Ski Review- 2021 Åsnes Otto Sverdrup BC

[CwmRaider]

I was at a local ski resort today with my Fjellski to get a couple thousand meters of cheaply earned descents.
First with the Otto Sverdrup and second half of the day with Combat NATO. Both with Rotte Super tele cable bindings and Fischer Transnordic boots.
Temps were about 7C above freezing, and it freezes a few degrees at night. The snow was a thin layer of slush on a hard base.
The Sverdrup performed great but comparatively best off the groomed slopes. It's very easy to turn, also on steep descending sections, so much that turning becomes a no brainer. On hardpacked groomed slopes tracks I thought they worked very well but, i think the shorter front effective edge from the rocker makes them a bit less carvy on hardpack. On wide groomed, hard packed ski tracks i preferred the Combat NATO skis, they were objectively better: they were more predictable while drifting, and more carvy, so more stable at high speed (40km/h max). Perhaps because part of the side cut on the Sverdrup doesn't engage due to rocker? I bet that the Nansen would have been even better in those conditions.
That said the NATO felt heavier and the longer effective edge made it more tricky to turn tighter than it's normal turning radius. On steeper, narrower sections I felt in better control with the Sverdrups.

For Fjellski off piste use however, the Sverdrup were the best today.

[Nitram Tocrut]

Quick observation on the Sverdrup vs the Ingstad.

In a previous post I wrote that I was wondering when I would use the Ingstad again.

I found a second snow condition early tonight as the temperatures slightly reached under 0 C and the sun started to set. I am quite sure that if I had skied in the afternoon the Sverdrup would have been great but as soon as the soft snow started to form a crust again I really felt that the short effective edge of the Sverdrup and it’s soft tips were not aThe best adapted to those conditions. I quickly changed for the Ingstad (quite easy when you ski in your backyard ) and everything felt better.

Quite happy that there is still room for the Ingstad… so it makes it easier to justify having a quiver of skis

[Jurassien]

I also found a candidate for Trondheim's best ventilated toilet near a small snow park. I guess calling it an outhouse is a bit of a stretch.
20220204_121942.jpg

I've come across a toilet like that once, but I didn't have a 10 kroner coin on me.......and it didn't take credit cards like the ones in Oslo.

[Transplantskier]

Telemark Talk Trondheim Chapter:

Was one of you out in Bymarka last night skiing a brand new pair of Ottos? I found this sticker on the trail heading over the Geitfjellet shoulder and felt some new skis excitement.

My Nansen's been loving this cold dry powder, so I'm guessing that this kind of snow might really be Otto's time to shine. Ski him in good health!

[CwmRaider]

Telemark Talk Trondheim Chapter:

Was one of you out in Bymarka last night skiing a brand new pair of Ottos? I found this sticker on the trail heading over the Geitfjellet shoulder and felt some new skis excitement.
IMG_2986 (1) (1).jpg

My Nansen's been loving this cold dry powder, so I'm guessing that this kind of snow might really be Otto's time to shine. Ski him in good health!

Åengløypa is it? I like that trail. But leaving the sticker on the base when going skiing is pretty sloppy

[jyw5]

Wife and I went out yesterday for a short jaunt. My impression of the Sverdrup is that the tip is a bit too soft. also, too rockered. When my wife was skiing it, I can see the tip coming off the snow. These are 175cm length NNNBC. She is 5ft4in, 114lbs...+ 10 lbs for boots/clothes/pack.

They do great when the snow is firm. Terrible as noted in previous posts in breakable crust. On a longer mixed condition tour, I would have more fun on these in the perfect snow areas but I would expend too much energy in the nonideal sections... I think I would still use my 185cm Skog (equiv. to Nansen).

I like the shape of the skis and how gracefully it glides and turns on hard packed snow. also, I can easily do a fast hockey stop when the snow is a perfect crust. The trail breaking climbing ability is definitely impaired with the (over)rockered tips. flailing around in soft snow uphill is no fun on these skis.

I think for a redesign, I would humbly request less rocker and stiffer. increase that effective length by a few mm. (what ski is closest to that? the hobbit graphics ski, Gamme?)

Any comments or feedback appreciated!

[lilcliffy]

@jyw5
Great to hear from you! And thank you from reporting on the Sverdrup.
While I do love this ski- I too find it has a narrow range of suitable conditions.
The Nansen/Skog is definitely a more versatile design.
The Gamme is a very different ski- longitudinally stiff over its entire length.
Don't know that Asnes has a model that is somewhere in between the Sverdrup and the Gamme...

[Stephen]

It seems like the Sverdrup and the 1st / 2nd gen FT62 share some characteristics that make them narrow-use skis?

[jyw5]

It seems like the Sverdrup and the 1st / 2nd gen FT62 share some characteristics that make them narrow-use skis?

FT62 2019 version is a soft downhill oriented ski with very little camber. rocker tips. feels like a skimo ski. floats in soft shallow powder with ease. unspeakably incredible when conditions are prime. unusable on breakable crust, wet heavy snow, and deep bottomless powder...and enormously frustrating when conditions deteriorate. I've used it for fairly steep skiing. Skog/Nansen works better when the conditions are mixed and surprisingly well on steep terrain (as shown in past posts and photos)... both skis are unusable on hard boiler plate snow (the tips bounce around and wander like a paddle and you end up sliding everywhere).
Skog does ok on flattish breakable crust. Skog does great on gentle slopes and flat terrain with much better glide and tracks straight vs. FT62.

so far, the best spring crust ski for gentle slopes is the MT51...its lightning fast, excellent kick/glide, easy to make tele or parallel turns, and amazing edging performance... it makes a bad skate skiier like me into a good one...it has no weaknesses if you use it for what it was intended for (dont go in deep snow or breakable crust!).

that said, the Sverdrup glides and edges very well when the consolidated snow is just right (not too crusty/hard). I think it would make an excellent ski for gentle to moderate slopes for spring crust skiing... I haven't had a chance to test it on those conditions...I hope our breakable crust packs down in a few wks and becomes a crust skiing wonderland. It would be an excellent side by side comparison with MT51. My suspicions is that it does fine on crust but will be noticeably better than MT51 in shallow snow or a light dusting of powder over a solid base on steeper terrain. Unfortunately, the rocker tips are too soft and pronounced... I think it would benefit newer skiiers for turning...but I am finding that I prefer a longer effective edge, more camber, less rocker for stability in a wider set of conditions and that raised tip is a nuisance. Turning seems to be secondary now as I have alot of wide open terrain and even narrow sections, I can do quick step turns or sidestep if its steep.

I personally feel that too many companies are just producing skis with rocker tips and less camber. seems like 90% of skis are in this category. Maybe thats what everyone wants?

The reality is, in many places, hard or difficult snow is the norm if you ski alot. conditions suited for FT62 is like 2-3 weekends/season. and the Sverdrup... I have yet to find the perfect time for these. I think if you took it on the groomers or the fakely prepared off-piste at a resort it would be great...but that really defeats the purpose of backcountry skiing!

Fortunately, my wife loves the Sverdrup. So she will most likely be using it more. I think I want a stiffer ski with more camber for stability on hard snow and something that breaks through plates of crust without bogging down and sinking in the middle. I believe the closest ski is the Amundsen...minimal sidecut, but I can live with that. I think I will buy it later this yr for next season.

[CwmRaider]

Fortunately, my wife loves the Sverdrup. So she will most likely be using it more. I think I want a stiffer ski with more camber for stability on hard snow and something that breaks through plates of crust without bogging down and sinking in the middle. I believe the closest ski is the Amundsen...minimal sidecut, but I can live with that. I think I will buy it later this yr for next season.

From your description I have a feeling that perhaps you would like the Combat Nato as well.