PSA:dirt cheap Falketind xplore in Norway

[JohnSKepler]

That's a good offer! Anyone has experience with these on frozen snow?

Isn't all snow frozen?

Hahah. I was just watching a US State Department press conference and the reporters kept asking things like- "Was the object downed over frozen water?" One of them even asked- "Why did they shoot the object down over frozen water, couldn't they have waited until it was over warmer water?"

Jaysus Christ. Ladies, ladies! It is called ICE! Also if you want to recover the object's wreckage one would think that it might be easier on the 3 meter thick "frozen water" off the northern coast of Alaska than at the bottom of the unfrozen waters.

After the presser I am sure they all went to a DC bar and had a Scotch with frozen water in it.

Frozen brains, my friend. These are frozen brains.

[JohnSKepler]

I’m thinking 21st century, melted & refrozen snow courtesy of Royal Dutch Shell & co.

Edit: still wondering!

Pretty sure refrozen snow isn't anything new. Google says the Inuit word for it is Kripya, so indigenous Americans knew what it was long before the white man landed in Vinland. Scandinavians also had words for refrozen snow before Holland was a nation. It's a popular view, though, isn't it.

[TheMusher]

I’m thinking 21st century, melted & refrozen snow courtesy of Royal Dutch Shell & co.

Edit: still wondering!

Pretty sure refrozen snow isn't anything new. Google says the Inuit word for it is Kripya, so indigenous Americans knew what it was long before the white man landed in Vinland. Scandinavians also had words for refrozen snow before Holland was a nation. It's a popular view, though, isn't it.

The increased frequency of above-freezing temperatures in the winter months of December-February in the mountain ranges of Europe is certainly a 21st century characteristic..

Here it’s not politicized as a view though, luckily

[TheMusher]

So, FTX on boilerplate anyone?

I skied 1rst generation FT on full bore boiler plate. That ski was soft, the tips and tails flopped around in challenging conditions. However the edges were solid underfoot. Solid underfoot wasn’t enough to translate to control with tips and tails being beaten around. So gen 1 was soft, but it had a torsionally solid core.
I really have not had the FT X on boiler plate, it handles mild mank much better than gen 1. It is much more longitudinally stiff than gen 1. It will be much better on boiler plate than gen 1.
Since how to relate boilerplate proficiency is relevant, and I don’t really know what your goals are, could I suggest some basic comparisons to skimo skis. The “magic” of the FT X is excellent kick and glide on a ski that downhill skis well. I think skimo skis are designed to be as light as possible, but survivable on icy downhills at speed. So the skimo ski should be shorter and stiffer, with a different shape. I would compare core material, weight, and shape. There has to be a correlation, and the skimo ski should be better on boilerplate. If I was skiing boilerplate I would want a plastic boot and an alpine type ski, maybe even some metal in the ski.

Not meant to be a smart ass answer Musher. I didn’t answer the first time I saw this because I didn’t answer. I really have not skied my FT X past it’s limits. Shoot I can look bad on my Tindan and T-4’s, I don’t need to look even worse on my FT X and leathers. At my age I think I’m past putting myself intentionally knowing I will be flailing to try and get better. I’m better at working on technique in conditions where I don’t flail. I still end up being challenged plenty.

Thanks @fisheater! For context, I’m trying to find which XCD ski is most suited for travel in mountain ranges in times of boilerplate snow, which is increasingly frequent here.

I generally use Breidablikk and Finnmark 54 for this purpose today, but they lack steel edges and carbon reinforcement and hence flop around more than I prefer.

Also have the Rabb, but it’s too downhill oriented for multi-day trips in my opinion (unless really mountainous).

FTX is probably the ski that fits the bill bests - based on what you say. However, would need some strong testaments to justify adding a new ski to my quiver between Breidablikk and Rabb

[Rodbelan]

So, FTX on boilerplate anyone?

I skied 1rst generation FT on full bore boiler plate. That ski was soft, the tips and tails flopped around in challenging conditions. However the edges were solid underfoot. Solid underfoot wasn’t enough to translate to control with tips and tails being beaten around. So gen 1 was soft, but it had a torsionally solid core.
I really have not had the FT X on boiler plate, it handles mild mank much better than gen 1. It is much more longitudinally stiff than gen 1. It will be much better on boiler plate than gen 1.
Since how to relate boilerplate proficiency is relevant, and I don’t really know what your goals are, could I suggest some basic comparisons to skimo skis. The “magic” of the FT X is excellent kick and glide on a ski that downhill skis well. I think skimo skis are designed to be as light as possible, but survivable on icy downhills at speed. So the skimo ski should be shorter and stiffer, with a different shape. I would compare core material, weight, and shape. There has to be a correlation, and the skimo ski should be better on boilerplate. If I was skiing boilerplate I would want a plastic boot and an alpine type ski, maybe even some metal in the ski.

Not meant to be a smart ass answer Musher. I didn’t answer the first time I saw this because I didn’t answer. I really have not skied my FT X past it’s limits. Shoot I can look bad on my Tindan and T-4’s, I don’t need to look even worse on my FT X and leathers. At my age I think I’m past putting myself intentionally knowing I will be flailing to try and get better. I’m better at working on technique in conditions where I don’t flail. I still end up being challenged plenty.

Thanks @fisheater! For context, I’m trying to find which XCD ski is most suited for travel in mountain ranges in times of boilerplate snow, which is increasingly frequent here.

I generally use Breidablikk and Finnmark 54 for this purpose today, but they lack steel edges and carbon reinforcement and hence flop around more than I prefer.

Also have the Rabb, but it’s too downhill oriented for multi-day trips in my opinion (unless really mountainous).

FTX is probably the ski that fits the bill bests - based on what you say. However, would need some strong testaments to justify adding a new ski to my quiver between Breidablikk and Rabb

From what I heard, the Otto Sverup seems to also fit the bill, for that balance between long distance and turns... I am intrigued by that ski. Fish, do you know something about it? Gareth has a raving review of that one...