions. Skin skis, however, seem to work in virtually all conditions, offering excellent kick and much better than fish scale glide...not to mention, they’re silent!

Over the past three years, increasingly more guests have been bringing skin skis on their Lumi Experiences ski vacations and I have learned a lot. First, when you’re skiing in the alps, skins are perfect for the fast temperature swings when the mid-morning sun crests the mountains. Second, if you’re skiing with a group, you don’t need to stop and rewax. Third, skin technology is advancing really fast. The skins are made from the same material as ski touring skins. If they can be used to climb mountains, getting up the track on a Nordic trail is no problem. And they can be replaced if they start to wear out. Wax companies are also creating products to wax (even flouro!) skins, as well as to clean them. Adjustable bindings allow you to control the amount of kick you get from the skins without even having to take off your skis.

During recent visits to the Salomon, Atomic and Fischer factories, I asked about sales and their most popular skis. All three companies said independently, “classic skins.” And to which regions? They are selling more skins skis to Norway, the cradle of classic skiing, than any other market.

That said, I have never skied on skins. For me, skin skis have always carried a stigma similar to e-bikes, like it’s somehow cheating. Don’t want to classic wax? Go for a skate ski, I’ve always thought. But the times, they are a-changin’. Bob Dylan might still be pine tarring wooden skis on the Gunflint Trail, but I just ordered my first pair of skin skis. And I am psyched to get out on them when the snow flies.