How to get started?

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Peschamel
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:34 am
Location: Switzerland
Ski style: XC, XCd attemps
Favorite Skis: Madshus BC 55; Madshus Endurace Classic; Fischer S-Bound 98
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard Advance, Fischer RC3 Classic
Occupation: Lawyer

Re: How to get started?

Post by Peschamel » Thu Feb 24, 2022 5:19 pm

tkarhu wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:35 pm
@Peschamel out of curiosity, do the BC55's have nordic rocker? I mean when you press the skis together at center of ski, do ski tips go farther away from each other? This just out of curiosity :) / "for science
@tkarhu I allowed myself to answer your question with a little video.



As for all you likeshaped odd feet clubmembers: I found an excellent solution to prevent heel slip and blisters. The little neoprene bootie is worn directly to the skin with socks on top. With that you can beef up your heel for a better fit and prevent your skin from chaffing at the same time. There are different thicknesses available. It works remarkably well.
24FCA433-9673-429B-A848-4299074D2248.jpeg
Lykke til og god tur!

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havuja
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:40 pm

Re: How to get started?

Post by havuja » Thu Feb 24, 2022 6:35 pm

I'm in the gang - will need to give those ankle booties a go too.

You asked about ski width. If you plan to get new skis to pair with Skarvet boot you may want to keep skis as narrow as possible, especially as you said that you tend to have more hard/icy than soft snow. Perhaps the wide end would be 68mm underfoot of Sbound98 and Madshus M68 (old Epoch) for example. Even that can be plenty to get properly on edge at times.

Learning tele tends to be a humbling process. Yesterday I found some ideal snow where to play with my Kongsvold skis, and felt on top of my game. Today, in at first sight not that much more difficult conditions (different spot though), I did more falling than in a long time, and that with my heavier setup. More training needed, as soon as my quads allow.



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fisheater
Posts: 2617
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: How to get started?

Post by fisheater » Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:50 pm

As for the best way to learn Telemark, I would say both resort and backcountry. I say that because you can get a lot of repetitions at the ski hill. However backcountry snow is different and backcountry technique is another challenge. I can say I recently rode some chairs for a weekend. It was my first time in three years I believe. I was embarrassed with my skiing when I started. By day 2 I skiing again at the resort and linking nice turns. For me it was a lesson learned. Even though my local chairs are expensive, the snow not very good, and the terrain not really interesting, I will ride a chair at least once or twice a year. If you’re learning some chair time is very worthwhile.
For the resort plastic boots are better. In good conditions stiff letter is fun and satisfying, but you will learn faster on plastic because it offers more control. A T-4 is enough boot, although it doesn’t compare to an NTN setup. However a T-4 and a Vector would be cheaper than NTN and be much more suitable in the backcountry.
Just so you know I have 3 pair of 75 mm boots. I wouldn’t want to be without any of those boots. My T-4 is my heavy boot. It serves me well. If I lived near bigger mountains or resort skied more, I would want a T-2 as well. That being said, my T-4 is my least used boot. I still would buy one if I didn’t own one.
By the way, if you’re lighter maybe an Objective would suit you better. At my 190 lbs. 86 kilos, I think the longest Objective is just too short for me.



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Nitram Tocrut
Posts: 529
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:50 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada
Ski style: Backyard XC skiing if that is a thing
Favorite Skis: Sverdrup and MT51
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska NNNBC
Occupation: Organic vegetable grower and many other things!

Re: How to get started?

Post by Nitram Tocrut » Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:08 pm

fisheater wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:50 pm
By the way, if you’re lighter maybe an Objective would suit you better. At my 190 lbs. 86 kilos, I think the longest Objective is just too short for me.
Yup! Too bad they don’t make the Objectives longer. I wish I had bought the 187 Tindan while it was available. The 178 Objectives is just too short for my 212 pounds.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2617
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: How to get started?

Post by fisheater » Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:10 pm

Nitram Tocrut wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:08 pm
fisheater wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:50 pm
By the way, if you’re lighter maybe an Objective would suit you better. At my 190 lbs. 86 kilos, I think the longest Objective is just too short for me.
Yup! Too bad they don’t make the Objectives longer. I wish I had bought the 187 Tindan while it was available. The 178 Objectives is just too short for my 212 pounds.
Yes, the 187 Tindan is really a nice ski. The more I ski it, the more I like it.



User avatar
tkarhu
Posts: 321
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:58 am
Location: Finland
Ski style: XCD | Nordic ice skating | XC | BC-XC
Favorite Skis: Gamme | Falketind Xplore | Atomic RC-10
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard | boots that fit

Re: How to get started?

Post by tkarhu » Fri Feb 25, 2022 1:53 am

Peschamel wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 5:19 pm
tkarhu wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:35 pm
@Peschamel out of curiosity, do the BC55's have nordic rocker? I mean when you press the skis together at center of ski, do ski tips go farther away from each other? This just out of curiosity :) / "for science
@tkarhu I allowed myself to answer your question with a little video.



As for all you likeshaped odd feet clubmembers: I found an excellent solution to prevent heel slip and blisters. The little neoprene bootie is worn directly to the skin with socks on top. With that you can beef up your heel for a better fit and prevent your skin from chaffing at the same time. There are different thicknesses available. It works remarkably well.
Wow @Peschamel what a fun and very informative video! I have Åsnes Gamme and Rago, and tried to take photos of their rockers earlier. Video works a lot better here, I see. But I’ll describe my notions here. Based on Rago vs BC55 and Gamme vs BC55 hand press tests, Gamme and BC55 have similar secondary cambers. And, based on my photos vs your video, BC55 has same (or even slightly more?) rocker than Gamme and Rago.

Conclusions:
1) Is BC55 more like a Gamme copy than old Glittertind rebranded?
2) I guess the BC55 is similar for downhill as Gamme because it has similar sidecur and nordic rocker.

Thanks for the neoprene bootie tip, too! I have broad but rather low feet, and 1.5 euro sizes oversize boots for convenience on 1-week tours and all day boot use. I get some blisters, not painful but these could be a great addition to my current two pairs of insoles + doible padded ski socks fit tweaks. I guess the booties would save their price on Compeeds there.



User avatar
Peschamel
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:34 am
Location: Switzerland
Ski style: XC, XCd attemps
Favorite Skis: Madshus BC 55; Madshus Endurace Classic; Fischer S-Bound 98
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard Advance, Fischer RC3 Classic
Occupation: Lawyer

Re: How to get started?

Post by Peschamel » Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:09 am

fisheater wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:50 pm
By the way, if you’re lighter maybe an Objective would suit you better. At my 190 lbs. 86 kilos, I think the longest Objective is just too short for me.
@fisheater thank you for your reply. As for the Voilé Objective - you would use it in ski resorts? Or as an overal xcD training machine?

Cheers,

Peter
Lykke til og god tur!



User avatar
Peschamel
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:34 am
Location: Switzerland
Ski style: XC, XCd attemps
Favorite Skis: Madshus BC 55; Madshus Endurace Classic; Fischer S-Bound 98
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard Advance, Fischer RC3 Classic
Occupation: Lawyer

Re: How to get started?

Post by Peschamel » Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:16 am

tkarhu wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 1:53 am
Conclusions:
1) Is BC55 more like a Gamme copy than old Glittertind rebranded?
2) I guess the BC55 is similar for downhill as Gamme because it has similar sidecur and nordic rocker.

Thanks for the neoprene bootie tip, too! I have broad but rather low feet, and 1.5 euro sizes oversize boots for convenience on 1-week tours and all day boot use. I get some blisters, not painful but these could be a great addition to my current two pairs of insoles + doible padded ski socks fit tweaks. I guess the booties would save their price on Compeeds there.
@tkarhu I had no idea, what a nordic rocker was until now :). The BC55 has been discontinued and I got them for around 120 Euro. Based on my research, they are suitable for Hardangervidda and could also be used in groomed tracks for the occasion. However i does not work very well in the tracks. They are slightly to wide and just keep on slowing down. As for turning with them my lack of skill suggests it is not possible :D. But I have used them in the Hardangervidda BC and for that they worked well.

Have a great upcoming weekend and best wishes to Finland,

Peter
Lykke til og god tur!



User avatar
tkarhu
Posts: 321
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:58 am
Location: Finland
Ski style: XCD | Nordic ice skating | XC | BC-XC
Favorite Skis: Gamme | Falketind Xplore | Atomic RC-10
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard | boots that fit

Re: How to get started?

Post by tkarhu » Fri Feb 25, 2022 6:55 am

Peschamel wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:16 am
Have a great upcoming weekend and best wishes to Finland,
Peter
Thanks! Actually, we are having "skiing vacation" (hiihtoloma) season in Finland. It is a one-week school vacation in late February. We will ski, but that is not mandatory :D

All good to Jura, too! I was actually there, in Mont Soleil, in February 2010. Also, my "new" profile photo is from Schwarzwald, 1988.

- Teemu

FF4A661D-9994-486A-A5ED-BE8578271E7C.jpeg



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2617
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: How to get started?

Post by fisheater » Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:14 am

@Peschamel i have a Tindan 86 which is in the same class as the Objective. I believe the Objective to be a slightly softer ski. My Tindan has a waxable base. I also have Access Skins for the Tindan, but as of yet they have remained in my pack and I have done quite well with kick wax. I ski the Tindan at the resort and in the backcountry. It is my heaviest ski, and the least used of three skis, Gamme, Falketind X, and Tindan. It is the least used because I do not resort ski much, but I have promised myself to do it once or twice a year to be a better skier. I mostly trail ski on my Gamme. When snow around the house is good, I tour for turns on the FT. My Tindan is my tourist ski. When I go to mountains to ski.
I recommend a ski in that class because they are adequately powerful enough for most poor resort conditions, and your poor backcountry conditions. I can make a supposition, that I would probably ski your backcountry in the FT X more frequently in leather boots. However for learning, you will achieve turning success more quickly on a plastic boot (T-4 or Excursion) and an Objective/Vector class ski. They are nice skis at the resort or in the backcountry.
As for waxable or waxless (scales), I would say it’s a personal decision. I fervently believe I can wax a ski to climb better than scales. I know recently my waxed skis significantly out climbed Karhu/Madshus and Fischer scales. I walked up, they herringboned. This was over the course of a few days, with different skiers on uphill trails. I didn’t really ski up hill will any Voile skiers. They say the scales are quite effective. I’ll say that 86mm underfoot is getting close to as far as you may want to wax. It’s a lot of area to cover with wax. I’m comfortable waxing my Tindan, if you had a waxable Objective you might curse me every time you wax it. Most guys choose scales. You can ski with scales at the resort. The skis will handle nicely. There will be a humming vibration from the ski. Most guys don’t mind it.



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