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gear of the week

Gear of the Week | Contour Hybrid Pure skins

You usually have to climb untracked terrain under your own steam before you can enjoy the descent.

03/23/2025 • by Pascal Schindler

The skins do exactly what you would expect from a good climbing skin, and with flying colors.

Theresa Schranner
Col de la Charrat, Hautes-Alpes
Pascal Schindler

The skins do exactly what you would expect from a good climbing skin, and with flying colors.

Theresa Schranner
Col de la Charrat, Hautes-Alpes
Pascal Schindler
Ski skins are essential for anyone who wants to be independent of lifts in the mountains. This week I present the Contour Hybrid Pure ski skins - a great choice for ski tourers looking for a high-quality companion.

Whether after a few hours or a few days at the latest - in heavily frequented areas, the powder runs are quickly worn out and no longer offer the full experience. Or lifts are out of the question from the outset - whether for reasons of cost or climate or simply out of love for untouched nature. Because the white expanses are best explored away from the hustle and bustle. So the solution is to get away from the lifts and earn your descent - true to the motto "Earn your Turns".

This brings me to today's "Gear of the Week": the Hybrid Pure skins from Contour.

Definition

The Contour Hybrid Pure skins are based on an innovative hybrid adhesive technology. The adhesive layer consists of two layers: one ensures a secure hold on the ski in a wide range of conditions, while the other connects the back of the skin to the first adhesive layer. Compared to classic adhesive skins, these hybrid skins are easier to remove from the ski and adhere reliably even at low temperatures.

The "Pure" in the name stands for the use of 100 % mohair, the wool of the Angora goat. This natural material offers optimum grip on the ascent. As Contour Skins aptly states on their website: "Fortunately, the days of sealskin are long gone!"

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The coat comes in a box with extensive accessories.

Pascal Schindler
Innsbruck, Tyrol

The coat comes in a box with extensive accessories.

Pascal Schindler
Innsbruck, Tyrol

First impression and cutting to size

As I ski wider skis, I opted for the Contour Hybrid Pure 135 XL. The skin is attached to the upper end of the ski with a Tip-Fix attachment bracket. The Tail Clip can be used universally and also fits on round ski ends. It is also adjustable in length, which allows for an optimal fit.

The skin comes in a box with extensive accessories:

  • A skin bag with sewn-in fleece to wipe the ski base before attaching the skins - this extends the life of the adhesive layer.

  • Two hybrid cleaning cloths to gently remove dirt from the upper adhesive layer.

  • A protective film to store the skins optimally for longer periods of time.

  • And very important: a cutter. This allows the skins to be cut precisely with just one stroke - no more fiddly work with a carpet knife!

Of course, I made the mistake of not reading through the instructions. The adhesive layer has a thin protective film that is divided into three strips. When cutting, only the middle strip should be exposed first, as the cutter rests on the edges between the skin and the ski. Long story short: The first cut was not perfect, but after I had looked at the short instructions, it worked all the better with the second ski!

Get off the lifts and earn your descent - true to the motto "Earn your Turns".

Dominik Schindler
La Grave, Hautes-Alpes
Pascal Schindler, Sonja Schindler

Get off the lifts and earn your descent - true to the motto "Earn your Turns".

Dominik Schindler
La Grave, Hautes-Alpes
Pascal Schindler, Sonja Schindler

Use

I used the skins on my week-long La Grave trip - perfect test conditions! As the gondola was not in use this year, all turns were Lady/Man Powered.

We were out and about in a wide variety of conditions. The first tour started in sunlit fresh snow (approx. 3 cm), a dream for snowball fights, but a nightmare for many skins. However, the hybrid skin showed no signs of clogging. Even on icy surfaces, it impressed with excellent adhesion.

Considering that the adhesive surface was not covered with adhering snow, the adhesive proved to be absolutely reliable even after repeated skinning and unskinning.

Conclusion

I am super happy with these skins - they do exactly what you would expect from a good climbing skin, and with flying colors. The cutter is a real game changer, which makes precise fitting to the ski much easier.

With this setup, I'm looking forward to the upcoming tours!

If you're looking for a reliable climbing aid, take a look at the website of Contour Skins or at our partner Sport Conrad.


The skin was provided to PowderGuide.com by Contour Skins.

Untracked terrain usually has to be climbed under your own steam before you can enjoy the descent.

Pascal Schindler
Col de la Charrat, Hautes-Alpes
Sonja Schindler, Theresa Schranner

Untracked terrain usually has to be climbed under your own steam before you can enjoy the descent.

Pascal Schindler
Col de la Charrat, Hautes-Alpes
Sonja Schindler, Theresa Schranner

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