Black Diamond Cirque 78 Touring Ski 2021 – 2022 | Review
Why we chose the Black Diamond Cirque 78: Lightweight, responsive, efficient
Lengths (cm): 161, 169 & 177
Sidecut (mm): 110 / 78 / 99 (169 cm)
Radius: 18.5 m (169 cm)
Rocker Profile: Rocker-Camber-Rocker
Weight (per ski): 980g
Price: £650 / €700 / $850
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While Black Diamond may have branched away from their ski mountaineering heritage with the all-new Impulse line of freeride skis, their commitment in creating high-performance ski touring skis remains at the heart of what they do – and this can be seen with the impressive Cirque 78.
The Black Diamond Cirque 78 is the lightest ski in Black Diamond’s diverse range of touring skis. With a waist width of 78 mm, a pre-preg carbon layup and Paulownia wood core, you’ve got a pair of skis that remain hyper-light on the uphill and uber stiff to hold their own on the down.
Black Diamond Cirque 78 Build
First thing to note is, of course, that sub-1kg weight per ski. The 169 cm length comes in at 980 grams per ski. Pair these with a race binding, like the ATK Kuluar, and you’ve got a setup that’ll come in lighter than most dedicated ski touring boots.
Black Diamond has achieved this (lack of) weight by, quite unsurprisingly, opting for a carbon build. Now, if you’re unaware, carbon offers the highest level of strength at an extremely low weight penalty. Weight has been further stripped by using pre-impregnated carbon laminates. Pre-preg carbon uses exact amounts of epoxy resin when laminated, rather than traditional wet layups, where extra resin could be used, increasing the weight of the ski.
Sitting under all this carbon wizardry is a Paulownia wood core. Paulownia has been used to increase the dampening (somewhat) at a low weight. It’s got to be stressed that the combination of a snappy carbon fibre ride and lightweight construction doesn’t make for the most damp ski on the planet, but that’s to be expected for a ski of this weight.
Final notes on the construction have to be about that partial ABS sidewall. It’s rare to see skis of this weight sporting a sidewall construction; this’ll go miles in improving the downhill performance of the Cirque 78. Looking at the tail of the ski, you’ve got a standard skin tail clip to securely seat your skin clip.
Black Diamond Cirque 78 Shaping
There’s nothing too surprising on the shaping front; these skis have been designed to move quickly in the mountains. A narrow (78 mm) waist and a heavily cambered section underfoot sits at the heart of the skis, meaning they’ll thrive in the firm stuff.
Who Is The Black Diamond Cirque 78 For?
If you’re looking for a pair of ski touring skis that make zero compromise in the weight department, then the Black Diamond Cirque 78 are certainly worth checking out. Given the impressively low weight of these skis, BD has managed to uphold a decent level of downhill performance for when you need to get start the next lap.
What Is The Black Diamond Cirque 78 Good At?
Weight: 9/10
Hard Snow: 8/10
Dampening: 6/10
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