Rabb 68 Questions: Boots, Waxing, and Skins

[fisheater]

I will be looking forward to your review of the Alico Artic!

[Nitram Tocrut]

@Nitram Tocrut - Current year black version.

@lowangle al , Ya, I kick waxed my ole tua big Easys years (ok, decades) ago, never found it worked great. Went to skins quickly. Maybe my wax technique, but was blue polar which is almost always decent here.


Tx

@LilCliffy will probably give you some fresh comments on the new Rabb. I have the first generation and I only had the chance to flex the new Rabb in the store. It has a larger wax pocket, it is stiffer and it has a groove that should really help for touring. I still ski the Rabb with NNNBC and Alaska and I like them as long as I don't have too far to go for the turns

[lowangle al]

@Nitram Tocrut - Current year black version.

@lowangle al , Ya, I kick waxed my ole tua big Easys years (ok, decades) ago, never found it worked great. Went to skins quickly. Maybe my wax technique, but was blue polar which is almost always decent here.


Tx

Hi Salto, you're right, it doesn't always work great, the big difference is when you're in deep unconsolidated powder you need to go tip to tail with kick wax. This makes the consequences higher if your wax is too soft, and it won't replace skins for a steeper, longer alpine tour, more for meadow charging.

I haven't been doing it much since I've been using Voiles scaled skis, which although they are slower, I think they are more efficient because of a better ans easier kick. I still get out on wide waxed skis at least a few times a year, with mixed results, but when it's good it can be real good.

[Nitram Tocrut]

Howdy.

I grabbed a pair of Rabb 68 on ebay without much thought and now second guessing a little.

Context: I am in Colorado front range and most skiing is fairly steep trails and roads (yesterday was 4 miles up and 2300 feet). I don't do much off trail trail breaking. I have been tele skiing (resort and touring) for over 20 years and currently ski NTN - Miedjos. I have generally hung up slopes greater than 25 to maybe 30 degrees. Now trying to get into leather telemark turns and fun (but I also have a pair of excursions). Usually my tours have opportunity for 15-25 degree glade, open, and tight tree skiing - and I can't resist turtle-shelling down any opportunity. Currently skiing the Alpina Alaska - but looking for a little stiffer boot.

A few questions for Rabb owners:
1. Will an Alaska 75 drive these suckers (I have lots of voile cable binders - so want to stick with those).
2. Riser or no risers? I have three sets of risers to choose from (voile 10mm, g3 20 mm, and voile 25mm).
3. Do these have a wax pocket? When I bought them, I thought they did, but after review not so sure. Would like to wax and not skin for typical winter conditions. (Planning to follow LC's wiki wax suggestion with full polar and kick wax).
4. Which x-skin should I go with for non-waxing conditions? (for steeper skiing, I was just going to get the $25 ascension skins on ebay).

Any other stoke to share? These will be replacing on old pair of Karhu Guides with Tele Lite Dogz (RIP - best binder ever). I have high hopes they will k&G better and be much more versatile in harder snow conditions.

Cheers.

Although I have the previous generation I still can share my experience…

1. I first used the Alaska with them but I made the mistake to mount Voile SB and that was too much binding for the Alaska. Also I went through 2 pairs of 75mm Alaska in 2 seasons so I gave up on them. @fisheater has a different experience with the Alaska but he use Rottefella Super Telemark that seems better adapted to the Alaska duck bill. I also skied them with the T4 and now Alaska NNNBC. From my en experience I would not choose this boots. I suggest you go plastic or a welted leather boot.

2. I skied them with and without risers. I skied them once at the resort without riser and that was too much pressure on the binding. I would suggest a low riser like the Traverse if you want to ski resorts or ski agressively

3. Mine have a tiny wax pocket and it works. The only thing is that they are slow on rolling terrain and are not directional without a groove and a big sidecut.

4. I am actually using the 30mm mohair skin on spring snow. I don’t ski steep terrain and very little hills in my backyard so I don’t want to fiddle with skins. This narrow skins is enough to climb and is tolerable dh. But when I go for “ bigger” hills I use the 58 mm skins for maximum grip.

I will add that this ski is, for me and my ski conditions, better suited for 4-8 inches of soft snow on a hard base. I just came back from a short tour on a thin layer of corn on a hard base and the Rabb did not offer sufficient support for my skills. I think the stiffer and maybe less rockered new version might be better on this type of conditions.

Hope that helps

[Peter P]

I bought the current model Rabb68 at the beginning of the season, with Xplore bindings and Alaska XP boots.

I'm new to Nordic backcountry after almost 40 years of skate skiing, so others are more qualified to talk about boot combinations and risers.

Regarding wax and skins...I started the season waxing them and skiing the rolling terrain on Rabbit Ears pass, and they do indeed kick and glide well for a ski this wide when waxed, including climbing reasonably well on moderate terrain. I live in Boulder and like to climb Chapman Dr. when we get snow in town. It's 4 km at ~8% grade. The skis could easily handle this with 58mm mohair X-skins (full length) over the wax, and still K&G reasonably well when the grade levels out a little. But I realized that the wax was slowing me down on the downhill. So I bought a 30mm X-skins and abandoned the grip wax and never looked back. Trimmed the 30mm skins to just behind the heel, and this works very well as a substitute for wax on flat/rolling terrain. And the 58mm X-skins are easy to carry if you run into steeper terrain.

I also built a set of full-length 58mm mohair skins and don't have any trouble keeping up with friends on AT gear on any skin tracks I'm comfortable skiing. I'm sure if you had full length hybrid or nylon skins there is little terrain you couldn't cover.

When I bought my Alaska XPs I also tried on Alfa Frees, but decided to go with a more all-around boot. But I think next season I'll go ahead and get either a pair of Frees or Pioneer Techs to compliment the Alaskas when skiing steeper terrain.

[Salto]

Thanks for input. An interesting option. I think I will experiment a bit with wax and see if I come to the same conclusion to use skinny skins!

Mounting them up tonight with 3-pin cable binder on some type of riser I have in my parts bin.

[JohnSKepler]

Thanks, @JohnSKepler , our snow and weather is sort of similar. I dont have the Rabb in hand yet, but hoping there is a bit of pocket on the 188. The FT62 might had been a better ski for what I am looking for, but he Rabb was a pretty good price and a bit less than a FT62.

Are you using nylon, mohair, or mixed skins?

Thanks!

Mohair. I'm using this material:

https://skimo.co/colltex-race-skins?opt ... NwQAvD_BwE

[Salto]

Thanks, All. Hope to get out this weekend.

I decided to go voile cable straight to ski. Took a while to make that decision. I also mounted pins 2 cm forward of the balance point. My size 46 alaskas looked a bit too far back.

Going to try Polar ironed into entire ski and appropriate kickwax. Will see how this system goes before deciding on kicker skins. Have a full set of old 50mm skins can use if get into issues.

I look forward to comparing these against my current skis: Karhu Guides (3-pin hardwire CRB) and Rossi BC90s with voile cable.

[Nitram Tocrut]

Thanks, All. Hope to get out this weekend.

I decided to go voile cable straight to ski. Took a while to make that decision. I also mounted pins 2 cm forward of the balance point. My size 46 alaskas looked a bit too far back.

Going to try Polar ironed into entire ski and appropriate kickwax. Will see how this system goes before deciding on kicker skins. Have a full set of old 50mm skins can use if get into issues.

I look forward to comparing these against my current skis: Karhu Guides (3-pin hardwire CRB) and Rossi BC90s with voile cable.

I am curious to know if you mounted your other skis the same way? I mounted my 1st gen Rabb on BP and I wear 47 Alaska. When I read that you mounted them forward it made me think that it could help me to do the same. I am 6,1 and 210-215 pounds and I wonder if I have too much weight on the back of my skis and that renders them harder to turn? I am always looking to improve my technique and you can be sure there is a lot of room to improve

[lilcliffy]

@Nitram Tocrut - Current year black version.

@lowangle al , Ya, I kick waxed my ole tua big Easys years (ok, decades) ago, never found it worked great. Went to skins quickly. Maybe my wax technique, but was blue polar which is almost always decent here.


Tx

@LilCliffy will probably give you some fresh comments on the new Rabb. I have the first generation and I only had the chance to flex the new Rabb in the store. It has a larger wax pocket, it is stiffer and it has a groove that should really help for touring. I still ski the Rabb with NNNBC and Alaska and I like them as long as I don't have too far to go for the turns

The current Rabb design may perhaps be stiffer, and have more camber (and less rocker) than the previous model (I cannot confirm this as I have no experience with the previous model)-
but, the current model does not have a "wax pocket" in any effective sense. It has a downhill, single camber, with a round flex.
My current Rabb is stiffer than our Guide/Annums- and that- combined with the track groove- certainly makes it more stable- but the Rabb turns on a dime- it is not directionally stable in XC mode- at least not compared to a XC ski.