What is the ultimate compromise ski?
- 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: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
Another question- just interested:
Why did you choose the 68 over the FT62?
Why did you choose the 68 over the FT62?
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.
- Verskis
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:14 am
- Location: Tampere, Finland
- Ski style: XCD touring on small hills. Heavy tele at resort
- Favorite Skis: Åsnes Rabb 68
- Favorite boots: Alico Ski March
- Occupation: Hydraulics engineer
Re: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
I thought that the Rabb might be slightly better downhill ski, and the extra width might be nice in breakable crust conditions that we usually get at the end of the winter. I debated a lot about different Åsnes models, mainly between the skis inside the spectrum of Ingstad to the Tindan 86, but in the end I thought that the Rabb would probably be the happy medium. It was a compromise ski I was after, after all. The Åsnes description about the Rabb being a hybrid between a traditional fjellski and a topturski sounded good to me.lilcliffy wrote:Another question- just interested:
Why did you choose the 68 over the FT62?
- Woodserson
- Posts: 2969
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:25 am
- Location: New Hampshire
- Ski style: Bumps, trees, steeps and long woodsy XC tours
- Occupation: Confused Turn Farmer
Re: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
This video... plus the assertion that the ski can take leather and plastic, adds to MY FEVER. Anyone that knows me, knows I love BUMPS (I feel bad for this skier's lower back, however... stand-up my man!)
- fisheater
- Posts: 2533
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
- Location: Oakland County, MI
- Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
- Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
- Occupation: Construction Manager
Re: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
Verskis,
I ski my FT 62 at the resort (almost) using Gareth's Swix polar for a base wax method. I still have not ironed in the polar, because I am cheap and I'm afraid I will waste it. I spent over twenty years finishing concrete, I get some pleasure out of buffing wax to a shine with the cork. I prepare the Falketind in the same manner for the resort, including kick wax to match the temperature ( blue or green, no red at the resort) I am skiing light skis with leather boots (I have a Ski March boot) I prefer to utilize the full benefit of the combination. I thoroughly enjoy going into relaxing kick and glide, while alpiners are herring boning.
I would say polar glides as well at the resort as it does in the backcountry. I was fortunate as the Ski March fit me well from the beginning. Don't give up on it, I have never skied the Falketind 62 with my T-4, the Ski March is more than adequate. As a matter of fact, I am expecting an 86 mm waisted ski to arrive soon. I will be very disappointed if I cannot handle that ski in the backcountry with the Ski March.
Good luck with your Rabb 68, after reading Gareth's reports I may have gone 68 instead of 62. However I am very fortunate to be adding an 86 mm ski, it might not have made sense with a 68 in my quiver.
I ski my FT 62 at the resort (almost) using Gareth's Swix polar for a base wax method. I still have not ironed in the polar, because I am cheap and I'm afraid I will waste it. I spent over twenty years finishing concrete, I get some pleasure out of buffing wax to a shine with the cork. I prepare the Falketind in the same manner for the resort, including kick wax to match the temperature ( blue or green, no red at the resort) I am skiing light skis with leather boots (I have a Ski March boot) I prefer to utilize the full benefit of the combination. I thoroughly enjoy going into relaxing kick and glide, while alpiners are herring boning.
I would say polar glides as well at the resort as it does in the backcountry. I was fortunate as the Ski March fit me well from the beginning. Don't give up on it, I have never skied the Falketind 62 with my T-4, the Ski March is more than adequate. As a matter of fact, I am expecting an 86 mm waisted ski to arrive soon. I will be very disappointed if I cannot handle that ski in the backcountry with the Ski March.
Good luck with your Rabb 68, after reading Gareth's reports I may have gone 68 instead of 62. However I am very fortunate to be adding an 86 mm ski, it might not have made sense with a 68 in my quiver.
- Verskis
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:14 am
- Location: Tampere, Finland
- Ski style: XCD touring on small hills. Heavy tele at resort
- Favorite Skis: Åsnes Rabb 68
- Favorite boots: Alico Ski March
- Occupation: Hydraulics engineer
Re: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
Thanks for the report, Fisheater!
It sure would be nice to sometimes kick and glide in the resort, when transitioning from slope to slope. So, if the kick waxed skis glide well enough, maybe my old resort skis won't get much use anymore, but we'll see after I get to ski the Rabbs.
It sure would be nice to sometimes kick and glide in the resort, when transitioning from slope to slope. So, if the kick waxed skis glide well enough, maybe my old resort skis won't get much use anymore, but we'll see after I get to ski the Rabbs.
- Johnny
- Site Admin
- Posts: 2256
- Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:11 pm
- Location: Quebec / Vermont
- Ski style: Dancing with God with leathers / Racing against the machine with plastics
- Favorite Skis: Redsters, Radicals, XCD Comps, Objectives and S98s
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska XP, Alfa Guards, Scarpa TX Comp
- Occupation: Full-time ski bum
Re: What is the ultimate compromise ski?
A very, very wise choice...!!!Verskis wrote:After catching the Åsnes fever on this forum, I will be buying Åsnes Rabb68 skis in 180cm length once the Finnish retailer gets them, maybe right after Christmas.
I am pretty excited, I hope this will finally be my ultimate compromise ski that I am happy to ski everywhere!
Enjoy the fever!
/...\ Peace, Love, Telemark and Tofu /...\
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."