LoveJohnny is right. In Northern Minnesota where I lived a machete would be your best tool for hacking through the underbrush. I once crossed the border into Ontario, Canada, and the situation got even worse. About the only way to get around in that part of Ontario would have been to ski a frozen st...

Raventele, I think I already mentioned that Asnes builds the NATO ski and they also offer two other versions in the exact same dimensions. One of them is made for hunting with dogs, and a very likely venue for that ski is the "swamp tele" thing that you seem to have dissed. Flatland skiing in swamps...

Specifically, I find it amazing that an American has never won gold in Olympic Biathlon. Given that gold medals have been won by Americans in cross country skiing, and given that rifle marksmanship is a widely practiced American discipline, you would think that Olympic Biathlon would have as many Am...

Well, I think that a lot of guys who buy heavy Telemark gear to get a couple of thousand feet of vertical in a day's time would do a lot better to buy AT gear. I have a set of Scarpa T2X boots and Dynastar Altiride skis with Voile CRB bindings that I would trade for AT gear in a heartbeat. That said...

Raventele, I think we need to consider that BC or backcountry means "back country". It's the boonies, and there are lots of kinds of boonies. For instance, when I lived in northern Minnesota, the Glittertind would be an outstandimng ski for the backcountry there as you can ski 20 km and NEVER get to...

I have ridden motorcycles for 80% of my life, and the old saying in motorcycle groups is that helmets were only meant for those with brains worth protecting. That leaves out most skiers just as it leaves out most Harley-Davidson owners. It would be better to lean your skis up against one of the Harl...

Maybe RT (Russia Today) will be providing lots of coverage, since it has a large internet presence and it is part of the Russian government which is going to want to toot its own horn rather loudly since Sochi is in its home territory. www.RT.com RT has a growing popularity in the alternative news m...

Modern XC ski gear and backcountry ski gear have almost nothing in common. The proof of this is looking at the Asnes ski catalog. They are the ski company that builds skis for the Norwegian military (and the U.S. military in the past). They still offer the NATO ski in their catalog, and a very simil...

Personally, I think some old Birkenstock sandals bolted to a Fischer E109 would make a good "Krautenski" setup. Just run a bungee cord around your heel when you want to carve some downhill turns. I think in a twisting fall it would qualify as a release binding. Should work really well while wearing ...

I could not get my Fischer Rebound Crown skis under control with standard Rottefella Super Telemark bindings and Rossi BC-X11 boots. I upgraded to Voile classic 3-pin cable bindings with a 20mm riser, and I had a totally different experience. I don't know how you are going to do much of anything in ...