01 Alpine skiing · Freeride
Freeride skiing,in fresh snow.
Freeride means skiing away from the groomed pistes, in fresh snow. You need wide skis with rocker, a boot that unlocks so you can skin uphill, and a pack with transceiver, shovel and probe that you know how to use.
i In short
Sport Extreme, at Via Prestefan 14 in Livigno, sells freeride skis, boots with a walk mode, avalanche backpacks, transceivers, shovels, probes and freeride outerwear from brands such as Black Crows, Völkl, Atomic, Salomon, K2, Mammut, Black Diamond and Haglöfs.
A The kit, piece by piece
What matters,
piece by piece.
Scroll: for every piece of kit we tell you what to look for in this sport, and which brands you'll find in store.
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Helmet
Off piste there are no nets and no groomed edges: your helmet should cover your temples and the back of your head well. Adjustable vents help when you bootpack or skin up.
Brands: Uvex
Goggles
Light changes fast in powder: a wide spherical lens, interchangeable or photochromic, shows you the terrain even under cloud. Keep a spare S1 or S2 lens in your pack for fog.
Brands: Uvex
Jacket
A three-layer shell rated 20,000 mm or more, with a powder skirt and a hood that fits over your helmet. Underarm zips dump heat on the way up.
Brands: Mammut · Haglöfs
Backpack
25–35 L, with a separate pocket for shovel and probe and straps to carry your skis; the transceiver is worn on your body. An airbag pack lowers the risk of burial but doesn't replace the kit, which is compulsory in Italy when there is avalanche risk.
Brands: Mammut · Black Diamond · Deuter · Osprey
Gloves
Warm and waterproof, with a long cuff that closes over your sleeve: in powder your hands often end up in the snow. A liner lets you use your transceiver and bindings without going bare-handed.
Brands: Level · Reusch
Trousers
Shell bib trousers keep snow off your back when you sink in or fall. Gaiters close over the boots, and reinforced hems resist cuts from your edges.
Brands: Mammut · Haglöfs
Skis
100–115 mm underfoot, with rocker in tip and tail: the ski floats and turns with little effort in deep snow. Length is around your height or a few centimetres more.
Brands: Black Crows · Völkl · Atomic · Salomon · K2
Bindings
If you only ski down from the lifts, a freeride binding with a high release setting and a wide platform is enough. To skin up you need a hybrid binding, which frees your heel on the climb and skis like an alpine binding on the way down.
Brands: Marker · Salomon
Boots
The walk mode frees the cuff so you can skin uphill; for the descent it locks and the boot is stiff again, with a flex of 110 to 130. A rubber sole grips on ridges: check that it's compatible with your binding.
Brands: Atomic · Salomon · Nordica · K2
Poles
Wide baskets that don't sink into powder. Adjustable poles go longer for the climb and shorter for the descent.
Brands: Leki · Black Diamond
All of this,
at Via Prestefan 14.
Come and try it on: we put together the right kit for you, piece by piece.
Call the shop→B Winter
How to choose a freeride ski
- LengthAround your height; with a lot of rocker you can go a few centimetres longer.
Around your height or a few centimetres more. With a lot of rocker, less edge touches the snow, so you can go longer.
- Waist width100–115 mm for everyday fresh snow, over 115 mm for deep powder.
100–115 mm for everyday fresh snow, over 115 mm for deep powder. The wider it is, the more it floats, but the slower it switches edges on hard snow.
- Camber and rockerRocker in tip and tail to float, camber underfoot to grip on hard snow.
Rocker in tip and tail to float and turn easily; a stretch of camber underfoot to grip on hard snow and on tracked-out slopes.
- FlexA boot that's stiff on the descent, with a walk mode for skinning up.
A stiffer ski is stable at speed and on crust, a softer one is playful in deep snow. The boot has a 110–130 flex and a walk mode for the climb.
D In Livigno
Freeride in Livigno
At Carosello 3000, after big snowfalls, the Powder Slopes Magu, Gessi Bassi and Femminile Bassa stay ungroomed for a day and are watched over by the ski patrol: a first step towards freeride. Off piste, the terrain is neither marked nor monitored. Before heading out, you can check your transceiver at one of five checkpoints: at the top of lifts 12 and 25, at the entrance to Val Federia and to Vallaccia, and at the Hotel Forcola bus stop.
E Quick advice
How do you get to the fresh snow?
Our advice
F In store
Your kit, properly explained
We help you choose skis, bindings and boots for how much you climb and how much you ski down, and explain how transceivers, shovels and probes work. Advice in store is no substitute for a course: to learn avalanche rescue, turn to mountain guides or recognised courses. Livigno is a duty-free zone, so no VAT is applied.
G Frequently asked questions
Good to
know.
Are a transceiver, shovel and probe compulsory for freeride?
Yes, when there is avalanche risk: in Italy anyone skiing off piste, ski touring or hiking in snowy terrain must carry a transceiver, shovel and probe (art. 26, Legislative Decree 40/2021). The rule applies to each person, not to the group. Beyond the law, the kit only helps if you know how to use it.
What is a boot's walk mode for?
It frees the cuff, so your ankle can flex back and forth and you can walk or skin uphill. For the descent it locks and the boot is stiff again. To climb you also need a binding that frees your heel, hybrid or pin.
How wide should a freeride ski be?
Usually at least 100 mm underfoot; beyond 110–115 mm it's built for deep snow. The wider it is, the more it floats, but the slower it switches edges on hard snow. If you also ski a lot on piste, a 90–100 mm all-mountain ski is a good compromise.
Where can I try freeride in Livigno without leaving the ski area?
Carosello 3000 has its Powder Slopes: Magu, Gessi Bassi and Femminile Bassa. After big snowfalls they stay ungroomed for a day and are watched over by the ski patrol, so they're a first step before you go off piste. Carosello 3000 also runs freeride outings with Livigno's mountain guides.
Come and
see us.
Every day 09:00–12:30 · 14:00–19:30
Via Prestefan 14 · 23041 Livigno · 1.816 m