Off Track Skis for Southern Sierra's...recommendations?

Hi,

My wife and I want to get skis. We live in Bakersfield (ugh). I am a
novice (been once at a center with tracks and crowds...yuk). She is
already a very good downhiller and xc'er. We're about to have a kid so
we'll be carrying it with us eventually. We will want to stay away
from ski centers. I'm sure my wife would do quite well in any ski
compared to how I will do in the best ski but we figure we'll get the
same skis anyway. Given that we'll be carrying a kid with us sometimes
and that I'll probably not be heading for the steeps this year I'm
looking for recommendations for skis. I'm thinking that kick and glide
and climbing are going to be bigger considerations than turning (when
this changes we'll get new gear).

Another consideration is that, with a pack or kid on my shoulders, I'll
tip the scales at close to #250!!

I've read a lot here and there and I think it basically comes down to
fat skis (e.g. fischer S-Bound line) or more full length skis (e.g.
fischer E99 or country crown). I'm not stuck on Fischer at all just
more familiar with them and everyone seems to know them as a reference
point for discussion. There are also some other short skis like the
fischer explorer...worth a look for us?

Any help much appreciated. We'll be looking for early snow at
Thanksgiving and 8 months pregnant (she's a good skier, really).



Cheers,
Mike

PS- We already have NNN-BC boots.

PPS - I'm also not opposed to rethinking the boots and bindings. A lot
of it
is that we aren't really sure of what the snow conditions and terrain
that we'll find here will be.

My wife grew up xc skiing with skinny skis and three-pin bindings in
France but doesn't know anything about newish gear. She'd have no
problem out on long randonee skis if it weren't for that pregnancy
thing. I grew up in Florida. I aspire to stopping, turning, and not
faceplanting.

mike DOT faughn AT gmail DOT com

I've read a lot here and there and I think it basically comes down to
fat skis (e.g. fischer S-Bound line) or more full length skis (e.g.
fischer E99 or country crown). I'm not stuck on Fischer at all just
more familiar with them and everyone seems to know them as a reference
point for discussion. There are also some other short skis like the
fischer explorer...worth a look for us?

Where are you going? Anyplace to rent and try? May not work out
if you want to stay away from ski centers.

I've been happy with E99s for misc wandering far from groomed trails.

I can't turn with them, half because they are double camber and don't
turn and half because I'm not good enough to drive them. I do kick
turns when needed.



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A lot of this is personal taste but I'll take a stab at it
nevertheless. If you're new to the sport and are planning on carrying
a young one then I suspect that your thoughts on limiting
downhill/turning are good. As such, almost any ski would work for
straight-line tromping through the woods, kick-turning and the like.
In general, however, shorter (which usually means wider, particularly
if you're in the softer stuff) means more maneuverable. I'm not
certain how shorter wider skis would go with NNN-BC boots, which in my
opinion are generally a little flimsy for back-country tromping, but I
generally don't use that setup unless I'm renting for the day and
cruising the groomed trails.

Finally, a point of grammar (I think). Young ones are usually referred
to as "him" or "her", not "it". On the other hand, as I read your note
I see that your wife is 8 months along, so who knows? Good luck with
all.

On 3 Nov 2005 17:46:29 -0800, "
wrote:

Hi,

My wife and I want to get skis. We live in Bakersfield (ugh). I am a
novice (been once at a center with tracks and crowds...yuk). She is
already a very good downhiller and xc'er. We're about to have a kid so
we'll be carrying it with us eventually. We will want to stay away
from ski centers. I'm sure my wife would do quite well in any ski
compared to how I will do in the best ski but we figure we'll get the
same skis anyway. Given that we'll be carrying a kid with us sometimes
and that I'll probably not be heading for the steeps this year I'm
looking for recommendations for skis. I'm thinking that kick and glide
and climbing are going to be bigger considerations than turning (when
this changes we'll get new gear).

Another consideration is that, with a pack or kid on my shoulders, I'll
tip the scales at close to #250!!

I've read a lot here and there and I think it basically comes down to
fat skis (e.g. fischer S-Bound line) or more full length skis (e.g.
fischer E99 or country crown). I'm not stuck on Fischer at all just
more familiar with them and everyone seems to know them as a reference
point for discussion. There are also some other short skis like the
fischer explorer...worth a look for us?

Any help much appreciated. We'll be looking for early snow at
Thanksgiving and 8 months pregnant (she's a good skier, really).



Cheers,
Mike

PS- We already have NNN-BC boots.

PPS - I'm also not opposed to rethinking the boots and bindings. A lot
of it
is that we aren't really sure of what the snow conditions and terrain
that we'll find here will be.

My wife grew up xc skiing with skinny skis and three-pin bindings in
France but doesn't know anything about newish gear. She'd have no
problem out on long randonee skis if it weren't for that pregnancy
thing. I grew up in Florida. I aspire to stopping, turning, and not
faceplanting.

mike DOT faughn AT gmail DOT com