Fischer E-99 getting a makeover/name change?

[Struckski]

I just picked these up...what a timeless ski! It would be a damn shame if Fischer stopped making 'em...

[lilcliffy]

VERY interested.
Once Asnes has perfected a waxless-scaled verson of the Gamme 54 I will have one.
I don't know if I would call it the "Telemark ski" though...
I think that the Nansen is Asnes' old-school Telemark ski.
The Gamme- as is the E99 (oops does this ski still exist )- is more XC-oriented from my perspective.
The E99 is a fantastic BC-XCd ski in hilly terrain, but I still consider it a XC ski.

I was under the impression the Asnes Nansen AND Amundsen (Rago) were both downhill oriented telemark skis in their earlier days. At least that's what Pinnah said:

http://web.archive.org/web/201510021509 ... -skis.html

Or what I thought he said.

@bgregoire
I responded to this in a fresh thread: http://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... 404#p38766

[riel]

Maybe we can ask Åsnes to make a GMTO (Group Made To Order)? Keep the Gamme spec but with a longer waxless base pattern than the regular Åsnes WL. Then drop the current graphics and make it more inline with Combat Nato or MT51. ”The Telemark Ski”?

How many are interested?

//Rickard//

I am interested in a ski like that, but am not sure why they should drop the graphics. Just make the waxless pattern better for all their skis, and start selling a waxless Gamme. I'd buy a pair of those in a heartbeat.

All they really need to do on the double cambered skis is extend the "deep" fishscales to the x-skin attachment point, and then run a short distance (8cm?) of shallow fishscales in front of that.

[Eärendil]

Maybe we can ask Åsnes to make a GMTO (Group Made To Order)? Keep the Gamme spec but with a longer waxless base pattern than the regular Åsnes WL. Then drop the current graphics and make it more inline with Combat Nato or MT51. ”The Telemark Ski”?

How many are interested?

//Rickard//

I am interested in a ski like that, but am not sure why they should drop the graphics. Just make the waxless pattern better for all their skis, and start selling a waxless Gamme. I'd buy a pair of those in a heartbeat.

All they really need to do on the double cambered skis is extend the "deep" fishscales to the x-skin attachment point, and then run a short distance (8cm?) of shallow fishscales in front of that.

I agree , the graphics is less important than getting the waxless base right, but for a special ski I would prefer something less fashion shoot. Like Combat Nato, I think less is more.

//Rickard//

[joeatomictoad]

Good God, how many trademarked buzz words can they fit into one name? Marketing budget is larger than the R&D/Engineering/product testing budgets.

This is what happens when MBA graduates proceed to middle management. They are not good at finding problems, so they just start making solutions in hopes of merit.

[Smitty]

This is what happens when MBA graduates proceed to middle management. They are not good at finding problems, so they just start making solutions in hopes of merit.

Well said.

[riel]

This is what happens when MBA graduates proceed to middle management. They are not good at finding problems, so they just start making solutions in hopes of merit.

The ski companies all seem to work with pretty impressive athletes to find problems and improve their products.

However, the top athletes likely find some slightly different problems than average skiers like us. This can result in skis that are high performance, but not very forgiving.

Looking at the Rossignol BC skis, I'm guessing they get most of their feedback through rental shops. Those skis appear to be extremely forgiving of poor technique, but not as high performance as they could be.

[FourthCoast]

[...] the Rossignol BC skis [...] appear to be extremely forgiving of poor technique [...]

Hmmmm. Maybe I need to give the Rossi BC skis more consideration.

[エイダン.シダル]

Good God, how many trademarked buzz words can they fit into one name? Marketing budget is larger than the R&D/Engineering/product testing budgets.

This is what happens when MBA graduates proceed to middle management. They are not good at finding problems, so they just start making solutions in hopes of merit.

Well, you've just perfectly described the debacle that Mountain Equipment Co-op, or whatever the MBAs rebranded it, has become.

[lilcliffy]

I am very surprised that Fischer would not be mindful of the value and significance of the "E99" brand...

The E99 is truly a legendary ski- it has become the archetype of an entire CATEGORY of Nordic touring skis.

What's in a name? Language matters- it shapes the way we think and influences our understanding, imagination and dreams.

These new names are written up by someone that manages data- not someone with a passion for skiing-

"Glittertind"- what's that? I can't organize and sort that attribute value! How wide is it again? What kind of ski is it again? Oh- that is a "BC55"- let's get rid of that meaningless "Glitt" moniker.
(Yet we will still be referring to this ski as the "Glitt" 20 years from now!)

Does the name "BC55" move you- inspire you?

"Glittertind" is a legendary mountain in Norway- that is apparently named after the River "Glitra"- "glitre" meaning "glitter", "sparkle". "Tind" meaning mountain peak. "Glittertind" = "glittering mountain peak".
Couple all of that with the legendary skiing that has been done on the Glittertind ski- I would like to own one.
I have no interest in owning a "BC55" ski when I already own an E99.

When these things become legends in our mind the name represents that legend.

Just imagine if Porsche dropped the "911" model name and started using the product code (i.e 993 or whatever) that its engineers and data managers use internally to sort and manage records?

Langauge matters-

Transnordic 66- BLAH!
Why woud I want one when I already have a E99?
Now- a truly "improved" E99? I might be tempted to try that. Its already a legend because of its name.