Caught, Not Sticky: ‘Contour Hybrid Combine’ Climbing Skins Assessment

Each time I wrestle with my climbing skins on the prime of a mountain, I believe, “There must be a greater means.” After discovering Contour’s Hybrid Combine skins, I believe there may be.

There’s been an explosion of innovation in backcountry snowboarding and splitboarding gear innovation due to the booming interest in the sport over the previous decade. Touring gear appears to be quickly getting lighter and performing higher yearly.

However climbing skins mark one place the place time has stood nonetheless. A lot of the skins I’ve examined previously few years aren’t a lot completely different than the Black Diamond skins I used after I went on my first tour 15 years in the past. At trailheads and mountaintops across the Mountain West, I nonetheless see each freshmen and specialists alike cursing out their climbing skins.

So, I used to be confused and skeptical after I purchased a pair of Contour Hybrid Mix skins on a whim from my native ski mountaineering store final season. The skins appeared to barely have glue on them, and didn’t cement to themselves on all the things of their orbit. But they appeared to work each bit in addition to any of the opposite skins I’d examined through the years. In addition they packed down small — they slot in a traditional jacket pocket.

I’ve since met ski guides, athletes, and different leisure backcountry skiers and splitboarders who had the identical preliminary response and who’ve gone from skeptics to converts. I’ve additionally gleaned some greatest practices, plus a number of downsides and caveats to my enthusiasm for these easy-to-use skins.

Briefly: After testing the skins for a number of months and speaking with hardcore backcountry skiers and guides, I’m satisfied that the Contour Hybrid Combine skins are (lastly) a reliable leap ahead in climbing pores and skin design. They’re worthy of your consideration.

Contour Hybrid Combine Skins Assessment

Contour makes 10 completely different fashions of skins. It’s essential to notice that solely 5 of them use the newer hybrid adhesive. The opposite 5 fall beneath the Information line and use conventional “scorching soften” adhesive, which makes them much like most different skins in the marketplace.

Right here, I deal with the Hybrid Combine Skins. These use the hybrid adhesive and a 65% mohair and 35% nylon mix on the opposite facet for all-around pores and skin.

Nevertheless, it’s value noting that Contour additionally makes use of the hybrid glue on splitboard skins, a “Velocity” pores and skin, and a “Pure” pores and skin that’s 100% mohair when you want one thing outdoors of the mohair/artificial mix.

The Innovation

I wouldn’t have bothered writing about skins if it weren’t for Contour’s proprietary hybrid adhesive. It’s chargeable for its easy-to-work-with mild tack that someway holds nicely, endures a number of transitions simply, and doesn’t require regluing.

The remainder of the pores and skin isn’t markedly completely different from rivals. I’ll spotlight some smaller touches beneath that add to its attract.

To attempt to remedy the frustrations with conventional “scorching soften” skins, Contour developed a course of that mixes two varieties of adhesives: one on the surface that sticks the pores and skin to the ski and one other behind it that adheres that outward-facing glue layer to the pores and skin itself.

Contour’s proprietor, Werner Koch, advised me the corporate landed on the method after deciding {that a} single glue couldn’t meet the necessities of each adhering to the pores and skin throughout manufacturing and satisfactorily performing within the area.

To keep away from overhyping it, it’s value noting that Contour has been in enterprise since 1978. It first launched skins with the hybrid adhesive in 2012. This isn’t a brand-new entrant into the climbing skins market. That mentioned, I had not seen Contour skins on the pores and skin observe or in shops within the U.S. till 2022. And I write about ski gear for a residing.

Straightforward to Deal with

There are a number of purported advantages to this twin-layer glue technique that appear to be borne out within the area.

The obvious one when dealing with the skins for the primary time is the mellow tack that makes them simpler to work with than conventional skins. They keep on with themselves, however you don’t should be a powerlifter to get them again aside. Likewise, they keep on with your skis nicely however received’t pull P-Tex out whenever you take them off. They rip off with a flick of your wrist.

Jordan Berde, a ski purchaser at evo, has been on Contour skins for 3 seasons. She mentioned she’s within the means of changing all her ski setups to Contour.

“Nothing beats attending to the highest of the run and transitioning in a flash. Critically, I’m in it for the look of amazement and jawdrops from my buddies after we’re ripping skins. I nearly at all times get a ‘whoa’ out of somebody,” she mentioned.

I’ve gloated in comparable moments at transition factors after I rip my Contour skins with one simple pull like a grizzled backcountry veteran, however I additionally actually admire how simple they’re to separate for making use of them to your skis in addition to folding to themselves to place in your pack, even in excessive winds.

Now, after I use conventional glue skins, I’m at all times aggravated on the variety of tries it takes me to get them folded symmetrically. And let’s not overlook the bodily energy required to drag them aside for an additional lap.

Temperature Sensitivity

As a result of it’s chemically secure, the glue isn’t as temperature-sensitive as conventional glues. With hot-melt adhesive skins, this variability could make it irritating to separate heat skins or to retain the skins to your skis when touring in excessive chilly. I’ve personally examined the Hybrid Combine Skins round Colorado this season in chilly January snow via gloppy Could slush and had no points.

Amos Whitling, proprietor and head information at Aspen Expeditions, is a Contour Hybrid convert and has used the skins around the globe with out points.

“I’ve used them now in Iceland, Antarctica, Hokkaido, the Tetons, and Colorado. Just about all the key snowpack sorts,” he mentioned, including, “I’ve been snowboarding backcountry since ‘93 and had plenty of completely different skins and these are the very best. They don’t ever fail. Interval. And it’s simple to repair in the event that they barely do.”

Whiting additionally famous that whereas his guides have the choice to get ski skins free of charge from a number of corporations, most of his veteran guides have switched to Contour’s Hybrid Combine skins and are equally obsessed with them.

Berde from evo mentioned she’s had some points with adhesion in excessive, sub-zero chilly, however that making additional passes on the skinned ski with a gloved hand normally prevents any points within the area. Contour’s bag for the skins additionally comes with a chamois patch for wiping skis, as moisture also can hamper adhesion.

Straightforward Refreshes

The glue’s stability additionally means they’re simple to scrub with Contour’s cleansing answer for a like-new refresh in the event that they get dirty with ski wax or different particles. If you happen to’ve ever scraped pine needles off conventional glue or, even worse, reglued skins at residence, you perceive the attract. The soundness of the adhesive additionally means it received’t depart glue residue in your skis. That stuff can very actually cease you in your tracks on the downhill.

Koch mentioned the hybrid glue isn’t affected by UV rays or warmth, however admitted that the skins want some particular consideration to keep up their carefree efficiency.

“The glue does entice mud, grime, and extra wax greater than hotmelt and loses tack every time the floor will get contaminated. So maintaining them clear utilizing the wipes included is essential to success,” he mentioned. He additionally recommends being additional fastidious about clearing extra wax out of your skis after a tuning.

Anecdotally, after one season on the Contours, I’ve but to wish to scrub them, although I solely use the Contour skins on one in all my backcountry ski setups. They haven’t had every day abuse.

Aspen Expeditions’ Whiting is on his first season on Contour hybrid skins and likewise hasn’t needed to clear but. He mentioned, “I’m admittedly not gear caretaker. Father of three, busy, and my stuff will get slammed on the cabinets. Generally they get dried. Generally they don’t. I nonetheless haven’t had any points.”

Setup and Set up

In most respects, the cut-to-fit course of for the Contour skins is similar as most different skins. Contour sizes the Hybrid Combine skins so that you received’t want to chop them to size and set up {hardware}. Nostril and tail clips come pre-installed. Evo’s Berde is bullish on the tail clips

“The constructive suggestions you get whenever you clasp it into place is in contrast to some other tail clip in the marketplace,” she mentioned. “It’s simple to clasp onto the tail and I discover far much less motion than different tail clips.”

The one chopping required is to trim to match the form and width of your skis. Contour contains an offset chopping software that was simple to make use of and, anecdotally, resulted in my cleanest pores and skin trimming of the yr. I like to recommend stabilizing the ski and pores and skin in a vice when you’ve got the choice.

The place to Purchase

Italian mountaineering model Camp has a U.S. headquarters in Boulder, Colo. It handles the distribution of Contour merchandise, and you should buy Contour skins on its website. I first discovered Contour skins at my native ski mountaineering store. If you happen to don’t have a kind of, they’re normally obtainable at outdoor-oriented on-line retailers akin to REI, Backcountry, evo, and Skimo.com. On the time of this writing, Amazon additionally has the Hybrid Combine skins obtainable for much less.

Alternate options

A number of different corporations together with Montana, Kohla, and Colltex make comparable skins. They’re also known as “glueless” skins as a result of, like Contour Hybrid skins, the adhesives don’t have the nasty behavior of forcefully sticking to something of their path.

Of those, I’ve solely examined Montana’s glueless skins. Whereas the adhesive was a pleasure in comparison with conventional skins, I had pretty frequent points with adhesion to the ski. Snow incessantly snuck beneath the skins and required me to scrape the skins on the skintrack. This solely acquired worse with use and finally required a regluing and I finally moved on to completely different skins.

That mentioned, I anticipate that pores and skin producers will proceed to plug away with enhancements to each conventional hot-melt skins and newer glueless fashions. If you happen to’ve used some other skins that you simply suppose are value contemplating, please tell us!

Contour Hybrid Combine Skins: Conclusion

All of the Contour Hybrid customers I’ve talked to had been simply as skeptical as I used to be when first seeing or listening to concerning the skins.

“How is that going to work?”

“I wager they received’t carry out within the chilly/moist/heat/no matter.”

Apart from decreased sub-zero efficiency (a problem most skins have), I’ve but to search out the draw back to Contour’s hybrid glue skins. Longevity is an open query as I’ve solely used them for one season.

My first skins had been thick and heavy hot-melt Black Diamonds that lasted me seven modest seasons (with regluing). Will the comparatively mild, skinny, and versatile Contours make it that far? Time will inform, however I’m glad to be utilizing them so long as they do.

You may simply must witness another person’s easy transition with the Contours within the area to be satisfied. If you happen to haven’t personally seen them but, I predict you’ll quickly.