Replacing BC Country Crowns...

[DaveBerg]

I'd written out a rambling message then the system lost it. GrRR. Maybe its for the best.

HELP! My BC Country Crowns are in need of replacement and I'm not sure what to replace them with. I have summit crowns, sport glass and skate skis I can use where the trails are groomed. The country crowns are outfitted with BCX6 boots and NNN-BC bindings. They're by far my favorite ski in the quiver. I'm thinking a wider, metal edged ski would be appreciated.

My favorite park (Quarry Hill in Rochester, MN) has half of the trails groomed for skating and the other half quickly get hard packed by boot traffic. The foot trails range from rolling and twisty to stairways. My usual routes have me struggling over an occasional railroad tie stair and taking a ski (or two) for control down a steep narrow path as I link together the rolling routes.

I occasionally go hunting for fireroads to ski. And I dream about heading with friends to Bozeman or up Superior's Northshore to lay some tracks.

What skis would you recommend I consider.

--Dave

[Woodserson]

Do they need to fit in a track like the Country Crowns do?

I love my BC Country Crowns. They don't see much use anymore but they were a good ski that got the job done in an economical fashion and carried me many happy miles along snowmobile tracks and at groomed areas too.

But there are better skis with edges and a bit more width that offer more stability.

I'm more experienced with Fischer, maybe someone will come in with Madshus recommendations:

Since I don't have your weight, height, ability level I'm going to average things out:

Quickest easiest answer is Fischer E99. Size them the same as you would the Country Crown.
2nd: Fischer Spider 62, size them like the Country Crowns or 5-10cm shorter if you are a lesser intermediate skier. These will fit in the track
3rd: Fischer Traverse 78. Size them 5-10cm shorter than the Country Crowns... come back for more advice on this one. These won't fit in the track.

But good luck, with the market this year lots of places are sold out.

[DaveBerg]

Fitting in the track is not a requirement. I don't know when I was last at a place where there was a track without a skate lane right next to it.

The Country Crowns still have some life. When they give up completely, they may get replaced with another set as B skis. I'm mostly mulling things over for next year.

I'm 6' 185# at my lowest. Not sure how to answer ability. The 210 Crowns kick great with out me giving it much thought. My 202 Summits, I have to be a bit conscious of form to get great kick. Kick with waxable Sport Glass skis (both 202 and 197) is more miss than hit. I've been thinking I'd sell them. When it comes to turns on skinny skis, a fast tree run would scare me. Skate stopping on the groomed surfaces is straight forward even with the Sport Glass skis.

Being able to turn easier is part of what I'm interested in. So I was thinking wider/shorter with more cut. The traverse were grabbing my attention. Why are they your third choice?

[Woodserson]

Fitting in the track is not a requirement. I don't know when I was last at a place where there was a track without a skate lane right next to it.

The Country Crowns still have some life. When they give up completely, they may get replaced with another set as B skis. I'm mostly mulling things over for next year.

I'm 6' 185# at my lowest. Not sure how to answer ability. The 210 Crowns kick great with out me giving it much thought. My 202 Summits, I have to be a bit conscious of form to get great kick. Kick with waxable Sport Glass skis (both 202 and 197) is more miss than hit. I've been thinking I'd sell them. When it comes to turns on skinny skis, a fast tree run would scare me. Skate stopping on the groomed surfaces is straight forward even with the Sport Glass skis.

Being able to turn easier is part of what I'm interested in. So I was thinking wider/shorter with more cut. The traverse were grabbing my attention. Why are they your third choice?

The order of the skis was in terms of departure from the Country Crown. So I ranked them in a "go-fast, go straight, travel across terrain" priority. The Crowns have a nice smooth flex that makes the kick easier. The E99 and T78 will have the same kind of flex. Your track skis are different animals.

If fitting in a track is not a problem, then I would forget the Spider and narrow your search to the E99 in a 210 or a Traverse 78 in a 199 (the longest they make it). Both these skis would prioritize going straight with speed and good tracking but will turn easier than the Country Crowns due to their metal edges, slight rocker, and width.

Once you start going shorter and/or wider you will lose top speed and efficiency, at the benefit of turning easier. So think about your priorities.