Are Icelantic Skis Heavy? Here's the Honest Answer

One Degree Blog | Icelantic Skis 

So You Wonder Wether Icelantic Skis Are Heavy?

Short answer: yes. Icelantic skis are heavier than a lot of what's out there. If you've been reading Reddit threads before buying, you've seen this come up more than once.

But here's the thing. That weight isn't an accident, and it isn't a flaw. It's a deliberate design choice that goes back to day one, when founder Ben Anderson was building skis in his parents' garage in Evergreen, Colorado. The question worth asking isn't just how much do they weigh, but what do you get for that weight.

This post gives you the full picture so you can decide if it's the right tradeoff for the way you ski.

The Quick Answer

Icelantic skis are heavier than lightweight touring or race-focused skis, but they sit in the normal range for freeride and all-mountain skis. The extra weight comes from rubber dampening built into the construction, which is the reason these skis feel smooth and stable in variable conditions. If you ski in-bounds at a resort and spend most of your time in mixed or hard snow, that dampening is working for you every run. 

But How Heavy Are Icelantic Skis, Actually?

Here are the exact pair weights from the 25/26 lineup, straight from the catalog:

For context: most freeride skis in the 95-110mm class weigh between 3,200g and 4,400g per pair. Icelantic's Nomad collection sits right in the middle of that range, not at the extreme heavy end.

Why Do Icelantic Skis Weigh More?

Three things drive the weight in Icelantic skis:

1. Rubber Dampening

This is the big one. Every Icelantic ski uses 20mm of rubber foil in the construction, running along the sidewall, and in the tip and tail. Rubber is heavier than most materials used in this position, but it absorbs vibration in a way that nothing else quite replicates.

The result: the ski doesn't chatter or rattle when the snow gets rough. It just stays planted and quiet underfoot. On hard, inconsistent snow (think late-season Colorado, East Coast ice, or anything after a warm spell followed by a hard freeze), this is genuinely useful.

Ben Anderson has described the goal from day one as making a ski that rides like a Cadillac: forgiving but solid, unflappable. Rubber is how they get there.

2. The Construction Is Built to Last

Icelantic skis are made at the Never Summer factory in Denver, Colorado, by builders who have been doing this for decades. The materials are chosen for durability first. That Dual Layer Tri-Axial Fiberglass mounting plate, the ISOSPEED 7200 Sintered Base, the 2.2mm steel edge: all of it is spec'd to last, and all of it adds grams.

The payoff is the Bombproof 3-Year Warranty, no questions asked. You're not buying a ski that's been lightened to the point where it needs gentle handling.

3. Wide Shapes Carry More Material

A 106mm waist ski simply has more material than an 88mm ski, end of story. As you go wider in the Nomad lineup (94 to 100 to 106 to 112), the weight goes up proportionally. If you want the lightest Icelantic, the Nomad 94 or Maiden 94 is the one to look at.

What You Give Up, What You Gain

Who the Weight Actually Matters For

It matters more if you...

• Ski backcountry and need to skin uphill: the Nomad is not a touring ski. For uphill travel, look at the Natural 101 or Mystic 97 instead, which use a lighter Flyweight Paulownia core.
• Prioritize park skiing and need quick spins: lighter skis spin faster. If half your day is in the park, there are better tools for that.
• Are a lighter skier (under 130lbs) who finds heavy skis physically tiring over a full day: the Maiden 94 (2,782g at 155cm) is worth looking at first.
   

It matters less if you...

• Ski resort terrain, groomers, trees, and variable snow: the dampening is actively helping you here every run.
• Ski fast and hard in rough conditions: heavier, damper skis are more stable at speed. The weight becomes an asset.
• Ski more than 20 days a season: you'll feel the quality of the construction pay off over time, not just on day one.
• Have had skis that chatter, wash out, or feel unpredictable in hard snow: the rubber dampening addresses exactly that.

What About the Backcountry Collection?

If weight is a genuine concern for you, it's worth knowing that Icelantic makes a lighter ski specifically for the backcountry: the Natural 101 (men's) and Mystic 97 (women's).

These use a Flyweight Paulownia wood core with birch mounting blocks and carbon stringers instead of the heavier fiberglass layers in the freeride collection. They're built to save grams on the way up without sacrificing downhill performance or Icelantic's signature durability.

→  See the Natural 101 and Mystic 97 backcountry collection

Bottom Line

Yes, Icelantic skis are heavier than some alternatives. That's a fact and we're not going to spin it otherwise.

What's also a fact: that weight buys you something. Twenty-plus years of rubber dampening in the construction has produced a ski that stays composed when the snow goes ugly, holds its edge when others wash out, and lasts long enough to back up a 3-year no-questions-asked warranty.

If that tradeoff fits the way you ski, the Nomad collection is worth a serious look. If you need something lighter for touring or the park, there are better options in the lineup and elsewhere.

→  Shop the full Nomad Freeride Collection

→  Try a pair before you buy: find a demo event

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Amanda Beaglehole

Marketing + Content Coordinator, Icelantic

Amanda is Icelantic's Marketing + Content Coordinator. When she's not writing for the blog, she's chasing pow around Colorado, an early-morning lap down East Wall at Arapahoe Basin still ranks as one of her proudest days on snow.

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