Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

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bgregoire
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Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar

Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by bgregoire » Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:20 am

Hi y'all. I'm really new to telemark, coming from a nordic backcountry ski touring background. I'm looking to have some good cheap fun exploring various tele ski shapes, mostly as at a resort. I got hold of mid-FAT G3 saint with hammerheads. I have a pair of voile switchbacks hanging around and have been coming across a few old school alpine/tele skis such as the Rossi Nepal and Rossi Black Widow with Riva/Chili bindings for pennies. Now here are my thoughts:

-Install the switchbacks onto the G3 Saint and using it as a backcountry telemark ski on those days I want to hunt for powder (I got the skins for those planks already).
-Place the hammerheads on another ski that I can have fun with at a resort, where the runs are either hardpack or heavily modified anyways.

Does that sound like a decent plan?
Also, is it even worth playing around with those oldsckool planks? Thanks for for tips guys!
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM

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Dongshow
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Dongshow » Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:28 am

What length are the Black Widows? Horrible tele ski, great alpine ski for the time.



User avatar
bgregoire
Posts: 1511
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:31 am
Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar

Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by bgregoire » Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:32 am

Dongshow wrote:What length are the Black Widows? Horrible tele ski, great alpine ski for the time.
198cm. I did not pick them up but I could if it was recommended. I'm 165lbs, 5 foot 10 by the way. Was thinking of slapping of the Hammerheads on whatever you peeps think is best.
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM



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Dongshow
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Dongshow » Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:48 am

If I remember right they are 85-65-75 and stiff as planks. I had some 205s that were a handful telemarking with leathers back then, I gave them to a friend when I got my Montets and he put downhill bindings on them and loved them.

They might be fun with HHs and plastic boots.



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Jeff
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Jeff » Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:12 pm

It's my opinion you can find a better cheap resort ski than the Widow. I think it was a rebadged 7S? Any decent resort ski is a good match for the HH's.



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bgregoire
Posts: 1511
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:31 am
Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar

Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by bgregoire » Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:15 pm

Jeff wrote:It's my opinion you can find a better cheap resort ski than the Widow. I think it was a rebadged 7S? Any decent resort ski is a good match for the HH's.
Thanks Jeff and Dongshow. What would you then suggests as measurements/criteria for a decent cheap resort tele to go with my HHs and Garmont SynerGs?
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM



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Dongshow
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Dongshow » Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:41 pm

Do you have a used ski shop around? Find a ski that is 75-85 underfoot and with a low twenties to high teens turn radius and doesn't have a bindging plate on it, you're good to go.



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Raventele
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Raventele » Sat Jan 31, 2015 5:47 pm

K2 Backups..Pretty cheap if you can find some..Ebay..Really, any ski from the "Back" series will do what you want..I just got rid of some old Black Widows not long ago..You could have had them for the shipping..Nowadays most would think them a difficult ski to be on..They are just cut from a common old profile of the late 80's and 90's .. Maybe they were a little stiff, but depends on how aggressive the skier is too..At 84 or so underfoot, you can ski the Backups on about any half-decent snow..and they are light enough for climbing pretty easily.
"Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind, on the road to Shambala"



User avatar
bgregoire
Posts: 1511
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:31 am
Ski style: Nordic backcountry touring with lots of turns
Favorite Skis: Fisher E99 & Boundless (98), Åsnes Ingstad, K2 Wayback 88
Favorite boots: Crispi Sydpolen, Alico Teletour & Alfa Polar

Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by bgregoire » Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:22 pm

THanks to both of you, unfortunately, I do not anything close to a used ski shop around. I will keep a look out though. Buying skis on ebay is also pretty much out of the question as shipping from the US gets really complicated with skis. How fat should this type of ski be at the shovel?
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM



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Raventele
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Re: Cheap resort/hardpack setup.

Post by Raventele » Sat Jan 31, 2015 6:54 pm

The key is really width under your feet..When it's at least 80+ under the boots , it's very unlikely it will be less than 110 or so at the shovel (a sidecut mid-to-front of around 30 or more is pretty standard these days)..Unless you just want a ski to literally race on hard snow, go for a min of around 85 or so under the boots.
"Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind, on the road to Shambala"



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