Last year’s redesigned Helio 116 earned our Editors’ Choice Award and, this year, both carbon Helio and Recon models podiumed. The original Helio models appeared in four waist widths-88, 95, 105 and 116 mm underfoot-and several models appeared in the 20 Gear Guides. With the transition to the Blizzard factory, a location that’s been building high-end skis for half a century, Black Diamond hoped to improve quality and develop opportunities to introduce new technologies into their lineup. This switch came on the heels of purported challenges the company faced with production quality in their Chinese facility. Beyond that, they’re identical to past Route models, with fiberglass construction around a poplar core.īlack Diamond’s original Helio skis marked a significant decision by the Salt Lake City, Utah-based company to move ski production from China-where it had been making skis for 12 years-to the Blizzard factory in Mittersill, Austria. So, like Black Diamond did last year with the carbon and balsa/flax-cored Helios, the new Helio Recon models include a layer of rubber sandwiched at the ski’s edge beneath the mount point and in the tip and tail to provide a more dampened feel. Why the reshuffling of the lineup? Black Diamond believes there’s an upwelling of skiers interested in lightweight backcountry skis that don’t compromise durability. While the traditional Helio line, updated every two years, returns unchanged this season, Black Diamond debuts another set of offerings beneath the Helio name dubbed Helio Recon, a re-envisioning of the Route skis that first appeared in 2017.

We recommend a brake width equal to or at most 15 mm wider than the ski waist width.Black Diamond released their carbon Helio skis in 2016 and, since then, the award-winning line has undergone changes to become lighter and stronger.

PTEX 4500 Base – Industry-accepted as the premium base material, this sintered UHMW-PE base provides very high density for excellent durability and wax retention, combined with high carbon content for superior glide.

Used on skis designed for maximum downhill performance and durability, but optimized for minimal weight.

Full-Perimeter ABS Sidewalls – ABS sidewalls wrap the entire perimeter of the ski, offering optimal durability and damping.

This layup is ideal for any backcountry mission. Toughened epoxy resin is added in precise quantities prior to ski manufacturing to ensure precise weight and consistent quality.

Pre-Preg Carbon – A blend of High-strength carbon fiber oriented along multiple axes combined with strategic amounts of high-strength E-Glass for toughness and damping, this layup is optimized for efficiency without giving up downhill performance.

This plate also serves to increase torsional stiffness and provides a solid foundation underfoot.

Titanal Binding Plate – A high-strength metal plate is embedded underneath the composite layer to ensure that binding screw retention is never a concern.

It has good compressive and shear properties, which allow for remarkably smooth and chatter-free ski performance at very low weight.

Its slightly softer longitudinal stiffness allows for the use of stiffer carbon composites without compromising the flex profile of the ski.

The stiffness and weight properties of paulownia wood make it the go-to material when using carbon fiber layups. Engineered Paulownia Core – Paulownia wood is the material of choice when light weight is required, but compromising downhill performance is not an option.178 cm – 334mm Tip Rocker / Camber / 242mm Semi-Rocker Tail.

Black diamond helio carbon 104