Gear review: Let's Lurk!

[mca80]

Ok good to know. Will make my own for when skinning up, and buy Dennis' in 7ft for lifts. Even though I ski mostly greens and blues, with my 5'4" you think 7ft will be ok? That fits according to his, and probably Bishops (they don't go below 7.5ft and just say below 5.5ft height use the 90" or 7.5ft) recos. Am worried at 84"/7' may be short based on what you said re low angle.

Anyway thanks for input. I generally prefer old technology (technique) for most disciplines, especially ones that are new to me (when I got into bicycle touring as an adult I got a steel framed bike and won't go back to any other material for any other of my pursuits--if I were a competetive racer with a lot of money, different story, carbon).

[Shirefisher]

Hope y'all will pardon the self-promo as this is my first post to Telemark Talk. Likewise hope that some of you will find the following content germane to this forum... I finally got around to writing-up a quick review of my MountainSports lurk(s... I actually have two). Hope you'll click-through if yer interested. Feedback of all varieties welcomed, natch. https://www.rockychrysler.com/2023/09/lets-lurk.html

I love your write up and review. I agree 100% with all information mentioned. I got the MountainSports Lurk last season after using multiple home made Tiaks for the last few years and I love all the possibilities you can navigate with these awesome tools. I don't very often ski with poles anymore unless it's straight up downhill gear which is on occasion. I do a lot of yo-yo skiing in the hills around my home in North Vermont and I love the quick ability to use the Lurk as 2 poles or downhill as the long Lurk. I do sometimes still use my Tiaks depending on the conditions but the Lurk is getting a lot of use. My ski style evolution has gone in a direction to help me adapt to all scenarios out there!

[JB TELE]

Has anyone found a good way to tour with a lurk? I've seen a San Juan lurk and it's super heavy and doesn't have functional grips. Does anyone tour with a full one piece lurk like a walking staff?

[Manney]

Gandalf? LOL.

Can see narrow opportunities when a lurk might be sort of useful. Like if crossing a frozen body of water. Could test path ahead, be a lifesaver falling thru the ice.

Not very practical outside of that (anyone the least bit unsure of a body of frozen water should take a detour anyway). Heavy, slow, awkward etc. Explains why poles became the more popular choice tbh.

[Ignoring novelty of using one in a YouTube vid to impress ppl you’ve never met… safer than most gravity experiments, home made bulletproof vests, etc.]

[jtb]

Has anyone found a good way to tour with a lurk? I've seen a San Juan lurk and it's super heavy and doesn't have functional grips. Does anyone tour with a full one piece lurk like a walking staff?

I've toured with a lurk. I made one out of 2 BD Traverse poles connected with a length of aluminum tube. They easily separate with the push of a button clip, so you can use them as poles for the ascent and a lurk for the descent. Skiing with a lurk is not more practical than poles, but it sure is fun, especially in powder.

https://www.backcountrytalk.com/forum/b ... urk-skiing