The burden of those 103mm waisted freeride powder blasters will shock you
The outdated Tempo’s Photograph: Roo Smith
I wasn’t sporting a skimo velocity swimsuit the primary time I clicked right into a pair of La Sportiva’s skis. It was a media journey in Marble two years in the past. Circumstances had been unbelievably deep. Like snorkel deep. It was robust to go improper with any of La Sportiva’s freeride-oriented boards on provide when the snow was that good. I spent most of my laps on the mid-width 103mm underfoot Tempo’s. I’ll concede that my reminiscence could also be skewed by the snow dump and powder day vibes, however I recall surfy, intuitive, and enjoyable skis. However they weren’t mild at ~1,800g a pop. Burly freeride skis aren’t what you’d count on from a model like La Sportiva given their prowess in carbon skimo boots and fast-and-light every little thing.
Skip forward two years to the brand new Tempo’s for twenty-four/25 and into the long run. They’re a well-known ski within the form division, however ~350g lighter per ski at ~1,450g. 1.5lbs much less per pair is an enormous deal. Did they should make any main efficiency sacrifices to slice the heft? That’s what I’m working to tease out.
Right here’s the disclaimer, I’m only some excursions in with the brand new Tempos and the dear little snow is dwindling in Colorado. I’ll proceed to replace this evaluation after I can get extra days on these mini-pontoons in a greater diversity of snow circumstances. Till then, contemplate these my first impressions based mostly on spring snowboarding circumstances and one powder day.
Ski Building
I decide on Zag’s UBAC 95’s an excessive amount of as a result of they’re high quality skis for the correct skier (I acknowledge it’s an obscure reference). Nevertheless it’s additionally onerous to not. Once I first felt the Tempo’s lack of mass, I couldn’t assist however assume they’d ski equally to the UBAC’s – comfortable, floppy, twisty. However my assumptions had been fortunately improper, per typical.
The Tempos are distinctly extra strong in nearly each method. They’re very stiff underfoot, reasonably stiff in entrance of and behind the bindings, and reasonably comfortable within the shovels and tails. They’re torsionally sturdy. All seemingly suggesting a light-weight crusher. That comes from a peculiar core development of PVC foam, Paulownia, aluminum stringers, and D30 Inserts within the tip and tail. (D30 doesn’t present up in skis that usually however this “non-Newtonian” foam stiffens up on sudden impacts and is utilized in sports activities safety tools equivalent to bike footwear.)
At 129-103-119mm, the reasonably cambered Tempos are the second skinniest and lightest in La Sportiva’s freeride-oriented backcountry ski line. On the slender aspect is the 92 mm-waisted Salto. On the powder finish of the spectrum are the 110 mm-underfoot Sorriso and 117mm underfoot Capo.
The La Sportiva Tempos can be found in 164cm, 179cm, and 190cm lengths. I picked up the 179cm model, aiming for a light-weight mini-powder setup. At 6’1”, 195lbs, 179cm is my typical “little boot” ski size. As such, I’ve skied it most frequently with La Sportiva’s very mild two-buckle Kilo boot. However I’ve additionally tapped in my Scarpa Maestrale RS so as to add a bit extra muscle.
Snowboarding the Tempo
I do know subsequent to nothing about music, so I’ll prevent the quippy comparisons between snowboarding and music. However you get it, velocity, rhythm, tempo, one thing, one thing.
Once more, the Tempos are mild. Gentle sufficient that it’s straightforward sufficient to neglect that they’re in your toes when you’re noodling round within the backcountry. Going quick uphill was straightforward. However much more pronounced was how sad I used to be to click on into heavier skis after having fun with 1,450g bliss.
Regardless of what you and I’ll have anticipated, the Tempos fall into the extra fashionable freeride-oriented, comparatively forward-mounted class by way of character. They’re slashy and pivoty – greatest pushed from the toes fairly than the ideas. Type of like a light-weight model of 4FRNT’s new Nevar. So naturally, it took me a number of runs to adapt to the stability level from my very ahead snowboarding fashion. They paired greatest with a extra upright stance, extra in keeping with the Kilo’s manufacturing unit 12° ahead lean than the Maestrale’s manufacturing unit 16° ahead lean.
Their 18-meter flip radius is brief and fast. Altering instructions was straightforward in each situation I’ve come throughout, made simpler by their mild swing weight and comparatively ahead mount. You possibly can sort of simply twist your physique in comfortable snow and so they’ll rotate. For higher or worse, I didn’t discover any breakable crust to attempt them in but.
Naturally, powder and corn is basically the place they’ve thrived thus far. And though they get tossed round in actually onerous, chunky circumstances like principally all mild skis, they’re fortified sufficient to get you out and again to the products. The tails and shovels have sufficient spine to maintain issues steady.
Although my expertise is restricted thus far, they undoubtedly didn’t flip to linguini after I scraped throughout steep ice. They’ve a comparatively sturdy edge in these circumstances for large, rockered, mild skis.
I’m digging these ultralight freeriders. The one factor I don’t love? These black high sheets that completely cling to snow. 
The Quiver
Thus far I’ve been happy with the Tempos in mini-powder ski mode (shorter size, little boot). However I’ve been impressed with their sturdy development and would wager that these puppies could be very enjoyable in full-sized powder mode. That 190cm size and my Tecnica Zero G Tour Execs could be a really succesful lightish pairing with a harmonious upright stance.
The Tempo undoubtedly lands in quiver-of-one territory for skiers in typically comfortable snow areas. Gentle and torsionally sturdy sufficient for lengthy days with unknown circumstances however fast, floaty, and pivoty sufficient for early season meadow skipping, tree snowboarding, and powder blasting.
Conclusions
Man, mild skis are getting actually, actually good. I’m working out of causes to haul my large freeride skis up the skintrack after I can have the identical quantity of enjoyable (and possibly nab one other lap) in skis like La Sportiva’s new Tempo. Certain, large, beefy freeride skis will all the time be probably the most enjoyable in large freeride terrain. However I’d be mendacity if I mentioned that was my day-to-day.
I have to put extra days into the La Sportiva Tempos earlier than I can provide something greater than squishy generalizations about their character, so keep watch over this area or hit us with particular questions or observations within the feedback.
Bergen Tjossem is a ski fanatic, conservation skilled, and nature nerd based mostly in Vail, Colorado. His life and profession have centered round defending the pure atmosphere and public lands that raised him, however as Ed Abbey put it, “It’s not sufficient to combat for the land; It’s much more necessary to take pleasure in it.” So when he’s not working his day job, you’ll discover Bergen ski touring earlier than daybreak, mountaineering at the hours of darkness, working trails till his legs fall off, snowboarding 13er’s along with his mates, or making the world’s greatest pizza along with his spouse, Rachel. You’ll find him on Instagram.
