Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Already have an account? Sign In

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Already have an account? Sign In

Brands

Essentials

Black Diamond Helio Recon 95

Best stability

Brand: Black Diamond Gear Reviews

Model: Helio Recon 95



Our take “This is my can’t-fall ski,” proclaimed one tester of the new Helio Recon. A bit on the heavier side (compared to other skis here), it has a poplar wood core and no carbon. Instead, it uses fiberglass, more like a conventional resort ski. The recipe makes the Helio Recon extremely predictable, stable, and affordable. “It’s the ski I want when I’m faced with a tight situation, on cruddy snow, or stuck on ice,” our tester says.

The details Black Diamond adds its usual special sauce to the core: a rubber layer. For basically no additional weight, the rubber absorbs a lot of the vibration at higher speeds. We appreciated the damper ride on tours in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Banff backcountry, where sun- and wind-affected snow were the norm. Reality check: If long tours and mountaineering missions are your thing, find a lighter ski.

Trail cred “I got myself into a couloir that required about 50 feet of downclimbing and sloughing before it opened up and I was glad to have the Helio Recons,” one tester says. “I never over-flexed them and was able to easily stay centered before I got to open the throttle a bit.”

7 lbs. 6 oz. (183); three lengths

When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission. We do not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Read more about our policy.