Ubac 108 review

Overview

The Zag Ubac 108 is the powder anchor of the French brand's Ubac touring line — a wider freerando ski for backcountry skiers whose primary objective is the descent and whose calendars include real powder days more than firm-snow exits. At 108 mm underfoot with paulownia wood core and a fiberglass-plus-carbon lay-up, it sits squarely between the resort-bound Slap 104 freeride platform and the rest of the touring-focused Ubac line — wide enough for serious soft snow, still light enough to earn its turns.

On-snow performance

Sidecut radii of 19 m at 173 cm to 21 m at 188 cm give long, drawn arcs in open powder fields, while the aggressive 40% tip / 30% tail rocker turns the effective edge short for quick pivots in trees and committing chutes. Manufacturer flex rating is 4/5 — stiff underfoot, softer at the tips — which is exactly the recipe for charging into deep snow without folding while still letting the tip flex up to ride wind-affected variable. Weight per single ski runs from 1640 g (173 cm) to 1740 g (188 cm) — genuinely light for a 108-mm touring board.

Construction & specs explained

The Ubac 108 uses Zag's paulownia wood core inside a Semi-CAP sandwich with ABS sidewalls. Fiberglass and carbon fibres provide torsional stiffness; high-strength steel edges keep the ski usable on the transition snow that exits real powder lines. No titanal laminate — instead, the layered stiffness underfoot supplies enough composure for fast skiing in soft snow without paying the weight penalty of metal. The 40%/30% rocker profile is the most aggressive of the Ubac line and the main difference from the narrower siblings.

Who it's for & comparisons

The Ubac 108 fits advanced touring skiers focused on powder descents and freerando objectives, not skin-track mileage in a corn season. Compared to the Black diamond Helio carbon 108 it carries similar uphill DNA with slightly more rocker; against the Moment Wildcat tour 108 it is a touch lighter; the Faction La machine 3 is a stiffer, more directional touring 108 alternative.

Pros, cons and verdict

Pros

• Powder-first DNA at touring weight.
• 40% Tip rocker for soft-snow surfing.
• Stiff underfoot for confident descents.
• French Chamonix-Lab build.

Cons

• Narrow length range (3 sizes).
• No metal means stability ceiling at very high speeds.
• Limited brand presence outside Europe.

Verdict: Zag's clearest "freerando weapon" in the Ubac line — a ski for the days when the descent is the whole point of the tour.