Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Gidday everyone.
Been a long time lurker but one of the old Telemark Tip members.
A little bit about myself.
63 years old skiing for 40 years.
Started on Pins and Dynastar Montagues back in the early 80s and got addicted to the Telemark turn and the freedom of the freeheel. To achieve my goal of mastering the turn became a nordic ski bum in the late 80s to mid 90s.
Skied 250 days a year then in Australia (where I live) and Tahoe. I worked as a Nordic Instructor at Tahoe and Downhill/Telemark and Nordic in Oz.
Raised a family and got a proper job but then had a stint in the 2000s working at an Australian resort with the family for another 6 seasons. Both my kids became good Telemarkers.
The last 15 years pretty much just a recreational skier with a week at a resort a few day trips and a base xcd camp in the late Spring.
Very early adopter of NTN (Was a tester in Oz) hence my original NTN boots. Been on Free rides since 2008 (A much maligned binding IMO....I love them as they have a lot more attributes and tricks to them than people let on.
Always been a big fan of Voile skis currently on Ultra Vectors which I was using with Freerides but finally bit the bullet on Meidjos 3.0s
I still have a lot of my original gear. Root beer T3s, the original prototype Scarpa NTN boot (Soft and buttery) and even my fave 80s Pink Atomic Telemarks with Chouinard 3 pins. (Wish I still had my Tua Cirques and Asolo Extreme pro'S)
Sold all my Classic and Skate skis and boots as decided I wanted to simplify and get a set up that uses all facets of Nordic and Freeheel in a lighter package. Something I can skate, stride, crank turns, tour .....exactly what I used to do on my old Pink Atomics 200s (used to sandpaper the bottom to act as a micro waxes base....works well in our snow down under.)
So have got the bug back and ordered a pair of Borge OUslans and Falkertind 62 Xs ( I know it was only going to be one set up but love the evolution of XCD gear...) and I finally bought Meidjo's to put on my Voile Ultra Vectors.
I also bought XPlor bindings still in the Box.
Now to my conundrum....I also bought a pair of 172 Nossis for a really good price at our end of season sales. (Maybe a bit short but always enjoyed shorter skis...big Vic Bein fanboy.
I am trying to decide what bindings to put on them.
Thought maybe Meidjo's but they were too wide for the ski....overkill and didn't look right on the ski. Thought maybe they would go well with the Scarpa "Pink Pony" ultralight NTN boot on its way some day.
Naaa can't wait that long.
I have a pair of Voile 3 Pin Mountaineers on the 4 mount riser pad that looks really good with the ski and I love skiing 3 pins...never was a fan of cable bindings hate all that stuff hanging of my heel. I have the red/silver T2s, Root Beer T3s and Scarpa low cur leathers....figure I could use all 3 boots in those bindings.
Or should I mount them with the XPLor and wait for all the boots coming out....I tried on a pair of the Red Alpina's which felt good in a size 44 though the heel hold down wasn't as good as I would like.
I have skinny feet but find the Scarpa's suit me well and Salomon/Addidas xc skate/classic boots.
Really like the idea of the XPLors ....simple but maybe powerful....never skied them.
The other option is a Pair of Switchback originals that are the only real cables I have liked.
They would be more forgiving on my Pinholes as all my 75 ml boots have pretty worn pinholes.
So guessing need lots of reviews from you all regarding the XPlor boots and bindings.
I have the NOssi's all marked out with the Voile 4 hole template set up ready to drill but just as I was about to start I thought maybe you guys could give me a second third fourth etc opinion.
Want to use them for our wind blown storm powder and corn we get down here.....similar to the Tahoe without the mega dumps through my secret stashes through the snow gums.
Thanks for having me and sorry about the long winded discussion thinking out land.....the joys of an ageing pinhead.
Thanks for having me

I think that ski will be fun on either the leather boots, when conditions are right, or either of your plastic boots. So I would go with the four hole pattern and use the Mountaineers so you have the option to use your different weight 75mm boots. You would also be able to change binding w/o drilling more holes as many old cable bindings will fit on the riser. You can also go with your SBs if you don't see yourself skiing them with leather.

@DropKneeDiehard

Have you seen this thread about the NOSI in the Review section? viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3224

Join the discussion

DropKneeDiehard wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 3:30 am

(Maybe a bit short but always enjoyed shorter skis...big Vic Bein fanboy.

Off-Topic, for sure, but if you’ve been influenced by Vic Bein you might like to have a look at this thread, started 6 months ago:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4975

lowangle al wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:42 am

I think that ski will be fun on either the leather boots, when conditions are right, or either of your plastic boots. So I would go with the four hole pattern and use the Mountaineers so you have the option to use your different weight 75mm boots. You would also be able to change binding w/o drilling more holes as many old cable bindings will fit on the riser. You can also go with your SBs if you don't see yourself skiing them with leather.

Yes after sleeping on it I tend to agree with you. More versatile set up. Looking at the skis they remind me of my Tua Cirques a little but way lighter with more sidecut. We have some awesome tree shot skiing off the sides of our xc trails through the snow gums which look like giant heads of broccoli.....as the snow gets deeper there is less room between them exact opposite of Pyramid shape trees...so need a tight turner.
Will put the XPLors on the F 62s when they arrive next may so will be a lot info out on XPLOR by then.
Have a great season we are heading into summer down here

Jurassien wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:57 am

DropKneeDiehard wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 3:30 am

(Maybe a bit short but always enjoyed shorter skis...big Vic Bein fanboy.

Off-Topic, for sure, but if you’ve been influenced by Vic Bein you might like to have a look at this thread, started 6 months ago:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4975

Just re read that book the other day.
I have the originals of the Holy XCD Trinity.
Cross Country Down Hill...Steve Barnett
Mountain skiing ...Vic Bein
Freeheel skiing....Paul Parker

Seemed to remember reading that article as well. There was a site before TelemarkTips around 1999 maybe....something like Telemark Marquee....think it was a European site. Will have a dig around

I'm considering a Nosi myself, at some point, though finding the right size is problematic. They seem to only ever have the 164 which is a bit short for me, I think. At any rate, I'm thinking of setting them up for two different sets of bindings: Xplore for more XC oriented excursions and Meidjo for Touring and lift-served. I'd be using threaded inserts like this: https://www.bindingfreedom.com/ for the interchangeable hole patterns. Just put set screws into the empty holes. I've not come across any reason why this won't work, especially in a wider ski. I don't think I'd try three sets of holes, or even two sets in a narrow ski, since every time you drill you remove material. I am new to ski work, though, and if any of the more experienced out there know why this shouldn't be done I'd rather hear about it than experience it.

Nitram Tocrut wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:04 am

@DropKneeDiehard

Have you seen this thread about the NOSI in the Review section? viewtopic.php?f=19&t=3224

Join the discussion

Yes had a look at that thanks. Unfortunately Our season (Down Under) has just finished and it will be at least until Late June I get to ski them so looking forward to more feedback on that topic.
They are a great looking ski.....reminds me a bit of the old Blue Asnes A skis I used to have. They were considered a radical side cut at the time. I had those and a pair of the Pink Asnes Teley Racing skis.....those were death rails.
Do you have Nossi's ? Love Asnes and Voile skis.

JohnSKepler wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 3:50 pm

I'm considering a Nosi myself, at some point, though finding the right size is problematic. They seem to only ever have the 164 which is a bit short for me, I think. At any rate, I'm thinking of setting them up for two different sets of bindings: Xplore for more XC oriented excursions and Meidjo for Touring and lift-served. I'd be using threaded inserts like this: https://www.bindingfreedom.com/ for the interchangeable hole patterns. Just put set screws into the empty holes. I've not come across any reason why this won't work, especially in a wider ski. I don't think I'd try three sets of holes, or even two sets in a narrow ski, since every time you drill you remove material. I am new to ski work, though, and if any of the more experienced out there know why this shouldn't be done I'd rather hear about it than experience it.

Yeh I was thinking along these lines too. I had the Meidjo's in a box and I took them and placed them on the Nossi. There was a fair bit of overhang and they didn't look right. Also would only be able to ski them with my TX Pros which looks like way too much boot for my 172s. Would have preferred the 180s but they only seemed to import the 2 shorter lengths down here. Decided to mount them voile 4 hole pattern with the riser gives me way more versatility.

I have mounted both the original Falketind 62, the Falketind Xplore, and the Asnes Tindan 86. The Tindan was the most difficult. I pestered the heck out of @Woodserson as he had some Voile Objective. To make a very long story short all were mounted at balance point which was reasonably close to chord center. This position was definitely behind boot center on the boot center mark, however the mechanics of alpine skiing is quite different than Nordic skiing.
My advice, use a pencil and mark the possibilities. Someone should pipe in how their Nosi are mounted.