Due to the emergence of backcountry skiing and touring over the past decade, the skin industry has caught up with a vengeance. Skiers crave adventure, and for some of us, the chairlift access is enough, but for other skiers, a feeling of freedom is only found in the true backcountry. Or, if the mood strikes, an early hike up the resort. Either way, in order to get up to get down, you need some traction under your skis. This is where the skins come in to play. For years, companies made more generic skins that could be trimmed and cut to fit any ski, but now ski manufacturers are catching on and taking that process out of the equation. Let’s say you just bought a Volkl Blaze 106 in the 186 and are looking to take it into the backcountry. You have touring boots and bindings to go along with the ski—those can be any company you wish and they’ll work fine, but now you need skins. What are you going to buy, the generic ones that have to be painstakingly cut to fit your brand-new skis, or the ones that carry the same name, width, and length? It’s not just easier, it’s a better fit. If you’ve ever known the frustration that can come along with improperly fitting skins, just that is enough to change your tune. The fact that these are perfectly matched to the length and width of your brand new Volkl Blaze 106 skis makes all the difference in the world. Get the skins to match your skis—it's so easy.