Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

[Musk Ox]

Winter -24/-25’s xcD season started at Kilpisjärvi in the ”arm” of Finland. Nosi 172 with Alpina Alaska and Rottefella Supertele Cable. I like that combination a lot. Short Nosi floats better than my wife’s (10 kg lighter than me) 180 cm Falketinds. It is also much easier to turn in Scandianvian type slightly heavier pow. No remarkable difference on the approach or climbing with 60 mm mohair X-skins. Upper slopes where very hard packed, even icy at some places. Despite of Nosi’s width it was somehow manageable also there. Atleast not worse compared to Falketind.

Awesome! We've skied here! We got our car stuck when SOMEONE related to me by marriage drove it into a 'free parking spot' near the lake that was actually bottomless snow at the beginning of the snowmobile route/ski trail and we were saved by a passing Norwegian with alpine rescue gear practicing for Everest.

No Toyota Tacoma’s in Norway????

Oh, well, we have been saved by a very large truck before. This time it was a man with an orange plastic collapsible shovel who showed us the amazing rocking technique for getting out of deep snow (rock gas rock gas rock gas ROCK GAS free!). We had a great big 2021 Nissan X-Trail with a diff lock and everything and would have been in real trouble were it not for him.

(By the way it's an amazing spot to ski in one of the most extraordinary places in the whole of Norway. The Reijsa National Park, where this colossal trans-border trail begins, is one of the most incredible places on the planet. The secret hasn't got out of Norway and long may it remain the case!)

[fisheater]

It sounds like an amazing place. I like to have a shovel in the back of the truck, but when the snow fools you and you end up in a ditch, good fortune is best!

[lilcliffy]

I am new here so first: hello from Helsinki, Finland!

Hello from New Brunswick, Canada- Welcome!

I have had Nosis in 172 cm since last spring. I have also those old white and blue Storetinds in 180 cm. I have been skiing with those mainly at Finnish and Swedish fells up north and also some resort skiing with Storetinds here in the southern Finland. In addition I have also OAC XCD BCs for nearhood pow hunting at smaller Southern Finland hills. I ski all thise skis with 75 mm Alaskas & Rottefellla Super Tele Cable or Voile Cable bindings. I used to have old Alico Doubles but they were too heavy and the fit was not good for my feet.

I have had some difficulties in turning with Storetinds in the heavier wind packed pow stuff that we usually have in Lapland. I also wanted the shorter 18 m radius of the 172 Nosi because I wanted it to be purely a fun xcD ski. Therefore I went one size down with the Nosi. Compared to Storetind Nosi is much less stiff and because of the generous rocker it is a very turny ski. Therefore they could have been manageable even in the 180 cm lenght but it is also possible that the longer lenght would have preferred stiffer boots.

Very helpful experience here- thank you! I too have the Storetind Carbon- it is VERY stiff, and also more cambered than my current-model Rabb 68. Good to know the boot that you are using too.

Curious- do you mind sharing your height and weight? I am 178cm tall and 85kg- I would lean towards the 180 Nosi- especially considering its rocker.

I doubt that Åsnes has sold that many pairs of Nosis to be used with AT bindings/boots and therefore they have changed the recommended use for that ski. I ski also with AT gear (I have been alpine skiing since 80’sad done it a lot). I would say Nosi is too light and soft for AT kind of downhill skiing. I could guess that most Nosis have been sold to be used as xcD skis and therefore they have just re-branded it, changed the layout and added the groove.

Good information- thanks!

Ps. There is no difference with the inserts. I have been using exclusively the same 58 mm mohair X-skins that I use with the Storetinds.

Well- this is GREAT news! I was falsely under the impression that the "Access" skin insert was wider!
Thanks again and happy holidays!
Gareth

[fisheater]

[/quote]
Well- this is GREAT news! I was falsely under the impression that the "Access" skin insert was wider!
Thanks again and happy holidays!
Gareth

@lilcliffy

Gareth I have Access Skins for my Tindan, the “teeth” have twice the space between them as do my X-skin.
Now this report makes me think I better order another set!

[lilcliffy]

@fisheater
Huh...That confirms what I thought...

[stenu]

Hello Lillcliffy. I am 179 cm and 80ish kg.

In my opinion: If you plan to ski Nosi only in deep, light and soft pow, the longer length will propably be a better choice. If you must ski also in wetter or packed kind of but still soft snow, the shorter will be easier to handle and turn. If you plan to ski also with plastic boots the longer may be a better choice. With leather boots the shorter is easier to handle in tricky situations where boot power would be needed. If you plan to ski exclusively on open slopes and with longer radius turns the longer one is propably better but if you ski also in the woods etc and with shorter radius turns the shorter will be easier to handle atleast with leather boots. Maby the best option would be to have the both lengths..

Despite of the rocker, the efective edge is long enough even on groomed slopes. There is much learning left and my tele skiing is far from perfect but here is a short clip from last week: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91776472 ... /lightbox/

And a couple of pics from last spring in Riksgränsen in good snow. 15-30 cm of not pow but nice soft snow on a good base.





@Fisheater, it seems that on Tindan the insert grooves are wider. 100 mm Acces skins must have wider inserts than 74 mm Access skins. With Nosi you can use all Åsnes skins from 74 mm atleast down to 45 mm.

I just ordered also 145 cm long Pomoca Race skins for yo-yo skiing on steeper slopes. They are also easier to remove without taking the skis off and/or with gloves on which is the only downside of the Access/X-skin system. They are very hard to get off the ski without taking the gloves away and when it is -23 C degrees with 17 m/sec wind like last week in Kilpisjärvi, you would prefer having the gloves on.

[lilcliffy]

Hello Lillcliffy. I am 179 cm and 80ish kg.

Thank you- helpful!

In my opinion: If you plan to ski Nosi only in deep, light and soft pow, the longer length will propably be a better choice. If you must ski also in wetter or packed kind of but still soft snow, the shorter will be easier to handle and turn. If you plan to ski also with plastic boots the longer may be a better choice. With leather boots the shorter is easier to handle in tricky situations where boot power would be needed. If you plan to ski exclusively on open slopes and with longer radius turns the longer one is propably better but if you ski also in the woods etc and with shorter radius turns the shorter will be easier to handle atleast with leather boots. Maby the best option would be to have the both lengths..

I would mount XP on the Nosi 76- no plastic Telemark boot on this ski. (I still have 75mm mounted on my Storetind as I do still use a Scarpa T4 boot on that ski).

I am generally unable to travel to do any big-mountain, above-treeline ski touring-
in my local touring context, the primary use for this ski for me would be open hardwood forest glade skiing- in moderate to steep terrain. The snow conditions need to be ideal for glade skiing- truly deep snow (the woody debris and woody understory need to be buried)- in mid-winter, when these conditions are ideal, there is a deep refrozen consolidated base, with soft cold snow on top. I have been using a 180 Rabb in these conditions and am thrilled with it. Buying the Nosi would be purely indulgent, and probably only give me a slight performance edge in truly deep powder snow after a storm. But- why not?

There is also excellent late winter-spring glade skiing here- on corn snow- but I don't need flotation here- the Rabb or the S-Bound 98 are plenty wide enough.

Would love to try both lengths- but, will probably get 180 if I buy a Nosi...with a Nordic binding, I don't like skis that are shorter than my height in deep snow. The rockered and tapered tail of the Nosi should allow one to slarve and smear a turn in a tight spot- yes?

I didn't really consider the Nosi when I bought the Rabb (at least partly becasue of the sale price and availability of the Rabb)-
but, now after a couple of seasons- if I could- I would probably trade my 196 Falketind 62X for a 196 Rabb 68; and my 180 Rabb 68 for a 180 Nosi 76X.

(I have actually had a spectacular 10 days touring on the 196 FTX- incredible trail conditions in hilly-steep terrain (not enough base for full-on glade skiing)- but, a 196 Rabb 68 would give me extra float and stability in deeper snow)

Despite of the rocker, the efective edge is long enough even on groomed slopes.

Good info- perhaps less rockered than the Rabb? This fits the description on the Asnes site.

There is much learning left and my tele skiing is far from perfect but here is a short clip from last week: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91776472 ... /lightbox/

Nice!

it seems that on Tindan the insert grooves are wider. 100 mm Acces skins must have wider inserts than 74 mm Access skins. With Nosi you can use all Åsnes skins from 74 mm atleast down to 45 m

I see now that on the Norwegian Asnes site, it is clearly stated that the Nosi has 'X-skin" inserts.
Thanks again!