Help Me Pick a New Touring Ski

I'm gonna suggest the Vision 108, Bentchetler 100, and Moment Deathwish Tour.

I don't have experience with the Vision 108, but from reading Blister's reviews on it, it sounds like a great playful touring option.

The BC 100 is one of my favorite skis ever (second only to the Moment Deathwish) and it is probably the best 50/50 touring resort ski for the PNW imho. It is light enough to tour really well, but still stable enough to charge on and blast through crud. It floats really well in powder but still has good edge hold on groomers and corn.

I also do not have experience on the Deathwish Tour, but from what I've heard from a coworker that skis them, they are essentially just a lightened Moment Deathwish. They are slightly softer (but still not a noodle), and still possess the same legendary do-it-all qualities of the normal Deathwish. The triple camber allows it to still have a stable platform on hardpack, despite having a 112mm underfoot.



**Insert obligatory "make sure you have the proper training and equipment for backcountry" comment**

slacker, with the cross country graphics!

I'm in a similar boat and Deathwish Tours really have my eye. 112 underfoot for the pow and triple camber for days that are decidedly harder. Sounds pretty ideal.

Had the pleasure to demo the line vision 108. Reaction was "mmmm this would be a great touring ski for washington"
Sounds exactly like what you're looking for.

KevskiI'm in a similar boat and Deathwish Tours really have my eye. 112 underfoot for the pow and triple camber for days that are decidedly harder. Sounds pretty ideal.

@cydwhit spends quite a bit of time on them, I'm sure he'd love to chime in.

hot.pocket@cydwhit spends quite a bit of time on them, I'm sure he'd love to chime in.

Yeah!

Ummm, so, where to start... I've tried a bunch of touring skis over the last five years, and liked many of them, but never really fallen in love. Got on the DW Tour 112 the spring it was announced, and haven't looked back. It does everything really well. I've skied some of the deepest Teton blower days of my life on it, and had a blast, and also skittered down some of the most exposed, scarry lines of my life, complete with terrible snow. It's seriously frustrating because I love getting new gear, but this ski means I can't justify new touring skis. It does everything really well.

If you live west of the Continental Divide and aren't a big mean "Directional Charger", I don't see a real reason to buy anything else for a one ski BC quiver. If triple camber scares you, or the waist scares you, sure, go WCT 108. But otherwise, it does it all so well. I used to have a three ski touring quiver. Now I just have one. It feels weird, but whatever.

FWIW I was on the fence between the DW and DW tour, and settled on the regular layup Deathwish in a 190. With a Fritschi Tecton on it it’s still super lightweight and skis better than the DW Tour in variable snow

As much good input I have heard about the Vision 108, the DW tour is really appealing to me. 112 is a little bit wider than I was planning on going but it excites me more than the Visions. Even though I usually ski a 191cm Jeffrey I'm thinking of going with the 184cm DW tour on G3 ions. Going shorter is lighter and should make kick turns easier. Any input on length or choice of bindings?

TreyMiddletonAs much good input I have heard about the Vision 108, the DW tour is really appealing to me. 112 is a little bit wider than I was planning on going but it excites me more than the Visions. Even though I usually ski a 191cm Jeffrey I'm thinking of going with the 184cm DW tour on G3 ions. Going shorter is lighter and should make kick turns easier. Any input on length or choice of bindings?

If you’re 6’2 I’d say go 190, I’m 5’11 and the 190 hasn’t been “too much ski” if that makes sense. It’s light weight makes kick turns easy and the extra length helps with stability. If you’re going dedicated touring the G3 Ion is a great binding, so is the Tecton.