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Black Diamond Glidelite 147 are rebranded OAC KAR147 and the Glidelite 127 is a rebranded OAC WAP 127. The Glidelites currently still use the 1st Gen OAC EA Binding. A relatively inexpensive upgrade if you want a little more control is the OAC Heel guide. That'll give a ledges for the heel section of the EA binding to "hook" onto allowing more of your foot to steer the ski.

This is fantastic! I think this is something I was looking for! We've been trying to find something to get into the cross-country skiing element without going all-in on ski gear. This looks like a great introduction and happy medium! Thank you for the review.

Definitely the best info out there on these skis to date. Still getting used to mine and learning how to turn on them. Good stuff Justin!

Thank You! Great review. You answered all my questions. I am going to order a pair.

I have skied on these for a couple years now. They are not snowshoes and not dh skis BUT they are super fun. I suggest a telemark style turn in them in powder conditions - They tele pretty good once you get it. Nice review Justin🤘

get yourself some finngrip easy bindings for those babies, for any soft boot. Way better than those bindings that are also noisy over time. You won’t regret it. I use Altai Hoks. These have been around a few years and the whole concept comes from traditional Altai Mountain skiing. Also worth putting a Voile or other 3 pin telebinding.

After seeing your previous videos, I'm set on wanting to purchase these. Next year!

i actually ride my skis with my snowboarding boots . The stiffness of the snowboard boots makes it easier to get to the edges . It really made a difference for me .

Wow, I love that they work with normal boots. A real alpine setup is overkill for what I do, but snowshoes are slow. This seems like a nice sweet spot.

I had to search the internet on how to adjust and put them on for the first time. Your video helped me. Thanks. I felt like an idiot. I already have cross country and downhill skis.

If you have watched Werner Herzog’s “Happy People” (a year in the Taiga) you might have seen the inspiration for these modern day equivalents to there beautifully functional handmade ski/snowshoes. Great movie too by the way! After watching the movie I thought I would much rather use what they are using then skinny skis or snowshoes.

Im 25 and hitting the slopes for the first time this year! I’ve skated, skateboarded, wakeboarded, surfed, longborded, and ice skated all my life. I thought I wanted to snowboard but considering I am a fisherman, hiker, and backpacker as well I decided skis would be a much better fit for my lifestyle. THESE ARE MAKING ME SO EXCITED TO HIT THE SLOPES. IM GOING TO COVER MMMMIIILLLLESSS IN THESE BAD BOYS. 😊

I have the 127 cm for two seasons. I would not recommend the 127s but would the 147s. The steel edge makes a world of difference especially on the downslope. The 127s are still superior to longer snowshoes IMO. Another ski to look at is Altai Hok. My home ground is Bighorn Mountains Wyoming.

You video appeared on my feed and after watching this, I ordered a pair!

Beautiful area! awesome time out there it looks like!

I have owned a set of Altai 125's for 4 years and love them for just getting out into backcountry off trail. They are much better than snowshoes for covering ground with less effort allowing me to go for many miles and get to places in a few hours that a snowshoe trip would be a multiday event. The ability to use any boot I desire makes such a comfort difference and normal boot use like you mentioned is one of the best things I like about this setup. The bindings on the Altai's are very flexible which makes getting them on edge almost impossible and I wonder if the bindings are more ridged on the Glidelite's. The short length makes for a bit of a balancing act going down hill like I see in your video, but I learned to take a telemark position in most downhill situations that provides much better balance. I see a lot of comments directed at the lack of downhill ability in these skiis and that's correct without attaching better bindings and boots but that's also not the job of these. These act like a hybrid in a way due to the great floatation and ease of maneuverability in the woods. Great review, I think you really hit the mark on where these types of skis shine and their limitations. They have made a huge impact on my wintertime enjoyment in the mountains of Maine and my snowmobile sits dormant much more often these days. Thanks, and have fun out there.

Great review, thanks for this.

Thanks for the video! Were you using the longer metal edged ones or the shorter ones without metal edges?

Is there a way to reverse skins for going downhill to slow down for beginners? I hate snowshoes, but love cross country skis. An all purpose binding and ski slow beginner friendly would be amazing!!

Looks like a fresh take on the cable binding mountaineering skis we used for the back country and ski mountaineering in the 70's

I've got these gliding snowshoes from both OAC and Sporten, the one thing that I would say is that they are meant to act as snowshoe ++ rather than a ski alternative. Rolling terrain and soft snow is what they were designed for, and a lot of fun in those conditions. I also tried to practice on piste and found out they can be lethal, and as you pointed out, yes, it is hard (awfully hard) to put them on an edge if the snow underfoot isn't soft. Your skiing skills and sense of balance made it look easy, but you were very unstable under foot (how close to brown trousers were you?). They have their slot in the Snowsports hierarchy, but they are not, and never will be, a cheap alternative to a Randonnée ski. Anyone purchasing a set this year, .......PLEASE, take it easy, stay within the design boundaries and you'll have a lot of fun. 😊👍

This is a very very old idea making a come back in a modern, very expensive way. They weren’t made for trails, but hunters and trappers used them in back country. I wonder if the built in skins are replaceable?

Justin, where did you get your ski's, they are almost impossible to find in THE GREAT WHITE NORTH

I appreciate the video, but I'm sticking with my snowshoes. The fact you've been skiing 30 years and still have a hard time keeping balance on these, says it all, lol. If you're just trying to get outside during the winter, this seems like an expensive way to humble yourself. If you are out hunting, setting/checking trap lines, or doing any solo exploring, its not about speed, its about traction and safety - and there is no comparing the benefits of snowshoes.

Thanks Justin, new to me!

I bought them and try the in the Swiss alps where it is very hard to find snow that hasn’t been compacted at elevation and slopes where those skies thrive. Uphill and flat terrain, they are definitely better than snowshoes: easier, lighter, faster. Downhill, it’s very challenging on compacted or hard snow.

Sweet montage!!!! 🤪👍

I have a similar product, Altai Snow Hoks. The problem is on the east end of America-Canada, we don’t have the vast public land with suck open terrain as the western side. Most snow plowed public lots are for hiking trails that are tight and rough like the AT. There’s spots that the skis are too long for who the undulating terrain. These roller coaster trails have trees that can squeeze very tight at points or you are traversing across the fall line on essentially single track. There’s no room to V or pie wedge and scrub speed. There’s also a lot of hiking activity which packs the trail to the point which many times crampons probably outdo anything. They have so much more usability in your area for legal land access and camping. Enjoy the area you live, we barely have 6 inches in the mountains of Maine. Real tough year so far. Thanks for the video

I tried mine for the first time today. I need to buy another pair for my kids

Got a similar, Finnish brand. I'm in the process of screwing split-board bindings on them, for more edge.

the downhill ski performance looks like on my splitboard with the karakoram bindings in ski mode

very interesting , I used to have a Euro version of this with scales on the whole ski and Xcrountry bindings ...

Oac has been making these skiis for many years . These actually look exactly like the OAC 147 KAR . I really enjoy mine and have ordered the 160 cm Oac ski of the same style

they could ad crampons to the binding system and elevators and these things would be insane!!! A bit like split boards do!

Does anyone make a ski shoe like that with no skin? I dont have any hills to climb or go down but would still like to make trails and go in deep snow.

2:30 you mention people having the issue with the binding icing up. YEP! happens to me quite regularly and it drives me NUTS. to the point I'm ready to go get some stainless steel machine screws and screw the sliding adjustable heel plate in place because once it ices up it pushes the 2 TINY little steel pins up and out. nothing worse than being out in the freezing cold and wasting your time messing with this nonsense. I love these skis as they suit me well for what I use them for, but the binding setup is quite disappointing that they actually thought it was a good design. great review btw, very informative!

Man, was searching for a pair to buy while watching, until the climbing part. Slick, packed down stuff and no heel riser, while better than snow shoes in a lot of cases, don't think I will be putting these in my truck instead of skis

So it's good in powder but sucks on granular and ice. I would rather have a light ski and skin any day. That 2 foot section would provide minimal grip and the downhill performance appears to be really poor.

Bam Margera is looking so much better these days! This outdoor activity must have been good for him!

If you do some white water sup during the summer you will rip next winter. More like a waterski. Commit to telemark just stride longer

Would rather have fishscaled telemark (or AT) skis 90% of the time. Voile UltraVector BC's are amazing in downhill performance and the scales work just as well if not better than kicker skins on skis like this. Plus, a scaled ski will be faster on both ascent and descent because they have far superior glide to a skin. Use mine 20+ days a year backcountry and sidecountry skiing. The only disadvantage is more expensive startup cost with AT or telemark boots and bindings

Great review, wondering where are you using your skis in the video?

I appreciate all the effort that you put into this video but I don't think it's fair to compare the snowshoe to a glidelite, two different sports. It would have been way more realistic to compare the glidelite to a backcountry touring ski. I snowshoe a lot in the mountains and I would never use a glidelite where I go. Even where I go using an aggressive MSR shoe the folks with just a normal shoe find it difficult to do any serious hill climbing. I have lots of Black Diamond gear because it lasts but a glidelite will not be one.

These are pretty freakin' cool! But if I could only carry these or a pair of camber/cleat snowshoes in my survival kit I'd take the snowshoes. If I needed to travers down/up washes or other uneven terrain some shoes with metal cleats are going to beat these bar none, but I think the GlideLite is a far better option for touring flat or groomed terrain, look hella lot more fun as well.

Are the skins replaceable or do they last for the life of the ski?

Is there a reason to want the longer ones than the shorter ones? Specifically the length, not the steel siding feature you were discussing. I'll admit I've only used skiis 2 times in my life but these seem up my alley for what I would like to do.

I always wondered why someone would use snowshoes instead of skis. Any crosscountry ski beats the snowshoe by far. If you are a group or you are going to go the same route multiple times the ski will be even more efficient since you create a smooth track. If its too steep or rocky you can just carry the skis. What keeps you going uphill is the thought about the sweet downhill ride.

My guess on why a heel riser isn’t necessary on this is because you’re in a soft boot and you gain an incredible amount of forward lean mobility. So what you gain on that front you lose on downhill performance; namely being able to get up on your edge.

....those soft hiking boots will make the ski product feel a lot less stable than they actually are..a slightly stiffer cuff in your boots will make a huge difference in the fun/descent portion of the trip

Yea the old Trax ranger sliding snow-shoe is back!

They should make them with a hinge so you can fold them up to stuff in a pack

how are those compared to more traditional steel-edged wide backcountry skiis? thanx

Looks like it's targeting a very specific area. Snowshoes are great when things are a bit steeper. AT skis are for great skiing down. These wouldn't be good for up that's too steep or down that's too aggressive especially if they don't release. Makes me question who is this targeting?

Hey how is the glide, could you actually ski. Are the skins solid and are they easily replaceable. Is this the future of alpine touring skis I wonder

If someone could make a pair with a metal track or teeth that could be easily adjusted for icy or compacted snow for steep uphills and downs will make some $$

Perfect product for someone who wants, and can, throw money away.

Floatation depends on footprint size, for instance, your skis have about 290 square inches of floatation each, while my 12x60 Ojibwa snowshoes have about 320 square inches of floatation each. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out what ski or snowshoe will have better floatation, the bigger the surface area, the better the floatation.

How would these be in the PNW with our wet snow?

Look into some Drift Approach Skis, there lighter and more packable!!

These seem great for flats and rolling terrain. These would be an absolutely awful idea for true down hill skiing (backcountry, on piste, anything). The heel is free, so you won’t be making turns on unpacked snow unless you’re already an advanced tele skier. The boots are soft, putting you at risk for ankle injury. The bindings don’t release, putting you at risk for knee injury and making them potentially fatal for traveling in avalanche terrain. Do not take these on or underneath 30 degree or steeper slopes.

That link says they are not available...

Sir. I'm am avid snowshoer. And I beg to differ. I've tried skiing. I've tried snowboarding. They are not for me. My Atlas snowshoes are light enough for me. After my hike. I want to go home with both of my legs. Not one leg. Plus you're skiing with full pack. And you're going fast. What if you fall ? I hike with a full pack what I need for the day. And I'm good. I don't fall. But if you're able to do this. Then more power to you sir. Have a good day.

Decathlon also makes these skis, you should try them out 👍🏻

I have the oac equivalent to these skis. They are great but definitely have their limitations. You covered most of the main ones (can't go up any meaningful grade without slipping), and downhill performance is barely existent. They do also pack up with snow causing the elastic to become stretched open. The binding system is also not very comfortable on long days, even with a soft winter hiking boot.

Чуваки изобрели охотничьи лыжи!👍

There's been a significant number of tib/fib fractures with these bad boys! No safety release so be careful!!

why not just use a splitboard or skis

Interestingly they are Made in Finland. Wonder who the manufacturer is?

I wish these skis would have been available 30 years ago. As an ice climber you have to get to the climb. Climbing boots don’t work on conventional mountaineering skis. These appear to be perfect for this purpose. Snow shoes don’t work well because the snow piles up on them making them very heavy and they are very slow up and downhill. I have not done this myself; however, I have been on mountaineering trips where very fit people on snow shoes found themselves with their tongues hanging out.

You can get snowshoes to around 80 bucks

I guess you didn't make the clip Dec 2021 because that REI link is dead.

Outta Stock , none to be found , but Thanks for sharing ski is faster for sure .

This is 100% "back to the future"- reinventing skis from 100 years ago. Could be the start of a whole new category of equipment. If you're going to get them, better learn telemark turns, though.

French fry, pizza.

So BD is finally copying the Altai skis. You’ll like those much better if you mount a decent Voile 3-pin binding on it and use a lightweight telemark 3 pin boot. The Voile heel piece has a riser and you can mount the removable crampons under foot. Still not a substitute for a real AT setup but outstanding in tight woods. Light years ahead of snowshoes.

My first though is I would be wanting a way to lock down that heel for descents . .

I don't ski, but I do wear a dashing Outdoor Research Wrigley Hat! Pure sex appeal!

Try #Snooc !

$460? Are you out of your mind?!m can make them for a fraction of that.

BD just copy OAC and Altai skis... who's next?

The bindings on these suck. Too much flex

Use snowshoes if you can't ski, or get a proper pair of backcountry skis. I wouldn't waste my money on these heavy sticks.

Snow shoes don't require poles to move so I would highly disagree there better than snow shoes.

NOT IF YOUR IN THE BRUSH HUNTING SNOWSHOE RABBITS WITH BEAGLES'!!!!

Over 400$? No way. I'll stick to my wooden snowshoes that float way better than those aluminum new age shoes.

Most of your review shows you skiing on groomed trails. Where's the actual comparison to snowshoes in new snow?

Short skis still suck.

just no.

Learn how to ski and buy some touring skis and bindings (used) these are so ridiculous 🙄

Skis man. Just use skis with skins. Or else look like a noob