Black Diamond Upgrades to the Boundary Pro 115 Ski for Chargers
What happens when you take one of our favorite, all-around skis from last year and make it 20% stiffer? If you’re a rope-jumping charger, you get a dream ski. And that’s exactly what happened to the Black Diamond Boundary Pro.
Black Diamond Boundary Pro 115 Specs
Last year at SIA, I skied the vanilla BD Boundary 115. It was the widest version of the new Boundary lineup, which Black Diamond developed as their resort/sidecountry ski – a ski for both sides of the ski area boundary. Yup, there’s the name.
For the Boundary Pros, BD beefed up the fiberglass layer and made a flat top instead of a semi-cap top. This results in 20% more torsional stiffness than the regular Boundary. They also added a nice, reflective logo, which comes in handy if you use the ski as a tent stake – you’ll be able to find your tent after a midnight wilderness poop.
Otherwise, the construction is the same. Same shape as the Boundary, same poplar core, same rubber Sidewall Damping System to calm the chatter. But it only comes in 185 length, which was perfect for me anyway. Dimensions are 142-115-124 with a 22m radius.
The Boundary Pro 107 is available in 184cm length only, with 138-107-123 dimensions and a 20m radius.
Boundary Pro on the Hill
Because I didn’t get the skis until April, I wasn’t able to test them inbounds. Which is really sad – being forced to ski backcountry. Life sucks. Please feel sorry for me.
So we dragged them up to Jones pass for some backcountry laps. They went out in conditions ranging from blower powder to sun-blasted corn. The longest run was a 2.8-mile skin with 1700′ of vert. So, basically, I got lucky and Ullr provided the perfect conditions to be out on the Boundary Pros
Black Diamond Boundary Pro Review
When you’re a bigger skier or a stronger skier, a lot of skis and boots tend to fold under you. I prefer a ski that flexes longitudinally but is rail stiff when it comes to torsion because I like carving GS turns on 115-waisted skis. I’m not normal. But, I’m also not alone.
In powder, the skis have enough flex in the tip that they’re playful. They float and bounce easily from turn to turn. On hardpack, they rail. I can’t think of any conditions in which I would turn down the Boundary Pros. Although, I would probably choose the Boundary Pro 107s for chasing corn. Did I mention that they’re available in 107 as well?
It’s nice to see that a lot of companies are making skis that suit my style. And Black Diamond hit the mark with the Boundary Pro 115. It’s perfect for how I like to ski. I shed a single tear when I boxed them up to send back to BD.
Final Thoughts
Heavier skiers and/or skiers who charge hard, look no further. Black Diamond put together a great ski for you in the Boundary Pro. At $729 and $749, respectively, the Boundary Pro 107 and 115 are a solid performance deal.
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