I want to buy ONE ski system only. please advise ?

[AbnerLico]

Howdy All
As the topic suggests I want to only purchase one ski system that does it all (and I know won't do any one thing well but that's ok). I live in Ontario, Canada and my skiing will be predominantly in flat Ontario with a trip or two to the Eastern mountains per season. I probably won't ski more than 20 times a season.
Here are more parameters:
-a system that works well both on the flats and hills but my preference is downhill, control and turning (tele turns).
-I am willing to sacrifice weight and ease of glide on the flats for better performance on the hills
-even when I go out in Ontario in relatively flat areas I seek more hilly area and enjoy going up and down rather than touring/traversing.
-price is somewhat of a factor

I have looked at the Rottefella Xplore system and it looks really good however accessing the gear seems difficult in North America. I have also just come across the OAC skinbased system (https://www.skinbased.com/) and it seem really good. I would love to hear anyone's thoughts on these if you skied on them or know more information.
Any feedback is appreciated - thanks!
Abe

[comradeporcupine]

I don't have experience with Xplore etc. yet. (I ski mainly inbounds on NTN tele gear but do own some 75mm leather boots & Altai skis. But I'm wanting to get into XCD a bit)

But one thing to consider, as a fellow Ontarian.

Right now the EUR has a more favorable exchange rate than it has in the past.

There are no import duties on sporting goods coming from the EU to Canada now.

I just ordered $800 worth of stuff from Telemark Pyrenees in France. Meidjo bindings & brakes were almost 30% cheaper from there than from any Canadian retailer, and that's at full retail, no sale. $30 shipping UPS + $10 brokerage fee and then I just had to pay GST/HST.

Shipped yesterday morning (their time). Arrives tomorrow afternoon.

For this kind of gear it makes no sense to shop domestically right now. Local retailers are sitting on stock they ordered from Europe when the EUR was way higher last year. And absolutely no sense to import from the US, where most retailers just treat us like garbage and can't figure out shipping anyways.

From looking at the past, Veruste.net (and others) will restock Asnes, Rotafella etc. stuff in Novemberish timeframe.

[lowangle al]

Hi and welcome Abe. The downhill control you want will most easily be achieved with a plastic boot, the Scarpa T4 being the lightest most tour friendly. For the ski I recommend the Voile Ultra Vector or the Objective but there are other ones that will work, like the Fischer 98. For downhill control the boot is the major factor.

My favorite combo is theT4 with the Ultra/ Hyper Vector.. My tours usually average about 3-4 hours and easily can cover 8- 10 miles with 2000-3000' of vertical, and I'm not young.

[CwmRaider]

So you want a single pair of skis that straddles the DH Telemark and xc boundary? I'd say a good combo might be : Åsnes Falketind XPlore + voile 3 pin + Scarpa T4 / Scott excursions. I had such a setup with the older Falketind, and it was potent, but too DH oriented for my current use and, my feet strongly disliked the Scarpa T4. I am not alone here with the latter problem.
The excursions are no longer made but you may be able to score a pair somewhere.

How close the top end Xplore boots get in real use performance is still a mystery to me.

[bobbytooslow]

For the ski I recommend the Voile Ultra Vector or the Objective

Do you agree that Voile should make a ski in between the Vector (130-96-117) and the Objective (117-84-102)? Something maybe 125-89-110. The standard version (not Hyper- or Ultra-) would be a great east coast lift serve ski, and the lighter versions would be great for longer tours that don't have bottomless fluff. I love Voile products, but this is one gap in the lineup.

[AbnerLico]

This is my first time on this forum (or any forum for that matter) and I am not sure if I am responding properly... anyhoo... thank you so much for this advice. I had no clue. I will definitely check out more European sites as I have already seen some that carry equipment at fair prices.

[AbnerLico]

Lol... I am not young either... 57 but feeling good! Thanks for the advice. It looks like the T4 is a unanimous choice and I will check them out. For the skis I have the Voile Ultra Vector, Objective and the Fischer 98 to look at. I definitely like the price on the Fischer more than the Voile. Cheer and thank you so much!

[AbnerLico]

The Åsnes look very good - a Jack of All Trades - kind of ski, but I can't find anywhere that sells them. I thought the voile 3-pin was a thing of the past, especially with plastic boots. I will reconsider this. Thanks for your reply, much appeciated.

[fisheater]

If you go plastic boots, go with the Voile 3-pin. I would go with the 3-pin Hardwire for plastic, which I have mounted on my 86 mm underfoot ski. However, the Switchback could be considered as well. Perhaps a free pivoting binding would be beneficial when climbing.
Now if you want to ski in leather boots I would recommend the Rottefella Super Telemark with cable. I can still put my T-4 into the Rotte ST, but where it shines is that it clamps onto my Alaska 75 boot in a far superior manner. Also when I clip the cables onto the Alaska boot the change from no cables to a cable the difference is significantly greater than the Voile cable. The Rotte cable makes for a much stiffer lateral connection. I didn’t like the connection before I skied it, but I’m sold now.
I have the new Falketind Xplore, it is to me the best XCD ski I have ever been on. I have never been satisfied with the kick of an XCD ski. I liked my original Falketind better than the Fisher S-112, but the original FT had k&g limitations. The new FT X kicks and glides period! No it does not come close to my Gamme, but it sure does come close or exceed the k&g of some ancient E-99’s I bought on EBay. Bottom line, I find it acceptable in multiple conditions for an XC ski. As for downhill, it is a solid ski. I’m in the snow more than I would be with 86 mm underfoot. It is stabile, stiff enough for wet backcountry snow. I only skied at a resort for two days, both on powder. The old FT could hold an edge at the resort, this one should as well, while handling mank much better!
However the original question was what system would be best. I say 75 mm for one system. However a soft boot like an Alaska and a plastic boot like a T-4 would be nice. Also for Ontario, (I’m from Michigan), a go fast ski like a Gamme, and a more turn oriented ski like an FT X or a Vector would be really good.
I actually ski my Gamme the most. I ski on my rolling hills, steep and twisty, local trails. My vertical isn’t serious, but pedal to the metal on the Gamme’s is sure a lot of fun! My other two skis come out on powder days or when I drive a few hours.
To clarify, for one system I recommend 75 mm. My Gamme is mounted NNN. I also have an Alaska BC boot. Without the cable, I think the Alaska BC actually is a better turner. I kind of think the Alaska 75 may be a better kicker. That being said I am quite pleased with the NNN for my go fast, straight touring ski. I am also very pleased with 75 mm for my XCD skis

[CwmRaider]

@AbnerLico :
I agree with what @fisheater says here regarding 75mm bindings- I prefer the Rottefella Super Telemark with cable (actually a hardwire) over Voile 3 pin cable for combined use XC + telemark, as the Rottefella clamp better on touring boots.

when you reply with quotes, please put your own part of the reply outside of the "quote" section. No biggie, but now it looks like we said, what you wrote in your reply.

Voile skis are not sold in Norway so I have never even seen one. The Fischer SBound 98 is appealing too, but it is only available in waxless version, whether that matters to you. Fischer and Åsnes skis mentioned here both have a short skin system, to complement the waxless pattern or the grip wax, respectively.