Battery Powered Skis Draw Attention at Tech Trade Show

In Turner’s video, he checks in Nicola Colombo, one of E-SKIMO’s founders.

The ski, Colombo explains, provides assistance during the uphill of a touring ascent. In plain English, that means it gives backcountry skiers added juice as they schlep toward their next line—it doesn’t give you a speed boost while you ride downhill.
 
According to the E-SKIMO’s website, the electric ski allows backcountry users to ascend 80% faster and experience 30% less of a muscle workout. If that sounds a lot like an e-bike, you’re right—the similarities are undeniable.

How does it work, though?

Colombo has an answer. The device uses a battery-powered traction belt that runs beneath the ski base. Thanks to a sensor system, it doesn’t move unless the skier moves, creating what Colombo calls “a natural feeling.” The battery lasts around three hours, depending on the steepness of the slope and snow conditions.

“It’s an assistance—it’s not a Ski-Doo,” Colombo told Turner.

At the top of a run, the battery and the traction belt components are removed. Colombo estimates that this transition takes about 30 seconds. Then, it’s time to ski.
 
The E-Skimo, Colombo said, should be available for purchase by next winter.

Given the nature of backcountry culture, it’ll be interesting to see how skiers react to the E-SKIMO. “Earning your turns” is a fundamental tenet of ski touring, and E-SKIMO, by design, takes some of the effort out of the equation. Some hardcore backcountry skiers might balk.

The other unanswered question involves usability. Is the E-SKIMO user-friendly enough to see widespread adoption? As of now, it’s tough to say. Maybe, in the future, we’ll get a chance to check out the product for ourselves.

E-SKIMO isn’t the only new gadget designed to make skiing in the backcountry easier. ZOA Engineering’s PL1—a portable electric rope tow system—is another option that’s already on the market. Traditionalists, of course, can still opt for a snowmobile.