Cause it feels great!
I spent the day at our local downhill ski resort yesterday because there was just NO other place to be if you wanted to glide on snow. Started the day on my Reverend/SB/SynerG combo. Wanted an adventure so switched to my XCDs: Karhu Tour 10th mountain (84-68-74), voile 3pc and excursions. Holy smokes, this gear is light! I felt so free. At home.
And off I went in greens and blues. Your tele-style has to change quite a lot to drive sticks like these. They actually work much better near full speed and when carving huge radius turns. I felt more like a hovering eagle than I did a tele-ninja...and loved it. Old school. Of course, I wont be riding moguls or black diamond runs on these any time soon. But my reverends might end up spending a lot more time in solitary, praying for more while I hit the runs on my cross countries!
Don't believe the hype, go low tech, its fun too!
PS: For those who have just purchased Asnes Ingstads, or other mid-weight waxable skis and are considering NNNBCs, my experience confirmed it, pins ALL THE WAY! Those would be great (if not better than my Karhus given the larger sidecut and general robustness) resort skis too (with stiffer boots and the possibility for cables). Given they are waxable, they glide like crazy and slice through HARDPACK like you would not believe. CIMA has shown us we can NNN-BC in downhill fluff. Sure, but what about hardpack? Man this is fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kZmWJoPWQE
Downgrading for Downhill
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bgregoire
- Posts: 1511
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:31 am
- Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
- Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
- Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar
Downgrading for Downhill
Last edited by bgregoire on Sun Feb 21, 2016 7:38 pm, edited 5 times in total.
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM
Re: Downgrading
I love this & the video too! We are on the same page with our stoke for the light XCD gear and exploring our capabilities as well as that of the XCD package. Bravo! Adventure on the blues & greens!
Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk
Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk
Call it Nordic Freeride
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athabascae
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:17 pm
- Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
- Favorite Skis: Asnes MR48; Asnes Ingstad
- Favorite boots: Alpina Traverse BC; Alpina Alaska BC
Re: Downgrading
Nice writeup. Sounds like a lot of fun.
As for the Ingstad I'm sticking with NNN BC because it is a touring ski first and foremost for me. I'm eyeing the Storetind with super tele and excursion as a light turning setup, for both BC and the easy resort runs with my younger kids. The Storetind setup should only weigh a smidgen more than a NNN BC Ingstad/Eon setup.
As for the Ingstad I'm sticking with NNN BC because it is a touring ski first and foremost for me. I'm eyeing the Storetind with super tele and excursion as a light turning setup, for both BC and the easy resort runs with my younger kids. The Storetind setup should only weigh a smidgen more than a NNN BC Ingstad/Eon setup.
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bgregoire
- Posts: 1511
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:31 am
- Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
- Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
- Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar
Re: Downgrading
Yes, well its a personal preference. Personally, I have several stiffer cambered narrower skis for BC touring (all NNN BC). Then again, i brought my Karhus on a week long backpacking/pulka hauling traverse of the Mont Groulx last year and they performed beautifully with pins and a relatively stiff leather boot (my partners were on Guides + NNNBC, older E109s with pins and E99 with XADV, none complained about their set ups either but then again being a group opening trail always makes things easier for all).athabascae wrote:Nice writeup. Sounds like a lot of fun.
As for the Ingstad I'm sticking with NNN BC because it is a touring ski first and foremost for me.
My experience, as described in the OP just goes to show ME how versatile this type of ski is. truly fascinating. And for me, I really need the 75mm duckbill to fully unlock its downhill potential.
God tur!
Last edited by bgregoire on Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:15 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM
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athabascae
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:17 pm
- Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
- Favorite Skis: Asnes MR48; Asnes Ingstad
- Favorite boots: Alpina Traverse BC; Alpina Alaska BC
Re: Downgrading
Absolutely. It was a difficult decision not to go with pins on the Ingstads for me.bgregoire wrote:Yes, well its a personal preference.
I really enjoyed your post! It was great. I'm really happy to hear about the versatility of the mid-weights, as that is exactly what I'm looking for with that class of ski.
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lilcliffy
- Posts: 4114
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:20 pm
- Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
- Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
- Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger
Re: Downgrading
Wicked.bgregoire wrote:They actually work much better near full speed and when carving huge radius turns. I felt more like a hovering eagle than I did a tele-ninja...and loved it. Old school.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
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lilcliffy
- Posts: 4114
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:20 pm
- Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
- Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
- Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger
Re: Downgrading
Just to play "devil's advocate": Sure this didn't have more to do with the power of the Excursion and it's flex pattern than the binding?bgregoire wrote: and excursions.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
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athabascae
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2015 9:17 pm
- Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
- Favorite Skis: Asnes MR48; Asnes Ingstad
- Favorite boots: Alpina Traverse BC; Alpina Alaska BC
Re: Downgrading
Old school for sure. Many years ago we nicknamed those pretty BC girls we used to chase as the Queens of the wide arches. Those wide turns are so much more graceful and beautiful to watch than the ninja stuff...lilcliffy wrote:Wicked.bgregoire wrote:They actually work much better near full speed and when carving huge radius turns. I felt more like a hovering eagle than I did a tele-ninja...and loved it. Old school.
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lilcliffy
- Posts: 4114
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:20 pm
- Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
- Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
- Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger
Re: Downgrading
And much more realistic to consistently connect and complete on BC-XC tech for mere mortals (i.e. me).athabascae wrote:Those wide turns are so much more graceful and beautiful to watch than the ninja stuff...
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.