Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

DETAILS

•Width/sidecut profile: 103-68-93mm
- effective sidecut: 92-68-93mm

•Length: 172cm, 180cm, 188cm (I own the 188cm)

•Weight: 2.25kg per pair (180cm)

•Base:
o sintered and waxable
o Skin-Lock/X-Skin insert

•Edges: full-length, wrap-around steel

•Camber/rocker profile:
o Rockered tip
o Low single camber (“Alpine” camber)- EDIT: camber-and-a-half
o Very slightly rockered tail
o Considerable Nordic-rockered tip
o Slightly Nordic-rockered tail

•Flex:
o Stiff and uniform flex throughout length
o Torsionally rigid

•Measurements from tail (188cm model):
o Balance point (BP): 92.5cm
o Narrowest point of sidecut (NPS): 83.8cm
o Boot-Center (BC) mark: 83.8cm
o Chord-Center (CC): 93cm

•Manufacturer’s recommended mounting point: pins on BP

•Current binding: Voile 3-Pin Hardwire

•Current boots:
o Scarpa T4
o Alico Ski March

•Performance summary:
o Stiff, rigid and powerful edge-holding downhill ski- this ski wants to charge and carve.
o Superb stability, flotation and early-tip rise- especially considering its narrow waist.
o Fantastic and effortless turn initiation- the tip rocker shortens effective edge and moves binding point forwards
on effective edge.
o Fantastic full-length stability and support when cross-country (XC) skiing and climbing in deep snow- especially
considering its narrow waist.
o Excellent XC kick and glide (K&G) performance on deep soft snow:
 On deep snow this ski feels completely balanced like a Classic XC ski.
 In deep snow this ski tracks reasonably well- considering the sidecut.
 On soft snow there is enough camber and stiffness to offer a decent XC kick.
o Poor XC performance on dense consolidated snow:
 Too little camber to offer an effective XC kick on dense consolidated snow- feels somewhat “dead”.
 The rockered tip makes this ski feel somewhat unbalanced when XC skiing on dense consolidated snow- the
rockered tip moves binding point forwards on the gliding surface of this ski.
 This ski will not track straight when XC skiing on dense/consolidated snow- too much sidecut, too little
camber, no track groove.
 BUT- still better XC performance on dense/consolidated than very soft-flexing XCD skis (e.g.
Eon/Epoch/Annum).

EXPERIENCES TO DATE

The Åsnes Storetind (Norwegian: Storetind = “big peak”) is a midwidth backcountry Nordic touring ski- with a design and performance focus towards Nordic downhill skiing. With the Storetind, Åsnes has capitalized on all of the Alpine ski tech development of the last 20 years- and designed a truly modern Nordic touring ski for mountainous terrain.

The Storetind has been recently redesigned and replaced with the Falketind 68 (“falcon peak”). The only significant change in the FT68- according to Åsnes- is the addition of the tip notch for attaching climbing skins. (With the bushwhacking that I do here in the Northwoods, I greatly appreciate the durability of the full-wrap steel edge.)

Åsnes describes the Storetind as a hybrid between a “fjellski” and a “toppturski”. (“Fjellski” translating to a traditional backcountry cross-country (BC-XC/XCD) ski; “toppturski” translating to Alpine touring ski.) In other words, the Storetind is intended to be a hybrid of sorts between a BC-XC ski and a BC-downhill ski. Hybrid “XCD” skis have been around for decades- the most notable being Karhu/Madshus’ XCD series and Fischer’s S-Bound series.

Most hybrid “XCD” skis have approached this design from the XC end of the spectrum- adding some downhill characteristics to essentially XC skis. With the Storetind, Åsnes has approached the “XCD” thing from the downhill end of the spectrum- capitalizing on the last 20 years of Alpine ski innovation.

How many big-mountain skis are there out there that are designed from a purely Nordic perspective? Don’t know how many- but, I am certain that the Storetind is designed for a Nordic binding and a Nordic skier. The Storetind does have boot-center (BC) mark on it, and can certainly be mounted and skied with an Alpine binding and boot. BUT- the design of this downhill-oriented ski is clearly intended for a Nordic binding and boot!

Åsnes’ Nordic mounting instructions are pins on balance point (BP). BP is traditionally a Nordic XC mounting point- for Classic K&G XC skiing. What comes next is pure engineering brilliance- following these mounting instructions puts my ball-of-foot (BOF) precisely on the narrowest point of the Storetind’s sidecut (NPS). With pins on BP- the Storetind feels like a Classic XC ski when XC skiing. BOF on the NPS makes this ski perfectly balanced when making telemark turns on dense/consolidated snow- this ski feels quick and turny on dense snow/consolidated snow. When making turns in deep soft snow, the stiff rockered tip adds early-tip-rise and supportive flotation- also making it feel like the mounting point has been moved back! Brilliant- and oh, so much fun!

As far as the XC part of this hybrid- the Storetind offers very good XC K&G performance on deep soft snow. The Storetind is stiff and supportive throughout its entire length- offering surprising XC performance for such a narrow-waisted ski- even in very deep snow.

To be quite honest I have always been a bit underwhelmed by the downhill performance of all of the hybrid XCD skis I have owned and/or tested (e.g. Karhu/Madshus Eon, Epoch. Annum; Fischer 78, 88, 98, 112). To date any of these that I have tried have offered only moderate downhill performance- and- here’s the real kick in the ass- often these skis have lost considerable XC performance in order to make them easier to turn!!! (And the ones that do offer some Classic XC K&G performance are often a real challenge to turn!)

The Storetind- for me- hits the “hybrid” XCD mark with a bullseye. The Storetind offers superb downhill performance- with more than acceptable XC performance on backcountry snow.

I have mounted the Voile 3-pin Hardwire binding on this ski. I am very impressed and pleased with this binding- it offers a perfect balance of XC and downhill performance for this ski and the terrain that I locally ski here in the NB hills: rolling, hilly terrain, with 350m hardwood ridges and steeply cut river and stream valleys/ravines. In 3-pin mode I can utilize the full XC capabilities of this ski and cover significant distances to access truly sweet remote lines. When I truly want to charge on challenging forested terrain, the hardwires are much appreciated!

The Storetind is 68mm underfoot. In today’s age of “go phat or go home”- 68mm is a meagre dimension indeed. I must admit to being very pleased with the stability and flotation of this ski in deep fresh snow. The Storetind has an extremely supportive flex- I can feel the entire length of this ski supporting my weight. All of that tip rocker produces highly effective early-tip rise- these ski rise up and plane very effectively at downhill speeds. Obviously these are not “powder” skis by modern standards- and if I had endless deep dry “champagne” powder to ski in, they would not be wide enough. But on the deep moisture-rich fresh snow of the Northeast- this ski offers very effective flotation. AND- WHOA- that narrow 68mm waist, coupled with ample sidecut and torsional rigidity allows this ski to hold a wicked edge on dense icy snow!

I have been using my T4 boot almost exclusively with this ski. (I have tested them with my leather Ski March boot, but I am having fit issues with this boot and therefore am not using them much. (I need to spend some time and focus breaking them in and customizing the fit.)) I can completely overpower and drive this ski with the T4- it is a perfect match. And the T4 with a 3-pin binding gives truly pretty decent XC K&G performance. This is a perfect balance for when I have to ski significant distance on my touring for turns. (This ski is incredibly light- and therefore, could be used with a XC boot and binding. But, it is a rigid and powerful ski- I personally need a Telemark boot-binding to take full advantage of this ski.)

The combination of hard grip wax and the integrated Skin-Lock/X-Skin kicker skins is ideal for my local terrain, snow and winter temperatures. I am ironing in Swix Polar to the entire base, applying kick wax to the “kick zone”. (I say “kick zone” but this ski really does not have a wax pocket like a double cambered ski.) I am using Swix Green and Blue as my kick waxes. I have not found any negative effects of applying the kicker skins over the harder kick waxes. I drop kick wax and switch to the kicker skin when the snow requires a softer wax/klister.

When the snow is very cold I am getting excellent climbing performance out of just grip-kick wax alone- certainly more grip than waxless scales. If I need more climbing traction the kicker skins are just the ticket!

I am thrilled with Åsnes’ Skin-Lock kicker skins (now redesigned as the X-Skin). I am using the kicker skin for both extra climbing traction and for when the snow requires a soft wax/klister. The kicker skins allow me get away without needing soft kick wax/klister and/or waxless scales.

My favourite Skin-Lock for this ski- by far- is the 60mm Mohair.

I have been testing this ski back-to-back with my 162cm Kom. Here are some comparisons:
•The Kom- despite being wider- allows for much tighter, smeary turns.
•The Storetind is faster and more powerful- it wants to charge and carve.
•The Storetind holds a better edge.
•Flotation seems to be about the same between the two skis.
•The Storetind is a MUCH more efficient XC K&G ski.

I am truly impressed.
Gnardisk Mahgik!

Gareth Davies
Stanley, NB
Canada
April 25th (and still skiing!), 2018 https://www.asnes.com/produkt/storetind-carbon-2/
https://www.utemagasinet.no/Test/TEST-6-multiski
https://www.en.asnes.com/produkt/falketind-68/

Good review Gareth. It sounds like the narrow waisted, modern, single camber ski that I'm looking for. From what you are saying the integrated kicker eliminates the need for a fishscaled ski for poor waxing conditions. I assume the glide is good enough that you leave the skins on for the turns. Does Asnes have a listed weight range for each ski length?

You've got me sold but I hear they are hard to find.

lowangle al wrote:Good review Gareth.

Thanks Al!

From what you are saying the integrated kicker eliminates the need for a fishscaled ski for poor waxing conditions.

This is certainly true for XC skiing and climbing. I actually prefer the K&G with the mohair kicker skin over scales- much better grip and decent glide. (This is likely largely due to my typical weather and snow conditions.)

I assume the glide is good enough that you leave the skins on for the turns.

I leave the skin on if I am striding down a moderate slope when in XC mode. But- I do take them off for any serious downhill skiing. In this regard the kicker skin is not as efficient as either grip wax or waxless scales. Certainly grip wax or scales is so much more efficient for low-vertical touring for turns- taking the skins off can be at times a bit of a pain. But I am increasingly struggling to find much use for waxless scales. In my current local climate the weather either stays cold and stable for a few weeks (i.e. ideal for grip wax)- or, it is a constant up and down of temperature extremes, producing a lot of icy transformed snow (i.e. scales are useless). At least in my local climate, a smooth waxable base plus a kicker skin is the most effective combination. And- for the heart of my winter, grip/kick wax is all I need for 90% of my touring.

Does Asnes have a listed weight range for each ski length?

Check out the Asnes links above- they recommend using skier height as a starting point- and then go up or down in length depending on skier skill/preferences.

As I am often traveling some significant miles on this ski- I am very happy with the 188cm. In downhill mode, these skis ski much shorter than their 188cm length

You've got me sold but I hear they are hard to find.

The Norseman has the Falketind 68 (FT68) in stock.

The last report on this site was that Neptune Mountaineering has the FT68 in stock- though I do not see them on their website. You would probably have to call them. I think it was HBS that posted that they have them in stock?

Great review Gareth, I'll take notes and try to do better next time. I know exactly what you are saying about this ski based upon my experience skiing the fjellski of this group.
Al, I wanted a ski that would tour much better than my S-112, so I passed on the FT-68 at Neptune. It is a much better deal at Neptune, than buying in Euros and buying a plane ticket from Germany. I am pleased with my FT-62, but knowing how it skis, I do not believe the FT 68 gives up much touring ease, but I do believe it offers more downhill performance. I might have had to break out my T-4's for the 68!
Gareth glad you are still enjoying the snow. Most of the snow has melted in the mitten of Michigan, even in the north. I fished the trout opener with a friend. Cold water made for some slow fishing, but I managed 1 for the day. My friend did better. In the background is Michigan's Pine River, a fine trout stream and a beautiful river to float a canoe

Beautiful photo Bob.

Just came up from the basement- comparing the Storetind to a number of my skis- including the 2018 Ingstad...

I have actually changed my mind on the underfoot camber-flex of this ski- I think it is better described and understood as camber-and-a-half ski underfoot! The Storetind has every bit as much underfoot resistance as the Combat Nato, the 2018 Ingstad BC and the 2016 E-109!

Another comparison that nailed it are my Annums- sitting right next to the Storetind on the rack- the Annum has a true Alpine single camber- smooth, easily closed camber- no second camber resistance underfoot. The Annum has single camber- the Storetind has camber-and-a-half underfoot.

The Storetind has such a low profile camber- such that I initially assumed it was single cambered...

Asnes describes the Storetind as having a "moderate wax pocket"- I now see it and feel it. And I now see why the Storetind is described by Asnes as being a "hybrid" of a Fjellski and a Toppturski:

The Storetind has the geometry of a Toppturski and the camber-flex of a Fjellski!

LC, thanks a lot for this comparison. From what you said and Fish reviews, I thought they were single camber, without that a-bit-harder-to-squish second one. I like my DH-oriented skis more flat than this. I wanted the short radius one (15m) for hard pack turns, but if you confirm the resistance is the same as the Ingstad BC, I might just get a longer one for everyday BC use instead...

I think we are slowly decoding Asnes translations. (Very exciting, like finding the real meaning of buried century-old Egyptian holy scriptures! )

Markedly Wax Pocket = True double camber
Moderate Wax Pocket = Camber and a half
Marked Chamber (FT62, RABB68) = Camber and a half with a lower profile than MWP
Classic Camber (TINDAN86) = Flat, single camber perhaps?

There is no info at all on the wider AT skis, so I suppose no info = single camber...?

Johnny wrote:
Markedly Wax Pocket = True double camber
Moderate Wax Pocket = Camber and a half
Marked Chamber (FT62, RABB68) = Camber and a half with a lower profile than MWP
Classic Camber (TINDAN86) = Flat, single camber perhaps?

There is no info at all on the wider AT skis, so I suppose no info = single camber...?

HA! You just did what I was going to do next- translate the Asnes camber-flex classifications!

Yes- I think that the classification of the 68 as a "hybrid" is because of the camber-flex underfoot.
Everything wider than the 68 has at most a classic Alpine single camber- with a rockered tip.

The photos of the Eggi models suggest a VERY low single camber- with loads of tip rocker.
The photo of that big-phat Bratt suggest that it could be completely flat (no camber)...
Hard to know for sure though- the photos of the Storetinds/Falketinds are with the camber compressed in order to demonstrate the Nordic rocker...
But- if you want less resistance underfoot than the ST/FT 68 than you are going to need a wider Asnes ski I guess!
Though I wonder- as you suggested- if a 68 that was a little "too" short for XC touring might give you excellent hardpack performance? That tension should give wicked edge hold- as long as you are not fighting with too much camber...

lilcliffy wrote:Though I wonder- as you suggested- if a 68 that was a little "too" short for XC touring might give you excellent hardpack performance? That tension should give wicked edge hold- as long as you are not fighting with too much camber...

That was my original idea. A ski that light with a 15m radius sounds like a dream..! It makes the ST/FT the lightest ski I know with such a low radius. I will test that for you guys if I can locate a pair...

You know what is even cooler than the Asnes Storetind ski?
The Asnes Storetind Carbon Combat NATO!

Probably the most hard-to-find ski on the planet right now. I am setting up a dedicated server monitoring the whole internet in case a pair ever shows up somewhere...

Hummm... It has been said here that those 3 skis, the Storetind, the Falketind 68 and the new Rabb 68 were pretty much the same ski with different cosmetics. They are actually quite different, as you can see on the table below. They might share the same camber profile, but with quite different sidecut profiles... Maybe it's a mistake in the numbers... 1mm difference at the tip for a 3m radius difference...?
Not a big difference you will say... But at 172cm, the radius on the Rabb is 15,8m while it's 18m on the Falketind. Quite noticeable on snow for that length...