Hagan Ultra 65 — Review

The Hagan Ultra 65 is the lightest ski the Austrian ski-mountaineering brand makes, and it exists for one reason: skimo racing. This is not a light touring ski that happens to be quick uphill; it is a dedicated race tool built to the letter of the SKIMO Austria and ISMF race regulations. The number in the name is the waist width in millimetres, and 65 mm is about as narrow as a modern ski gets. Everything about the Ultra 65 is subordinated to going up fast: at 640 g per ski in the 151 cm length and 700 g in the 161, it is feather-light, so it barely registers on the skin track or when strapped to a pack on a bootpack. It comes in just two lengths, 151 cm (aimed at women) and 161 cm (aimed at men), which reflects its single-minded competition focus.

Uphill is where the Ultra 65 lives. The point of a ski this light is that it disappears underfoot on the climb, and the Ultra 65 delivers exactly that: minimal swing weight, minimal effort per stride, and a ski you can transition and shoulder for a bootpack almost without noticing. That efficiency is the whole product.

The descent is a different conversation, and an honest one. A 65 mm waist on an ultralight race chassis is nervous and unforgiving on anything but firm, groomed or race-course snow. On the smooth, hard pistes and set courses skimo racing is run on, the narrow ski is quick edge-to-edge and precise enough to hold a line at speed. Take it off that surface, though, and there is no float and little forgiveness: soft snow, crud and powder are simply not what this ski is for. Descending here is about getting down the race course cleanly and quickly, not about arcing playful freeride turns.

The Ultra 65 is a study in weight-shaving without giving up race legality. The core is Caruba, a paulownia-based wood that is among the lightest available, wrapped with a carbon stringer plus carbon and fibreglass reinforcement to add stiffness and snap for the weight. A 3D cap construction and an ABS micro-sidewall keep the profile light while still giving the edge some support, and Titanal and fibreglass reinforcement under the binding area anchor the mount. The base is a sintered touring base for glide, the edges are steel, and the profile is a Race Rocker tuned for quick pivoting rather than deep-snow float.

The sidecut and radius shift slightly by length. The 151 runs 95/65/78 mm with a 21 m radius; the 161 runs 97/65/80 mm with a 23 m radius. Weights are 640 g per ski at 151 cm and 700 g at 161 cm. Crucially, the whole package complies with SKIMO Austria and ISMF race regulations, so it is legal to line up with at sanctioned events.

This is a ski for skimo racers and hard-charging fitness tourers who prioritise the clock over the descent. If your day is measured in vertical metres and split times, the Ultra 65 is exactly the right tool. If you want a ski you can also enjoy skiing down in variable snow, look elsewhere.

Among lightweight race and race-adjacent skis, the Dynafit Seven Summits is a comparably minimal, uphill-first ski, while the Dynafit Blacklight 80 trades some of that pure-race edge for a wider, more forgiving descent. Within Hagan's own range, the Hagan Ultra 89 is the wider lightweight tourer to consider if you want most of the Ultra's low weight but a ski that actually skis down.

Pros

• Exceptionally light at 640-700 g per ski for effortless climbing.
• Purpose-built to SKIMO Austria and ISMF race rules.
• Quick, precise and efficient on firm race-course snow.
• Race-tuned construction with Caruba core and carbon reinforcement.

Cons

• Single-purpose race ski with no all-round versatility.
• The 65 mm waist and ultralight build are nervous and unforgiving off firm snow.
• Only two lengths, offering limited fit options.
• Not suited to recreational descents or powder.

Verdict: The Hagan Ultra 65 is a specialist's tool that does one thing brilliantly and makes no apology for ignoring everything else. As Hagan's lightest ski and a race-legal skimo weapon, it flies uphill and holds a clean line on firm courses. Just go in knowing what it is: buy it to race and to chase vertical, not to ski down for fun.