E99 vs. Outback 68 vs. Sporten Ranger

[Ski nut]

Hi all ski experts here.
I ski a lot. I am 140lbs, 5'10. Alpine I an advanced, black diamonds are fine.
I live in the East. Lake Placid is the highest we have.

All around ski I need for X-country. I had skate skies, Fischer and sold them. Just found them too narrow and too short.
I have a pair of Rossignol Snowscape grey ones with Fischer boots and NNN. I can get just about anywhere on groomed trails with them, I just can't stop. I don't wanna kill myself on the corners or hills, but I love a little speed, who doesn't.
No much powder in my life, not like Wyoming. What do I buy? Fischer E99 or Outback 68? vs. Sporten Ranger?
I had no clue what these skins were. Most skis I have used since I was 10 and now I am 45 are from yard sales or out in the shed, 190, 205, the Rossi Snowscapes are 185. Length is more about downhill, I mean on a Lake I'm happy with 210. But the Snowscapes at 185 seem fine for downhill but no edge. I bought them used with good Fischer boots and poles for $225 CAD.

Sporten Ranger? Czech won the gold medal in Calgary in this field eh..? Sure they are worth their price.

Boots, well I wish I could afford Alfa but likely will buy with all the end of season sales a Rossignol BC X10 Ski Boot 2019/20, $167 CAD. Likely a disposable boot in 3-4 years but for that price fine.

Again, I have to have decent stuff cause I even snapped Head Racing skis as a kid on the hills as Glen Plake was teaching us teenagers crazy extreme stuff and I was trying it all at Stowe on March Break, or Whiteface. I have calmed down since then, but I know I am gonna hit a tree someday and need some steel edge and angle support asap.

WHAT DO I BUY GUYS AND GALS?
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP. WE GOT ONLY A FEW WEEKS TO GET OUT THERE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD! SPRING! (Lake Ontario & Georgian Bay & Ottawa Valley)
p.s. Downhill I demo-ed Atomic Redster X9-S (green)- amazing ski. Demo-ed Rossi Hero and nope.

Point them down the hill!

[Woodserson]

I'm having a tough time following what you want.

Do you want a good XC ski or do you want a XC to go down hills? It seems you want both but maybe not?

1 Are you climbing up hills and you want to ski down them in XC skis, exclusively hills.

or

2 Are you XC touring in the backcountry and there will be some hills and but also lots of flats, like if you're skiing around the St. Regis Canoe Area?

I'm going with the second option since you posted 3 similar skis in that vein.

Out of the three you posted, I would go with the E99. I have a few pairs, I love this ski, it is great. However, you could go with a Sporten Ranger too, as it's a bit wider and would be slightly more stable and maybe a bit more float, but this is almost academic. I'm 155-160lbs depending on what's going on and I'm on the 205cm E99's for a reference but I have strong hill climbing technique.

Go with what you find in either ski and you should be OK.

I would avoid the Outback 68, it's kind of a compact geometric ski, I found it slow, but maybe if you are skiing a lot of hills it would be more turnable for you.

[fisheater]

If the OP is looking to turn a bit, without a lot of deep snow, perhaps an E-109 would be the ticket. I personally would not buy too short of a ski. If you are covering ground between downhills, speed is more fun.
When I have deeper, softer, snow, and I am thinking more about turns, I ski a more downhill oriented ski like an FT 62. In those conditions a lot of guys like an s-bound 98/112. For me I am skiing on 75 mm bindings in those conditions.
For cross country trail skiing in hilly terrain I really like my 210 Gamme. I wedge and Tele stem turns, but it is fast and a lot of fun. I ski to have fun, and I have fun cross country skiing on those skinny skis. I also enjoy my backcountry turnier skis.

[Ski nut]

Yes. I was recommended the E99. Is that the champion all around steel edge ski in the industry? (the Infiniti QX50 or QX70? bulletproof 6-cylinder 2009-2017 in skis?)

Not an inexpensive ski the E99, like $400 CAD non? That's big bucks for a x-country ski, like a lot of money? Worth the price?

I read it was a stiff ski also. True?

I seek a ski that won't break. I herringbone up groomed trails mostly. And kinda do my downhill tuck going down the hills and just want a ski that can cut to corner better. My Rossi Snowscapes have no edge and I slide across the groomed trail. I want a sturdy cross county ski for the next 10 years and I go out about 5X a season, but would like to more.

I want a ski for good I guess. I have never spend $300 on any ski not even downhill so for me it's a huge investment. Our season is brief and I want to use that money toward good equipment that I can use in a lot of applications.

A study, advanced, strong, light, well constructed back-country ski that will cover many many bases, conditions and applications. Up, down, across, powder, packed snow, track, ice, lakes, woods, un-groomed trails through woods. I seek a length that will do it all, I though like 190cm.

I am not the kinda of X-country skier that has room or patience to have 3 sets of skis in my garage for different applications. I want 1 ski for life here that will do it all and very well.

[MartinF]

Alpine I an advanced, black diamonds are fine.

I'm an expert Alpine skier (42 years of experience), but have only done some sporadic XCD over the past two years. So I may not have the expertise you are looking for, but I probably know where you're coming from.

If you're like me, you will find the E99s virtually unturnable - and hence best for fast kick and glide in flattish terrain. They are pretty swift with the (soft) Rossi BC X-6 boots. But even a snow plow can be a challenge when gradients get a bit steeper!

I also have the BC X-10 (much stiffer) and the BC X-12 (stiffer still) Rossi boot models - these are for use with other, more turn-friendly skis. They BC X-10s are slightly less efficient than the BC X-6s for kick and glide.

Frankly, I think the lighter/softer BC X-6 boots go with the E99s. You won't get many turns out of those skis anyway, unless you become an E99 nerd and practice like crazy. So you may as well be as fast as possible in flat terrain.

That's if you're like me.

But if you're like me, you will want more turns!

I prefer hillier terrain and a few passable downhill passages - bought with slower kick and glide properties. I've kept the E99s and the soft boots for one reason only: There are huge, flat fields with no fences about 200 yards from my home. If it snows here, I can use the E99s there. But if the snow lasts long enough, I'll go to the nearby hills with other skis (and other boots).

[greatgt]

Bout the 99.....You can do anything on them....But.....it takes time....patience....and constant learning.....Around here we have skied everything on 99's....AND the BEST feeling arcs were and still are on the 99's....They are NOT a downhill ski but as I said.....they can ski anything....You as the skier have to learn....Best gonz ski of all time!!!!!...Presently skiing a 109 and like them a lot....Doing that because they are easier by a bit as I'm an old guy....But the 99 is the best for up down and all around....Man the energy they provide in coming out of dips when the CAMBER explodes...TM

[Woodserson]

Frankly, I think the lighter/softer BC X-6 boots go with the E99s. You won't get many turns out of those skis anyway, unless you become an E99 nerd and practice like crazy.

Well I guess I'm the "E99 nerd." Here are some powder-8s E99 style



Ski nut, the skis you listed in the thread title are primarily distance travel skis with some turnability, survival turns possibly, thrown in. If you want to turn and burn you should look at other skis that are more tuned for turning but will be slower on the distance.

A study, advanced, strong, light, well constructed back-country ski that will cover many many bases, conditions and applications. Up, down, across, powder, packed snow, track, ice, lakes, woods, un-groomed trails through woods. I seek a length that will do it all, I though like 190cm.....I want 1 ski for life here that will do it all and very well.

This is almost an impossible design brief.

There will be compromise. You can either tune towards backcountry hill-climbing and descending, or tune to distance-travel with some hills, and then accept the limitations of the ski in the other applications. If you get a 190 in a distance ski and you are too heavy for it the ski will drag like crazy and be super slow. You can't get a great floaty ski for powder and then have it fit in tracks. Or a ski with a big sidecut for turning and then have it track straight on hard-packed snow for miles.

From the skis you asked about in the thread title, you are implying you want to travel with some turning thrown in there.

The E99 is a light and stiff ski because it wants to go the distance. It has nordic camber, which allows it to glide. This does not lend itself well to turning unless you are an "E99 Nerd" or the Great-GT. If you are going to wail on your skis and are worried about breaking them, I would probably look at another ski, the Sporten might be built a little heavier but it will actually be more difficult to turn, probably, than the E99. I have done some pretty hard skiing on my E99s and haven't broken them, YMMV. The older versions of the E99 that you might find on ebay are more burly in their construction but have less good grip due to an old fishscale design.

If you want a good backcountry ski that is more tuned for turning look for Madshus Epochs or Annums, or Fischer S-Bound 98's or 112's. None will fit in a track and they might be squirrelly on the hardpack. I'm keeping it in your price point because we all have hard-ons for Asnes around here but they be monies.

Also, you're almost too late to the game. Backcountry had E99s for $179 a few weeks ago. Check the Europeans, like Telemark Pyrenees too.

I prefer hillier terrain and a few passable downhill passages - bought with slower kick and glide properties. I've kept the E99s and the soft boots for one reason only: There are huge, flat fields with no fences about 200 yards from my home. If it snows here, I can use the E99s there. But if the snow lasts long enough, I'll go to the nearby hills with other skis (and other boots).

MartinF is not wrong here. He's basically saying, 2 pairs of skis. We can help you with this, or you can go with 1 pair as long as you know you'll have to adapt in certain conditions.

[MartinF]

Well I guess I'm the "E99 nerd." Here are some powder-8s E99 style

Neat, neat, neat!!!

There is absolutely no way I could replicate that on E99s - unless (perhaps) I gave up all other types of skiing and gear configurations for a full season!

@Ski nut: If you look at Woodserson's pic with 'alpine eyes', it will seem like a piece of cake. Do it backwards while making a phone call, right?

But for you and I and on E99s, those lines are literally utopian. That is what is initially so hard to understand about XCD. Your choice of skis and boots make such an incredible difference, compared to alpine equipment - with which, at a pinch, you can no doubt persuade any ski to do your bidding in almost any situation.

[Rodbelan]

Check also the Madshus Panorama M55; it is like (probably same as) Glittertind... I like the Glittertind a lot. I bought a pair many years ago when I read that it was a ski that S Barnett liked...

[bgregoire]

E99.

What Woods and TM said.

Hell I think I will have to make this my new signature:

"But the 99 is the best for up down and all around....Man the energy they provide in coming out of dips when the CAMBER explodes...TM"