REASONS TO BUY
Fish-scale design revolutionizes traverses
Good for skiing firm snow
Comfortable in soft snow at lower angles
REASONS TO AVOID
Fish scales drag a great deal
Limited performance in variable snow
Voile Endeavor BC Review
Fish-scale bases define these surprisingly versatile adventure skis
The Voile Endeavor BC, with three-pin telemark bindings, is ideal for low-angle touring. We also mounted them later with lightweight AT bindings.
Credit: Jediah Porter
By Jediah Porter ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ April 20, 2026
RELATED: The Best Backcountry Skis of 2026
Our Verdict
We have to sort of bifurcate our review process to include the Voile Endeavor BC – you, too, should look at this ski in two ways. First, it can be compared to all the other skis in our review in familiar ways, namely by comparing weight to downhill performance. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, this ski stands out for its “fish scale” base, which adds a function beyond that of the other skis we test: you don't need to use skins to climb with these skis. While it won't climb mountains on its own, it excels in flat and rolling terrain. The fish-scale design, however, also has drawbacks: it creates ski drag when gliding and, more importantly, fundamentally changes some basic techniques most of us use for downhill skiing. The Endeavor is a surprisingly good ski for ski mountaineering. But where it really excels is traverses – our lead tester took them on a traverse of Yellowstone National Park, a magical, high-mileage trip that would not have been possible without these fish-scale skis.
Editor's Note: We tested the Endeavor BC in two ways: mounted with three-pin telemark bindings, and later, mounted with the Plum R170.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Voile Endeavor BC is the only “fish scale” ski we include in our test. “Fish scale” refers to the traction pattern molded into the center third of the base of each ski – it's the “BC” qualifier that Voile uses to differentiate skis that they offer with fish-scale bases. This patterned shape provides mechanical grip for Nordic-style strides and low-angle climbs while still allowing some measure of forward glide. They don't grip as well as textile climbing skins, but they glide much better. On the other hand, the patterned ski bases don't glide as well as traditional flat-bottom skis.
The binding mount zone is reinforced for use with modern AT bindings, historical telemark bindings, or the latest and greatest sturdy Nordic bindings. Many of their other fish-scale skis, for what it's worth, are not reinforced for Nordic or telemark-style use.
Performance Comparison
If they are ski mountaineering skis, what are we doing slogging 80 miles across Yellowstone National Park? Credit: Jediah Porter
Weight
We tested the Endeavor BC in the 171 cm, and each ski weighs 1317 grams. That's 2634 grams, or 5.8 pounds, for the pair. That's pretty darn respectable among modern skis – in our lineup, the Envdeavor BC is in the top three lightest pairs we've tested. However, they're only 82 mm wide, and when we calculate their weight-to-surface area, the Endeavor BC is one of the heaviest. This is a striking differential. No other ski in our test, currently or historically, has moved that much in the hierarchy as we shift our perspective on weight. For our sake, let's consider the Endeavor BC to be “sort of” light.
The weight of the Endeavor BC deserves a closer examination. It is light, but not for its width. Credit: Jediah Porter
Firm Snow
It must be the narrow width and relatively high mass that make the Endeavor BC ski firm snow so tenaciously. On a windboarded descent of the Tetons' classic “Mayan Apocalypse” couloir, our lead tester enjoyed edge hold with unprecedented confidence on this ski. What about the fish scales in firm downhill terrain? You will notice them. Some might not think about how often they do a little backwards skiing, but steep skiing usually involves little glides in reverse, and you'll feel the scales grab.
Even on edge on firm snow – when, theoretically, fewer of the scales are engaged, since they only run down the middle of the base – you'll still notice them grab, which definitely requires an adjustment to your technique. It's also worth noting that for shuffling through rolling terrain, the fish scales are not very effective in refrozen corn snow. Softened corn snow, firm wind-pressed snow, and powder snow all provide better grip.
If they are “cross-country skis”, what are we doing approaching the Tetons' Mayan Apocalypse couloir? Credit: Jediah Porter
Powder
As we tested them – narrow and short – Endeavor BC understandably suffered in powder snow. We rarely say that a ski isn't suited for powder skiing, but there's an exception to every rule – the Endeavor BC is not for powder skiing. The fish scales grip pretty well for touring over rolling terrain on powder snow, but not quite as well as on soft corn snow.
If you really want to explore the entire snow-covered world on one pair of skis, this is the ski for you. (The catch is, many don't care as much as we do about the flat and wild snow-covered portions of the world.) Credit: Jediah Porter
Crud and Poor Snow
When downhill skiing gets challenging, you have to slow way, way down on the Endeavor BC. On the other hand, some of the conditions that downhill skiers find challenging – specifically, wet, sloppy, fine-grained “hot pow” or even “mashed potato” snow – are the absolute best for the fish scales to kick and glide.
Gliding across refrozen snow in the early morning was tough. It got much easier as the snow softened up. Credit: Jediah Porter
Stability at Speed
At speed, you'll feel the buzzing and drag of the fish scales. We admit that even on a day testing these skis on packed powder at the ski resort, we couldn't ski fast enough on the Endeavor BC to make any authoritative conclusions about the actual stability of these skis at high downhill speeds. That's okay, though, as that's not what these skis are designed to for.
Where else can you go but the resort to really try and push the speed limit of these speed-limited skis? Credit: Jediah Porter
Should You Buy the Voile Endeavor BC?
The design philosophy behind the Voile Endeavor BC is similar to that of small off-road trucks and SUVs. A Ford Bronco can be filled with groceries from Costco or fit with aftermarket tires to crawl the world's gnarliest trails. The Endeavor BC will shuffle along flat traverses or navigate tricky, extreme ski descents. We chose these skis specifically to ski across Yellowstone National Park – a trip that our well-traveled lead tester exclaims as “a top-ten ski experience that I never knew I needed to have.” They will disappear on your pack for technical ski mountaineering, or lighten up your feet for long road approaches to more traditional backcountry skiing.
What Other Backcountry Skis Should You Consider?
This is a super specialty ski, but one we feel is worth considering because it's more versatile than even we expected. For modern backcountry skiing, most people will be happier with a flat-bottomed ski like the Head Crux 93 Pro. It's lighter than the Endeavor BC, skis firm snow just as well, and ismuch more versatile for all types of backcountry skiing. If you're looking to save a few bucks, the Crux 93 Pro is worth comparing against the slightly more affordable Rossignol Escaper 97 Nano.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Voile Endeavor BC versus top competing products:
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| Price | $800 List |
Overall Score  |
|
| Star Rating | |
| Bottom Line | Fish-scale bases define these surprisingly versatile adventure skis |
| Pros | Fish-scale design revolutionizes traverses, good for skiing firm snow, comfortable in soft snow at lower angles |
| Cons | Fish scales drag a great deal, limited performance in variable snow |
| Rating Categories | Voile Endeavor BC |
| Weight (25%) | |
| Firm Snow (20%) | |
| Powder (20%) | |
| Crud and Poor Snow (20%) | |
| Stability at Speed (15%) | |
| Specifications | Voile Endeavor BC |
| Length Tested | 171 cm |
| Measured Weight (Per Pair) | 5.8 lbs |
| Available Lengths | 157, 164, 171, 178, 184 cm |
| Measured Dimensions, Tip/Center/Tail | 116/82/100 mm |
| Measured Weight (Per Ski) | 1,317 g |
| Weight Per Surface Area | 0.78 g/cm² |
| Manufacturer Listed Turn Radius | 19 m |
| Construction Type | Cap |
| Core Material | Poplar |
| Rocker/Camber Profile | Early rise tip |
—Jediah Porter
You Might Also Like
