DougPaul
Well-known member
I started with 3-pin in the mid-70's (it was the standard binding back then...) and have never felt the need to switch to anything else. I currently use several sets of skis for BC: waxable* and non-waxable (depending on the snow conditions) metal edged, camber-and-a-half, approx 66-55-59 mm profile skis.
* Wax significantly outperforms waxless in good snow conditions. I often put kick waxes on my waxless skis to improve their performance. (This is in addition to the glide wax that has been applied at home.)
The above skis are good kick-and-glide skis on both groomed and BC trails. I have other skis which are more turn oriented (eg Tele).
I have several pairs of 3-pin boots--light (and super comfortable) leather (Asolo Snowfield II), as well as plastic Scarpa T3 (a light weight Tele boot which works well for kick and glide with more edge control). And heavier Tele boots.
IMO, for BC you want:
* wider skis than for groomed: typ 55-70 mm underfoot.
* ~10-15 mm of sidecut for kick and glide, more for turns
* perhaps 10 cm shorter than for groomed for better control
* Softer camber than for groomed. You cannot flatten the camber of a hard ski unless you have hard (ie groomed) snow under ski. Camber-and-a-half (kick and glide) or single camber (turns) is better than double camber (also known as a full wax pocket).
* Wax whenever snow conditions are favorable (for waxing--ie colder drier consistent snow). Wax also enables one to "tune" one's skis--sticky for the hills, slippery for the groomers.
* Metal edges help on crusty or icy trails.
* Reliable bindings that give you a chance of field repair (ie 3-pin).
* Leather boots are comfortable for kick and glide, light plastic boots can give you more edge control
BTW: goomed tracks are typically ~70mm wide. Any ski with a narrower shovel will also fit in groomed tracks.
Notes:
* A ski feels your weight not your height, so size the ski by your weight (including clothing and pack).
* On long BC tours, one shuffles rather than hops (during the kick)--another reason for avoiding a hard camber.
FWIW:
* Recreational waxing is easy--don't be intimidated. (Racing waxing is hard because of the effort required to get that last 1% of speed.) Learn to wax and you will reap the rewards.
Doug
* Wax significantly outperforms waxless in good snow conditions. I often put kick waxes on my waxless skis to improve their performance. (This is in addition to the glide wax that has been applied at home.)
The above skis are good kick-and-glide skis on both groomed and BC trails. I have other skis which are more turn oriented (eg Tele).
I have several pairs of 3-pin boots--light (and super comfortable) leather (Asolo Snowfield II), as well as plastic Scarpa T3 (a light weight Tele boot which works well for kick and glide with more edge control). And heavier Tele boots.
IMO, for BC you want:
* wider skis than for groomed: typ 55-70 mm underfoot.
* ~10-15 mm of sidecut for kick and glide, more for turns
* perhaps 10 cm shorter than for groomed for better control
* Softer camber than for groomed. You cannot flatten the camber of a hard ski unless you have hard (ie groomed) snow under ski. Camber-and-a-half (kick and glide) or single camber (turns) is better than double camber (also known as a full wax pocket).
* Wax whenever snow conditions are favorable (for waxing--ie colder drier consistent snow). Wax also enables one to "tune" one's skis--sticky for the hills, slippery for the groomers.
* Metal edges help on crusty or icy trails.
* Reliable bindings that give you a chance of field repair (ie 3-pin).
* Leather boots are comfortable for kick and glide, light plastic boots can give you more edge control
BTW: goomed tracks are typically ~70mm wide. Any ski with a narrower shovel will also fit in groomed tracks.
Notes:
* A ski feels your weight not your height, so size the ski by your weight (including clothing and pack).
* On long BC tours, one shuffles rather than hops (during the kick)--another reason for avoiding a hard camber.
FWIW:
* Recreational waxing is easy--don't be intimidated. (Racing waxing is hard because of the effort required to get that last 1% of speed.) Learn to wax and you will reap the rewards.
Doug
Last edited:
