Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Who here remembers Phoenix skis? Kazama?

These were the best tele boots of the day when I started. Gaiters were mandatory. http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/ ... kUroYw.jpg

I wanted those black Phoenix skis back in the day but didn't have the dough.

I just got a pair of those asolo boots this year in great condition for 42 bucks and they still have the yellow lases. They ski exactly like the Merril ultras that I've been on for thirty years but fit me better.

Started on the same boot, made you a solid tele skier. Still use them for XC/D. Still ski my supercomps occasionally too, mostly spring corn and opening day for centering my stance.

Are those Asolo Extremes? I've got a real worn out pair of those and they weight more than my plastic Excursions. Also have a pair of Asolo SnowfieldII's: softer and lighter than the Extremes, but with the same number of eyelets. Those are very comfy boots compared to the Extremes and have lasted a long time!

I got a pair of used, beat up Asolo Extremes in the early-mid 1990s in North Conway, New Hampshire, and thought I was King of the World to have such a snazzy boot... Good times. They were certainly heavy and solid and did wonders turning the skinny skis of the day.

Not to knock the new gear (its great; I'm happy we have it), but some of the old gear seems to be just as good and can be had at significant savings. For example, I've recently acquired a pair of skinny BC skis that are probably ~25 years old (Bonna Conquests) and they are wonderful skis. And, just yesterday I took delivery of an old pair of Merrell Backcountry (NNN BC) boots (probably close to the same era as Asolo Extremes), and though I haven't skied them yet, they appear superb and I'll match them up with a pair of Asnes Ingstads.

Tom

nostalgia? I live in a time warp - I just bought a new pair of Kazamas last year & had 'em mounted up.

connyro wrote:Are those Asolo Extremes? I've got a real worn out pair of those and they weight more than my plastic Excursions. Also have a pair of Asolo SnowfieldII's: softer and lighter than the Extremes, but with the same number of eyelets. Those are very comfy boots compared to the Extremes and have lasted a long time!

Yep. Those are the early Extremes. And they skied surprisingly well. They cracked welts once broken in, which Asolo was awesome about fixing, and they were ice boxes. If I recall the later versions were double booted. The Snowfields pre-dated them I think. My first time skiing resort on tele was on a borrowed pair of Snowfields. They still sold them when the Extreme came out; the Snowfield was a cropped version of the Extreme, which is funny because the extreme was only slightly above the ankle. When I bought my first pair of Supercomps I thought they were too stiff to tele well. Compared to today's gear that is funny.

teledance wrote:Started on the same boot, made you a solid tele skier. Still use them for XC/D. Still ski my supercomps occasionally too, mostly spring corn and opening day for centering my stance.

What binding do you ski with your Supercomps? Old 3 pins? Curious because I retired mine because of cable bindings, which were marketed to "Not Be Used" with leather boots. I thought at the time is was a gimmick sales pitch for T1s but I bought the hook and went full plastic with Garmont Garas.

Honestly in pristine resort area conditions my Supercomps were way more responsive and quick turning than any plastic boot. IMO.

Asolo Extremes and Kazamas in action circa 1984. My first race on tele; 15 years old. Bergshaus gaiters: Check. Hippy hair: Check. Jean jacket: Check. Basketball knee pads: Check. Junior sized racing poles: Check. Red eyes: probably but not saying'.