We made a tall tip on the Kōm, out of fashion these days, but very useful in breaking trail.
The ski shape is designed to slightly forward mount the binding (from the current norm in skis), making a more balanced ski and – along with reduced sidecut in the tip – avoiding the “Body Builder” shape skis have been trending towards – lots of girth and heft in the tip and a skinny little tail. This creates the dreaded pintail effect when touring in deep snow, a nice floaty tip and a tail that sinks deep, leaving the skier chronically climbing steeper then the actual slope.
The edges do not wrap around tip and tail which (combined with our more forward mounting recommendation) give the Kōms an excellent swing weight for turning as well as maneuvers like kick turns.
The nowax base is grippier then most nowax skis, making it a bit slower on a groomed trail, but very functional in the backcountry and climbing in soft snow.
The reduced sidecut in the tip makes for a more predictable and stable ski when crusty or thick snow becomes less then friendly.
The Kōms are comfortable with either telemark or parallel turns.
The Kōm is light and supple, with dimensions that make it very skiable with two buckle plastic boots and even sturdy leather. This keeps the system light and flexible for more adventurous touring.
Our focus has always been the backcountry, and the Kōm is designed for skiers looking for a versatile ski that will rise to the challenge of all terrain. It is the next step from the Hok in terms of skiability and more traditional backcountry or XCD style touring.