Alternatives to Alpina Alaska 75mm

[snow-mark]

As with @Rodbelan (posted in another thread), my Alaska 75mm are splitting just behind the pinholes. A little annoying but they are five years old or so. I’m thinking about switch to NNNBC (already have boots, Alaskas of course!).

But if I stick with 75mm for at least a couple pairs of skis, what other boots would folks recommend? The Alaskas were pretty comfortable, but I didn’t like the thin duckbill and the way the laces would always loosen up on me. So I’m considering alternatives.

What else is a good balance between kick and glide and downhill control for 75mm boots these days?

[fisheater]

Snow-mark I posted on Rod’s thread two boots that could be possible replacements. The Crispi Bre and the Crispi Svartisen. I believe the Bre is a Norwegian welt constructed boot, so it is most likely durable. I have heard the Bre is soft, I would probably ask @Roelant if it was too soft to use with the ST cable. The Svartisen is another boot that is available in The States. Both boots are available from Fey Brothers in New Hampshire. I would study @lilcliffy review of that boot. My concern would be that the exoskeleton would inhibit comfortable kick and glide.
One boot that would not be on my list is the Transnordic 75. The Alaska 75 is a soft boot that kicks and glides very nicely, I think better than the Alaska BC. With the ST cable the Alaska 75 turns powerfully. I want that soft kick and glide. In fairness I own a stiff leather boot as well.
Other boots would be Alfa’s 75 mm offering. I have also seen some Alico boots from time to time. I’ve seen Andrew boots, but rarely over the years. Lastly if you use your platinum card Ludhags has some 75 mm offering, but they seem pretty specialized and not towards day touring.
I hope this helps

[GrimSurfer]

Guys like @fisheater , @lilcliffy , and @Roelant have a lot of experience with boots… so maybe they can support or dismiss what I would offer.

It’s pretty clear that skis will perform differently, depending on the boot. What works one day on soft snow won’t work as well the next on cold and dry snow.

Moving to a common binding system will give you options beyond a spare set of boots. It might even save a few $s by giving you a skiable option (different boot/ski combo) without having to buy another pair of boards.

Yup, you’ll lose a binding option (which can ski differently too). But you’ll gain flexibility in your quiver that doesn’t require more shelf space.

[fisheater]

I don’t know @GrimSurfer My quiver is 3 basic skis a Gamme, a Falketind X, and a Tindan 86, with a MT 51 as my thin snow cruiser.
Now for boots I have an Alaska BC which I like on my skinny skis, and I think it turns better than the Alaska 75 without at cable. Then for leather I have an Alico Ski March which is stiff and heavy, but I enjoy it more than my T-4 when I can use it. My Rotte ST with cable binding has really marginalized this boot, I get all the performance I usually need now with the Alaska 75.
So, I have four pair of boots, and 3 pair of skis for regular use. In my defense I purchased bothe the Ski March and my Alaska 75 for less than $100 per pair, new to my door. The Alico was a gamble on fit, the Alaska 75 was a spring close out.

[fisheater]

The one common binding system may be Xplore. However, for me I am invested in 75 mm, and I do not believe Xplore can outperform 75 mm downhill. At least not currently I don’t believe Alfa Free and Xplore outperforms 75 mm and a cable. That being said, you still need to clip and unclip the cable for kick and glide and downhill performance. I really like both!

[GrimSurfer]

I guess I’m wondering out loud what would give a skier more “skiable” options:

1. Three boots divided between two different binding systems for four skis or

2. Three boots interchangeable on four skis (same binding system).

IDK if there is a simple answer to the question, but having 12 viable options (3x4) seems more reasonable than having 7 viable configurations (1x1 + 2x3).

The complicating issue is the debate over which binding is better for a particular condition. Personally, I think each basic binding system bring different/unique strengths and weaknesses to every scenario… and I could probably live and get over going with one system in exchange for more boot/ski combinations.

I’m invested in one binding system at the moment. Not heavily. But before going further down the road, I will need to decide whether to stay on the NNN BC bus or switch to XPlore.

If I had a minor investment in 75mm, I would have the same question.

Personally, I don’t see NNN BC or 75mm representing big investment $s, Rather, Crispi + Alfa + Alpina certainly qualifies as such.

[fisheater]

I think the option you may be looking for is Xplore. You could cover a broad spectrum. 75 mm also has even a broader spectrum, however the industry is offering more boots in Xplore. The difference being there isn’t a plastic Xplore boot, and I don’t think the system is suited for plastic.
I think the industry is committed to NTN for plastic boots, but they will make enough plastic boots in 75 mm to keep us old guys going.
Does that make sense?

[GrimSurfer]

Yup. It does to me.

Last year would have been a gamble of sorts. This year, lots of quality boots in Xplore. Looking more like a no-brainer with each passing day.

Xplore bindings are pricey, but I’d probably put threaded inserts into a few older skis and have an Xplore to swap around at first. Save the permanent mounts for my better skis.

Agree on the plastic boot issue. Not sure how much torque the binding/materials in the Xplore could take.

[snow-mark]

@GrimSurfer @fisheater Well, one way or another I’m still going to have at least one pair of skis with 3pin cable bindings (my Madshus Epochs, which I will now be able to use only with my Fischer BCX875 boots). I suppose I might replace those skis with a new downhill oriented ski someday and consider a different binding. But probably not any time soon because my outings prioritize miles over turns. So I’m wondering whether I should I look to add some 75mm boots eventually, or move on. Hence my question for what else out there is a good 75mm boot. There aren’t many.

One reason to stick with 3pin is that I’m already seeing one of the major drawbacks of NNNBC - it packs up with snow and ice pretty easily, more so than 3pin IMO.

I remember @lilcliffy review of the Svartisen made me conclude it wouldn’t work for me. That was for the NNNBC version but probably the 75mm is similar. But if I can order it domestically at least I can return it without too much cost.

[GrimSurfer]

I’ve had snow and ice issues with 3 pin too. The holes get jammed (I’ve even had small stones in them) and the bail closes, messing up the pin holes with wear and elongation.

The NNN BC can clog. I find that’s at the boot end though. The only snow that gets into the binding is the stuff carried by the boot.

Then again, I use lithium spray on my NNN BC binding clamp and sliding mechanism, plus liquid glide wax on the boot pin area. Cuts down on problems somewhat.

To/from the trailhead, I use a slip on rubber she cover (oversized) to keep my ski boots clean on the bottom. They also allow me to drive with my ski boots on (I only live a few km from a number of trails). I’ll pop them on if I get out of my skis for any time, through they’re a bit tough to get on in the cold.

Could never use them with a duckbill. But no system is perfect… though Inhavent tried Xplore yet. Looks like it might be somewhat immune to the problem.