Titanal Freeride Ski, 104 mm Waist
Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 Skis
The Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 is a freeride ski for advanced and expert skiers who ski off-piste more than they ski groomers and want one pair for both. A 136-104-123 mm shape at 179 cm with an early rise tip floats in soft snow, and a variable-width titanal sheet over a poplar core keeps the ski settled when the snow gets cut up rather than letting it deflect. At 1,880 g per ski at 179 cm this is a resort and sidecountry ski rather than a touring ski, and Black Diamond builds it around a stated 70 percent soft snow and 30 percent hard snow split.
Expert Review
Specs verified against Black Diamond's published data by CCBB staff.
Is This the Right Ski for You?
Best For
Advanced to expert skiers who spend most of their days off-piste, want float on a 104 mm waist, and still need the ski to hold an edge on the way back to the lift.
Consider Another Ski If
You want a dedicated carver, a light touring ski, or a ski you can skin on, since the Impulse Ti 104 is a 104 mm resort freeride ski with no skin attachment.
CCBB Ski Ratings
Soft Snow Float
104 mm waist with an early rise tip
Stability at Speed
Variable-width titanal sheet at 1,880 g per ski
Firm Snow Grip
Titanal sheet with full ABS sidewalls
Turn Initiation
17 m radius at 172 cm with tip and tail rocker
Rating scale: 5 = top of its class, 4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = specialized or below average, and 1 = limited.
CCBB Ski Profile
Dimensions136-104-123 mm (179 cm)
Turn Radius17 m to 19 m by length
Rocker ProfileEarly rise tip, camber underfoot, rockered tail
Flex PatternFlat solid core with a variable-width metal sheet
Core and LaminatePoplar core, titanal sheet, pre-preg fiberglass
ConstructionFlat-top sandwich, full ABS sidewalls, made in Austria
Lengths172, 179, 186 cm
Recommended Use70 percent soft snow, 30 percent hard snow
Why We Like It
- A variable-width titanal sheet puts metal where it damps and leaves it out where it would add mass, which is why the ski feels settled without skiing dead.
- An early rise tip over camber underfoot and a rockered tail floats in soft snow and still lets the ski come around in trees.
- Flat-top construction with full ABS sidewalls transmits edge pressure directly, which is what makes a 104 mm ski usable on firm snow.
- Black Diamond builds it in Austria with a fully recycled race base and a tip inlay made from recycled ski boots, which is unusual detail at this width.
Best Uses
- Off-piste and sidecountry skiing on a 104 mm waist
- Powder days and the chopped-up snow that follows them
- One-ski quivers weighted toward soft snow
- Skiing back to the lift on firm groomers without fighting the ski
- Advanced to expert skiers on lifts rather than skin tracks
Ski Selection Advice
We size wide freeride skis by where the skier spends the day. Radius runs 17 m at 172 cm to 19 m at 186 cm, which is a narrow spread, so length here is about surface area and stability rather than turn shape. A skier working tight trees should take 172 cm; a skier opening it up on big terrain should take 179 cm or 186 cm.
The 104 mm waist needs a 110 mm brake at minimum. Black Diamond publishes weight per pair, so the per-ski figures on this page are half the published number and we have checked them against a scale reading at 179 cm. One thing to know before you buy: this ski has no tail notch for a skin attachment, so plan on it being a lift-served ski.
Length and setup guidance from CCBB staff. Ratings are derived from verified construction and shape specs rather than an on-snow test.
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Technical Specifications
Manufacturer specs · Click to expand
Shape and Sizing
- Dimensions
- 136-104-123 mm (179 cm)
- Turn Radius
- 17 m (172 cm), 18 m (179 cm), 19 m (186 cm)
- Lengths
- 172, 179, 186 cm
- Rocker Profile
- Early rise tip, camber underfoot, rockered tail
- Weight
- 1,830 g per ski (172 cm), 1,880 g per ski (179 cm), 1,970 g per ski (186 cm)
Construction and Setup
- Core
- Engineered poplar core, flat solid-core construction
- Laminate
- Pre-preg fiberglass layup with a variable-width titanal sheet, full ABS sidewalls, made in Austria
- Sidewall
- Full ABS sidewall, flat-top sandwich construction
- Binding Compatibility
- Flat ski. Accepts any alpine binding rated for the skier. Minimum 110 mm brake width for the 104 mm waist.
- Brake Width
- 110 mm minimum, sold separately
Compare the Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104
Impulse Ti 104 vs. Black Diamond Impulse 104
Same shape without the metal. The Impulse 104 drops the titanal sheet and adds a 165 cm length, which makes it lighter and livelier at the cost of damping. Skiers who ski fast through cut-up snow want the Ti; skiers who ski lighter or slower do not.
Shop the Black Diamond Impulse 104 Ski
Impulse Ti 104 vs. Blizzard Anomaly 102
Two takes on a wide all-mountain ski. The Anomaly 102 runs 136-102-123 mm at 182 cm with an 18 m radius and two sheets of titanal; the Impulse Ti 104 uses one variable-width sheet and is shaped further toward soft snow. The Blizzard is the better groomer ski of the two.
Shop the Blizzard Anomaly 102 Ski
Impulse Ti 104 vs. Black Diamond Helio Carbon 104
The one to look at if you actually want to tour. The Helio Carbon 104 is built for the ascent with a carbon layup and a skin-friendly tail, where the Impulse Ti 104 has no skin attachment and carries metal for downhill composure.
Shop the Black Diamond Helio Carbon 104 Ski
Common Questions
Who should buy the Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104?
The Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 suits advanced to expert skiers who ski off-piste most days and want float without giving up composure. A 104 mm waist with an early rise tip handles soft snow, and the variable-width titanal sheet keeps the ski from getting knocked around in the chop that follows a powder morning.
What bindings work with the Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104?
The Impulse Ti 104 ships flat and accepts any alpine binding rated for the skier's weight, height and ability. A 104 mm waist needs a brake of 110 mm or wider, supplied with the binding. There are no tech fittings, so pin bindings are not an option, and a hybrid binding with an alpine toe is the route if you want to walk on it occasionally.
Is the weight on this page per ski or per pair?
Per ski, and the distinction matters because Black Diamond publishes per pair. Their figures are 3,660 g, 3,760 g and 3,940 g for 172 cm, 179 cm and 186 cm, which are pairs. We halve those to 1,830 g, 1,880 g and 1,970 g per ski so they compare directly to every other ski we list, and the 179 cm figure matches an independent scale reading.
Can I put skins on the Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104?
Not properly. Black Diamond does not build a tail notch or skin attachment into this ski, so a tail clip has nothing to hook. A universal tip-and-tail skin can be made to work for an occasional boot-pack alternative, but if skinning is part of the plan, the Helio line is the ski designed for it.
What length Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 should I buy?
Length here is about surface area rather than turn shape, because radius only moves from 17 m at 172 cm to 19 m at 186 cm. A skier working tight trees and steep lines is better off at 172 cm; a skier opening it up on big open terrain gains float and stability at 179 cm or 186 cm. Come talk to us if you are between two lengths.
How does the Impulse Ti 104 handle firm snow?
Better than most 104 mm skis. Full ABS sidewalls and a flat-top construction put your edge pressure straight into the snow, and the titanal sheet damps the chatter that usually makes a wide ski unpleasant on a hard groomer. Black Diamond still positions it as a 70 percent soft snow ski, which is honest.
Our Verdict
The Black Diamond Impulse Ti 104 is a soft-snow ski that does not punish you for skiing it back to the lift. A variable-width titanal sheet over a poplar core, flat-top construction and full ABS sidewalls give a 104 mm ski more composure on firm snow than the width suggests, while the early rise tip and rockered tail keep it doing its real job in powder and chop. At 1,880 g per ski at 179 cm it is a lift-served ski rather than a touring ski, and there is no skin attachment, so treat the Helio line as the answer if you want to earn your turns.
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