The Fischer Drought

[randoskier]

I have tracked down a pair of Fischer Excursion 88s in 189 but they are last season's. Are there any big changes in the new ski other than the top sheet? I don't know whether to wait for the dealers here who say they are getting inventory of the new ski this month (but they don't know the sizes or qty. grrrrrrrr Fischer) or to just pounce on these (just one in stock). Has anyone tried the new ski? The new length is 3cm shorter at 186cm, but I wonder if they are the same length because someone in here said Fischers are always 3cm shorter than their stated cord length...maybe they bought a new tape measure to replace the one destroyed in the fire?

[freedom glider]

this morning i see an E88 on the rei site in 196.

[Tom M]

The 2021/2022 Excursion 88 is a little bit lighter in weight. I'm pretty sure the Excursion 88's length is the same as before, it was the Traverse 78 that lost some length. I'm just going on memory as Fischer has removed the skis from their website. REI's weight listing for the 88 is incorrect. I'm guessing the spec should be around 4 1/2 lbs per pair.

[Woodserson]

I have tracked down a pair of Fischer Excursion 88s in 189 but they are last season's. Are there any big changes in the new ski other than the top sheet? I don't know whether to wait for the dealers here who say they are getting inventory of the new ski this month (but they don't know the sizes or qty. grrrrrrrr Fischer) or to just pounce on these (just one in stock). Has anyone tried the new ski? The new length is 3cm shorter at 186cm, but I wonder if they are the same length because someone in here said Fischers are always 3cm shorter than their stated cord length...maybe they bought a new tape measure to replace the one destroyed in the fire?

Tough to say. I have a pair of Fischer Power Twin-Skins from last year and this year. WILDLY different ski in every single respect. Not only construction and camber but also dimensions. The 21/22 skis have the 20/21 dimensions printed on the topsheet but they are not the actual dimensions of the ski. It's not even close- (the old ski was a 3 point dimension ski and then new one is 5points) I'm sure this problem is less with the Excursion/Traverse/98 series but things got strange over there.
The old ski, if that's what you actually got, is a good one, my brother uses them at 168lbs and does well on the 189's. You will crush them for sure and get good grip. The question is what kind of glide?

[randoskier]

The 2021/2022 Excursion 88 is a little bit lighter in weight. I'm pretty sure the Excursion 88's length is the same as before, it was the Traverse 78 that lost some length. I'm just going on memory as Fischer has removed the skis from their website. REI's weight listing for the 88 is incorrect. I'm guessing the spec should be around 4 1/2 lbs per pair.

By Joe! You're right about the sizes, same as it ever was, same as it ever was...

[randoskier]

I have tracked down a pair of Fischer Excursion 88s in 189 but they are last season's. Are there any big changes in the new ski other than the top sheet? I don't know whether to wait for the dealers here who say they are getting inventory of the new ski this month (but they don't know the sizes or qty. grrrrrrrr Fischer) or to just pounce on these (just one in stock). Has anyone tried the new ski? The new length is 3cm shorter at 186cm, but I wonder if they are the same length because someone in here said Fischers are always 3cm shorter than their stated cord length...maybe they bought a new tape measure to replace the one destroyed in the fire?

Tough to say. I have a pair of Fischer Power Twin-Skins from last year and this year. WILDLY different ski in every single respect. Not only construction and camber but also dimensions. The 21/22 skis have the 20/21 dimensions printed on the topsheet but they are not the actual dimensions of the ski. It's not even close- (the old ski was a 3 point dimension ski and then new one is 5points) I'm sure this problem is less with the Excursion/Traverse/98 series but things got strange over there.
The old ski, if that's what you actually got, is a good one, my brother uses them at 168lbs and does well on the 189's. You will crush them for sure and get good grip. The question is what kind of glide?

Fischer puts the Excusrion 88, 189cm weight recommendation at: 175-231 lbs. Your brother is very close to the lower recommended limit for the ski he is only7lbs under it and with a full touring-pack right in it. .

Fischer put the 199cm ski recommended weigth at greater-than 220 lbs.

They must have a reason?

[Woodserson]

Fischer puts the Excusrion 88, 189cm weight recommendation at: 175-231 lbs. Your brother is very close to the lower recommended limit for the ski he is only7lbs under it and with a full touring-pack right in it. .

Fischer put the 199cm ski recommended weigth at greater-than 220 lbs.

They must have a reason?

I'm sorry, I forgot some important back-story details that I assume everyone knows.

-They were my skis. My brother is an intermediate nordic skier. I, when I had them, weighed 157lbs and I did many fun day tours in NH on them with no issues. Sometimes I used the kicker skin for steeper more sustained pitches, but these pitches were steep enough that no scaled ski was going to get up them.
-I had 189cm Sbound-78's, which were stiffer than the newer version Traverse 78 (pre-fire) and they were too slow (but acceptable... they weren't terrible like the Outback 68 ski I had in a 189) and I sold them to a neighbor. I then thankfully found a pair of 199cm S-Bound 78's that I now ski on, happily. I really like this ski for BC touring.
-My Traverse 78's, which have the same weight ratings as the Excursions, I ski in a 199cm. They are softer and slower than the S-Bound 78's in the same length, but significantly lighter.
-My S-Bound 98's I got in a 179, which is finally in my weight range, and I have zero glide. I only use them for vertical climbing and turning back down.

The above is the experience I'm working off. The new post-factory-fire skis might be stiffer and have more camber. It's tough to tell I haven't been able to do side-by-side comparisons.

[RabbitEars]

I talked to a Fischer retailer who mentioned that whoever Fischer contracted with to make their skis wasn't given the full recipe. They withheld some of their proprietary information. So when their factory is back running again (Which sounds like they are close) I wonder if the skis will change again, back to what they were before. this is third hand information so not verifiable but if so it is an interesting situation.

[John Dee]

I talked to a Fischer retailer who mentioned that whoever Fischer contracted with to make their skis wasn't given the full recipe. They withheld some of their proprietary information. So when their factory is back running again (Which sounds like they are close) I wonder if the skis will change again, back to what they were before. this is third hand information so not verifiable but if so it is an interesting situation.

Somone said it was Atomic.

I would really like to know because I just bought four pairs.

[lilcliffy]

Fischer has a long history with Atomic re Nordic touring skis-
Over the years- and decades- there have been many Fischer/Atomic touring skis that are identical.

(Same is true for Fischer/Rossi and apparently recently Fischer/Alpina)