First Look: Black Diamond Helio Carbon 108

First Impressions

On the front end of Black Diamond’s touring lineup, the regally purple Helio Carbon 108 stands out immediately. We’ve been lucky to get our hands on a 187 cm pair of these planks, and we’re looking forward to seeing how they perform across a full winter.

The Helio Carbon 108 is positioned as a sturdier, more confidence-inspiring touring ski—one that prioritizes downhill performance without fully abandoning weight savings. The ski is updated for Helio Carbon devotees and features subdued yet high-style topsheets across the lineup, available in widths of 88mm, 95mm, 102mm, and 108mm. For those seeking more nuanced updates/changes, BD opted for a poplar wood core rather than the line’s previous paulownia cores. The carbon presents as stringers rather than a sheet. The change adds a bit more weight, but we suspect it should provide a better ride in chopped-up, otherwise less-than-ideal, snow. For those less kind to their gear, the skis have a full ABS sidewall, which should assist with durability.    

BD’s specs on build materials says, “50% Wood, 15% UHMWPE, 15% Carbon Fiber, 10% Fiber Glass, 5% Polyamide, 3% Aluminum, 2% Rubber. Deciphering this, there’s a metal-reinforced binding mount zone, with small amounts of rubber in the tip/tail zones to dampen vibrations.  

Key Specs

• Series: Helio
• Size Range (cm): 166, 173, 180, 187
• Rocker Profile: Early Rise Tip / Camber Underfoot / Rockered Tail
• Tip Style: Rockered
• Tail Style: Rockered

Turn Radius	22 m	23 m	24 m	25 m
Weight (pair)	3000 g	3100 g	3190 g	3300 g
Dimensions	132–108–119 mm	133–108–119 mm	133–108–120 mm	134–108–121 mm

Initial Take

The most immediate thing that stands out is weight. At 3,300 g for the 187 cm length, the Helio Carbon 108 comes in roughly 1,300 grams lighter than some touring skis in the same width class, such as the Black Crows Corvus Freebird. That said, it’s only slightly heavier than competitors like the Atomic Backland 109 (3080 g) and the DPS Pagoda Tour CFL 105 (3286 g). (The Helios arrived with mounted ATK bindings, so we don’t have a flat-ski weight to confirm weight specs at this time.)

The rocker profile is similarly notable. With a substantial early-rise tip and rockered tail paired with camber underfoot, this ski clearly leans toward stability and confidence when conditions get variable. We’ll have more on this and the Helio carbon 108’s smile quotient, but the tail rocker is less pronounced than, say, the updated Backland 109, and sits in a spot closer to the older (yet beloved) Backland 107.

We’re especially curious to see how this sturdier construction holds up in stout, consequential conditions, while still delivering on softer days when a 108-mm waist really shines.