Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Hi!
We have a dog joining the family this spring if nothing unfortunate happens. This means a dog ski might be necessary shortly. Does anybody have experience with the Finnmark? Is it a Gamme without edges?

All the best
Petter

Petetheswede wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:03 pm

Hi!
We have a dog joining the family this spring if nothing unfortunate happens. This means a dog ski might be necessary shortly. Does anybody have experience with the Finnmark? Is it a Gamme without edges?

All the best
Petter

Hi Pete,

Greetings from Norway, söta bror (SWE)!

You're absolutely correct. The Finnmark 54 BC is basically at Gamme 54 without steel edges. To be entirely correct, is in not the exact same ski - but it is made in the same mold with the exact same measurements.

The main difference (of course the lack of steel edges) is that we have do do structural changes to ensure the right flexpattern, camber, stiffness and rigidity when we do not use steel edges. Funfact: steel edges in a narrow ski can stand alone for around 60% of the stiffness in the ski.

Beacuase of this, we have more carbonfibre, glassfibre and some vibrationdampening rubber in the ski to compensate for the lack of steel.

All in all, the skis will feel almost alike. But the weight is much lower on the Finnmark BC ski. The successful recipe of the Gamme 54 BC is still the same as in Finnmark 54 BC.

Just as a note, the Finnmark 54 BC has a softer tip with a little bit more effective Nordic Rocker than the old green Gamme 54, even though the curve is the same. This only makes it better, as it initiates a turn easier, absorbs more of the imperfections in variying snowconditions and makes it bend and seek more out of the snow when skiing downhill.
Basically, we used all of these improvements in performance to finetune the newest Gamme 54 BC to act the same way. We always live and learn you know

And yes; we do hunt grouse and deer and bear on skis here in Vermont...
Thanks for your support.

Maybe a Finnmark for a dog ski??? Good thing it’s August.

Sounds like the dog ski to get! Do you guys att Åsnes reckon I could go 10cm longer than the green gammes due to the softer tip and more effective rocker? I have 200cm in the gammes at 75kg/185cms. I find this nice and managable but there is always the little whisper in my head I should have gone longer (regret 195cm on my Ingstads BC, wish I hade 205s) On the other hand these skis are for consolidated dog snow and hence float is not a priority.

yes 210! They will be much lighter than the Gamme, might as well get the increased flotation & glide speed of 210. The light weight will make them easy to maneuver around obstacles, make kick-turns, etc.

I wasn't sure if I should get the 210 Gamme, I wanted 205 but that was not an option. Once they got here I was glad I went w/ 210 because the ski is so light and responsive.

I have been contemplating the Finnmark, and the one thought I have is that there will certainly be challenges on harder surfaces, there should also have some additional rotational skiing opportunities skiing a ski with this camber without the steel edges. Sometimes when skiing on piste bumps, I don’t really carve, it's more of short flat ski skis with extension and absorption. I cannot pull off that type of technique on my Gamme, however the skid-o-mark is is quite a useful tool on steep twisty single track.
Well it is something to wonder about. The other thing I am curious about is a 30 mm X-skin. I tried my 45 mm mohair on my Gamme once. Peeled it off in less than a minute and went to soft wax. You guys keep telling me about how great X-skins are. I still believe you, just haven’t seen it.