Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

I am looking at a pair of Alpina Discovery 80 that are 175cm. Online size charts indicate best for <120 lbs. I am 5’4” and 140 lbs. Seller indicated ok for <155 lbs. I am a newer touring skier, but am a decent skate skier and have some alpine experience. I intend to use on gentle backcountry terrain: sno-parks and forest roads. Anyone care to comment? A longer ski intimidates me at my level. Thanks!

With nordic skis, your weight determines the length. Too heavy for the ski, you are dragging along, too light for the ski, you will have a hard time engaging the kick zone and getting grip.

You will find that different skis are different on the length to weight chart. If your weight is mostly average for your height and you find yourself in a ski that's really long for your height, that's a clue that the ski is designed around touring performance and not turning performance.

A ski that puts you in a length closer to your height will be better for turns. For example, the Fischer s-bound 98 would put you in a 169 length would be just a little taller than you. That ski is more about turns. The Fischer TN66 would put you in something like a 190. That one is all about XC performance and hard to turn.

Are you in the kind of terrain where you need to make quick turns or link together several turns? Or are you in the kind of terrain where you can just wedge, traverse, and step turn your way down gentle slopes?

Thanks for your feedback! I am in the PNW, and turning is a significant consideration. The Fischer Excurssion 88 at 169 cm is at the top if my list. Hoping to find an older year model but may have to buy new.

Run26211 wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 01, 2024 8:09 am

Thanks for your feedback! I am in the PNW, and turning is a significant consideration. The Fischer Excurssion 88 at 169 cm is at the top if my list. Hoping to find an older year model but may have to buy new.

If you buy a 2023/24 model make sure it has the Easyskin attachment- the Fischer Traverse 78 did not last year (it's back this year)- I am not sure about last year's Excursion 88.

I have a pair two years-old (toddler), it is a nice well-behaved ski.

Have fun!

Run26211 wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 01, 2024 8:09 am

Thanks for your feedback! I am in the PNW, and turning is a significant consideration. The Fischer Excurssion 88 at 169 cm is at the top if my list. Hoping to find an older year model but may have to buy new.

The Excursion would be a good bet, a versatile ski, and very forgiving. A nice feature on the new 2025 model is that it accepts the short Easyskin, and it has a notch in the tip for the Superskin ( a full length climbing skin).