Fischer 2015-2016 product line-up???

[bgregoire]

That's some pricey stuff man...doesn't make the Asnes look so expensive does it?

At least their softshells are affortable! haha

[Woodserson]

Well, it appears Fischer was curating a nice surprise for us canadians. A more functional website + online shop!

http://www.fischersports.ca/


What about our southern brothers, anything new on your side?

Nice, much better site, but.... no S88 or S98s in Canada?

[bgregoire]

I believe there never really where, unfortunately. We got the E99-E109 in waxable though!

[Woodserson]

I noticed! Very sweet. I'm envious. There should be no wonder why XC is on a downslide in the US.

Slow skis, too much effort and skill, not enough education at the shop, easier to sell snowshoes... how many times have I fielded questions like "isn't x-c skiing just shuffling around on skis instead of snowshoes?" Blegh. Yes, exactly. Go back to your snowshoes.

[MikeK]

XC is on a downslide in the US.

Is this an XCD pun?

Our XC skis are fatter, slower and turnier than EVER!

Just like fat bikes or plus size bike tires.

I gotta be honest though, I just don't get the shuffling. I see people shuffling on skinny wax skis. It has nothing to do with the skis, it's just lack of technique and balance. I can get a hell of a stride on my waxless skis - I'd even say my E89 waxless skis are FAST in warm snow. Even my fattest, least cambered ones do more than shuffle if you throw your weight into them.

Even so, shuffling IS always easier than snowshoeing. I can go many miles longer on skis than I can on snowshoes. It's mainly the lifting action that gets you in the end. Not having to pick up your foot saves a lot of energy.

At some point in time a ski like the Vector is going to be considered a skinny XC ski. Guys on the NY ski forum already consider it a nothing but a trail ski!!! And here I thought my E89 and Eon were more trail skis!

No one wants to be seen wobbling on a hill or falling down. Especially dh guys. That would hurt their fragile ego

[bgregoire]

XC is running out of steam here to, unfortunately, we're following the same trend, just behind a few years. Most folks around me want fatter skis. The AT dream has infected most skiers minds here as well in Quebec so XC/XCD seems 2nd class to most. Fortunately in Quebec we have quite an impressive network of hut to hut trails, so that has in many ways, kept an interest in XCd. Its quite funny actually that we are now seing keen adventurers following those trails on hefty AT gear though.

[Woodserson]

Its quite funny actually that we are now seing keen adventurers following those trails on hefty AT gear though.

Last year I skied up to some semi-popular ponds in the Whites. It's an easy XC ski, with some nice gentle hills that require herringbone and good foot plants, I did it on my Madshus Touring woodies. Perfect ski for that terrain. Anyway, I passed a group of skiers, who were old enough to know better, on full alpine skis with AT bindings and full length skins. I didn't even have a kicker skin with me. I passed them on the way up, skied all the way to the end of the valley to the end of the second lake (they stopped first lake) ate lunch, turned around, and passed them on the way back to the car. I was flying across the lakes, effortlessly, just brilliant skiing. I could not fathom what they were thinking.

[connyro]

It's not always about how you "passed them on the way back to the car." Unless you are a pro racer or trying to escape a Bond villian ( skiing is about sliding on snow and having fun, so whatever floats your boat is just fine.

[MikeK]

I'd like to also turn your attention exhibit B:

http://www.earnyourturns.com/33004/waxl ... i-roundup/

We all know who this guy is, and like it or not he's pretty influential in the ski world.

What I want to point out is how conveniently there is no Eon or Epoch and there is no Traverse 78 or Excursion 88 in the article and instead the V6, the Charger and the XCD Stinger.

The Knights are turning in their graves...

[MikeK]

It's not always about how you "passed them on the way back to the car." Unless you are a pro racer or trying to escape a Bond villian ( skiing is about sliding on snow and having fun, so whatever floats your boat is just fine.

I'm not a fan of this ski hate either (although I've tossed out some pretty snide remarks all in good fun), but I think to some point it is getting a bit ridiculous.

Maybe it's the only touring capable skis they had and they just wanted to go for a burn... but correct me if I'm wrong but I think the parallel here is that not as many see XC as even a viable option (unless you are going to a nordic center with groomed trails).

I think soon we'll have to change the name to downhill cross-country instead of cross-country downhill.

XCD was just advanced techniques for skiing difficult terrain on nordic gear. Now it becomes walking techniques with downhill gear.