Short Discussion of my Asnes Falketind 62 Skis and NNN BC Bindings (Second Time on Them!)

Рет қаралды 598

4 ай бұрын

Just a short video discussing my Asnes Falketind 62 skis after testing them out on some more consolidated yet graupel-type snow.
They are a lot different than any of my Fischer backcountry cross-country skis. The Falketinds are really soft (camber) and enable you to engage the edges more consistently with the snow. But they're light and responsive requiring you to really keep them in a parallel position lest they start drifting and wandering. Basically, they're not a heavy ski so the snow is going to try and push them around. That, and you definitely have to get the correct edge angle when downhilling on them.
Anyway, I wouldn't call this video a review. But I've been wanting to get out there and test these skis a bit more (and people have been asking me about them). So, I hope this provides a little more insight on the Asnes Falketind 62s :)
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Classic Cross-Country Ski Components (articles at Tahoe Trail Guide):
Introduction to Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 1)
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Geometry of Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 2)
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The Grip Zone of Classic Cross-Country Skis (Part 3)
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Types of Bindings for Classic Cross-Country Skiing (Part 4)
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Ski Boots for Classic Cross-Country Skiing (Part 5)
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Classic Cross-Country Ski Poles (Part 6)
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FAQs about Classic Cross-Country Skiing
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Waxing Your “Waxless” Cross-Country Skis (for beginner and intermediate xc skiers):
Introduction to Waxing Your Waxless XC Skis
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FAQs About Waxing Your Waxless XC Skis
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Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1)
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Пікірлер: 12

@ecphotographer 4 ай бұрын

Last Monday, we had ‘fast snow’ with some icy conditions forming or revealing from what little snowfall we had, consolidating snow base. The trail I was aiming for was a steep black diamond with a 90 turn. I decided to take my 80mm (steel edges) BC ski into the skate track and bombed it without falling (FINALLY NAILED IT). Having said that, I still often wonder if I should add something like your 62 Falketinds to be able to go into the classic tracks, move faster and gradually improve my downhill technique. Back east, I don’t really have access to endless steep slopes (600 ft elevation in this case) in open wilderness to practice. Just to note, the park I use has a mix of backcountry trails, but mostly, you have to use the groomed trails to get to them. So in short, 62mm ski, in fast snow for fast steep trails, ascent in the classic tracks in order to improve skill downhill technique?

@JaredManninen 4 ай бұрын

Hey EC! Congrats on making down that steep run! Very cool :) Yes, skinnier skis on hard-packed and icy snow is more preferable that trying to run a set of wide backcountry xc skis. That said, the Falketind 62s are actually a wider ski with a 97mm tip width. Asness uses the underfoot/waist width in their ski names, just like Madshus. On the other hand, Fischer and Rossignol and most other xc ski manufacturers use the tip width in their names (i.e. Fischer Spider 62 is 62mm wide at the tip). Using a waist width in the ski name is something that comes from alpine skis and alpine touring - they do that. So it gets kind of annoying when xc skis also use that measurement in the name. So I wouldn't look at those Falketind 62s for what you're proposing. If anything, go for the Fischer Spider 62mm because they will technically fit in the tracks and are still great for out of the track hard-packed snow. Also, skinnier skis in icy terrain will make performing downhill technique easier than wide bc xc skis. But the icy stuff presents its own inherent challenges. So, whether or not that makes you a better downhiller could be debatable. But it will help you to become a better skier. For example, you'll become more familiar with dealing with more terrain, and part of that is knowing what gear to use. Hope that helps! Let me know if you want any additional clarification :)

@ecphotographer 4 ай бұрын

@@JaredManninen That’s awesome, thanks!

@JaredManninen 4 ай бұрын

You're welcome 👍

@filmic1 4 ай бұрын

My first ever xc skis were Asnes Tur Langrenn (sp?) Used them for years. Now I have Madshus Voss MGV+ hor piste with the 1/2 steel edge. Glad you're getting tons of snow. It's snowless where I live now. Spring temps. Should be at least 4 feet of snow on the ground by now.. Only grass.

@JaredManninen 4 ай бұрын

Damn, sorry to hear about the low snow year. We've had a pretty similar situation for the first half of the season. Only in the last few weeks has it resembled and actual winter. But this current storm appears to be producing for us here in Tahoe. Already about a foot on the ground within the last 18 hours, and more continues to fall. I'm grateful for it, but it kinda feels about two months late. Those Madshus look like fun skis to run! Great to hear from you again, and hope you're getting outside to play in some form or fashion even though it may not feel like winter :)

@michaelswain328 4 ай бұрын

Is this is newer Xplore edition of the Falketind? I’ve just purchased a pair with Xplore bindings and Alfa Free boots. I’m hoping they’ll make a great light touring setup for lower angle or trail touring and yo-yo skiing. Thanks for making the video. I look forward to any additional thoughts you have on the ski!

@JaredManninen 4 ай бұрын

Hey Michael, Thanks so much for tuning in :) Yes, apparently mine are the Xplore edition Falketind 62s. I guess that means that Asnes cranked them up to 11 - haha! I didn't necessarily purchase them for that reason, but they were on sale last spring, and that was the real deciding factor for me ;) They'll take some getting used to because the camber is so much softer than any of my Fischer backcountry xc skis. So that means that the grip is excellent, but the glide on the flats won't be optimized. But that's fine because I did buy them with the intention of doing a lot of yo-yo skiing. On that mostly consolidated graupel-like snow yesterday and with the soft camber, the x-skins acted like super coarse ground sandpaper, or as if there was a towel strapped to the bottom of the ski. I could basically walk up any angle of terrain without fear of slipping back. Again, great for climbing but not necessarily gliding on the flats. But glide downhill, once I removed the skins, was super fast! Quite startlingly fast compared to my scale-patterned Fischers. Dave and I swapped skis for a few runs (he had the FIscher S-Bound 112s yesterday, which I also own) and the downhill performance was significantly different. Again, the Falketinds were really smooth and fast, whereas the S-bound 112s felt like I was skiing on aircraft carriers. I wouldn't say that the latter was bad, it was just a lot different (and a lot slower). Anyway, I'll try to use the Falketinds more as the season winds down (?) - I don't know if that'll be the case with this current epic snowstorm here in Tahoe - but I'll try to provide more feedback in the following weeks just the same. Again, thanks for watching and for the kind words :)

@JustinBaker2567 4 ай бұрын

I just bought the Rabb, which is similar to the Falk 62 but a little more downhill oriented. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but soon. I bought it because it has carbon reinforcement which should give it better torsional rigidity and better performance on firm snow. My s-bound 98 is a noodle on firm snow. I've heard the Falk 62 is also pretty good on firm snow. Having something with enough float for moderate powder that can also hold up for spring skiing on firmer snow is my goal with the ski. Are you planning on kick-waxing your Falk 62s?

@JaredManninen 4 ай бұрын

Hey Justin! The Rabb also looks way cool! I was considering it, but I ultimately decided on the Falketind 62. I bought it with the idea of using it in slightly more firm snow and in powder up to about 6-8 inches. For really deep snow I just use my Fischer S-bound 112mm. I felt stable on the snow yesterday (when I made the video), at least after we chopped up that top layer of cruddy snow a bit. Initially, though, the snow just was a bit too breakable and graupel-like that I kept cutting into it and torpedoing the skis underneath. A big part of that, though, was the fact that I was pretty skittish going downhill so I wasn't really modeling good body position. I kept bailing when I started going too fast down the fall line. But, like I said, after we chopped up the snow to the base layer of firmness, I started ripping it a lot more confidently. As far as grip wax goes, I definitely will be using it in time. I actually had a little bit of hard wax on there from the very first time I tried the skis. And that actually seemed to work slightly with the little bit of new precipitation that fell out there while we were skiing. And since we were just yo-yo-ing up and down the hill, I could side step and herringbone my way back up so I didn't have to keep putting those x-skins on/off. I hope you have a great time on your Rabb. You'll have to let me know how they feel once you start running them! Again, thanks for tuning in and for contributing to the conversation :)

@GoTeleOnTheMountain 2 ай бұрын

I’m sure it’s some sort of illusion, but at 3:08 your friend Dave looks like he must be demoing the proprietary Tesla-powered J skis as he moving-sidewalks uphill. I’ll have whatever kind of glide wax he’s using!

@JaredManninen 2 ай бұрын

That is hilarious, and I can totally see it as I watch it over and over :) Definitely an optical illusion, though, as I think the terrain was undulating along the ridge so he was already gliding down/uphill when he came into frame. But I love that you noticed that!