Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

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JB TELE
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Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by JB TELE » Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:07 pm

Looking at Black Diamond's website, the glidelite kicker skins are completely sold out in every size making me think they may have been discontinued. The glue on the glidelite kickers is terrible anyways.

Are there any other options for kicker skins that don't use a specific attachment point (like the fichers and the asnes skis) available in the United States? I just picked up some used Madshush Annums and while I have full length skins that will work with them, I would also like some kickers as well.

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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by Krummholz » Sat Dec 09, 2023 9:31 am

If you’re handy with tools and you don’t mind modifying your ski. You can cut / epoxy a slot for a Fischer Easy skin. I used a small brass screw, and drilled a hole in the plastic attachment point of the skin to hold it. I would post a picture but I can get the site to take it.
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Montana St Alum
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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by Montana St Alum » Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:36 pm

It sounds as though you're not a fan of the BD kickers, but Outdoor Gear Exchange has them in 95mm. It just depends on how far up the skis they get that wide.
Edit:
I think the tip of these skis is around 109mm and 78 underfoot. Somewhere in between, it's bound to hit 95+mm in width. Outdoor Gear Exchange is in Burlington. That's sorta the U.S. :lol:
Last edited by Montana St Alum on Sat Dec 09, 2023 1:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.



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Jurassien
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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by Jurassien » Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:51 pm

Yes, there are such skins currently available, but whether the product is available in your country, I cannot say:

https://madshus.com/en-ch/p/intelligrip-skin-60mm-2024

To the best of my knowledge, the Annum is a fishscale ski with a waist of ca. 80mm. For full-length skins the 60mm width might just about be adequate (not optimal), but short skins, as they offer inherently less traction, should generally be wider (in this case 70mm width might be a better choice). Also, with fishscale skis you would want the short skins to extend a little beyond the ends of the scale-pattern, so that snow couldn’t work its way in from behind.

Note that the lengths stated by the manufacturer (182 and 197) are totally wrong and misleading. I have recently returned a “182”- length, as the actual measured length was as follows:
Plastic front strip: 65cm
Plush (skin pile): 47.5cm
Total length: 112.5cm

The examples I currently possess have the following dimensions (38mm wide):
Plastic front strip: 71.5cm
Plush: 51cm
Total length: 122.5cm

This product has been available in the past and not every user has been happy with it (do a Google or forum-internal search). I have to report that I am one of the happy campers, having had two pairs of them since ca. 2014. The original contact adhesive wasn’t all that good and I have had to re-glue at least twice. I think I read somewhere that some users had the plastic strips tear on them (hasn’t happened to me, although one pair seems to have reached that point, which explains my re-ordering/returning as described above).

I think your best option would be to take full-length skins in 70mm width and cut them to the required length – either at the heel or just behind it, depending on the length of your fishscale pattern.



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JB TELE
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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by JB TELE » Tue Dec 12, 2023 12:41 am

If I can find skin material, the question is how to make a kicker skin attachment. I already have full lengths. I wonder if I can buy an attachment similar to the black diamond glidelites.



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shahin
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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by shahin » Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:47 pm

Jurassien wrote:
Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:51 pm
Yes, there are such skins currently available, but whether the product is available in your country, I cannot say:

https://madshus.com/en-ch/p/intelligrip-skin-60mm-2024

To the best of my knowledge, the Annum is a fishscale ski with a waist of ca. 80mm. For full-length skins the 60mm width might just about be adequate (not optimal), but short skins, as they offer inherently less traction, should generally be wider (in this case 70mm width might be a better choice). Also, with fishscale skis you would want the short skins to extend a little beyond the ends of the scale-pattern, so that snow couldn’t work its way in from behind.

Note that the lengths stated by the manufacturer (182 and 197) are totally wrong and misleading. I have recently returned a “182”- length, as the actual measured length was as follows:
Plastic front strip: 65cm
Plush (skin pile): 47.5cm
Total length: 112.5cm

The examples I currently possess have the following dimensions (38mm wide):
Plastic front strip: 71.5cm
Plush: 51cm
Total length: 122.5cm

This product has been available in the past and not every user has been happy with it (do a Google or forum-internal search). I have to report that I am one of the happy campers, having had two pairs of them since ca. 2014. The original contact adhesive wasn’t all that good and I have had to re-glue at least twice. I think I read somewhere that some users had the plastic strips tear on them (hasn’t happened to me, although one pair seems to have reached that point, which explains my re-ordering/returning as described above).

I think your best option would be to take full-length skins in 70mm width and cut them to the required length – either at the heel or just behind it, depending on the length of your fishscale pattern.
the link you posted doesn't work anymore. any other options, preferably in canada ? I lost one of my black diamond kicker skins mud skiing, LOL :cry:



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shahin
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Re: Kicker skins without proprietary attachment point available in U.S.?

Post by shahin » Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:53 pm

shahin wrote:
Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:47 pm
Jurassien wrote:
Sat Dec 09, 2023 12:51 pm
the link you posted doesn't work anymore. any other options, preferably in canada ? I lost one of my black diamond kicker skins mud skiing, LOL :cry:
oops maybe found it here: https://madshus.com/en-ca/p/intelligrip ... dI_vsbV86M



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