Ski Review 2018-19 Asnes Nansen versus Fischer E109 Crown Xtralite

[CwmRaider]

Hi!
The waxless Nansens in 205cm were ordered two days ago.
I'll be sure to post a review in a separate thread once I receive them and have had the opportunity to test.
From the pictures it looks like the MT51 has a shorter traction pattern than the Nansen Waxless.

[CwmRaider]

Right, I just received my Nansens Waxless in 205 cm.
They look very nice. The waxless pattern is total 55cm long (compared to the E99s 90cm!). The pattern is in steps, the middle 38 cm are significantly more agressive than the Fischer Offtrack Crown pattern. Rough measurements with inappropriate calipers suggest about twice as high? The pattern ends furthest from the center, total 17cm between the front and back, are less agressive.
How this will behave in practice is something which I am looking forward to finding out. I have a pair of old waxless skis (Atomic Sierra 59) which have similar length pattern and from memory they were fine grip wise, but I have not touched them in the last 4 years because those atomic skis are built like double camber rails and are nearly impossible to turn.
I took pictures but I will post a full review in a dedicated thread once I have used them. Hopefully this weekend, we have terrible weather right now even by Norwegian standards.

[lilcliffy]

Hello Roelant-

I am curious as to why you would choose the Nansen instead of the Ingstad?
I have never seen a Nansen ski and am curious as to choosing between the two.
(Looking forward to you sharing your experiences with the Nansen!)
Thanks,
Gareth

[CwmRaider]

Hello Roelant-

I am curious as to why you would choose the Nansen instead of the Ingstad?
I have never seen a Nansen ski and am curious as to choosing between the two.
(Looking forward to you sharing your experiences with the Nansen!)
Thanks,
Gareth

Hi lilcliffy,
The Ingstad was a serious contender.
I do believe that there is no BC ski which is best in all situations.
From my reading here and elsewhere, the Nansen is a jack of all trades fjellski which caters best to my use and the conditions I encounter.
I understand that the Ingstad has better flotation in deep snow and probably behaves better in deep powder with little or no noticeable loss to kick and glide. On the other side, my understanding is that the kick and glide efficiency of the Ingstad on long, flatter sections of hard snow is not ideal and in practice, these are conditions I often encounter in my tours.

Thus, as a "one ski quiver" for BC, the Nansen just seems to match the conditions I encounter better.

If I were to find a good deal on a Madshus Annum, Fischer SBound, or Åsnes FT62, I would probably get that as an up and down alternative.