Hi all. I have some Newbie questions from an old returning skier. After more than 25 years almost total absence from the slopes, my feet have got the itch again. I'm planning a skiing holiday (10 days alpine in Switzerland and 7 days ski touring in Lyngenfjord, Norway) and I need new gear (skis, bindings, boots, poles, the works). Unfortunately, I am several generations out of date as far as ski design and technology is concerned, haven't got a clue how to evaluate and narrow down my options and am hoping that you guys and gals can lend a helping hand.
Some personal stats: male, age 61, 173cm (5'7”), 67kg (147lbs?), physically active, good fitness level. Used to be an expert skier with a rock-solid, but very, very old fashioned technique/style (think 1960s and seventies: feet locked together, strong separation of upper and lower body, active poles, lots of loading and unloading of skis etc).
What I like doing best on skis: a ton of tight, perfectly regular turns down the fall-line, anywhere, anytime. Whether I'm on a beginner's groomed slope, down a steep mogul run, in virgin powder country or amongst trees and rocks, I tend to grab every opportunity to squeeze in another turn if the opportunity presents itself, as well as the occasional jump and fooling around, skiing backwards, 360s and stuff, but no serious acrobatics. I don't usually ski very fast or aggressively, focus is more on finesse and playtime than power, speed and adrenalin.
So, given that background and my mixed alpine and touring holiday plan, I have a primary, very fundamental question: should I buy an all-mountain/freeride ski with touring or hybrid boots and a hybrid binding (I'm thinking Fritschi Tecton 12 or Marker Kingpin), or would I be better off with an all-mountain/freeride ski with alpine boots/bindings, and just renting a complete touring rig for the trip to Norway, and maybe for other occasions? How good are modern hybrid boots and tech bindings for downhill purposes, and do you think they would be adequate/satisfactory for the type of skiing I do?
Second question is which type/width of all-mountain/freeride skis, and what length: from what I've been reading, I think something around the 95mm might be suitable (something like Head Kore 93, Salomon MTN Explore 95, Black Diamond Helio, Nordica Enforcer 93, Faction Candide 2.0?) They might all be quite narrow by today's standards, especially off-piste, but are still loads wider (especially the tips) than anything I used to ski on. I don't really know how to think about length, given the increased width/surface area and different rocker/camber of modern skis. Would something like 180cm do the job?
Sorry about the excessively long post; there are just so many variables in this and I'm starting from scratch! Many thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
RP
Some personal stats: male, age 61, 173cm (5'7”), 67kg (147lbs?), physically active, good fitness level. Used to be an expert skier with a rock-solid, but very, very old fashioned technique/style (think 1960s and seventies: feet locked together, strong separation of upper and lower body, active poles, lots of loading and unloading of skis etc).
What I like doing best on skis: a ton of tight, perfectly regular turns down the fall-line, anywhere, anytime. Whether I'm on a beginner's groomed slope, down a steep mogul run, in virgin powder country or amongst trees and rocks, I tend to grab every opportunity to squeeze in another turn if the opportunity presents itself, as well as the occasional jump and fooling around, skiing backwards, 360s and stuff, but no serious acrobatics. I don't usually ski very fast or aggressively, focus is more on finesse and playtime than power, speed and adrenalin.
So, given that background and my mixed alpine and touring holiday plan, I have a primary, very fundamental question: should I buy an all-mountain/freeride ski with touring or hybrid boots and a hybrid binding (I'm thinking Fritschi Tecton 12 or Marker Kingpin), or would I be better off with an all-mountain/freeride ski with alpine boots/bindings, and just renting a complete touring rig for the trip to Norway, and maybe for other occasions? How good are modern hybrid boots and tech bindings for downhill purposes, and do you think they would be adequate/satisfactory for the type of skiing I do?
Second question is which type/width of all-mountain/freeride skis, and what length: from what I've been reading, I think something around the 95mm might be suitable (something like Head Kore 93, Salomon MTN Explore 95, Black Diamond Helio, Nordica Enforcer 93, Faction Candide 2.0?) They might all be quite narrow by today's standards, especially off-piste, but are still loads wider (especially the tips) than anything I used to ski on. I don't really know how to think about length, given the increased width/surface area and different rocker/camber of modern skis. Would something like 180cm do the job?
Sorry about the excessively long post; there are just so many variables in this and I'm starting from scratch! Many thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
RP