Some of you said Gammes don't turn, but...

[mikael.oh]

...I beg to differ!

Just came back from a summer ski resort here in Norway where I went to practice telemark turns with my new Åsnes Gamme skis.
They're my first foray into the world of BC skis and loose heels after I quit alpine skiing a few years back because of too many friends lost to the mountain.

On my first run, I decided to try some alpine turns...and they worked MAGNIFICENTLY!

I have the Gammes paired up with BC Magnum bindings and beefy next season Fischer BCX Transnordic boots.
I've done a few tours with them the last few weekends but this was the first time I was going to do laps in a resort.
To my astonishment, I could ski them just like I'd ski a beefy alpine ski!
I put them on edge and carved, used a wide stance, did big, fast, aggressive alpine turns and felt in complete control, and it was SO much fun!

All I had to do was use a wide stance and lean, and they carved beautifully. I did long radius turns, short radius turns, anything really, and skied faster than a lot of the people on alpine skis.

This resort is mostly used by alpine racers and I saw quite a few dropped jaws, and even heard some people whisper "have you seen that guy...". They were as astonished as I was at how I skied this equipment.

I did some research on this forum(thanks!) and others beforehand and bought my equipment with the intent of having something really versatile that was also fun downhill, but I would never have DREAMED that it could work this well!

I think the Fischer boots should have a lot of the credit. Only being a month into my BC journey and not having tried any other boots, I still think these are a game changer when it comes to downhill control. They look like snowboard boots and feel like alpine boots when laced up tightly.

Anyway, with this setup I feel confident taking on almost any terrain, any steepness. Jump turns are super easy too. The talk that Gammes don't turn is BS!

[riel]

I have the Gammes paired up with BC Magnum bindings and beefy next season Fischer BCX Transnordic boots.
I've done a few tours with them the last few weekends but this was the first time I was going to do laps in a resort.
To my astonishment, I could ski them just like I'd ski a beefy alpine ski!

I agree with you on the Gamme, it seems like a ski that should turn well whenever the snow is soft enough to let the tip rocker drag it into whatever direction you want.

However, what really sparks my curiosity is those Fischer BCX Transnordic boots. I have not been able to find any information on those!

How do you like those boots?

How is the lacing in them?

With the current Fischer BCX boots, the lacing seems to stop way before my ankle, resulting in significant heel lift, and no way to stop it. A better boot could be very nice.

Not to mention my current BCX675 boots are in a state where I should probably replace them after maybe 600-700 miles of use

[mikael.oh]

And not only soft snow.
The top part of the slope was groomed but frozen stuff, the kind where you get lots of scraping sounds, and I could carve through that like it was nothing and really catapult out of the turns. I actually kind of preferred that part to the softer stuff further down, believe it or not.
The slope was 1.4km long with 350m of vertical and on the second day I lapped it top to bottom without stopping every single run, looking like a giant slalom racer with maybe 3/4 of the speed of one. It was magical!

The new BCX Transnordic are magic. Game changers. Quite a few online shops here in Norway have them for sale already but strangely I haven't seen anything at all about them anywhere else. They're completely different compared to other current boots. No plastic, but much taller than other BC boots and with lacing all the way to the top. If you don't lace them all the way up you get more nimbleness and front and back flex for flats and uphills. When you lace them all the way up they feel like an alpine ski boot and there's almost no backward flex at all. You can lean too far back and the boots will save you. I could have my center of gravity really far forward or pretty far back and still be in control during high speed turns. REALLY confidence inspiring.

[Stephen]

This sounds really fun.
I have to assume you are already a quite competent skier to ski like that!
For that use, I think that ski, skied fast, would work much better than skiing more slowly.
It had the stiffness to store up much energy to spring into the next turn.
And you need the speed to build the energy to bend the ski in the turn.

Just out of curiosity, @mikael.oh, what is your weight and the ski length?
I am about 84 kg, dressed for skiing, and ski the Gamme in 210, with Alfa Guard boots.
With my skill level, I would not be able to ski the 210s like you do, but possible the BCX Transnordic boots would help, and a shorter ski would also make that use-case more feasible and fun.

Anyway, nice report!

[mikael.oh]

I'm probably about 75kg dressed for skiing and ski them in 190. I'm almost as tall as the skis but have a lean, wiry build. I chose that length to ensure downhill fun, but it's also correct according to the Åsnes chart. Most people on this forum seem to choose a longer ski than the chart suggests for some reason.

Looking at pictures and with the research I did before bying the gear a month ago, I'd say that pretty much everyone, regardless of what BC boot they have now, will become a better downhill skier with the Fischer BCX Transnordic. Since I haven-t tried any other boots, I can't make direct comparisons, but they just feel like a different breed. An evolution. Not sure I'd choose them if your primary focus is flats, but if you you want to maximise your downhill fun wirh BC bindings I thoroughly recommend them. They're awesome!

And yes, I'm an old ski bum so a prerry competent skier. Used to do 100 ski days per winter in Chamonix before too many of my friends died and I quit skiing altogether.
Now I'm making a comeback and chose BC gear as I thought it would be harder to ski with and I'd be challenged skiing prerty moderate terrain and would stay safer that way. Turns out I could probably ski 45 degree couloirs with this setup if I wanted to so in that way it didn't really work out as planned, but I'm having a whole lot of fun!

[Stephen]

Right, so that would put me on 200s at my weight and 191 cm height.
I chose the 210s for speed, which I like.
I can turn them, but challenging.
I tried my wife’s 180s once and much easier.
I have not had a chance to try the Gamme on spring snow conditions, but will be interested to see how they do for me.

Like you, I see no information on Fisher Transnordic boots.
I would be interested to see pictures if you can post.
You have probably heard of the new Xplore binding coming out for 21/22 and the new boots for that binding, with much hope this new combination will offer a better downhill experience, while still being appropriate for straight BC XC.

[Tom M]

Like you, I see no information on Fisher Transnordic boots.
[

[riel]

Like you, I see no information on Fisher Transnordic boots.
[

fischer-bcx-transnordic-ny-fjellskisko.jpg

That looks a lot like an Alpina Alaska, though with one fewer set of eyes for the shoelaces (splitting the difference with the Alaska XP?), maybe a little higher, and maybe a stiffer heel?

That could be a good contender, especially if it ends up being durable...

[jyw5]

Thanks for posting your experience about the Gamme. Now I am really excited to get the 170cm. I have using my 169cm Fischer S112 and they are ok...not good on refrozen icy snow. So I think the Gamme will carve very nicely!

[mikael.oh]

I haven't really looked at the new binding system and boots as I heard about them just after I'd ordered my current setup, so I just focused on what I have.
What I have feels like an alpine setup going downhill so I'm not wishing for anything really.

I forgot to mention that the heel is adjustable on the boots. That's a really good feature.

I can take some photos tonight, comparing them to my Alpina skate boots and Keen sandals, just so you can see how tall they are.