Åsnes NOSI 76 Ski Review

[Ullr]

@Ullr
Thank you for the excellent review/report on these skis!

Thank you sir! Covid lockdown here right now and I am working from home, so for my lunch break today I brought my Nosis to my local mini resort for some lunch break rando. Very icy, but the skis held their edge. Made a little video with my iphone. Just for fun – need a wider lens.

[TheMusher]

I am looking to replace my S112 next season. I think the Nosi 76 might be it.

Hey @@jyw5

Did you acquire these - or any comparable skiis? Would be cool to hear some insights!
(Currently considering these among others with SB and transnordic, as per that "light & agile" thread)

Also, curious as to how that full nnn-bc style is working out for you? Works also for serious descents?

Cheers

[jyw5]

I am looking to replace my S112 next season. I think the Nosi 76 might be it.

Hey @@jyw5

Did you acquire these - or any comparable skiis? Would be cool to hear some insights!
(Currently considering these among others with SB and transnordic, as per that "light & agile" thread)

Also, curious as to how that full nnn-bc style is working out for you? Works also for serious descents?

Cheers

I didnt get the Nosi...I somewhat regret it. I got the Sverdrup instead. I'm finding that the Sverdrup has a narrower focus as I already have the Skog, FT62, and MT51.

My conclusion with NNNBC and leather boots is that a stiff ski is preferred over rocker tips. I'm finding that stiff skis allow for more lateral stability and edging. I think the more experience I have, I'm discovering that I dont need a ski that turns well...I can jump turn or step into a turn when needed. The softer flexing skis are meeting resistance in deep powder or they are causing instability on hard icy terrain.

I think Nosi 76 is probably a great replacement for the S112. However, I'm not so sure I want another ski with so much rocker. I have discovered that on good snow, I can use any of my asnes skis...so that would make the Nosi 76 a bit redundant.

Now I'm also considering the Amundsen for crusty moderate angled terrain. The reality is, boilerplate snow on very steep angles requires plastic boots or with leather, very good skills that I just dont have freeheel... Will stick to AT/alpine setup for that.

Will decide next season. There are so many choices ...I'm just weighing my options carefully before another purchase.

[TheMusher]

I am looking to replace my S112 next season. I think the Nosi 76 might be it.

Hey @@jyw5

Did you acquire these - or any comparable skiis? Would be cool to hear some insights!
(Currently considering these among others with SB and transnordic, as per that "light & agile" thread)

Also, curious as to how that full nnn-bc style is working out for you? Works also for serious descents?

Cheers

I didnt get the Nosi...I somewhat regret it. I got the Sverdrup instead. I'm finding that the Sverdrup has a narrower focus as I already have the Skog, FT62, and MT51.

My conclusion with NNNBC and leather boots is that a stiff ski is preferred over rocker tips. I'm finding that stiff skis allow for more lateral stability and edging. I think the more experience I have, I'm discovering that I dont need a ski that turns well...I can jump turn or step into a turn when needed. The softer flexing skis are meeting resistance in deep powder or they are causing instability on hard icy terrain.

I think Nosi 76 is probably a great replacement for the S112. However, I'm not so sure I want another ski with so much rocker. I have discovered that on good snow, I can use any of my asnes skis...so that would make the Nosi 76 a bit redundant.

Now I'm also considering the Amundsen for crusty moderate angled terrain. The reality is, boilerplate snow on very steep angles requires plastic boots or with leather, very good skills that I just dont have freeheel... Will stick to AT/alpine setup for that.

Will decide next season. There are so many choices ...I'm just weighing my options carefully before another purchase.

Makes sense! Basically come to the same conclusion myself. Can't go wrong with Amundsen - isn't Nansen also fairly stiff? Although lower radius and maybe too much rocker for atrocious snow conditions..

With respect to the Nosi, I'm weighing them for my 75-rig. Surely a great ski for the perfect conditons, but I'm thinking I should plan for the worst.. Not sure Nosi would be the choice then. Maybe some Volkl Rise Above 88 skis (EDIT: Apparently NOT compatible with tele bindings). Will see...

[fisheater]

NOSI 76.jpg

Woooah guys... I simply can't believe that after one year I'm the only one here in love with the NOSI 76!
This is Telemark Talk, I cannot let this happen... The world HAS to know about THE telemark ski...!
 
Ok ok, this is not a full review. I am quite fed up with the common-telemark-skier species so I am not going to bother anymore*. I'm done with full reviews that people don't even bother to read before commenting. 

So I am not going to post nice pictures of the tips and tails and rocker and sidecut and stuff. Or try to describe flex, camber, torsional rigidity or the Nosi's super-polyethylene properties. If I do, someone will say that one of the ski must be depressed. Another user who has never seen the ski will say it's the opposite. Another one will pretend I have never seen other gear to compare with. And yet another one will ask someone else to chime in because he doesn't believe a word I said.  Come on Johnny, this is nothing new to ski forums! Yeah I know... Only as I grow older, I just cannot stand that BS anymore. But for you, true and passionate silent observers who care and can read between the lines, here are a few words that might interest you... Especially if your entire life revolves around fresh, fluffy champagne-type powder snow and the peaceful silence they bring both to the ears and to the mind... 

Well, what can I say about the NOSI 76... It's THE real new Super Guide. It's THE ski a lot of people (including me) have been waiting for over 2 decades. Ski designers have unlimited choices of colors for their products. Out of the 3 primary ones, they can make millions of different colors. A standard computer monitor can display 16,777,215 different colors. Now look at the picture below comparing the old Karhu skis and the new Asnes ones. Look at the colors. A mere coincidence you think? Really?


karhu vs asnes.jpg


The Asnes family know exactly what they are doing. The almost 20 years old Karhu Guide hasn't been updated since it's conception. And nobody ever came up with a new model in that unique ski class. That famous "109-at-the-tips class", so much cherished by the XCD Knights themselves in Finland and Norway... (And even from the Knights in the Peruvian Andes, as you can see in the last picture...) Finally, Asnes came to the rescue and gave a supa-chupa ultra-dupa power boost to this already near perfect weapon. No need for Bri7's homemade wired punk rockers anymore:


Annum-punkrocker.jpg


Although they have slightly different sidecut profiles on paper, they look quite the same. 111-76-98 for the NOSI 76 according to Asnes and 109-78-95 for the guide. For fun, I took one of my 172cm NOSI ski and placed it base-to-base on my old 175cm Guide. Wow, to my surprise, they are *exactly* the same! Well, almost the same identical sidecut profile... Beautiful!

Of course they are MUCH better than the Guides, which once were my #1 powder skis. Think of all the best aspects of the old Guides, and add to this:

- A nice rocker
- A nice Nordic Rocker
- A nice Nordic Rocker with REAL tips for real skiers
- A 18% weight reduction (!!!)
- Super-nice surfy FT-style tails (!!!)
- And of course unlimited possibilities of X-Skin attachments


Asnes NOSI 76 top.jpg


They can do anything, from snowshoeing to heli-skiing. From the glades in your backyard to that FIS-homologated downhill racing trail on a waist deep powder day two hours before the lifts open. Whether for sportive, recreational or utilitarian use, they shine everywhere like crazy diamonds.

Seriously, how could it be better than this? Seriously, this might be the only BC ski you will ever need. MUCH faster and more nimble than the Objective, with MUCH more flotation than the Rabb. Seriously, I could get rid of my other 100+ pairs of skis and wouldn't mind at all.

Yep, personally, the Nosi 76 is THE only backcountry powder ski I will ever need. Period. Seriously.
But unfortunately, not until they come up with a waxless version...

"On the way down, the Nosi 76 offers the feeling of a classic touring ski, solid and stable. On the ascent, however, it feels like you’re shinning up the hill on a pair of rando-race class skis.

The Nosi 76 is the perfect ski for those who want to explore the mountains, logging as much altitude as possible during the season: at a mere 1075g underfoot, don’t worry about the height of the approach.

A turn radius of 18.2m (172cm) and a slim waist makes the Nosi 76 perfect for turns on solid and hard surfaces. On snowy winter days, the soft tip and the construction of the rocker and taper floats you easily over the fresh new snow."

Knights of the sun.jpg

* As you know, I only review a tiny percentage of the gear I buy. When I do review something, it's because I think the world really deserves to know how amazing the product is. That said, there is still two incredible pieces of gear I must absolutely review in the next few weeks...   

Johnny,
I haven’t tried the Nosi, however I am familiar with those 20 year old designs. The new FT Xplore has really made those designs irrelevant. While it will not surf tight trees like the original model. It will out ski those old designs day in and day out. Of course it requires the user learns to use kick wax. Much less than one must learn to enter Nirvana. Yet, a little kick wax and a skier enters XCD Nirvana. Yes, all three letters are CAPITALIZED. In a respectful tone I ask, does Nosi capitalize all three letters?

[Johnny]

I haven’t tried the Nosi, however I am familiar with those 20 year old designs.

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The NOSI is not an 20yo design like you grossly pretend, it's simply the most advanced XCD powder ski I know of.

The new FT Xplore has really made those designs irrelevant.

What the friggin fuck?!?!?!? Is it Aprils fool already?

While they both scream XCD, they are two totally different beasts. You simply cannot compare them. In fact, they are even two different classes of skis, with different usage. Two awesome skis. But it's not because you like the FT for the kind of skiing you do that you can proclaim that all other ski designs are now declared IRRELEVANT. (!!!!!)

Powder is what I'm into. Powder is my life. And for me, skiing powder with floppy leathers and stiff skis is just as stupid as skiing icy groomers with soft powder skis. And yet, I know, this is ironically what most people do these days. Topsy-turvy world... in which, thank God, I will never belong.

[fisheater]

Okay Johnny, I don’t have your deep powder. I get the soft, surfy thing too. Actually for what I assumed the Nosi intended use was, I thought it would be a bit stiff, more like a skimo ski.
I’m glad the Nosi is a great powder ski for you. I really wouldn’t have thought of skiing that ski with soft leathers.
Enjoy your winter!

[Johnny]

stiff, more like a skimo ski.

Skimo skis are not made for pleasure. They are only built to win races. To be the fastest on the ascent and the fastest on the descent. Not for fun, leisure and fulfilment.

Just out of curiosity...
Why don't you write to Asbjorn Asnes and tell him that all their 30+ current designs are now really "IRRELEVANT"?

[fisheater]

stiff, more like a skimo ski.

Skimo skis are not made for pleasure. They are only built to win races. To be the fastest on the ascent and the fastest on the descent. Not for fun, leisure and fulfilment.

Just out of curiosity...
Why don't you write to Asbjorn Asnes and tell him that all their 30+ current designs are now really "IRRELEVANT"?

I’m referring to the fish scaled, air channeled, skis that don’t kick and glide well at all, and don’t have much torsional rigidity. Yes they do go downhill nicely in soft snow, but there hasn’t been a change in many years. The only change is in the topsheet. The reason I see for the popularity is that they are waxless. I strongly disagree with the Nordic ski industry’s push for waxless skis. Frankly, I think it discourages people from Nordic skiing away from lifts. That’s not to say waxless skis are bad. Is is saying, slow boring waxless skis drive more people from the sport than they attract.
I’m not talking about anything I’ve skied from Asnes including some USGI skis.
I was only poking a little fun at you, because I thought and still think the new FT Xplore offers a better combined XC and DH experience. I don’t know. Obviously you take it as something different.

[JohnSKepler]

I wonder how these would ski with Xplore bindings and a set of Alfa Free boots...?

The recommended length is 5-10 cm shorter than your height. I'm 5'8" so 174cm. The skis come in 164, 172, and 180. I'd be using them for backcountry and maybe some on piste in Northern Utah. Decent XC skier, intermediate downhill skier. I guess I could go with a Meidjo...