Asnes Ingstad BC 2018 Ski Review

[Johnny]

They marked pin line location on the skis... Which was at balance point... I mounted NNN bar about 1.5cm back of pin line mark...

[bgregoire]

[What I am concerned with is if that Nordic-rockered tip is ultra soft and wimpy- or whether it is suppportive and integrated into the overall flex of the ski. If that tip is not supportive enough- they will be fine as downhill ski- but they will suck as a XC ski in deep snow...

Hey Johnny, I would also appreciate a serious investigation of this aspect of the Ingstad. Its what worries me most about this new super nordic rockstar. Thank for bringing it up LC.

Stay strong y'all, snow is coming.

[Johnny]

I sure will..! Just give me some time... There is still plenty of snow here, but I'm still too scared to scratch the first pair of Ingstad BC on the planet...

[Johnny]

Dear TTalk members,
For future reference about the Ingstad BC, feel free to simply refer as The Nordic Rockstar...

[w8n4snow]

"I came into the world at the right time."

-Helge Ingstad


They came finally. I travelled deep into the Altai to consult the Mountain Mounting Shaman. She came out of her tent and puffed her pipe and pointed to the Place that was 5cm behind the Balancing Point. I bowed and returned to my bench and mounted my thrift shop take-offs as he said. I went skiing. They skied well enough. Fast and fearless, the elegant tips riding high above the snow, the rest of the ski following confidently and fearlessly behind. I returned home from my green wax day in the deep old snow and looked deeply inward from the warm womb of the sauna. I knew that I could hear the front of the skis- not skis really, more like sabres- calling to the front of my boots, begging for more leathery input... I took the bindings off and stepped back onto the skis in my bare feet. Ingstad looked up, curious.

"I'm sorry", I said.

He puffed his pipe and said nothing. I moved forward on the skis and felt a lithe power build under my feet. Ingstad raised his head slightly and leaned forward with a wry grin.

"A bit more, I won't bite, you know", he said.

I eased forward again and felt the front of the ski come alive right there on the floor of my shop. Ingstad relaxed and puffed his pipe. I did the same, and remounted the bindings with the bar at the The Oneness Place.

Then I skied into the mountains for two days. I skied deep old powder, wind blown soft cookie death, creek ice, faceted death gnar, and creamy frosting foam. It was a wild warm storm on an old cold snowpack and I corked up through several waxes until I skied out with Extra Super StickyMess Max XL ... Ingstad raced through it all, arcing and slicing, never wavering. I looked at the old deep snow in he big timber, hesitating... before diving in. He stayed strong and stood tall, never rolling off to the side in defeat, never ramping annoyingly up onto the snow in a pitiful effort at flotation. Instead a round even strength emanated up through the ski. I came to the crest of a great hillside and let gravity guide me down through the trees and bushes in a series of arcing and slashing slices of joy, the skis swinging from side to side under my hips, the ski tips-more like nose cones really- setting a solid course. Ingstad coughed and sputtered at the bottom, trying to cover his excitement and thrill at having just unleashed his Gnardisk, before re-lighting his pipe. We waited together for S98 to catch up.

1500 years of Norwegian ski innovation, my fellow mountain people. Imagine...

[Woodserson]

This is awesome.

What is the Oneness Place?

How did Ingstad keep his pipe lit while wallowing in the white snow of my sweet sweet dreams?

Does Ingstad guide you, or do you guide HIM?

Atai! Altai!

[lilcliffy]

Master Waitin For Snow-

I second Woods' comment- that was awesome- you blew my mind!

Your words are a work of Art- and full of most useful observation and insight.

My Combat Natos do not make that intimate communication with Ingstad so direct...

So:

1) I interpret that you re-mounted at balance point?
2) You have NNN/SNS mounted on them?

And-
Did you really leave an S-Bound 98 in your wake?

[Johnny]

Waitin', thank you for that wonderful report...!!!

It looks like you already have that magical Perfect-Binding-Mounting-Position-Visualization ability in your blood...

It's very tempting to mount the Nordic Rockstar further back, because of it's construction and that Gnarly Whacka... But if Asnes say that they should be mounted at Oneness Place, we should take for granted that this must be the ultimate truth...

So glad you love them... We can feel the love and the bliss on every of your words...

[w8n4snow]

Ahhhhh... The Place of Oneness! I like to spend time there enjoying the pure connection to all things natural.

Chord center (f# minor) and balance point were about 2 mm different on one ski and 5 on the other. Also the skis have visibly different rocker when engaging the Gnardisk. I rejoiced in this knowing that the skis were made by Hand from Wood. I am a woodworker and so I digress here. Paulownia... the wonder weed. If I was not a woodworker and more of a "techie", I would here insert a certain link to a short film on the interwebs titled something like "the day in the life of a paulownia tree". Fascinating! I like my wood local, however exceptions can be made where skis are concerned ( more on this later maybe.. Altai!!). Paulownia is a special plant, made by Gawd for the making of guitars and surfboards, among other things. It is ideal for skis, too; light strong flexible rot reisitant (but kinda industrial too). Get my drift? Wood is good. Don't need no stinkin' carbon.

Anyway, the Shaman was probably confused by the Gnardisk and the resulting reduced Running Length of the ski, having never encountered such like before and hence the rearward mounting Prophecy. However my feet agreed that a more forward mounting postion was favorable. This place Shall not be Reduced and Homogenized to a place that works for All. For me the bar is about 1.3734 cm back from the Oneness Place.

Ingstad has been out with me several more days. Soft and fast conditions. Sadly, now we have Unusually Warm weather, with (gasp!!) rain. We are not used to this new weather although it is more common here at 64 deg. North. We are told everything is Normal, though, and that there is no Global Warming. Sound familiar? Pay attention, mountain people, all is not well with our Mother and her swarming hoards.

The skis, the skis. Yes, the best I have encountered for what kind of skiing I do on a daily basis (except when it's raining). Very solid and strong. Lithe. Experienced. E109 so hot headed and impetuous. E109 always wants to go somewhere else, like the caribou, but always lost. Mr Ingstad knows where to go, just point the way! Very nice balance and feel on the kick turns and other freestyle trail-braking moves. Any incline is an opportunity to shred! MohAir XSkins are the secret weapon and much improved I will attest as well, thank you for the fine review, Johnny!
Cliffy, yes Nnnbc with Alpina Alaskas. I am sorry to report that my beloved boots have loose bars and cracking around the different rubbers in the bar area after 3 years. Otherwise solid. My merrels are still solid after 10 years of hard use and resoling. An NNNBC resole option is needed in this world. S98? A fine ski as well, as long as there is plenty of snow and time for everyone. The fine details of thes skis would be lost on most, I'd say, but for those who make skiing through the hills and mountains a lifestyle, they are a true pleasure and work of art.

[Johnny]

Coooooooooool....!
Keep it coming WaitingForSnow! What size did you get?

By the way, I just got an email saying that the Ingstad BCs have just arrived at LaCordee in Montreal today... They ship everywhere in NA...

175, 185 and 195's in stock... 490$ CAD or 380$ USD...