ProView – Contour Guide Mix 2.0 Review

As a backcountry guide and AIARE instructor, I spend a pretty good amount of my time going uphill. Recently, I have been testing out the Guide Mix 2.0 skins from Countour, and they have absolutely checked all my boxes. 

I am one of the two mentors for the Colorado region of the AIARE PGN, and last week I brought my mentees out to Mayflower Gluch with VNTR Birds to work on the skills my mentees felt like they needed the most practice with before pursuing the next steps in their industry careers. For example, a lot of my mentees are gearing up to take their Pro 1,  so we worked on timed double burial scenarios and snow pits. The snow pack has been the worst I have ever seen in central Colorado, so the walk up to the meadows was pretty slick, but the Guide 2.0 Mix skins stuck to the snow with no slippage. I was able to quickly and efficiently break trail in the meadow during practice scenarios, showcasing that the Guide 2.0 Mix has just the right amount of slide as well. 

Later in the week, we got a bit of snow, and I was able to test the skins out in a variety of snow conditions, from a couple of inches of fluffy powder to wind crust to trails broken up by snowmobiles, and the Guide 2.0 Mix performed great in all of them! 

Performance

Previously, I had the Contour Hybrid Mix skins, so I already knew I liked the Contour brand of skins. I had these skins for about three years, and they held up really well until I hit a couple of large rocks during some summer adventures. I will say that even though, as a guide, it was time for a new pair of skins, I still keep the hybrid mix around as a backup, because even with a tear, they are still able to perform.

I am enjoying the Contour Guide 2.0 Mix more than the Contour Hybrid Mix for my current purposes. I feel like the Guide Mix just does everything really well. The one main difference is that I feel like the Guide mix sticks better on variable snow conditions, while the Hybrid Mix was great in most conditions, but less so when the snow was slick. Additionally, the glue is sticky and sits on the ski really nicely, but not too sticky that you cannot get them off your ski are unstuck from themselves. I found the hotmelt adhesive technology on the Guide Mix 2.0 to be much stickier than that on the Hybrid Mix.

Who is this product for?

I would say this product is geared towards guides who are out in every condition. The Guide Mix 2.0 really performed across a variety of temperatures and snow conditions. The new backing material, which is lighter, more flexible, and has significantly reduced water absorption, enables the Guide Mix 2.0 to be more compact.

What sets the product apart?  

I absolutely love that Contuor is pushing skin care to help skins last many seasons by providing a block of skin wax with purchase. I have been producing a ski care series with contour to showcase how to take care of your skins! You can check this out on my tiktok @dtalpine. I have loved their push for this, especially because maintaining your gear is so important to its longevity of it. 

Friendliness to the Earth 

Contour is pushing skin care this year, which is an amazing initiative to prolong the longevity of your gear and, therefore, reduce waste. Additionally, their skins are PFAS-free, enabling them to be environmentally friendly and high performing!

The Final Word 

Overall, I would recommend any skins from Contour as they are high-performing, durable, and environmentally friendly. The Guide Mix 2.0 is the perfect skin for any backcountry ski guides, as it is versatile and performs well in all sorts of variable conditions. 

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