I really like the FT62 but have found it somewhat lacking in local conditions. Here in Northern Utah's canyons and plateaus I find that I'm a lot happier with scales than either wax or skins since snow conditions can change so much over pretty short distance and time. Altitude, shadow, slope angle, sun angle, nighttime low, daytime high, etc., are all in play pretty much anywhere I go. On any one meadow-skipping or canyon run, which is what we have here, I can run into fresh powder, consolidated powder, warm snow, ice, slush, etc. Scales, while not optimal across all these conditions work pretty well in all of them while wax may be perfect for one but fail in others. Likewise, Xskins work really well across the entire range but really affect kick and glide and downhill. From experience on scaled Voile Objective BC skis I know that scales are the best compromise.
So, I'm looking at the S-Bound 98 and am wondering about length. I'm 5'8" around 170lbs. I usually ski with between a 10 to 20 pound pack but, every now an then, with no pack at all. I've not yet done any skiing with a heavy pack. I'd be using Xplore bindings with Alaska or Alfa Free boots but would likely install inserts so that I could also ski three-pin/Scarpa T-4. I've been insert crazy this year so could also ski it with a binding plate using Transit/F-1, though, I tried this with the FT62 and it was a bit much. Keeping that in mind, here are Fischer's length recommendations:
For those who have some experience on this ski, what would you recommend? I made the jump from beginner to intermediate this year though, when I start to get tired, I still struggle with turning right!
