Anyone really psyched about their Hok style skishoes?

[Mtlsam]

@fatskinning
Very cool project you've got going! I saw Quebec and Laurentians on your profile. I'm curious as to what areas you are skiing with this setup?

[lilcliffy]

@fatskinning
Hello and welcome!!
Thank you for joining us and sharing all of this with us!

Curious-
have you ever considered testing grip wax in this context vs your skin ski quest?

At least in cold soft snow- my experience is that grip wax will offer as good and better climbing grip than a kicker skin- with much better glide...

Please keep in touch and keep posting about your personal ski story!
Best,
Gareth

[Oldbie]

I got some last year after having Karhu Pinnacles that I used for 25 years. Set up with NNNBC. They glide better that I thought they would, but I'd like for the skins to be just a little less grabby. I've tried crayon-ing some beeswax and warming that up with a hairdryer, which does seem to make them ice up less, but that doesn't overcome the friction too much. Silicone spray helps but doesn't last long. Another go with some liquid glide wax is next if/when we get snow. I want to see how they go with a pack on for an overnight. They're better than the Pinnacles for going off trail and back in the places where the brambles and underbrush are too thick in the warm seasons--that use case is where they excel. They're ok, I dont hate them, but I kinda wish I'd waited 26 years and gotten the Tao.

[fatskinning]

@Mtlsam
I'm in St-Adolphe-d'Howard, there are many skiable terrains around the house, but on big dump days, you'll find me at la Montagne Noire or la Montagne Blanche (in St-Donat).

@lilcliffy
Never tried grip wax, but I've thought of trying out grip tape. I've heard good things.
I have my doubts but I just ordered some (thanks for the reminder lol). Will let you know.

[Lo-Fi]

…But wait, Altai skis just came out with the TAO, 165, fairly large and that reputation of being the best at climbing, so I was not able to resist, I received them last week, and was only able to try them for 30 minutes. Initial impressions are: amazing build quality, very light, grip was equal (with last Saturday snow conditions here in Quebec) to the Rossi's, not as much float and a little harder to turn but it's too early to tell…


QUIVER.jpg

Have you had a little more time on the Tao? Thoughts?

[fatskinning]

@Lo-Fi

After two long tours with them, I can say they're by far the best skin skis you can buy, hands down (that I've tried).

It always depends on what you're comparing them to, I guess. I've never tried scale skis like the Koms or Ultravector BC. For me, climbing steep terrain with ease is important, and they perform very well. They're not stiff skis; they are actually quite supple, which helps a lot.

Glide is good.

They turn well, but I've experienced better (maybe I'm too finicky).

I've read with great interest your post on the Voile original non-3-pin Hardwires and found a pair that I installed on the TAOs (that's a whole other subject!).

The fact that the skis come from the factory with inserts is another big plus. Bindings are easy to swap; no holes to drill, and placement is where it's intended by the manufacturer.

I still, however, prefer my homemade Pandoras .. - more float on the downs

[Lo-Fi]

Thanks for sharing.

Please do talk about the hardwires. I hope I haven’t led people astray. I continue to enjoy them on a few pairs of skis, but I’m curious about others’ experiences.

If you’re ever in the Outaouais I’ve got Koms for you to try! The comparison to your experience with skin skis would be useful.

[randoskier]

I got a pair of 145 Hoks for Christmas, replacing my forever pair of Trak 190 cm Bushwacker IIs, which replaced my original 150cm Bushwackers (purchased in 1983 at the Original LL Bean in Freeport, ME). I also have a pair of the original 2003 Karhu 10th Mtn. Tour skis, 205s with the 10th Mtn. Hut logo on them.
We've had yet another crappy winter in MN, so I've only been out on them once, but that's supposed to change this week. The one time, it was 32F and the snow stuck to the skins like crazy. Does anyone have experience with using MaxiGlade on the Hok skins?
Before they started icing up, the Hoks behaved very much like my first Bushwackers, which I loved. I will update if the snow actually makes an appearance as predicted,
I also had a pair of both Karhu Meta 120s, the worst skis I've ever owned, mostly because the "universal bindings" chewed up my hamstrings, and a pair of Marquette Backcountry skis. Heavy, slow, unstable, and did I mention heavy?
I also have six pairs of snowshoes, all with wood frames. Traditional snowshoeing in my hobby, and when I was a ranger I gave history talks and led snowshoe hikes in our forest.

The old snowshoes are works of art. If I am skiing by myself on long tours in northern Norway I throw a pair of inflatable snowshoes in my pulk. They weigh 500 grams each shoe. Tough as nails and have a metal crampon. If I bust a ski or binding I can still progress. Their other usage is.... I did not have them when I skied the Norwegian/Russian border three years ago and the mercury his +11 C in March (unheard of), the snow was collapsing under the skis, pulling pulk was like dragging a submarine, you never heard such a string of curses- one day I skied about 2km and then turned back to the wilderness cabin (on the Finnish side)- tried again at 04:30 snow was not much firmer. Only solution on those days is snowshoes or Finnish forest skis ar 270-300cm. After that trip I grabbed the inflatable jobbies.

PS were you an NPS or NFS ranger?

[Trailpatrol]

PS were you an NPS or NFS ranger?

I was a Minnesota State Park Ranger for 13 years, a USFS Backcountry Ranger for 3 years, and a county park ranger for 10. I was kind of like the main character on "The Rookie." I finally got a ranger job when I was in my mid-30s.

[bauerb]

I wanted some "snowshoe skis" for tromping around on hiking trails out here. but I wanted to use a binding system that was compatible with boots I already owned...that were good for up, down and across. I also wanted to do it on the cheap. so I landed on Craigslist and FB Marketplace, and for very little money built this little quiver.( not incl the Hagans on the right). I use these 2 tele setups with some old Garment Excursions. the setups work great. each setup cost me under $100. the skis are short: 158 - 162. in the future I will find another pair of skis that are wider. one downside is that old skis are *heavy* compared to modern skis.