[bostonguy]

Is this a tele or alpine ski: Backcountry
Length: 198 cm
Tip width: 78
Waist: 60
Tail: 70
Weight in this length: ??
Boots used: Garmont Piste leather no buckles but some plastic
Bindings used: Voile 3-pin cable
How many days on the skis: 30
Resort or backcountry: Backcountry, but may try resort next week
Geographical region: Boston
Tell us about the terrain you ski: Golf courses to skiing & hiking trails in the White Mountains
Do you know how the skis were tuned (bevel): nope
How long have you been skiing: 29 years
How many days a year: way too few
Previous ski that you liked: ??
Previous ski you did not like: I'm not picky
How big are you: 5'10", 170 lb.
Mostly tele or parallel: tele only and not too well on these

I really enjoy heading out on these skis in the BC whether it's a tame par 3 at Newton Commonwealth golf course or cruising the Greeley Ponds Trail in NH. Breaking trail is a blast with a decent shovel width and overall wide enough to get a bit of float going in those NE dumps. I added a G3 shim with dual height climbing wires and a pair or 50 mm skins for a really fun setup.

In good snow conditions (few inches of fresh snow) these babies can handle a very nice low tele turn and, if I throuw my weight around a bit, I'm starting to do ok on the chopped up sledding runs

Planning on taking them on some green and blue runs for the first time at WaWa later this week. I would highly recommend this ski. I picked up half the gear (skis & boots) at Sierra Trading post and the rest (bindings & shims) on sale at EMS for a dirt cheap and very flexible setup

[bostonguy]

I'm also on the fence about picking up a pair of the G-fit Excursions. Two weeks ago we skiied up in the Presies (Stinkin' Woods) and it was -10 and my feets were chilly for the first hour or so until we got moving. I'm thinking that a pair of the G-Fit Excursions would be warmer than the leather boots, better for camping trips and would be a bit more rigid laterally than the leather boots.

Unfortunately I've not managed to find them anywhere in my size (MP 28.0) on sale and am struggling with the idea of paying retail.

Are they really as good as everyone seems to think?

[HVTele]

[ol baldy]

[tyggyr]

I learned to tele back-country on some E99's about 25 years ago, with mere 3-pin bindings and Asolo Snowfield boots.

With that setup, you can turn, but it's really tough. However, the E99's are very light and fast for touring, and handle packing as well.

However, I got tired of not being able to turn them very well. I tried some of the Fischer s-bound (outbound? something really wide) in both wax and non-wax (sorry, I just can't get used to non-wax), and while those just turn with you barely thinking about it (Rotfella Chili cables), the skis are astoundingly slow. Those floated well, but ...

I got some 109's online, put some cheap Voile cables on them, and I've got to say that these skis are it. Almost as fast as the E99's (just slightly wider), their sidecut and flex makes them a great turner as well.

I bought 2 more pairs of them (they were all $50 each!) in case my kids take after me!