How to Choose Downhill Skis

All-mountain chargers with a 104 mm waist for nimble turning when needed, the men's Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 skis offer playful performance in deep powder along with all-terrain versatility.




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Imported.
| Best Use | Downhill Skiing Backcountry Skiing |
|---|---|
| Ski Terrain | Groomed and powder Backcountry |
| Tip Width | 172 CM: 135 millimeters 179 CM: 136 millimeters 186 CM: 137 millimeters |
| Waist Width | 104 millimeters |
| Tail Width | 172 CM: 123 millimeters 179 CM: 123 millimeters 186 CM: 124 millimeters |
| Sidecut Radius | 172 CM: 17 meters 179 CM: 18 meters 186 CM: 19 meters |
| Ski Camber | Tip and Tail Rocker |
| Tail Type | Partial Twin |
| Core | Poplar wood |
| Bindings Included | No |
| Boot Sole Compatibility | Bindings Not Included |
| Gender | Men's |
| Weight (Pair) | 172 CM: 8 lbs. 1.1 oz. 179 CM: 8 lbs. 4.6 oz. 186 CM: 8 lbs. 11 oz. |
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These skis are incredible. People talk about having a one quiver ski, yet they usually have another pair for pow days or ice/hard pack conditions. These sticks are entirely different. Most one quivers are "good" at a lot of things, but the Impulse 104 is great at everything. The 104 underfoot feels like 95s on harder snow/groomed terrain and more like a 110+ on any amount of pow or off piste. Puts a smile on your face more often than not. Some people complain that the top sheet gets beaten up more than expected. . . but after 100+ days on these, I haven't seen any decline in performance. Ski just as well as Day 1. A+ Black Diamond!
I now have 10 days on these skis in early season conditions, most (but not all) days with good amounts of fresh snow. The day the lifts stopped in March, 2020, I bought a pair of Armada Tracer 108s and set them up with Shift bindings so I could skin up and ski terrain in Park City and in the Cottonwoods. I replaced them with these BD Impulse Ti 104 with Shift bindings. These skis are only a couple hundred grams heavier, but work much better when carrying speed on packed snow. They still float well in bottomless powder and did well in soft bumps, firm bumps, and even crusty crud.
I haven't skied on these yet but I have last year's ski and I've been on it since November 8th,when we opened. Daily work ski. Unfortunately we're in the slippery tilted concrete stage of the man made season. Easy to flick these around, snappy and responsive, perfect for patrol work, for me they carve and hold and edge. I keep them tuned and waxed every week. The Ti 's will be mounted with 22 Designs Bandits driven by new Scarpa TX Pros. Currently I'm running Marker Griffins on last year's model. So one for Alpineone for Tele. Can't wait, there getting mounted now finally. Luv em!
The Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 has become one of my favorite skis for inbounds days. I paired mine with Look Pivot 14s and mostly ski them on lift-accessed powder and softer conditions, where they feel incredibly composed and confidence-boosting. They float naturally, stay smooth when the snow gets cut up, and have a solid, predictable feel whether I’m skiing fast or dialing it back in tighter terrain. What sets this ski apart is how well it handles firm and mixed snow. For a ski in the 104 range, edge grip is surprisingly strong, and it never feels nervous or washed out on groomers. The metal laminate gives it a stable, damp ride that inspires trust when conditions are less than ideal, and it holds a clean line even when the snow is hard or uneven. In short, the Impulse Ti 104 feels like a true resort-focused freeride ski: powerful without being demanding, versatile without feeling generic, and dependable across a wide range of conditions. It’s a ski I can take out on a soft day and still enjoy just as much when things firm up later on
I am a skier that primarily skis on the East Coast in VT. I used these skis for the first time last weekend in extremely icy VT conditions, and they held an edge much better than I expected them to. I was a bit concerned that a 104 would be too much for the icy conditions we have out East, but I worried for nothing - these skis handled incredibly well. I have not had the opportunity to use them on a powder day yet, but if they were fun even in bad snow, I know they will be an absolute blast in soft snow - both in and out of bounds.
I have the Impulse 104 in a 186. I'm 184cms and 76kg. I took them to Japan, Furano and Tomamu. Mounted them with a pair of Dynafit ST 14. Loved them. They were awesome on the groomers, specially when doing long turns. In the deep pow they behaved very well, but have to back seat a little. They excelled in the trees and on pillows. I could turn them in a dime. I would recomend them a lot. For some reason that i dont understand they have titanal in them. Which they shouldnt but im not complaining, they dont chatter.
I work in retail and have been using this ski for a month now and I am really satisfied with it, have it mounted with a Salomon S/Lab Shift 13 and it is as fun for Ski Touring as it is for Alpine Skiing. It is also very robust and playful.
Purchased as a single quiver ski and with the right bindings this does it. I don’t feel much chatter doing icy groomers and it performs really well in the powder and as an uphill ski.
Just looking for the perfect binding to complete the set up and looking forward to a great season. I will update the review after my first couple of days.
Haven’t gotten to ride them yet, but they seem solid. I like the camber with the hybrid rocker on the tips. Should work well for a one quiver ski.