5 Good Telemark Skiing for Ladies

K2 Talkback 96 Ski – Women’s

As the widest ski in K2’s women’s backcountry-specific ski lineup, the Talkback 96 Ski lives for dreamlike days of fluffy goodness, but can handle steep, technical lines with more supportive snow—all in a sub six-pound package that will have you zipping up the skintrack lap after lap.

K2 shaved some weight off the Talkback 96 this season, but without the expense of its downhill performance. A Titanal spine and carbon reinforcement keep this ski stiff and powerful, but without taking away from its nimbleness, while a paulownia wood core is to thank for its efficient weight on the climbs and the fun, poppy feel on the descent. Complete with a snow-shedding topsheet to ensure you aren’t weighed down by five extra pounds of powder, you just might track out a whole backcountry bowl before you even feel tired.

Dynafit Speedfit 84 Ski – Women’s

If you look at days spent skiing at the resort as an opportunity to train for bigger objectives, then the Dynafit Women’s Speedfit 84 Ski is for you. Dynafit’s Speedfit series is geared toward human-powered inbounds skiing with a nimble 84mm waist width that’s light on the up and a blast to carve down groomed runs. A lightly rockered tip and tail eases turn initiation while a good amount of camber underfoot gives the ski a stable feel when you lay into your turn as much as your touring boots allow you too.

Prior Flute XTC Carbon Ski – Women’s

The Prior Women’s XTC Flute Ski was born to farm cold smoke, but possesses the ability to tackle all the hardpack and chunder that you’re left with in between storms. Thanks to the lightweight construction and mid-fat 105-107 millimeter waist, this plank a solid daily driver, in bounds or out.

With a rockered tip and tail, these sticks have no trouble sailing through the deep stuff, and camber underfoot lets you rally groomers when you pop back into the resort at the end of the day. Unlike the traditional Flute ski, the XTC construction features a carbon laminate to shed weight without losing strength. A pair of the XTCs weigh in at just over six pounds, making them ideal for backcountry exploration. The XTC uses the same poppy and playful maple core, making it a delight to jump, slash, and huck your way all over the hill.

La Sportiva Maximo LS Ski – Women’s

Your penchant for human-powered descents may lead some to call you a glutton for punishment, but that could have something to do with the fact that they’ve never skied the La Sportiva Women’s Maximo LS Ski. With a lightweight construction that will fly up steep skintracks like you’re on an escalator and a fun-having progressive shape, this ultralight offering from La Sportiva will keep a smile plastered on your face whether you’re skinning to the base of a steep couloir or making hop turns down a line you’ve been dreaming about skiing all season.

La Sportiva teamed up with with Italy’s Ski Trab to produce the Maximo LS. Building its skis in Italy, Ski Trab specializes in ultralight backcountry skis that inspire confidence on the descent. Utilizing Ski Trab’s 14-layer Technology, the Maximo is home to a wood core with air canals to save weight and a stiff-but-light construction to keep the Maximo responsive when you’re confronted with less-than-ideal conditions. Adding to the ski’s overall skiability, La Sportiva commissioned the Maximo to be built with the Low Omega Profile, which makes initiating turns a breeze and reduces the chance of hooking up edges as you exit your turn, giving the skis a fluid, easy-to-ski feel when you’re making your way down techy lines in the alpine.

La Sportiva Super Maximo LS Ski – Women’s

There are those that prefer a lightweight skin to the top over all else, including downhill performance, and then there are those that take La Sportiva’s Super Maximo LS Ski out for a tour and don’t have to choose. Built with SKI TRAB Lightweight Technology, the Super Maximo is both extremely lightweight yet rich with anti-torsional strength. The core is built from 14 different layers in order to reduce vibration, using lightweight wood interlaced with higher-strength wood, then reinforced with a fiberglass box. This process delivers both torsional rigidity and durability to an otherwise lightweight ride.

When it comes to downhill performance, the Super Maximo LS is well adapted to a wide range of snow conditions. It features La Sportiva’s progressive Attivo shape, well tuned for adept steering, floatability, and forgiving turn initiation. This innovative shape ensures gradual entry into fresh snow, yet provides plenty of contact on sun-affected crust. Plus, the 94mm waist underfoot is wide enough to handle last night’s big dump, yet narrow enough that it deals well with any wind-buffed slopes you might encounter on your way down.