Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

Åsnes Tindan 86 Ski Review Ladies and gentlemen, on this 18th day of December 2018, I can officially proclaim the new Asnes Tindan 86 the coolest XCD ski available on planet earth right now. It’s everything: a powder ski, a touring ski, a free ride ski, a downhill ski, a big fat cross-country ski, a super stable expedition ski and super skishoes. Simply the most awesome XCD ski you can find. Everything for the true powder seeker.

This brand new model is quite similar to the Voile Objective, the Tindan being a bit wider. Both Asnes and Voile are selling them as an all-around ski, good for both frontside groomers and backcountry exploration. While I do not disagree with this, the Tindan 86 means something totally different for us, cross-country downhill adepts. While it’s the perfect super light all-mountain ski for the alpine skier and tourer, for the few of us who are still doing telemark turns on leather boots, the Tindan 86 is just the ultimate XCD Powder Ski! Because it’s lighter than other similar wide skis you can find on the market, you can fully control the Tindan 86 with pretty much any leather shoes. Add to this Asnes unique Nordic Rocker and you have the perfect touring and turning machine. The Tindan is the King of the Tind Family (Storetind, Tind 85, Falketind 62, Falketind 68, Rabb 68 and Nosi 76). Just like the Voile Objective is the daughter of the Vector, the Tindan 86 is the Asnes Fjoro's son. The ski is a slimmer, lighter and more nimble version of the Fjøro 92, Emperor of the Tinds!

At only 1250g per ski at 176cm, it’s quite similar to the Objective, which is 1135g. Ok, a few more grams, but keep in mind that the Tindan 86 is also a bit wider than the Objective so they are pretty much the same. With a sidecut of 122-86-99, it’s definitely a turning and floating machine! (The Objective has narrower tips and waist at 117-84-102). With the boots on, they feel incredibly light. Especially with the 725g Alfa Guard NNN-BC boots, it’s a completely new sensation. I feel like I could jump around everywhere on the steepest slopes. Never before XCD skiers were able to be fully in control with such a wide ski! I think the word "Nimble" was a very good one used by Asnes to describe the Tindan 86.

Just for fun, I have compiled this cute little pink chart. Using WildSnow formula to calculate the weight per square centimeter, I compiled the data of other skis in this category and threw everything into an Excel spreadsheet. The result is very clear. This is by no means a scientific test, but it’s only to clearly show you where the Tindan 86 stands compared to other skis. Definitely in the superlight category as you can see. Not only it’s super light, but the most amazing feature of the Tindan 86 is it’s flex. The Asnes Nordic Rocker is truly beautiful on this ski. It brings magic on the snow like no other ski on the market. It’s absolutely unique. First of all, take a look at those nice POWDER tips. Unlike all the other so-called “powder skis” on the market with stupid trendy low-rise tips that rise only a few centimeters, the Tindan 86 has REAL trail-breaking tips that rise up to a nice 8.5cm! Nothing to do with the 5cm flaccid tips you find on other skis in this category. The Norwegians must be skiing in real powder.
They also have a lot more rocker than you can imagine. While the Objective tips open up to 33cm, the Tindan 86 goes up to a super-nice 50cm! At a size of 176cm, that’s 10cm more than the longer 195cm Ingstads! That’s quite early rise. Even without being compressed, the Tindan 86 is more rockered that the Objective. The pros of having Nordic Rocker both for touring and turning have been previously discussed several times here so I am not going to repeat everything, but just at looking at the pictures below, you can easily imagine how they can tour effortlessly and turn magically on the downhill.
They have a VERY NICE smooth flex. So smooth, perfect for that peanut butter spreading feeling on snow. The tips and tails flex very easily for that cool surfy feeling of skiing in pyjama and slippers, while the middle section has enough stiffness to keep you totally in control. A very nice balance never seen before on such a unique ski. While both the Tindan 86 and the Objective are true single camber skis, the camber is actually flatter on the Tindan 86. But when that small camber is slightly pressured, the whole tips open up very smoothly, moving back the rocker point and playing its magic. Something you will not see on any other ski on the planet. Totally unique to Asnes skis. It’s interesting to note that although the single camber is very low on the T86, it offers the same resistance as the higher one found on Voile’s.
There is also something special about Asnes bases. I don’t know much about thermoplastics and UHMWPE, but once again, the Tindan 86s are SO fast! Simply called sintered Race bases, I suspect that they use a very special secret thermoplastic formula. They are just lightning fast. Which also means that they are very, very easy to turn. Use them with grip wax for the resin freaks, or bring the small and light Access Skins with you in your pockets for slackcountry fun, long tours or steep ascents.

On snow, they perform like a lucid dream. The carbon reinforced wood construction is beautiful. Again very smooth, but very stable. The REAL, high-rise tips combined with the huge Nordic rocker will keep you always-on-top whether you’re going uphill, downhill or trail-breaking your way deep in the woods. They turn like crazy. Just one tiny impulse from your nervous system and the Tindan has already turned. Just for fun, I wanted to record a video of me skiing a steep trail with an old pair of floppy, soft low-top XC shoes just to show how easily these super-boards can turn. Later in the season perhaps?
Yes, you will have to pay a few extra bucks to ski the coolest XCD boards on earth. Yes, you are going to have to work a bit in order to grab a pair: They are more hard to find here in North America than wild unicorns. But the reward is totally worth it. You just cannot find a better downhill XCD ski than the Tindan 86 on the market. If only there could be a waxless version of the Tindan 86, it would get a rating of eleven out of ten.
PS: You want a pair? Just give a call to Neptune Mountaineering in Colorado or Norseman in Calgary. They can order a pair for you straight from Norway. And please, tell them to order a few extra pairs for your XCD brothers!

It all started around 2010, with the modern versions of the old “A-Ski” and the “Comp” Asnes classic skis. They got revamped into fatter versions to please the new generation of skiers. The fat ski development was growing at a very rapid pace back then. Flex and weight would improve every year. Well, pretty much exactly like it’s still the case today. Then came the Rando model in 2012, which was a nice 125-92-115 ski back then at 1500g per ski. That was Asnes fattest ski besides the Bratt, which was a huge and heavy AT ski with 152mm tips. The Storetind was then their third widest ski.

It all exploded in 2014-2015 with several different new models. They came up with the updated Carbon Storetind, the FYK which is similar to the currant Tindan 86 but weighted 1340g just 3 years ago, the Tind with a 98mm waist at 1650g per ski, the brand new Eggi at 135-108-125 and the fat Bratt PRO. It was also around that time that we saw more and more Asnes skis being imported in America and sold online.

They were all redesigned in 2016-2017 into lighter versions with different names. The one we’re interested here was named the “Tind 85” at 1295g per ski, which was very short-lived.

With even more weight reduction, and the addition of Nordic Rocker and the new X-Skin inserts, they were once again revamped and improved. The former Tind 85 was turned into a totally new ski which is the actual Tindan 86. A perfect BC ski at now only 1250g for a 122-86-99 sidecut.

Evolution and progress are taken very seriously at Asnes… Can you name one single XCD ski company who comes up with redesigned models like that every year? (Instead of using the same 30yo molds with different top sheets…)

At this pace, we’re on our way to 500g wide skis in less than 15 years!

It would be cool for you to post another video, I remember well the video you made on the Objectives. I have not been able to search that video, but I had not even considered NNN in that terrain, it was an eye opener. I have been comparing the Objective to the Tindan 86 recently. I attributed the additional weight in the Tindan to the poplar core, the Objective has a paulownia core.
It was interesting to see the two different approaches from Voile and Asnes to these skis. I hope you get out on these a few more times this winter. Not that I am looking for more reviews. I've seen you videos, i am just wishing you some playtime in cold Laurentian powder. Yes, I think it would make a nice video as well.

I attributed the additional weight in the Tindan to the poplar core, the Objective has a paulownia core.

Probably... I think it also might be due to the different geometry... But hey, they will bring it down to 500g in only a few years...!

fisheater wrote:I had not even considered NNN in that terrain, it was an eye opener.

Coooool...! Man, you will LOVE your new Alaska BC... They are more powerful than the Alaska 75. I know LilCliffy mentioned a word about it earlier this week, but I personally find the Alaska BC MUCH more powerful than my once beloved Asolo Extremes... (Which unfortunately were declared obsolete here since I first tried the ABC...)

(Please do not listen to me, I am a load of nonsense... Try stuff and see for yourself... Your own point of view is always the best...)

Johnny, I know you use a little intuition when mounting skis, but how did you figure the mounting position? I am assuming there is a boot center line? Did you even check where balance point came in? As long as I'm pestering you with questions, is there a difference between the red binding bumpers and black? They do look cooler. And, last question... what are those heel pieces from with the climbing wires? And (bonus question) did you just get lucky that they matched the bumpers?

fisheater wrote:did you just get lucky that they matched the bumpers?

That is not luck, whatch out, that is Johnny on steroids coming atch-yaaaaaahhhh!!!!!

Fish... what ski did you get? Did you get one of these!?

fisheater wrote:As a matter of fact, I am expecting an 86 mm waisted ski to arrive soon.

Woodserson wrote:Fish... what ski did you get? Did you get one of these!?

fisheater wrote:As a matter of fact, I am expecting an 86 mm waisted ski to arrive soon.

Well you know Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, but you probably didn't realize Father Christmas resides in Quebec. I certainly did nothing to deserve a chance to be able to purchase more Nordic Magic, but sometimes in life one can be a beneficiary of actions they had no hand in. After finding out it would be very difficult to purchase these skis, Father Christmas is sending me some Christmas joy. As if the Joy of Christmas was not enough!
So Woods, I really am that obvious???
BTW what size Gamme did you get???

fisheater wrote:

Woodserson wrote:Fish... what ski did you get? Did you get one of these!?

fisheater wrote:As a matter of fact, I am expecting an 86 mm waisted ski to arrive soon.

Well you know Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, but you probably didn't realize Father Christmas resides in Quebec. I certainly did nothing to deserve a chance to be able to purchase more Nordic Magic, but sometimes in life one can be a beneficiary of actions they had no hand in. After finding out it would be very difficult to purchase these skis, Father Christmas is sending me some Christmas joy. As if the Joy of Christmas was not enough!
So Woods, I really am that obvious???
BTW what size Gamme did you get???

GNARDISK! You MUST post pictures of said skis arriving!

reply to your other question in the Gamme thread!

Be careful what you wish for Fisheater, better be very precise with your requests... What if Father Christmas brings you those cheap, Chinese made G3 FINDrs with a 86mm waist?

I have to say that mounting the Tindans was probably the hardest mounting decision I ever made. Yep, they only have a boot center mark. CC and BP were at the same spot, about 2-3cm aft of what would have been the BC mounting point. The flex, construction and nordic rocker made my decision making quite challenging. I ended up mounting the bar line about 1cm fore of BP... Or about 2cm aft of the alpine recommended BC point. Hey, I couldn't care less about making sense or not. Intuition is a million times wiser than common sense.

Climbing bars are the old G3 8mm ones. Impossible to find now in 8mm (or at a non-ridiculous price), I would buy a truck load of them if I could. THE finest climbing bars, period.

Red flexors are harder then the black ones, and the white ones are *ridiculously* stiff. All my downhill skis are on white ones, but they really suck for climbing. The red ones are super hard to find, there is only one place in North America that have them in stock. So no, it's not luck, it's several hours of research, years of experimentation and tons of emails...

bgregoire wrote:That is not luck, whatch out, that is Johnny on steroids coming atch-yaaaaaahhhh!!!!!

Yep, watch out, I'm out to getcha-getcha-getcha...!