Fat Skis in Non-Powder Conditions

Telemark Dave wrote

PeeTex wrote

.. as useful as tits on a bull.

 Unless it was a trans Jenner bull...

Sacrebull

took my 115s out this eve for a cross country ski. They weren't as fast as skinnies but the float was great breaking trail. Mostly I had a lot of fun.

ml242 wrote

took my 115s out this eve for a cross country ski. They weren't as fast as skinnies but the float was great breaking trail. Mostly I had a lot of fun.

...skiing IS FUN...
(And that's all it's really about, isn't it?)

We could have used those yesterday - my wife and I went out for an xc ski afternoon with the dogs at some state Forest land nearby. Figured it would have been skied already. It wasn't. Poles were going in 14 to 18 inches, skinny xc skis were about a foot deep, and the dogs were porpoising around in the powder. We spent about 40 minutes climbing, then turned around and took about 5 minutes to get back to the car. The dogs were coated in snow and slept hard for the afternoon. It was fun, but some backcountry xc skis would have been in order for sure.

Telemark Dave wrote

Bosco DaSkia wrote

This problem can be solved pretty easily. You can offset your bindings so that you have one edge available on even the widest of skis. Because seriously, why are you running your powder planks if you really need more than one edge?


115 mm under foot.

Hmm.  Reminds me of seeing some Atomic Powder Pluses for the first time in Engelberg  in 1992... They looked stupid fat and freaky with the offset bindings.. And everyone who saw them was  in awe - it dumped a metre of snow overnight.. So they all of a sudden made sense..

Good eye. The Axiom is Rossignols answer to the Powder Plus. $500 retail at the time. However they were not real popular in scratchy ass Vermont. They were giving them away at Mountainside Ski Service at Sugarbush. I got mine in 1995 for only $90. The float on those things is just freakin amazing. They have been a lot of fun in this years ridiculously soft and light powder.

They are also a lot of fun in the late spring afternoons when everything turns to watery mush..It is just like water skiing at that point. They are great day extenders just like the skibikes.

PeeTex wrote

Maybe the old eyes are playing tricks but it looks like the brakes on those skis are about as useful as tits on a bull.

Them there brakes are built in to them there Markers. They were also free. So, I put up with the useless brakes and the good ol' safety straps. Kind of pain in the ass in the morning, but at least I don't have root around in the snow trying to find them when they release. You know right where they are cause they be smackin the crap right out of ya!