Military Ski Master List (w/ Photos)

[Manney]

IDK if this topic is suitable for the TELEWIKI. Others ( @Johnny ) can decide and move if needed.

Some may question whether this topic is even suited to a tele forum. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Here’s my take…

All military ski systems involve free heels of some sort. At one end of the spectrum, some militaries use strap bindings. At the other, they use tech bindings. Some militaries take a middling approach by using variations on NN with springs (Finns) or off the shelf NNN BC (latest Norwegian Army request for proposal). Regardless, all except alpine units specify combat boots, which have a comparable level of ankle support to most leather, suede or synthetic backcountry boots. This screams “tele capable” to me.

A tele turn is helpful because it offers better balance and involves less angulation than a carving turn when the skier is fully loaded with a pack etc.. Why? Because the turn is usually executed with near-equal weighting on both skis.

It is more useful in natural conditions than a Christie turn, which is difficult in deep snow and affects flow. These things certainly apply to soldiers carrying heavy loads (as they routinely do) in natural conditions.

Whether militaries teach the tele to soldiers is their concern. Maybe some troops pick it up as they go (if you’re in a light infantry or jaeger unit for 20 years and spend your winters on manoeuvres, you probably pick it up along the way).

The skis militaries use, however, are quite suitable for tele. Most of those skis are commercial off the shelf, which means we can buy them. The skis purchased by militaries are the ones that have passed various suitability trials, two of which have to be durability (military skis will be ridden hard and put away wet) and versatility (armies may choose the ground they fight on but cannot control the weather). This makes knowledge of military skis of some use to me as a skier.

Others may have different views.

[Theme]

I was after all able to also find the Finnish military ski version made by Peltonen. Has to have been a smaller batch. Seems they were made in early 90s.

[Manney]

Beauty. Will add it to the list. Many thanks, @Theme.

[CIMA]

[Lhartley]

One thing I find interesting is the rattle canned camo pattern on the first girl's skis. Seems more effective in rough snow with some contrast than regular white military skis.

Here's some more images

[randoskier]

The US Army and USMC are embarrassingly bad skiers. This is due to the fact they do not maintain dedicated winter divisions and you are not going to teach someone who has perhaps never seen snow in his life to ski during a two-week exercise in Norway, Finland, or Sweden. The 10th Mountain Division retains its name for historic purposes only, it is not a mountain division any longer- it is a regular light infantry unit (like the 101st Airborne which is no longer an airborne unit, it is now air assault/Air Cav). This is surprising as the Arctic is an increasingly contested region. The British Royal Marines and British Commando units aquit themselves well on snow. The best arctic units of course the Norwegians, Swedes and Finns. The best Alpine unit is hands down the Chasseurs Alpin from France. I live in the land of the Italian Alpini and they are more myth then anything, especially their over-stated ww1 "exploits".

https://www.military.com/video/forces/m ... 7256254001

[randoskier]

Should have kept the photo of the Canadian Karhu in action. Looked like Turkish slippers. Ha ha. Norwegian rocker galore. Everything past the compressed grip zone was standing proud of the packed snow. Typical clapped out foam core ski… like an old glue pony. Will post if found. It’s good for a laugh.

Or you get an incredible photo, like these fine looking Italian Alpini Corps.

IMG_9237.jpeg

Obviously contemporary skis. Not a lot to identify them by. Have an idea or two, but haven’t matched them definitively to a manufacturer or model yet.

I see the Alpini a lot skiing at La Thuile, thoroughly average skiers. I will ask them next time what they are skiing on. Not many nations ski as bad as the US Marines and US Army do. The Tenth Mountain is not a mountain division anymore it is a regular Light Infantry unit, the name is maintained for strictly historical reasons, like the 101st Airborne which is now an air assault unit (formerly called air cavalry) not airborne. Not sure why they don't have dedicated ski units where the guys are skiing and practicing winter/arctic warfare their whole career. Two weeks in Norway at Cold Response or two or three months in AK won't do it and the Arctic is in play these days.

[blitzskier]

https://www.military.com/video/forces/m ... 7256254001

what model ski are they using, seems it has a small skin insert on those?