Asnes Ingstad BC 2018 Ski Review

[fisheater]

Teleman, if you are looking for something that isn't too skinny, and well built have you considered an Anses USGI surplus ski? They originally cost the Army $280 and some change, they aren't a cheap ski. They are two pair for $30, but with shipping my two pair cost about $75. I weigh about 185 lbs.,but I bought 200 cm, because I thought they might work for my son (he is still a bit light for them). They are nothing like the modern Fischers you ski on with tip rocker. They are a good backcountry ski. I can ski the blues and blacks with them at the Michigan resorts (500' vertical), but if I have powder, or crud I ski my S-112's
I have seen videos of your Kingdom Boys ski. I think you would rip them! If they are more in your budget, at least you could get a 200 or a 210. Here is a link:
https://colemans.com/shop/cold-weather- ... is-2-pair/

Check out their wool pants too. I bought a pair last year. Real nice, I could go straight from church to the woods. I didn't look like a bum in church, and they are darn fine ski pants.
PS: The USGI has it's own review thread in the reviews forum. Lilcliffy will have to compare their turning prowess to the E-99, but I think the rockered ones turn better in powder. The certainly turn on packed snow

[Grampatele]

Thanks Fisheater and Cannatonic.....Teleking and Telewheels scored a set of those White surplus skis and skied them once....Back to beaters....Far as Combat Nato's can't remember Nato being in Combat so would be skeptical....Only kidding will check them out....The new Ingstad interest me but will never pay that high of a price....All skis are good for about a year then they are beaters....We seriously mush and crush them....Better the skis than us!....Whatever I get will be pinned up might get the Voile 3pc for downhill performance the two times I go to a ski area when closed each year....However I'm hearing that for beaters like me ancient and still skiing Smugglers has a pass for about 30$...Good for the entire year...any day....Now that's a deal....TM

[Johnny]

I think he's joking about the price.

If he wants them now, the only place they can be ordered is at SportAlbert for 500$ + shipping...

Not sure about Neptune yet, but they will be available for sure here in Canada... It might be even cheaper for you guys to order them from Canada with the actual CAD/USD exchange rate... I expect them to be priced around 450$ USD, which is about what the old Ingstads were selling for last season... (Which means you will probably be able to get the old ones at great discount...!)

For reference, the old Ingstad was 430$ USD at Neptune last year, while it was 385$ USD here at LaCordee...

Good luck for your MRI Cannatonic...! I have a medical paper for a knee MRI too... I have been supposed to go for over 3 years now...

[Cannatonic]

I think Neptune has them, I was able to place 200cm Nansen in my cart and go to checkout. I'm guessing it's this year's version because the Ingstad is referred to as "very light" and costs more than Nansen.

It's pricey compared to Craigslist, transfer station freebies,etc. but if you're thinking of custom-ordering E109's you could get the Nansen for the same price and they're more durable. In the past Neptune has gone 20-30% off the Asnes in February-March.

[Grampatele]

Thanks guys....Thinking I will go over to Stowe and get Don at the Nordic Barn to get me a set of e109's....He carries Fischers but not the 109....Will see what he can do....usually he does really good....like he helps tons as there are some people who can use tons of help....gt

[lilcliffy]

The Neptune site is a bit of a mess isn't it? Even when I search "Asnes", not all of their Asnes products come up...And all kinds of things are missing if you follow the website's menu...

So they have the Combat Nato at $300USD? Sounds good if one gets paid in USD!

(The weakness of the CAN$ really sucks now- wasn't that long ago when I bought a pile of family ski equipment when the CAN/USD was at parr!)

The Asnes USGI truly is an excellent distance-oriented BC ski. As Bob testifies- they have excellent downhill performance too- with excellent edge hold. Mine are 210cm- with an effective wax pocket- so I have to fully weight the ski to effectively use its edge...

The Nordic rocker on the E99/E109 greatly reduces effective edge- reduces turn radius- and improves turn initiation and early tip rise- the performance is utterly different than the USGIs.

The USGI is a better XC ski than the current E109 in truly deep snow.

The Combat Nato is the best of the above group in my experience- it may not offer the short turn radius of the E109, but I still love them on the downhill ski, and they are deep snow XC and climbing machines! With that beautiful full-wrap steel edge, titanium re-enforced binding zone, and solid wood core, the Combat Nato may prove to be the most durable ski I have ever owned...

As far as retail pricing- at least here in Canada, Fischer skis are every bit as expensive as Asnes. And- GOOD LUCK finding good used Asnes Fjellskis or Fischer Europas anywhere. I don't know what it would cost to custom-order an E109 Tour- but I bet you it would cost you close to $400USD...

You cannot beat those USGIs as a "beater" ski- if I had to, I would be more than happy if the only BC touring ski I could afford was a set of those Asnes USGIs. They ARE heavy- but they are so stable and have such a smooth, full-length integrated flex- they are backcountry travelling machines!

[Cannatonic]

I think Neptune sold the last of the white NATO skis, maybe more came in this year, I don't want to call & bother them when I know I'm not ordering! Looks like they definitely re-stocked as they have the mohair skins which they didn't carry last year. Do a search on the word "Asnes" and you'll see all the skis & skins come up.

Nordic Barn got rebranded, now it's "Mountain Ops", pretty funny. Don is a great guy. I'm not sure if he'll be able to order waxing E109's, the distributor may not have them. When I custom-ordered E99's a few years ago I had to pay full retail which was the same as Asnes. actually the Fischer US web page does show E109 waxing/easyskin so hopefully the distributor has them. So they're between the Nansen and Ingstad in terms of width.

[Johnny]

Fischer and Asnes are apparently very close "friends"... They seem to know each other very well according to this article. Asnes sued Fischer for illegal patent infringement over their Easy-Skin integrated skin system when they released it back in 2015.

Asnes released the Skin-Lock system back in 2003, while Fischer released their Easy-Skin system only two years ago, for the 2015-2016 season. Basically, Fischer's Easy-Skin is exactly the same thing as Asnes Skin-Lock system. But Asnes first released it 15 years ago.

"I'm not a patent engineer, but in my head, when I first saw it, it was a form of rip-off of the solution that Åsnes has spent many years working on the market." -Åsnes[/color]

It seems like Asnes just wanted Fischer to stop selling the Easy-Skins in Norway, which sounds legitimate. But from what I understand from this other article, they lost the battle because apparently, Fischer already had some similar patents dating back to the early 80's...

Now it would be interesting to know the story behind Nordic Rocker, as Asnes and Fischer are the only two manufacturers to use that technology. Fischer obviously released NR skis before Asnes, but that doesn't mean they are necessarly the ones who "invented" the thing.

Even if Volant and Zag produced rockered skis respectively in 2001 and 2004, it still doesn't seem very clear who is the real patent owner for rocker skis. Rossignol, Armada and DPS all have different but very similar patents regarding ski rocker. We're talking about very subtle technical details here. The rocker patent is already very complex, I can suppose further legal battles in the future if NR becomes more popular. I know I sounded over-excited in my review, but I really think the Asnes tapered NR is the most exciting thing since Volant's Spatulas...

[lilcliffy]

I wonder how long Asnes has been working on this flex pattern?

Pics and videos of the Nansen clearly show some "Nordic rocker"- though not as much as the new Ingstad.

And- though I have never squashed a Gamme 54- I wonder how much "Nordic rocker" there is on that ski?

I would imagine that Fischer might be able to copyright the trade name "Nordic rocker"- but can anyone patent a flex pattern in a ski?

I understand your excitement- it is exciting- and it truly is innovation.

If Asnes has gotten the overall flex pattern of these skis right- the "Nordic rocker" should offer xc-Downhill performance that is the stuff of dreams. With tips that open that much, there is no need to have an ultra-soft, wimpy tip...

Asnes describes the Gamme 54 as being "longitudinally rigid"- this is critical in terms of the ski being stable when XC skiing. (I am hoping that the new Ingstad is more like the Gamme 54- in terms of flex- than it is like the E109.)
https://www.en.asnes.com/produkt/gamme-54-bc/
Just checked the description on the Asnes site- they are describing the Gamme 54 as having "Nordic Rocker". When did Asnes release this model?

Also- look at the photos- the Gamme 54 certainly doesn't fit the profile of having a rockered tip- those tips only truly open up with the camber compressed (i.e. "Nordic rocker").

What about the Nansen?
https://www.en.asnes.com/produkt/nansen-bc/

[Johnny]

I wonder how long Asnes has been working on this flex pattern?

Who knows... We know very little about Asnes... We only heard back about them a few years ago... It's almost a miracle that they are available here in Canada, even thought they were best sellers 40 years ago...

Pics and videos of the Nansen clearly show some "Nordic rocker"- though not as much as the new Ingstad. And- though I have never squashed a Gamme 54- I wonder how much "Nordic rocker" there is on that ski?

True... Maybe that was just experiment back then... I guess it would be time for me for a quick visit at LaCordee... Maybe next month when they will have the new 17-18 skis in stock...

Just checked the description on the Asnes site- they are describing the Gamme 54 as having "Nordic Rocker". When did Asnes release this model?

I think it might be an updated model... If I remember, last year's model was simply called the Gamme 54. And the Ingstad was called the Ingstad. Now it's the Ingstad BC and the Gamme 54 BC... My guess is that maybe the BC versions have all some kind of NR...? The Skogs I have are the latest Cecilie BC's, not the previous "Cecilie" version... Gee I don't have them here to check NR, they're in storage (I know, such a shame...)

They only show the NR close-up pic on the Ingstad page... Not on the Gamme... If I was releasing a ski with such a unique feature like tapered NR, I would sure put some detailed pictures of them on my website...?