Freerando is a mixture of freeride and the French term for ski touring: ski de randonnée. In the mid 1990s new materials brought a radical shift to downhill ski construction. Skis could be shorter, saving weight but wider and shaped aiding both floatation and turn initiation. Ski tourers looking for downhill performance chose the lightest of these new breeds of shaped skis: Dynastar 4x4, Rossignol Bandit XX and the Atomic 9.22. Nothing new, extreme skiers such as Sylvan Saudan?, Anselm Baud?, Patrick Vallençant and Jean-Marc Boivin had used GS skis since the late 1960s, climbing on snowshoes or crampons. The difference was that the new skis were normally fitted with bindings such as the Fritschi Diamir Titanal and were almost as at home on a multi-day ski tour as they were on the piste. Climbing skin manufacturers either produced skins tailored to the wasp like profiles of these new skis or kits that enabled the skins to be cut to shape. Riders would use the stiffest of the touring boots but responding to a need the Garmont Adrenalin and Scarpa Tornado.
Freerando skiers may climb from the top of ski lifts or do single or even multi-day tours. They look for equipment that has excellent performance either in acres of powder or in extreme couloirs and are prepared to pay a weight penalty.
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