Asnes Nansen Review: Smooth and Predictable

[Woodserson]

21/22 Update: I downsized to a 200cm Nansen due to weight loss, and it's really a smoking ski! I had a wonderful ski this morning in the White Mountains along a bike trail with 4-5" of snow on it and all its attributes really came to the fore:

-The width offers good stability on snow that has been run over with snowmobiles and then walked all over by pedestrians.
-The softer camber allows for less-than-perfect waxing technique
-The ski turns really well for a traditionally cambered XC ski, it's a total pleasure make turns. Very nice. (this is what I get for getting a ski somewhat in my weight class too and not reaching for longer lengths.)
-The traditional full camber kicks and glides like the long ski it is, without that truncated feeling a heavily rockered ski (Ingstad) gets on consolidated snow.

I fully stand by my conclusion that for skiers 180lbs or less this would make an excellent one-ski-to-do-it-all. It's not that heavier skiers won't like it but then you start getting into pool-cover/banana syndrome in deeper snow, it really depends on what you want out of it.

Fantastic, accessible, friendly, straightforward. If you can't or don't want to parse the details on all the skis in Asnes' lineup, and you only really want one ski, get the Nansen.

[jyw5]

thanks woods!

great review and update.

I will add that the Sverdrup does have a soft shovel. that tip just has a hard time with powder. The Nansen/Skog plows right through it. However, I am setting out this winter to prove that the Sverdrup will do better on icy terrain. stay tuned in another thread. no more ski days for me this year. its a blizzard this wk and I'm leaving for holiday tomorrow night to a warmer place. I will come back in January to 30-40inch of new snow...hopefully nice and consolidated by then.

Have a great holiday!

[riel]

I fully stand by my conclusion that for skiers 180lbs or less this would make an excellent one-ski-to-do-it-all. It's not that heavier skiers won't like it but then you start getting into pool-cover/banana syndrome in deeper snow, it really depends on what you want out of it.

Fantastic, accessible, friendly, straightforward. If you can't or don't want to parse the details on all the skis in Asnes' lineup, and you only really want one ski, get the Nansen.

I skied the same 12 miles on a borrowed pair of waxless 205cm Nansens (thanks Woodserson!), and can add a few things to the above.

The Nansen has good grip, excellent glide, and seems stable under all the conditions we threw at it today, including being stable at speed while descending larger hills. An absolutely wonderful jack of all trades for skiers who aren't super heavy. The way the tip bends up into the snow even helps stabilize the skis.

However, as a heavier skier (210lbs + gear + pack), there are limitations on what this design can do. The Nansen turns and stabilizes in deeper snow by having the tip bend up. That means the ski flex must be: (1) strong enough to carry the skier, and (2) soft enough to be deflected by the snow.

This works fantastically well for lighter skiers. However, if they made a version of the Nansen that is always stiff enough for a skier my weight, chances are the tip would be so stiff it ended up burying itself into the snow, instead of bending with it, when faced with deep, soft snow.

For heavier skiers, a ski with a stiffer camber underfoot, to spread the skier's weight across more of the snow, combined with a rockered tip, like the Ingstad, Gamme, Børge Ousland, and Sverdrup would all be perfectly good solutions for skiers over 200lbs. The rockered tip means that (1) the snow does not need to bend the tip of the ski to make the skier turn (it is already bent), and (2) due to shape of the tip rocker the weight of the skier is spread out over more surface area in a turn, allowing the ski tip to be deflected off the snow, instead of potentially digging in like a non-rockered tip might do.

For lighter skiers, the flex pattern of the Nansen might still make that the most versatile ski in the Asnes lineup.

Thank you for letting me borrow that ski! It was an absolute blast to use today, and I think I understand the Nansen's strong points (stability, turning, grip) and weak points (only for a heavy skier) much better after skiing them for a few hours.

[Woodserson]

Thank you for letting me borrow that ski! It was an absolute blast to use today, and I think I understand the Nansen's strong points (stability, turning, grip) and weak points (only for a heavy skier) much better after skiing them for a few hours.

Yeah man! My pleasure. I’m always happy to let other people try my skis for demo purposes.

[Woodserson]

My favorite ski

Does everything without complaint

[Nitram Tocrut]

My favorite ski

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@Woodserson cant wait to see if it still your favorite ski after you finally try the Sverdrup… oh maybe you did and I missed that part

[Woodserson]

My favorite ski

PXL_20220108_011144197.NIGHT.jpg

@Woodserson cant wait to see if it still your favorite ski after you finally try the Sverdrup… oh maybe you did and I missed that part

Don't have it yet! Maybe next week? It is taking the slow boat, apparently.