The Contour Guide Mix skins are reliable enough for use by mountain guides and simple enough for the rest of us. A durable and grippy blend of mohair and nylon fibers graces the bottom of the skins, providing plenty of traction on the up. The glue is a proven hot-melt formula that just seems to stick lap after lap, while not being too difficult to pull apart or off your skis. A simple square bracket tip fits just about any ski, with some typical fold-over tail clips to prevent peeling from the rear. The Guide Mix kits come with a skin trimmer, backing foil, and a stuff sack. Be your own guide in the backcountry with these Contour Mix skins.
Square bracket tips are riveted on with a streamlined fit to avoid snow-creep.
Solid tail clips adjust along a strap to accommodate about an 8cm length range.
Proven hot-melt adhesive (aka glue) just works.
Plenty of size options offer a confident fit.*
Decent glide for a chemical-free nap.
* Note the "Universal" length kits come with unattached square brackets and folding clips to easily make the perfect length skin.
Will the 115mm x 177-184 cm option fit Voile Hypervector skis, 177 cm long? The dimensions are on the edge, and I guess the answer depends on the details of the attachment and the ski nose and tail profile. Thanks.
Daily driver skins x2 years, help up very well to skiing all months last year and a number of harsh tours in weird conditions. The glue visually deteriorated quite quickly but retained its stick despite pilling on the bottom. Never had any issues with grip. Prior skins included BD ascention and Pomoca climb (yellow) and I rate these head and shoulders ahead. I do feel like the tip/tail clips are slightly more durable than others that I have used; never had an issue with losing tail attachments and the tips have withstood a lot of tension.
Coke v. Pepsi. Microsoft v. Apple. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). I don't know about you, but when I think of landmark corporate rivalries affecting millions of people, Pomoca and Contour come immediately to mind.
These may not have the fancy pants perfumed carrying case or offset trimmer of Pomocas, but I consider these the most reliable skins around. They are perfect for anyone who puts some heavy miles on their gear or is tired of the tricky dance of trying to keep your skins perfectly clean for fear of glue failure as these seem to always stick to your bases, provide more than enough traction and just straight-up work as intended, day-in and day-out.
Comment on this review:
2/1/2022
Question from
Vladimir
What is the difference between the guide and regular contour skins? I've read "thicker plush" but not sure how that affects performance, weight, durability.
Hi Vladimir, the Guides are the "regular" skins with traditional adhesive. The "other" Contour skins are the Hybrids which feature a two-layer glue that is much less tacky so easier to manage, but potentially not quite as reliable in all conditions.