Interview with Steve Barnett

[TeleMarcin]

Hi I am new to this forum and I would like to say hello to everybody. I am XCD skier from Poland and run ski blog www.loppet.pl i have recenty reviewed Steve Barnett Classic book and with this respect I have asked him a few questions. Please find below a link to this interview:

http://www.loppet.pl/2013/12/steve-barnett-wywiad-dla-loppetpl.html

[Charley White]

Thanks for that, TeleMarcin. You too, sb.

[Crowbar]

Great content, TeleMarcin. That's an interesting and fresh perspective of XCD-style skiing, which is sometimes lacking on this forum.

[Robert]

Thanks for the link, TeleMarcin. When I moved west from the Canadian prairies it was Steve Barnett's "Cross-Country Downhill, and Other Nordic Mountain Skiing Techniques" that inspired me to give up my XC Bonna skis and begin to explore the real mountains. I'm holding that well-worn copy in my hand right now. The pictures and words are as familiar to me as the baby pictures of my children.

I am grateful to Steve Barnett, and the videos by Dick Hall — still available at telemarknato.com, for making possible countless snowy adventures.

[maples]

Great book for sure.
His choice of new gear is nice.

[Rodbelan]

I think it would be interesting to turn the book into a DVD... to resurrect some of the techniques that will be lost if we don't do something about it. (The passage on the Open turn is a mystery to me... Couple of guys at TTips tried to explain but still not that clear... Now with the closing of TTips, I can't read their answers back...)

[Vtfreeski]

Over the years, sb has posted now and then about
being able to ski some terrible conditions with
control and grace on the likes of Glittertinds with SNS Pilot boots
and (of course) SNS bindings..Now and then a pic
of his way of skiing such lite gear on the likes of a crust
has been seen, but never a video..It certainly would
interesting to see a vid of sb in action..In that brief
interview, I notice he (re)states his belief that ultra-lite gear
can be very stable and appropriate to miserable snow --
as an aside, I would mention that singing the praises
of very light gear gets regular ridicule for at least 1
member of this forum
In the absence of documentation, one is just left to guess,
And my guess is that he would be perfectly at home meadow
skipping with the Kingdom Tele boys..

Wait, there was one "'documentary" I DID see of sb
skiing..He skied on Washington (or was it Rainy ??) Pass
in the North Cascades and he skied with Mitch of Ttips fame!
No one skied super-light gear..They all skied Karhu Guides (Annums?)
with Voile 3pc and , I think, Excursions ..
There was also an interesting sb post with pics on Ttips in which
sb demonstrated (tracks) of using his favoured technique of
busting the crusts when meadow skipping..

It certainly would be great if a video series were done by
the likes of sb, Mr T and Eric Burr ( Mr. Burr largely gets
the credit for his work in perfecting the "Open" or "Burr
Turn" and he actually still teaches turning XC skis as his
speciality up in the Methow) but unless it's put together
by piece and part, I doubt it happens..Yea it's a shame..

[James]

I would mention that singing the praises
of very light gear gets regular ridicule for at least 1
member of this forum

Bull, the ridicule is regarding his negative comments about other gear he has never skied. This topic gets real old yet you and him constantly and inaccurately bring it up. There are a lot of skiers here who ski light gear and more then a few that ski all types of gear. We just don't pass judgment on what other people choose. Why don't those people get ridiculed?

[Crowbar]

Bull, the ridicule is regarding his negative comments about other gear he has never skied. This topic gets real old yet you and him constantly and inaccurately bring it up. There are a lot of skiers here who ski light gear and more then a few that ski all types of gear. We just don't pass judgment on what other people choose. Why don't those people get ridiculed?

I agree James. Some people are just not that interested in discussing light gear and XCD on this forum due, I believe, to the subject always getting taken over by a couple of members who have nothing to say except that if you don't do it like them, then you are doing it wrong.

[MattB]

Thanks for sharing that!

[Teleman]

Wah,wah, crybaby James and crybar dripping tears on powder making it hardpack......Go back to yer fat rockered, stubby crybaby skis with bindings that weigh more than our skis.....Lite works but not for the masses James and crybar....back to your downhillskis, bindings, and boots....pretend your telemarking.....while looking just like parallelers....heading out now boys on 2-3 inches of breakable crust base with 1-2 inches of powder.....gonna be fun.....pins, leather,skinnies....aaaahhhhh.....Teleman

[elinck]

Interesting he's on Dynafits / 3-pins / Excursions. I was thinking recently that rando-inspired skis might be an interesting pairing with XCD boots and bindings.

[James]

Interesting he's on Dynafits / 3-pins / Excursions. I was thinking recently that rando-inspired skis might be an interesting pairing with XCD boots and bindings.

There are a few modern rando inspired skis that are lighter and easier to ski then some of the Fisher and Madshus skis that are so popular. The down side is they don't have fish scales and are expensive. I have a pair of 88 waist Movement Logic X that are lighter then any of my 65 waist Fisher or Kazamas. I use them for spring ski mountaineering. I don't do all that much XCD skiing because of where I live but have wondered about how they would work for that.

[Valdez Telehead]

I dream of Barnett on fat skis and burly boots floating through deep powder out west.

…..sorry.

Good interview, thanks.

[polemonium]

On the old forum and in this interview, sb has consistently advocated for XCD skiing and light gear, without being a jerk or asserting that gear choices are somehow related to superiority at skiing. I enjoy that and choose to ignore people who have to make it personal. (I like this type of skiing but do not have the experience to ski well on light gear myself.) Thanks for posting the interview.