Giorgio Pioda

...altough I have to admin that after 2 days of mud and pure ice I'm beginning to whish a little softer camber.

Hi, I report here the very first impression of one single ski day on the fischer powerlight. I've to admit that after years (about 12) of pure XC gear, the first sensation is really ADDICTIVE ! I really do NOT UNDERSTAND any more why I've bought several generation of skating skis. For the skating part the powerlight are really impressive. Very reactive, torsionally stiff. It is possible to push very hard and reach very high speed. I feared that they could be soft and similar to a dead piece of wood, but actually they are exactly the opposite of that. They are WAY faster than low entry skating skis and similar to high end ones. The steel edges do not slow down; it is possible to be even more powerful in the movement, since the edges bite the hard snow and the stability at high speed is better than with conventional skating skis. I didn't perceive any impact of the 5 mm sidecut on the ability of going straight during skating action. Also the weight difference (~ 500g for the complete setup) is negligible. On the other side the downhill control is a totally different experience. The limited, but positive sidecut is there, and the skis turns WAY better than conventional straight skating ski, and even more compared to the competions models that usually are negative side cutted (broader in the center); the latter usually try to correct the parallel turning movement in the sense of forcing to go straight... The steel edge safety sensation is just wonderful after more than ten years of icy snow without them. On the negative side there is a little more noise in the backseats, because of the steel edges crossing over the other ski and the fact that the boot-binding association is more stressed because it is possible to push hard on the edges. I fear that with my 0.1 ton I'll break boot or binding (I guess binding) rather soon. In that case I'll consider to change to SNS XADV system (the holes in the skis should be compatible). I'll report more on downhill experience in the next. Cheers

I would test Madshus Intelligrip skins. I have a similar situation and I'll test them over Christmas.

Are them also good for occasional alpine resort skiing, or are the Ingstad too soft ?

The difference is "Nordic Rocker", I guess.

Look here http://www.aventurenordique.com/ski-randonnee-nordique-backcountry/chaussures-randonnee-nordique.html Cheers

Hi, after the shock of using my skating equipment on 20 cm heavy wet unprepared snow (closed resort skiing) I realize thet is slowly time to purchase a new setup. In basement I have only skating skis, a pair of Fischer Powerlight for crust skiing and 20 year old alpine gear. I'm looking for a ski / boot that: -will be good on prepared alpine terrain (at low speed, making old fashioned short and quick turns, I never carved) to follow the kids. I'm used to do ski parallel (but I'd also like to improve telemark style) -will be good on unprepared terrain, moderate toptours with up to 500 meters climbs and up to 3-5 km flat approach -a little vintage flavour is desired, although the gear must be efficient. (for example this boot looks really good ( http://www.aventurenordique.com/crispi-svartisen-75-mm.html ) -have possibly some grip and glide, but with my weight > 0.1 ton this get difficult. Is it better to go with waxless or with short traps (snow frequently around zero, heavy wet or frozen)? I'm oriented towards Nansen, Ingstad, Vetle/Storetind, but also the very new E109 Xtralight seems good. Clues are wellcome. Feel free to answer in Norvegian. Google translate is amazing (and I'm slowly beginning to understand it directly ) Thanks Giorgio

I think that Kuzmin tech is not so surprising. For a chemical point of view scraping of a thin layer means that you remove the top surface, which is oxidized and thus more hydrophilic (binds water) and you expose a new layer of unoxidized base (which is basically polyethylen or polyproplyen plastic) which is way more hydrofobic. The only questions are -how long the scraping effect lasts until the new exposed base is oxidized and a new cycle is needed? (If the timing is similar to the waxing timing, then the base will be scraped out rapidly.), and -how many scraping cycle a base could accept? Cheers Giorgio

I got these Swix Extreme one month ago. Still not tested, but they look and feel great. Very light carbon and the korkhandtakk is really long.

Up to 25 - 30 degree (not percent) in a dense forest, like here described: http://www.gps-tour.info/it/92/detail.96484.html

Hi volks, I would like to start a discussion about leg/knee safety using "fjellbindings". I'm slowly considering to buy a new set of ski in the range Nansen - Storetind to manage better moderate toptours. My biggest concern is the choice of boots and bindings and this is mostly safety related. I actually use stiff skating boots and I look for even stiffer backcountry boots and good torsional rigidity of the association... Given that normal NNN or SNS used in normal cross country tracks are weak, and in case of bad fall tendentially break, thus indirectly protecting knee and legs (irreversible releasing safety), what happens with beefier bindings and boots? 1) Are 75mm (with cable) / "plastsko" combinations so rigid and hard that they can get really dangerous? Is it mandatory to use NTN or Dynafit (no nice kick & glide) solutions using plastsko? NTN have really poor choice for backcountry; the boots are too heavy and oriented for use in lift assisted resorts. 2) Is there a safety benefit to use leather boots with 75 mm cable bindings so that a softer boot under hard conditions can twist a little protecting legs and knees ? 3) Are NNN-BC (or SNS-BC) combination safe enough, in the sense of the previous discussed "irreversible safety" or in the sense that releasing the weight on the central ridge makes the binding/boot association looser in case of accident? Any opinion or statistical data is welcome. For sure I forgot other related questions. TIA Giorgio Pioda P.S: Sorry for posting here in english and not using other backcountry sites, but IMHO this is worldwide the most competent forum on this subject.

Hi volks, my father in law (age over 80) is thinking of starting a little XC skiing. He was formerly a good / very good alpine skier but quitted the activity 15 years ago. Have you recommendation for ski gear, as far as easy to drive, possibly broader than standard XC, and with a very good and predictable behaviour in the track. He will mostly walk with skis. Cheers Giorgio

.... and about stocks, these looks like a good compromise for skating and downhill, 5 cm shorter that normal skating lenght, or even in classic XC lenght. http://www.oslosportslager.no/produkt/swix-mountain-extreme-fjellskistaver-7024.aspx

Just to add some more information about crust skiing. I've found the interesting web site hold by Tim Kelley http://crust.outlookalaska.com/ Cheers again

Of course I'll write a report! I got an amazing help in the forum and the report would just be "fair play" for the netiquette! Thanks again

Hi Volks, thanks to everybody. I have just purchased Fischer Powerlight for me and my wife, since we almost destroyed our skating skis this winter, doing XC, Alpine Downhill following the kids, and some offpiste crust skating. In the future we also will buy an heavier setup, since our old alpine stuff is so old and oxidized that is completely useless. The skiboots of my wife were transformed into plastic powder just after triing to close the bindings... I didn't test the same with my gear... Thus you'll find more question in future... Cheers and thanks again Giorgio

Thanks a lot, or I'll say in norwegian (I hope), TAKK. The 60-50-55 seems thus to be the correct limit. Cheers Giorgio

Hi, Henrik, any news from the front? Cheers Giorgio

Would be FANTASTIC to have such a systematic information, that have never been reported anywhere. People doing crust skating are whispering around their experiences, but there is really no serious report around.

I'm thinking that anyway these skis will replace my Madshus Hypersonic, buying two sets (maybe for the Nansen I'll wait a little to have more budget...). In Tuscany often it is so shiny icy that even the XC skating prepared tracks are almost a nightmare. For me I think that the 202 are mandatory (I'm 95 Kg x 190cm). For my wife would it better 182 or even 172 ? She is 1.65cm x 58 Kg. She is also a very good skier.

It's a kind of impossible dream

That's why I slowly get thinking that the right compromise is with some larger ski (not too much anyway)

Anyway I also have skated very short tracks (in the order of 100 m) with my traditional alpine gear (old styled with about 20-25 mm sidecut and heavier than 12 Kg) and what limited my activity is the weight of course. But I have no experience of skating long distance with strong sidecut.

I'm 190 cm and 95kg hoping to slim down to 92.