The Backland FR 109 is lightweight, attractively priced and unequivocally committed to off-trail skiing. The component that sets the Backland 109 apart is its HRZN Tech forebody, a feature it filched from the Bent Chetler. HRZN Tech is an extended ABS sidewall bordering a tip that is rockered side-to-side as well as fore/aft. You’d expect this to make the Backland 109 more floaty, and the extra 10% surface area does contribute to more lift, but the best part of this feature is how it keeps the forebody engaged with the snow even as it plows through it.

The reason the Backland FR 109 feels so light is because it’s a fairly simple, poplar core, carbon Backbone construction that can be overloaded by a heavy, aggro skier. If you’re more a Power than Finesse skier, the Bent Chetler is probably a better match for your skill set. Don’t let the extra width deter you; somehow the Chetler manages to feel narrower on the snow than it measures.