This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
Aren't the Hoks slow and draggy, more of a snowshoe that slides? Wouldn't a short Kom be a better choice. I don't look for touring speed out of my set up but I draw the line somewhere.
While the skin mohair does drag, so do fishscales. Both will be slow to some extent.
The real problem with the Hoks will be that the edges aren't full length, and they are too soft to give edge hold under all conditions. The Koms would definitely be better.
However, I already have a pair of Hoks, as well as Asnes Støretinds, and Fischer S-Bound 112s, and want to try out this kind of skiing before buying still more equipment
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Excursions are a very stiff boot - so if you get them plan on paying for a free pivot binding or avoiding long uphill climbs.
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Excursions are NOT a "very stiff boot". They are made from a rather soft and flexible plastic which I've found softens up considerably the more you ski them. Brand new they feel stiff but soften quickly. Ive owned and skied stiffer Merrell leather tele boots. The crew that I ski with have used Excursions with 3pin bindings for many years when touring for turns in steep hardwoods glades and deep snow. We've been known to use this setup for long flat tours out to the hills and then do laps all day and tour home late in the day. IMO, the Excursions are some of the most comfortable ski boots I've used. YMMV
I ‘ve never owned Excursions, I was just going by the general consensus of this forum that they don’t kick and glide like a leather boot.
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Excursions are a very stiff boot - so if you get them plan on paying for a free pivot binding or avoiding long uphill climbs.
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Excursions are NOT a "very stiff boot". They are made from a rather soft and flexible plastic which I've found softens up considerably the more you ski them. Brand new they feel stiff but soften quickly. Ive owned and skied stiffer Merrell leather tele boots. The crew that I ski with have used Excursions with 3pin bindings for many years when touring for turns in steep hardwoods glades and deep snow. We've been known to use this setup for long flat tours out to the hills and then do laps all day and tour home late in the day. IMO, the Excursions are some of the most comfortable ski boots I've used. YMMV
I ‘ve never owned Excursions, I was just going by the general consensus of this forum that they don’t kick and glide like a leather boot.
Anyone care to expound n this?
Based on my experience, well broken in Excursions k+g about as well as an Asolo Extreme IMO, especially if you loosen the cuff. Asolo Snowfields or Alpina Alaskas k+g better due to less stiffness and lighter weight. I also had a pair of heavy Merrell leather tele boots with straps and a wicked forward lean that were terrible for k+g and were heavier than my Excursions.
I have similar experience and concur with @connyro on the Excursion and T4/T3. Their kick & glide is similar to bigger leather boots like the Scarpa Wasatch(very stiff single boot) and my Merrell Double boots. In addition, my Excursions and T4/3s are more comfortable, warm, waterproof, and deliver significantly better downhill control - even when I ski them barely buckled and loose to maximize range of motion.
I've had Asolo Snowpines, Snowfields and a variety of NNN-BC boots, including the Alpin Alaska BC and 2500 BC, and while they do k&g better, they are still in a lesser category of downhill capabilities compared to the Excursions.
Aren't the Hoks slow and draggy, more of a snowshoe that slides? Wouldn't a short Kom be a better choice. I don't look for touring speed out of my set up but I draw the line somewhere.
While the skin mohair does drag, so do fishscales. Both will be slow to some extent.
The real problem with the Hoks will be that the edges aren't full length, and they are too soft to give edge hold under all conditions. The Koms would definitely be better.
However, I already have a pair of Hoks, as well as Asnes Støretinds, and Fischer S-Bound 112s, and want to try out this kind of skiing before buying still more equipment
Yeah there is drag from both, but if your experience is the same as mine, you will find that the scales on wide skis drag less than the scales on skinny skis. I don't know why, but I think it is because there less psi (pounds per square inch) on each scale.
No harm in using the Hoks that you already have, and I wouldn't let the lack of a full edge bother you. I doubt it makes a difference in soft snow. Their slow speed and short length should shorten the learning curve learning to make turns. With the Excursions I think you have a great setup for what you want to do. If xc is what you love, it only gets better with the addition of making turns. If you stick with it it will be a fantastic journey.
riel,
You're going to have a blast. The Hoks get better the steeper and deeper it gets. The key to this for me is the single pole, though. I don't ski resorts so don't have much experience with packed snow.
lowangle al,
I ski my Hoks mostly up skin tracks or up steep untracked stuff that's too steep for touring and then down the steepest stuff I can find which is how I would ski Greylock. So, I don't really notice any draggy. But, I do tour a bit with them and am, you might say, touring-curious. I'll probably wind up with some Koms pretty soon. I really can't say enough about the Hoks in terrain that most people ski with AT gear - at least here in VT (similar to Greylock). Take my opinion in context though - I'm a horrible skier with very little experience skiing anything but Hoks with a single pole in steep forested terrain. I'm sure a real skier who loves to kick and glide would not find the Hoks a great choice. But, if you want to have more fun than a human being deserves, get some Hoks, a single pole and find some really steep, tight glades with a couple feet of powder.
I had a pair of the blue cuffed Alpina NNNBC boots in that photo.BC@)0s, I’d probablfbuy into the Xplore System if they made that boot again! I’d even buy a used one if I could find it but I’ve heard the plastic explodes.
Lo-Fi do you still have them? Are they intact?
My cuff didn't make it very long. Too bad because they were super comfortable. I had the cobbler add some eyelets and they are still usable, but with less support in the upper.
I had a pair of the blue cuffed Alpina NNNBC boots in that photo... I’d even buy a used one if I could find it but I’ve heard the plastic explodes...Lo-Fi do you still have them? Are they intact?
True to form, they disintegrated. The mid-soles cracked in numerous places and de-laminated. The plastic cuff became brittle and various pieces and the buckles snapped off.
riel,
You're going to have a blast. The Hoks get better the steeper and deeper it gets. The key to this for me is the single pole, though. I don't ski resorts so don't have much experience with packed snow.
lowangle al,
I ski my Hoks mostly up skin tracks or up steep untracked stuff that's too steep for touring and then down the steepest stuff I can find which is how I would ski Greylock. So, I don't really notice any draggy. But, I do tour a bit with them and am, you might say, touring-curious. I'll probably wind up with some Koms pretty soon. I really can't say enough about the Hoks in terrain that most people ski with AT gear - at least here in VT (similar to Greylock). Take my opinion in context though - I'm a horrible skier with very little experience skiing anything but Hoks with a single pole in steep forested terrain. I'm sure a real skier who loves to kick and glide would not find the Hoks a great choice. But, if you want to have more fun than a human being deserves, get some Hoks, a single pole and find some really steep, tight glades with a couple feet of powder.
" More fun than a human being deserves" I feel like that all the time. Just imagine how much more fun it's gonna be with better gear and skills.
