New Nordic touring boot?

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lilcliffy
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Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
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New Nordic touring boot?

Post by lilcliffy » Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:29 pm

Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.

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bgregoire
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Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by bgregoire » Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:35 pm

LC, the one that fits right?

My pinky toe tells me go with the Alfa (widest last of them all), the new beefier Guard Advance is particularly seductive.
https://alfa.no/shop/skisko/backcountry ... ance-gtx-m

Although the Skarvet Advance NNN-BC (previously known as just Advance, and previous to that just Skarvet) is a great boot too (I own the Advance 75mm version, comfy but soft-soled).

If my feet were narrower, I'd go for either the Crispis or the Alpina. The Fisher's last is usually a tad larger than Alpina's. I was quite disappointed with the construction and fit of an older version of the Fisher BCX6. Personally, I would take any of the others you suggested first if they fit right.

So toebox-width wise, from narrowest to widest:
Crispi-Alpina-Fisher-Alfa

Happy xCd-ing! That'S what we say right?
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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bgregoire
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Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by bgregoire » Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:56 pm

Sounds like my main complaint about the BCX6 has since been fixed:
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/fisch ... ots.79481/
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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lilcliffy
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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
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by lilcliffy » Thu Oct 04, 2018 6:56 am

Yeah- I am not really interested in the Fischer boot- though I have heard reports that the current model is much improved.

I would very much like to try an Alfa and a Crispi at some point...No idea how they will fit...

My Alpina Alaska has been a huge success- very comfortable, supportive and extremely durable. The width is right- though I find the volume too large for their width/length (this is a lifelong challenge with my low-volume feet!). I think that would be much improved if I bought a 42 instead of the 43 this time. I would probably go for 42EU in an Alfa or Crispi boot as well.

The instep strap of the Lofoten interests me...My understanding is that the Lofoten is the Stetind plus the instep strap- the Svartisen is not a Stetind plus straps... The Svartisen is also of interest- though I am not convinced I would want/need all of the plastic cuff. Gamme the Elder's test suggests the Stetind has a more supportive flex than the Svartisen- though the Svartisen did get the highest score- beating the grey-nylon Fischer BCX6 that Gamme the Elder can be seen shredding and jump-telemarking with!

Really wish I could try on the Alfa/Crispi- I don't relish having to send boots back to Europe!

An Alpina Alasak 42 is probably the sensible thing to do!
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.



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bgregoire
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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: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by bgregoire » Thu Oct 04, 2018 7:07 am

LC, you should be able to order and return Alfa boots (if they do not fit perfect) from LaCordee this year. I see that their return policy and return procedure has improved.

I'm hoping the pair of Alico Teletour i've own for a couple years now will have sufficiently widened via a yearly long stretching to be my perfect 2018-2019 xcd shoe. Otherwize, I still have several others in stock I would have to use up to justify splurging a new pair!
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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Johnny
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by Johnny » Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:49 am

Thanks to the Great BGregroire, he was able to locate a pair of brand new Alfa Quest NNNBC boots for me...! (At a killer price!) Thank you SO MUCH Ben!

Can't wait to try them... Quest Dynamic / Kikut Perform GTX, the Advance's little brother:
https://www.crosscountryskier.com.au/alfa-quest-dynamic

I like Nubuck a lot...
/...\ Peace, Love, Telemark and Tofu /...\
"And if you like to risk your neck, we'll boom down Sutton in old Quebec..."



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lilcliffy
Posts: 4112
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: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by lilcliffy » Thu Oct 04, 2018 1:53 pm

Hey Johnny-
Cool!
How would you compare the feel/support/flex of the Quest Dynamic to your Alpina Alaska NNNBC?
In my mind, I have been thinking that the Quest Dynamic was equivalent to the Alaska, and that the Quest Advance was another step up in support and stiffness.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.



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trashcat
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by trashcat » Thu Oct 04, 2018 3:45 pm

I like my new fischer BCX6's (the green ones), but I got them for $40 which makes anything sound enticing. I had to add some velcro felt to the plastic cuff to get the strap to cinch tight enough, but now they seem to work great.



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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: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by bgregoire » Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:17 pm

lilcliffy wrote: In my mind, I have been thinking that the Quest Dynamic was equivalent to the Alaska, and that the Quest Advance was another step up in support and stiffness.
I would actually say the Quest Advance (Skarvet) is a little of a step down from the Alaska in terms of stiffness. It molds extremely well to the ankle though which is a great plus in terms of support. Its got a wide toe box, unlike Alaska. The Quest Dynamic is a mini step down from the Quest Advance. The closest thing to the Alpina Alaska in terms of stiffness in Alfa's line up would perhaps be the new Guard Advance. Who is going to try out that 600$+ shoe for us? :)
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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t-$
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Re: New Nordic touring boot?

Post by t-$ » Thu Oct 04, 2018 4:41 pm

If it ain’t broke, why fix it?! The Alaska’s are the bomb, I think we can all agree on that...not even sure if I’ve read a bad review ever of the . It to say that something would t be just as good or better, but I think I am probly gonna pop on another pair this year justin case they stop making them I have enough to last me a lifetime. So yeah lc, I vote for Alpina!!! Plus, I had a chance to ski the Fischer’s once last year and they were just way to flex for me...



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