The Norpine Thread

[Johnny]

Definitely my favorite free-heel discipline after NTN and XCD. Single camber and skinny light skis are nearly impossible to find nowadays... Thank God for the Falketinds, they are almost the only ones on the market over 160cm. (I can't wait for the day skimo racing skis will be available in 220cm!)

Do you guys Norpine? I seem to be the only one in Quebec and Jay Peak...

My MONOCAMBER MANIA quiver:

Karhu XCD Supreme (Awesome ski!)
Asnes Rabb 68 (Awesome ski!)
Karhu XCD COMP (Awesome ski, my all-time favorite XCD ski!)
Kazama Couloir (Awesome ski!)
Asnes Falketind 62 (Awesome ski!)
Merrell Super Comp (Awesome ski!)
Rossignol TMS MTN (Awesome ski!)
Kazama Outback TM (Awesome ski!)
Asnes Nordic Tour (Awesome ski!)
Karhu XCD Extreme (Awesome ski!)
Tua Nitrogen (Awesome ski!)

[bgregoire]

I'm happy to see the Karhu XCD COMP on your top-list!!!

I Norpine once in a while and I love it. I have not managed to convince any locals to come along with me, yet its surely the number one way to get good fast at xcD skiing!

Now, you mentioned the Asnes Nordic Tour, are those wooden skis? I'd love to see you jump turn down some moguls on these!!!

Ben

[Woodserson]

And you're mounting these with...?

[Johnny]

Yep, the Asnes Nordic are the woodies I restored a few years ago... I have another pair of old Asnes with a bit less camber that I think I will strip too...

Thank you so much for the lead on the XCD Comp. It's honestly the most precious and dearest ski I own. You have no idea how much I love this ski. People, if anyone ever sees another pair of Karhu Comp for sale, PLEASE buy it for me, I'll pay for it plus shipping...! (Special thanks to Johral for the Comps and Cannatonic for preserving NOS Kazamas in his attic...!)

Who is organizing the first Telemark Talk Norpine Fest?

There was a lot of bindings rotation on the Norpine quiver over the years. My main weapons are on bars of course, while there are still a few pairs with pins, even one with cables, relics of a previous life...

[fisheater]

The past couple of seasons have been Norpine seasons for me. Well, I have 3 pin cable bindings on the Falketind 62. In my book it counts as Norpine because it is still a light ski and even though the Ski March is a stiff leather boot, it is a leather boot. For my Michigan resorts, which are all groomed and less than 500 feet of vertical it keeps things interesting. I also am not always fond of my telemark. My knees are not as young as they used to be, my left knee being a bit weaker. I can easily pounce on my right knee, but my mind will not let me pounce on the left knee. I manage construction sites, but I spend a good amount of time repairing or fixing punch list items across all trades. I carry heavy loads, climb ladders, but my body knows how to move. I still have good natured strength contests with the young guys. I can hang with the 20 somethings, the 30 something's are at their peak and I am comfortable losing to them. The forty something's laugh at me (good natured) and ask me when am I going to grow up. Not bad for a 57 year old guy.
The point is I think my Telemark is improving by skiing in leather. Since my brain just will not let me pounce onto that left knee. The added feel of the flexible Vibram sole helps me feel my way into the turn. For what it's worth, I think Telemarking is good for my knees. I know it sure is good for my mental health!

Johnny, you mentioned you enjoy NTN. This is Telemark Talk, I think it would be cool to start a thread about why you like NTN. Harris posted some well thought out reasons for why he went back to 75 mm for "heavy Telemark". I log onto other sites from time to time. Most other places NTN is the only way to ski "heavy Telemark" and to disagree starts a Holy War. So maybe the thread should be "Why I Like NTN". No need to start battles when we are only talking about how we enjoy playing in the snow. Remember no throwing ice balls!

[Johnny]

Cooool...! Ski Marches plus FT62 makes a killer Norpine setup! Sounds like a lot of fun... Hey, I bought the 62's because of your review...!

Try getting rid of the cables at some point... It's quite harder, it requires more muscle power and finesse, but the reward is 10 times the fun! (No matter what they say, it's not free heel skiing if your heels are still strangled with cables... )

I like NTN just as much as all the other forms of free heel skiing. (Geez... I just spent 2000$ on NTN boots...) The thing is, there is nothing to say or discuss about NTN, it all has been said here on the old forum 10 years ago. I just do not see the point of discussing the new screws on the Kreuzspitze or the weight of the Meidjo mounting instruction brochure like they do elsewhere. BORING. Nothing new. Borums. On the other hand, there is SO MUCH going on in the XCD world, some much new ground-breaking gear everywhere around the world, I just can't keep up with everything new in XCD land!

Plus, even though I still ski NTN every week and I still enjoy it as much as I did 10 years ago, I just cannot stand the NTN crowd and skiers. I hate to generalize, there are some very nice guys out there. But no matter where you are, most of them always seem to be rich, elitists baby-boomers who absolutely need NTN in order to do what they mistakenly call "telemark". They just like to brag about their new puffy coats. They always think they were the first to try NTN. They think they are Kings of the world just because they once had a Telemark Talk account back in 2005. Absolutely nothing to do with the holy essence of telemark. And pretty much a picture of what we see now on other forums, magazines and FB... Yucky...

[satsuma]

I own a pair of BD Polar Stars, currently mounted with NNN-BC bindings and have added place for leashes. Haven't tried them yet. Probably too long for me at 200 cm.

[Cannatonic]

those green Karhus are beautiful! what a great find. Until now I wasn't even sure what "norpine" was....so it's the old-school tele skis - skinny and flat camber.

btw I kept those Kazamas in my BEDROOM for a few years....they were in the attic of Strand's ski shop in Worcester, Mass. for the long 20 year sleep.

[bgregoire]

IMG_94252.jpg

Those real short stubbys are sticking out and ruining that fine collections of skis! You should clean things up by send 'em over here...

Anyways, a man can only pay respect to so many skis (by taking them out regularly). Cecilie has been going on and on about this lately.

Hope all that rain coming is snow for you.

[Coolwhip]

They just like to brag about their new puffy coats.

I love the ski collection, but if you don't have the right coat to wear with them then I am very, very disappointed. I don't like to think of myself as a superficial person, but I think you should go out there and display some panache.