Please help newbie decide on skis??

[PatMcMullon]

I can't help with ski selection, but Varuste in Finland has their waxless Asnes skis on for 20% off. There are a few models including the Amundsten Frams you mentioned in an earlier post and the Mountain 51s that were also mentioned.

I believe Fischer E99s were mentioned as well. I got a pair from Telemark Pyrenees earlier this year. Came from France in less than a week - no duty and $12 broker fee with UPS (in addition to the shipping charge). They were significantly cheaper than anywhere I could find them in Canada.

[mfjelddalen]

I'm currently in Southern Ontario but there's a good chance that I will be relocating to Western Connecticut so that would be my new ski area. Catskills, Adirondacks, Berkshires, maybe White Mountains in NH etc... I guess that would make a difference to the ski I choose?

I don't know the difference in terrain. If you got flats and rolling terrain now, and Gamme54 and e99 (dont know Madshus and Rossi so well - pardon the ignorence) is perhaps your first choices when it comes to how well they suit the terrain. If your next location is more rolling terrain, perhaps steeper climbs, etc - then the Nansen, Ingstad and Traverse78, Excursion88 (all waxless options) becomes more relevant, due to their specs, mainly the sidecut and camber-profile. Now - what will suit your needs best? I dont know. If you don't know what your looking for, its impossible for us to try to give you advice, 'cause advice has to have some type of foundation. So its a wild guess. But you can try to spesify your needs and wishes

For instance:
- downhill performance vs XC performance. You cant have best of both, a ski that performs incredible in DH and XC, those abilities are some what bipolar. What blend of abilities do you want in your ski (read: what type of terrain will you mostly ski in).
- how well shall the ski float (in lose conditions). Longer and/or wider skis will float best. Bot longer skis will be harder to manage DH, and to short skis will not float sufficient enough. And when you consider how wide ski you want, you will most likely be altering HD performance, so it is all some how tangled up.

But heres some pointers:
- Nansen is the only one without a "tip-rocker". In short, in some ways it will not perform as well downhill as the rest. So a bit more versatile towards flats, etc.
- Ingstad has double-camber, while the rest has single-camber (1.5 some call it?), which I will say is not "optimal" for downhill abilities. Now Ingstad is design/contructed in other ways that makes it perform well downhill, but to avoid to get to complicated (I even mailed Åsnes to ask, they did replay from tech.department, but did not answer my question properly) : The fischer models has singel-camber, which in theory makes them more stable downhill.
- READ the REVIEWS on telemarktalk. Check and compare what they like/dislike in the ski, do they use it in same terrain, wheight/height of the skier compared to you. You got probably more (honest) info here than any manufacturer will write on any website

[Bazillions]

I can't help with ski selection, but Varuste in Finland has their waxless Asnes skis on for 20% off. There are a few models including the Amundsten Frams you mentioned in an earlier post and the Mountain 51s that were also mentioned.

I believe Fischer E99s were mentioned as well. I got a pair from Telemark Pyrenees earlier this year. Came from France in less than a week - no duty and $12 broker fee with UPS (in addition to the shipping charge). They were significantly cheaper than anywhere I could find them in Canada.

Earlier this year I bought a pair of sbound 98s/voile 3 pin cable traverse combo from that site. Something funny happened; I had left the items in the cart 24/48 hours, went back and looked and the whole setup had dropped in price by $170-$200 (forget exactly). I wasn't sure I was actually going to buy them at first, but after seeing that price drop I just had to, was half expecting an email saying a mistake happened, but I got a package five days later (crossing the Atlantic) and it was all there.

So uh, if you ever buy off that site, leave things in the cart a while, not sure what the hell happened, secret sale?

[ludwigk]

I appreciate everyone's help and comments here... I've tried calling several shops in Canada but I either get totally clueless sales associates or "sorry...we're too busy to help over the phone and have no stock anyway"!? Looks like I will have to order blindly from overseas.

OK, I'm leaning more towards flat XC performance vs up/downhill. I've also conceded to the option of getting a wax ski since it seems there are very few waxless options. Leaning towards BORGE OUSLAND or Gamme 54? Am I able to use my Alpina Alaska or Alpha Guard GTX boots and NNNBC Magnum bindings with these narrower skis??

[athabascae]

I don't have those particular skis but if I picked one ski for touring (as opposed to turns) they would be the two I would be eyeing as well, maybe the E99, Nansen, or Amundsen too, but definitely that general class of ski. Skis of that class are excellent with NNN BC.

The Alaska and Guard Advance are among the top recommended boots available for NNN BC at the moment (if not THE top two). I have the Alaska and love it, but am tempted to think the Guard Advance is a more comfortable overall touring boot if the fit is right, as it is lighter and perhaps a bit softer flex and cuff, based on reports here. Others that have owned both can provide better input than me.

[ludwigk]

Aren’t the BC magnum bindings too wide for those skis?

[athabascae]

Depends on the ski. In general I don't think so at all.

Though with those more narrower skis (e.g. Ousland and Gamme) I would personally be inclined to put the standard NNN BC manuals (not magnums). But that is simply a personal preference.

I do have the wider magnums on my Asnes Rago (57 mm waist) as that is what they came with (used). They work great and do not feel or look at all out of place.