Mid width fishscaled ski comparison.

[wabene]

With the warming temps and much more time spent skiing in harder to kick wax conditions, I'm finding myself grabbing my fishscaled skis more often. I never really liked them for touring before because they are so slow on cold snow. However on warm fast snow they are quite good. No messing around with klister, no wondering if you will have kick. Having reliable kick can lead to relaxed form and increased endurance. I have the Transnordic 66 (54 under foot) and the Snowbound 98 (68 under foot). I'm happy with those, but I'm looking at getting a fishscaled ski in the 62 under foot class for when it is too warm to ski my waxable M62.

Åsnes has a reputation of having a less grippy pattern. Fischer has what's considered the most grip and maybe the best overall pattern. Does anyone have experience skiing more than one of the Madshus M62, the Fischer Transnordic 82, the Rossignol Positrack 80, Åsnes skis in this class or any others I'm not aware of? My wife would think this distinction is ridiculous, lol.

I'm looking for something for when it's not steep and vertically oriented enough for the SB 98, but enough of that that a wider ski might be more fun than the TN66. The trail I ripped yesterday on my SB 98's had some downhill sections that would be a blast to do laps on, but it was a bit of a chore to ski the 2.5 miles in to get to those slopes. There is enough trail width to get in some tight teles, plus some powder runs through the mature forest in this park. Whaddya think?

[wabene]

It looks like the Transnordic 82 only comes in the wax base with the easy skin. The Traverse 78 Crown/Skin would be the one then. It has a 78-61-69 sidecut and fits the class. So the Fischer 78, the M62 and the Positrack 80. I'd probably just grab the M62 since I could get it cheaper, but it for whatever reason does have the track grove in the base. I would want a ski in this class to track straight and I know my waxable M62 can be squirrelly on hardpack.

[fisheater]

I would consider the Nansen WL. The pattern works, I don’t have enough miles to rate the WL pattern. The ski kicks and glides and it turns. It is not like the Gamme, I haven’t had much time on it yet, but I had it in some steep terrain in 6”-8” of fresh and I felt quite comfortable. It would be a different ski from the E-99. (I know, but changing the name was stupid)
I’ve seen the T-78 turn in BC terrain that would be on the blue/black border line. I would imagine it would fit your needs. It also takes a skin. Skins aren’t expensive compared to my collection of warm weather waxes and klisters.
Let’s hope @lilcliffy pipes in. He has skied all these skis.
Oh, if you ski short skis, good price from Varuste on Nansen WL
https://varuste.net/en/p131788/%C3%A5sn ... bc-waxless

[Inspiredcapers]

The 78 cm of scale on the 280 Metsa makes for some bad-assed traction in all kinds of conditions 😁

Seriously though- this year has been kind of annoying in regards to waxing. I’ve been using the X-skins on my different Asnes skis quite a bit. I’m still eyeing up the Kastle XT84- scales look just like Åsnes and it takes the xskin for the places scales are lacking.They’re 84 | 62 | 72 profile.

[randoskier]

It looks like the Transnordic 82 only comes in the wax base with the easy skin. The Traverse 78 Crown/Skin would be the one then. It has a 78-61-69 sidecut and fits the class. So the Fischer 78, the M62 and the Positrack 80. I'd probably just grab the M62 since I could get it cheaper, but it for whatever reason does have the track grove in the base. I would want a ski in this class to track straight and I know my waxable M62 can be squirrelly on hardpack.

The scales on the Madshus are just terrible. I divorced my Madshus Eons and married a Fischer 88, I also have her little sister the 78, and her mother the Europa-99 (2004 model). Fischer Crown scales are the best by a mile (or as we say here in Europe: one point six zero nine three four kilometers)

[lilcliffy]

Has Madshus completely dropped the track groove on the M62/Eon? The orginal Karhu-QC design- which was carbon-copied by Madshus- had a track groove on both the sintered Eon Wax, and the extruded standard Eon with Karhu-QC's Omnitrack scaled base. We have a few pairs of both.

Karhu's Omnitrack scale pattern is excellent for XC-oriented touring- it was never intended to offer serious climbing traction. As Fisheater mentioned above- I grip wax- and even at times kick wax- my scaled skis- so I don't really have an issue with grip with the Karhu/Madshus or Asnes scale design.

As far as Madshus 62 versus Fischer 78- the Fischer 78 is significantly stiffer and more cambered than your Madshus 62.

If the snow is going to be warm and wet, and consolidated- the Asnes Nansen WL is my fav.

Last winter we had a lot of wildly erractic temperatures and loads of precipitation- for months-
the snow was deep and unstable- a lot of the time.
I ended up preferring the Fischer 88 for much of the season (and the Fischer 98 for turns)- due to the signficant extra stabilty and grip at 68mm underfoot.
I prefer the weight, balance and turning performance of the Nansen- but, an extra cm underfoot (and even +6 over the Madshus 62/Fischer 78) makes a MASSIVE difference when the snow is unstable.

IMO/IME a BC touring ski that is narrower than 68mm has to be long and have a longitudinally-stable flex for deep and/or unstable snow. The Fischer 78 has a stable flex- the Madshus 62 does not.

You speak of terrain in your OP- but what is the snow like when you are considering this ski?

[lilcliffy]

It looks like the Transnordic 82 only comes in the wax base with the easy skin. The Traverse 78 Crown/Skin would be the one then. It has a 78-61-69 sidecut and fits the class. So the Fischer 78, the M62 and the Positrack 80. I'd probably just grab the M62 since I could get it cheaper, but it for whatever reason does have the track grove in the base. I would want a ski in this class to track straight and I know my waxable M62 can be squirrelly on hardpack.

Why the F does Fischer not make the E-109/Transnordic 82 with the Off-Track Crown insert plus the Easy-Skin insert?

The E-109/Transnordic 82 is a dreamboat in ideal, not too deep snow- the shovel is deeply rockered and noodle soft (the Madshus has a very soft shovel as well, just not rockered).

[lilcliffy]

I would consider the Nansen WL.

The Nansen is unique in the current market- an old-school, non-rockered, stable, round-flexing ski- with moderate sidecut and a traditional, raised, triagular Nordic touring trail-breaking tip.

Choose a long length for deep snow and/or distance-
Choose a short length for burning a carved strip off the mountain.

[wabene]

Has Madshus completely dropped the track groove on the M62/Eon? The orginal Karhu-QC design- which was carbon-copied by Madshus- had a track groove on both the sintered Eon Wax, and the extruded standard Eon with Karhu-QC's Omnitrack scaled base. We have a few pairs of both.

Since I live in an area with predominantly either Nordic track skis or alpine skis and sadly little in-between, I have not seen this ski in person. My friends new model M68 has no groove and in pictures it appears the M62 does not either.

Karhu's Omnitrack scale pattern is excellent for XC-oriented touring- it was never intended to offer serious climbing traction. As Fisheater mentioned above- I grip wax- and even at times kick wax- my scaled skis- so I don't really have an issue with grip with the Karhu/Madshus or Asnes scale design.

I agree, the Omnitrack pattern is a good one. I doesn't quite grip like the Fischer Outback crown, but I'd argue it glides a little better.

You speak of terrain in your OP- but what is the snow like when you are considering this ski?

I'm no sommelier of snow, lol. When the temp is going to be above about 25f (-4c) I'm finding myself grabbing a scaled ski. Yes a waxed ski can still be better above that temp, but you've gotta be willing to fail and head back to the drawing board. There is value in the grab n' go nature of a scaled ski. The kick is reliable. Again they are sucky slow on cold snow.

[bmholt_]

I have the Madshus M62 and my wife skis on the Traverse 78. I can confirm with others that my M62s do not have a center track. As to performance, my wife's Fischer's climb better and track straighter than my M62s. The M62s can be a bit squirrely and you really have to concentrate on your technique to drive them straight, or at least I do. If I were to go back in time I might opt for the Traverse 78s over the M62s but the prodeal I get on Madshus skis is better than Fischer so I always went with Madshus.