Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Real reviews by real skiers. What a concept! Add your own today. Reviews only please, questions can be posted as replies but new threads looking for opinions should be posted to the main Telemark Talk Forum.
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Johnny
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Location: Quebec / Vermont
Ski style: Dancing with God with leathers / Racing against the machine with plastics
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Occupation: Full-time ski bum

Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Johnny » Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:38 am

NOSI 76.jpg
Woooah guys... I simply can't believe that after one year I'm the only one here in love with the NOSI 76!
This is Telemark Talk, I cannot let this happen... The world HAS to know about THE telemark ski...!
 
Ok ok, this is not a full review. I am quite fed up with the common-telemark-skier species so I am not going to bother anymore*. I'm done with full reviews that people don't even bother to read before commenting. 

So I am not going to post nice pictures of the tips and tails and rocker and sidecut and stuff. Or try to describe flex, camber, torsional rigidity or the Nosi's super-polyethylene properties. If I do, someone will say that one of the ski must be depressed. Another user who has never seen the ski will say it's the opposite. Another one will pretend I have never seen other gear to compare with. And yet another one will ask someone else to chime in because he doesn't believe a word I said.  Come on Johnny, this is nothing new to ski forums! Yeah I know... Only as I grow older, I just cannot stand that BS anymore. But for you, true and passionate silent observers who care and can read between the lines, here are a few words that might interest you... Especially if your entire life revolves around fresh, fluffy champagne-type powder snow and the peaceful silence they bring both to the ears and to the mind... 

Well, what can I say about the NOSI 76... It's THE real new Super Guide. It's THE ski a lot of people (including me) have been waiting for over 2 decades. Ski designers have unlimited choices of colors for their products. Out of the 3 primary ones, they can make millions of different colors. A standard computer monitor can display 16,777,215 different colors. Now look at the picture below comparing the old Karhu skis and the new Asnes ones. Look at the colors. A mere coincidence you think? Really?

karhu vs asnes.jpg

The Asnes family know exactly what they are doing. The almost 20 years old Karhu Guide hasn't been updated since it's conception. And nobody ever came up with a new model in that unique ski class. That famous "109-at-the-tips class", so much cherished by the XCD Knights themselves in Finland and Norway... (And even from the Knights in the Peruvian Andes, as you can see in the last picture...) Finally, Asnes came to the rescue and gave a supa-chupa ultra-dupa power boost to this already near perfect weapon. No need for Bri7's homemade wired punk rockers anymore:

Annum-punkrocker.jpg

Although they have slightly different sidecut profiles on paper, they look quite the same. 111-76-98 for the NOSI 76 according to Asnes and 109-78-95 for the guide. For fun, I took one of my 172cm NOSI ski and placed it base-to-base on my old 175cm Guide. Wow, to my surprise, they are *exactly* the same! Well, almost the same identical sidecut profile... Beautiful!

Of course they are MUCH better than the Guides, which once were my #1 powder skis. Think of all the best aspects of the old Guides, and add to this:

- A nice rocker
- A nice Nordic Rocker
- A nice Nordic Rocker with REAL tips for real skiers
- A 18% weight reduction (!!!)
- Super-nice surfy FT-style tails (!!!)
- And of course unlimited possibilities of X-Skin attachments

Asnes NOSI 76 top.jpg

They can do anything, from snowshoeing to heli-skiing. From the glades in your backyard to that FIS-homologated downhill racing trail on a waist deep powder day two hours before the lifts open. Whether for sportive, recreational or utilitarian use, they shine everywhere like crazy diamonds.

Seriously, how could it be better than this? Seriously, this might be the only BC ski you will ever need. MUCH faster and more nimble than the Objective, with MUCH more flotation than the Rabb. Seriously, I could get rid of my other 100+ pairs of skis and wouldn't mind at all.

Yep, personally, the Nosi 76 is THE only backcountry powder ski I will ever need. Period. Seriously.
But unfortunately, not until they come up with a waxless version...


"On the way down, the Nosi 76 offers the feeling of a classic touring ski, solid and stable. On the ascent, however, it feels like you’re shinning up the hill on a pair of rando-race class skis.

The Nosi 76 is the perfect ski for those who want to explore the mountains, logging as much altitude as possible during the season: at a mere 1075g underfoot, don’t worry about the height of the approach.

A turn radius of 18.2m (172cm) and a slim waist makes the Nosi 76 perfect for turns on solid and hard surfaces. On snowy winter days, the soft tip and the construction of the rocker and taper floats you easily over the fresh new snow."

Knights of the sun.jpg
* As you know, I only review a tiny percentage of the gear I buy. When I do review something, it's because I think the world really deserves to know how amazing the product is. That said, there is still two incredible pieces of gear I must absolutely review in the next few weeks...  8-)  
/...\ 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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Woodserson
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Woodserson » Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:56 am

*Doesn't want to write a full review

*Goes ahead anyway

(though I do miss the profile shots)

I've been wondering when we were going to get your perspective on this ski. It's been a year, almost since you've had them, right? I really LOVE the FT62 surfy tails, I hope/wish Asnes will/had do/done that on the Tindan86, for instance, it's nice to see it on the NOSI. Surfy tails are fun!

Two of my favorite skis of all time nailed similar dimensions: My Igneous MFC at 108-76-100 (no surfy tail) and Line Dragons at 110-76-100 (big twin-tip). It's a winning sidecut combination for sure, when I see a ski with these dimensions you know it's going to be a polyvalente winner. Add rocker and blast off!



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Nitram Tocrut
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Nitram Tocrut » Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm

Just curious. So you skied the Nosi under all those conditions? Despite being narrower they performed better than the Objectives in deep pow? And as for touring, were they more like the FT62 than the Raab? I am far from an expert but I can see they have less side cut then the Raab, so do they tour better? There is no way I am buying them but I am curious to compare them to the Rabb and the FT62 that you both skied as well... planning for next year AGAS :shock:



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Woodserson
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Woodserson » Tue Sep 08, 2020 3:33 pm

Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm
Just curious. So you skied the Nosi under all those conditions? Despite being narrower they performed better than the Objectives in deep pow? And as for touring, were they more like the FT62 than the Raab? I am far from an expert but I can see they have less side cut then the Raab, so do they tour better? There is no way I am buying them but I am curious to compare them to the Rabb and the FT62 that you both skied as well... planning for next year AGAS :shock:
T'est qui, toi? Haddock?

:D



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Nitram Tocrut
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:50 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada
Ski style: Backyard XC skiing if that is a thing
Favorite Skis: Sverdrup and MT51
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska NNNBC
Occupation: Organic vegetable grower and many other things!

Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Nitram Tocrut » Tue Sep 08, 2020 9:53 pm

Woodserson wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 3:33 pm
Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm
Just curious. So you skied the Nosi under all those conditions? Despite being narrower they performed better than the Objectives in deep pow? And as for touring, were they more like the FT62 than the Raab? I am far from an expert but I can see they have less side cut then the Raab, so do they tour better? There is no way I am buying them but I am curious to compare them to the Rabb and the FT62 that you both skied as well... planning for next year AGAS :shock:
T'est qui, toi? Haddock?

:D
Well Woods, I am not sure how to interpret your question but I am probably as grumpy as Haddock that's for sure :lol: But seriously, I am curious to know how it compares to its closest Asnes relatives even if it is only for the sake of it ;)



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Johnny
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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: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Johnny » Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:06 pm

Woodserson wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:56 am
Two of my favorite skis of all time nailed similar dimensions: My Igneous MFC at 108-76-100 (no surfy tail) and Line Dragons at 110-76-100 (big twin-tip). It's a winning sidecut combination for sure, when I see a ski with these dimensions you know it's going to be a polyvalente winner. Add rocker and blast off!
Yeah I remember discussing that ski class with you... It's just the *perfect* widths for powder. Wide enough for perfect flotation, but not too wide to keep weight at the minimum for maximum control. THE perfect widths for XCD, THE perfect dimensions for leather boots.

It's funny that most people either went fatter or skinnier... Offer, demand or ignorance?

Dude, the NOSI is only 1075g per ski! 8-)

Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm
Despite being narrower they performed better than the Objectives in deep pow?
Perform? They are just as light as the Objective, and being a few mm narrower means that they can be handled more easily. Plus, they have REAL tips... And surfy tails... Better? Meditate on it. 8-)

Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm
And as for touring, were they more like the FT62 than the Raab? I am far from an expert but I can see they have less side cut then the Raab, so do they tour better?
Three totally different beasts here. Generally, the smaller the radius, the less stable they will be for XC, which I believe is what you mean here by touring... That said, wider skis like the NOSI can sometimes offer more stability for touring in real snow... Here again, it all depends on your definition of "better"...
/...\ 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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jyw5
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by jyw5 » Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:48 pm

Thanks for another great review!

What bindings would one use for these?

Sooo... NNN BC Magnum?? heli skiing would be so badass.



User avatar
Johnny
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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: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Johnny » Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:34 am

jyw5 wrote:
Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:48 pm
Thanks for another great review!
What bindings would one use for these?
My binding recommendation for the NOSI 76:

- For maximum fun, go for NNN-BC
- If you are looking for maximum fun instead, go for pins
- And for those who prefer maximum fun, go for Meidjos

Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Tue Sep 08, 2020 2:32 pm
There is no way I am buying them... planning for next year AGAS
Acute?!? Don't worry, you're totally safe... For several years... The DSM-5 is pretty clear:

"GAS disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions of high interest (i.e., musical instruments, sporting goods, cars etc.) as a result of a strong perceived need to save more than 50 items and to distress associated with discarding them. GAS disorder differs from normal collecting. For example, symptoms of GAS disorder result in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas to the extent that their intended use is substantially compromised. The excessive acquisition form of GAS disorder, which characterizes most but not all individuals with GAS disorder, consists of excessive collecting, buying, or stealing of items that are not needed or for which there is no available space. Extreme, acute cases of GAS disorder are diagnosed when the number of items reaches 100 and more. "
/...\ 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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jyw5
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by jyw5 » Tue Sep 15, 2020 11:54 am

"GAS disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions of high interest (i.e., musical instruments, sporting goods, cars etc.) as a result of a strong perceived need to save more than 50 items and to distress associated with discarding them. GAS disorder differs from normal collecting. For example, symptoms of GAS disorder result in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas to the extent that their intended use is substantially compromised. The excessive acquisition form of GAS disorder, which characterizes most but not all individuals with GAS disorder, consists of excessive collecting, buying, or stealing of items that are not needed or for which there is no available space. Extreme, acute cases of GAS disorder are diagnosed when the number of items reaches 100 and more. "


oh god, that's me...



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Woodserson
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Re: Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

Post by Woodserson » Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:53 pm

jyw5 wrote:
Tue Sep 15, 2020 11:54 am

oh god, that's me...
You have found your tribe here. Welcome. There is no return.



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