removing ezskins on the fly

[connyro]

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for removing ezskins WITHOUT taking the skis off?

The same way you apply wax without taking your skis off.........go skiing with a companion.

I wouldn't do it with a Buddhist though - they consider it very bad manners to point the soles of your feet at anyone.

Hahaha I didn't even consider this perfect option. My regular ski buddy is no Buddhist, evident by his loud angry swearing while trying to re-engage his 3pin bindings in 2 feet of snow

[TallGrass]

The same way you apply wax without taking your skis off.........go skiing with a companion.

Same for getting stuff out your pack's brain like goggles, headlamp, etc. or stowing microspikes (two carabiner minimum).

Pow can be tough, though sometimes I just stomp a platform off track, de-gear, posthole a small well which makes for a sitting "chair", deploy the foam butt pad, and get to work. There's no "fast" way I can think of when it comes to switching to/from snowshoes/skis as you have to remove your pack, unless you're caching them (wind has scoured the ridge to just rocks), then anchoring with rocks flag-style at a ridge or prominence, preferably silhouetted by skyline. Using reflective tape wrapped by clear packing helps too even if you've way-pointed the spot.

[Krummholz]

Thanks for the responses. Those videos were interesting in the sense that those guys have some pretty clever methods of skin removal. The yoga moves are appreciated. My gf has been pushing yoga on me for a while now. If I had any sense, I would stop ignoring that advice. The trouble spot is indeed the frozen lock. Pulling the skin is a wobbly yet possible affair, while fiddling with the lock is nearly impossible for me, especially if I have to go back and forth between fiddling with the lock on top of the ski and ungluing from the ski base to get the lock to release a few times. Improved balance would help a great deal I suspect. Thanks!

I remember the process to be: remove as much snow/ice from skin lock, loosen skin and move up so the thin part of skin has some slack, tack a little skin back on ski, try to push thin strip through slot and work end piece up and away from slot, prey to comes loose. Although it never comes out this easy for me.

[Tom M]

I put together a quick video this afternoon on this subject.

[fisheater]

Tom, you are a few enough years older than me for me to admire your fitness, and the sheer amount of skiing you get in. However your latest Easy Skin removal is pretty impressive. I’m not a big X-skin guy, but next time I get on my skis I will try to duplicate your moves. Nicely done!

[Krummholz]

@connyro A little off topic but this lady will kick your butt and get you doing all kind of things on one leg. I recommend watching a couple of times first, it’s an intermediate flow. Then doing the flow close to something or someone to grab on to to keep from falling down, at around 22:00. I’m usually sore the next day. If you start to get muscle shake/spasm it means you’re doing stuff outside your brains normal parameters and is adjusting. Which is good!

[connyro]

I put together a quick video this afternoon on this subject.

Thanks for that great video Tom! That looks like a good technique, although you've got much better flexibility and balance in those positions than I do. A little practice (and yoga) will go a long way. Thanks again for posting that video.

[lilcliffy]

How about putting the Easy-Skin back on without taking the skis off?
.............
And- yes- great video Tom!
I can definitely put myself in that position on one ski- however, I hadn't considered that the Easy-Skin would release from the deck cleat so easily! I just assumed that it wouldn't. Great stuff.

[connyro]

@connyro A little off topic but this lady will kick your butt and get you doing all kind of things on one leg. I recommend watching a couple of times first, it’s an intermediate flow. Then doing the flow close to something or someone to grab on to to keep from falling down, at around 22:00. I’m usually sore the next day. If you start to get muscle shake/spasm it means you’re doing stuff outside your brains normal parameters and is adjusting. Which is good!

I checked out this video and I got tired just watching it. I'm a yoga noob so it's a little bit intimidating but I gotta start somewhere. Thanks! It reminds me of soccer camp many eons ago where we'd wake up diaily and do an aerobics session with a tiny, super-fit older woman leading the session. Being soccer players, we thought we were in pretty good shape but that instructor would kick our asses into the ground so hard it was embarrassing.

[connyro]

Just wanted to revive this thread to say that with a little stretching and yoga (thanks @Krummholz) as well as following the video that @Tom M posted above, I can easily apply and remove the ezskins without having to remove my skis. Its embarrassingly easy on firm snow but still trickyish in deep unstable snow. Thanks again for the tips!