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Hi,I'm admittedly more XC oriented than a real telemarker, but as time flows I more and more go offpiste (10 up to 30 degree terrain) with my XC skating gear. Noe it's time to change pilot skating the boots (some old Salomon).1) Does it make sense to swithc to some BC-NNN or XADV equivalent? How about their lateral support for skating?2) What are the largest skis that are well confortable still skatable?Cheersgfwp
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The gear to upgrade (new BC bindings or total change) is based on a 51/46/49 full steel edged Fischer Powerlight, which I tele-drive down in powder or crust or also prepared alpine terrain.The wish is also to have a single ski solution for all situations (à la S. Barnett). Decently skatable, but softenough to be be good at turning.Cheers againgfwp -
Paging Captain Nordic, Captain Nordic to the white courtesy phone ..........Comment
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Aren't the powerlight a 'crown' version? If so, they won't be very good for skating anyway.
NNN-BC/SNS-BC doesn't have the 2nd attachment bar like a pilot binding so it won't be as good for skating. Ultimately unless you are pushing them very hard, pilot bindings should be fine for light end skiing. We skate snowmobile trails on them (with skate skis) and they work fine.Comment
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I didn't explain enough well, sorry.
The Fischer Powerlite are waxable, and mounted with pilot skating SNS. Great ski to skate, very fast and aggressive, despite the fact that it if officially sold as a "light BC model".
My skatings boots are slowly reaching the "end of life" since holes are appearing in the upper part. So I don't know if is time to upgrade also the bindings to a NNN-BC / XADV to have more rugged material, or just buy another pilot skating boot pair.
Consider that I use these skis more and more in unprepaired (and partially steep) terrain, combined with Madshus Intelligrip skins (I really love the Intelligrips) and not just only for skating.
Regards
gfwpComment
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Here's a site from a like-minded individual:
People seem to skate fine with Madshus Glittertinds / Voss skis and things in the NNN-BC universe (e.g., the winter Alaska Wilderness Classic tends to be dominated by this strategy).Comment
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White Grass in WV mostly uses NNN-BC so this video might give a sense of what you can do on it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEWYPn_5yocComment
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If skating is the goal, narrow skate ski and actual skate boots are the ticket. Should you be wanting a more all-around set up, and are rarely on harder surfaces, then by all means work with the SNS-BC or NNN-BC set-ups on skis like the Voss or similar offerings. Stay on the slender side as skating on even slightly wide skis sucks when done as the main form of propulsion. Your skills as a skater should be well honed so you have the needed tools and muscles to power through when skating is a brutish though effective affair. You mainly must be nuts and have a great penchant for suffering without showing it!Comment
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Captain Nordic finally reached the white courtesy phone....
As usual, I agree with Mr. Eastman if you're truly wanting to skate and enjoy all the benefits that light skating gear will give you. As many on the forum know, we've been doing many many backcountry skate tours with old Fischer Revolution skis, but sometimes the lack of length (147 cm.) bothers some folks. In that event, some friends have gone to old Fischer JibSkates (again, pretty indestructible). Some like the metal edge capabilities of the Fischer Adventure Revolutions (157 cm.), but I find those still too heavy and wide, but again, ymmv. I've found a top-end skating boot like the Salomon RS Carbon Skate or S-Labs to more than adequate for making just about any kind of turn in the backcountry. And again, for trips with more than a little bit of "exposure," we most often carry a spare ski with us, just in case.
CNComment
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ah, so it is. welcome!Comment
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^^^ Agreed. Nice to see you posting again. Pretty sure I'm going to start skating again after a ten year hiatus after racing in HS. Gonna get the wife out to RG on NY Day.[/derail]Comment
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An allround good skating as a base + powder backcountry with Intelligrip kicker skins + telemark downhill (and occasionally also on prepared alpine terrain) is the background idea. So of course skating gear is better for skating, but what is the limit for BC gear. Are 65/55/60 skis still pretty decently skatable on SNS-XADV? Since the family is quite large I would like to reduce the number of skis and boots to bring around in my minivan (at the moment is more than 10 pairs).Comment
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Making telemark turns tends to put lots more torque / stress on the binding than christie-style turns. Not to mention that NNN and NNN-BC and SNS Profile + Pilot bindings are designed to transmit turning force / torque with heel down (as in christie + parallel turns).
Telemark turns in the backcountry have a long-standing reputation of breaking NNN-BC bindings. Most backcountry skiers on non-beefy bindings reserve the telemark turn for an occasional photo-op / show-off move.
Unless you've got a special plan for how to get back to the car with a broken binding.
Also consider that transmitting force / torque through a non-releasable boot-binding system works both ways. The beefier your binding + boot, the bigger the probability of tearing ligaments or even spiral fracture of tibia. Need a really special plan for how to get back to your vehicle after that - (carry a SPOT?).
Ken
P.S. 4 days so far out skating the ungroomed.Comment
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Your not skating in powder....hardpack? Telekid was skating on e99's 4-6 inches of fluff on a pond but no way in the bush......Also telemark down with longer skinnier little shaped skis....generally translates into head them down with slight angulations for svelte long arcs....meaning just enough to slow you a bit but not turn across the fall line....Turning into the fall line is an entirely different paradigm... but not something that stresses bindings, certainly not three pins......Arc on.....TMComment
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