Will these skins work?

[D(C)]

I'm trying some skins I have on my new 191 Lhasas and there's about 3-4 mm of base showing on either side of the skin, including underfoot (see pics). Will they work or do I need wider skins?

http://stk.tetongravity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89164&stc=1&d=1295490382

http://stk.tetongravity.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89163&stc=1&d=1295490546

[farmer]

Definitely not. You will probably die a horrible and painful death if you were to even try. Best bet is to mail me the skis and skins. I'll take care of them, and I'll even pay the shipping.

[ml242]

too sexy to tour.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

For powder and clomping straight uphill, no problem. But when you're stomping on every step to dent the crust and rolling your ankles downhill to get just enough grip to avoid switching to booting or maybe even crampons, you'll wish they were edge to edge at least from your toes back. So, it depends what you're using them for.

[njfreeskier]

Ideally you want to have the full base covered with just the edge on both sides being exposed. That being said, there is another school of thought on skins, where you buy a skin that will fit the waist width of the ski. If you go by that school of though, there will definitely be more base exposed than what you're showing in the pictures. Bottom line, you can definitely have better coverage than what you have, but there is plenty of skin on the bottom of those skis, you should be fine.

[PNWbrit]

They'll be fine.

Not quite perfect for icy sidehilling, but fine.

Is there much cramponing in Brooklyn?

[changodeoro]

they'll definitely work...

got any impressions on those 191s yet?

[ml242]

They'll be fine.

Not quite perfect for icy sidehilling, but fine.

Is there much cramponing in Brooklyn?

Hell yeah!

I even have a switch-whippet in case i get in a jam!

seriously though, i badly want ski crampons. they're so money anyway, and with those skins it'd be just enough extra incentive to get them.

You can do a mellower tour first, but i think you'll be fine. Your bigger problem is figuring out what skis to use that day!

[D(C)]

Thanks all! These will be for mainly slackcountry so I think they'll work.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Is there much cramponing in Brooklyn?

Same as Seattle I imagine. All the hipsters are wearing these:

http://www.backcountry.com/images/items/medium/KAY/KAY0040/SIL.jpg

But I skin up vertical ice with kicker skins on my Hellbents.

And D(C), for Slackcountry they'll be A+, as will the Lhasas. I like my 191's so much I've gone 1-ski-quiver (not counting the touring setups). Do you still have the Kastle's? I keep hoping I'll get to try a pair.

[D(C)]

And D(C), for Slackcountry they'll be A+, as will the Lhasas. I like my 191's so much I've gone 1-ski-quiver (not counting the touring setups). Do you still have the Kastle's? I keep hoping I'll get to try a pair.

Glad to hear I'll like the Lhasas. I can't wait to try them out. I still have my Kastles as well. You're more than welcome to take them for a spin if you're ever in the area.

[gregL]

You already own the skins?

They'll work fine until they don't work, which may never happen if you're lucky enough to only skin in nice, fresh snow conditions and never encounter an old, iced up skin track or bulletproof wind deposit or 1/2" of dust on raincrust.

If they do fail, it'll probably be on some heinous sidehill sheet of ice when you're completely wasted and you'll slide a long way and go immediately home to buy some wider skins. Ideally you want pretty much no metal edge showing under your foot and for a bit behind the boot.

Edit for correction: Meant to say "no P-Tex showing under you foot and for a bit behind", sorry.

[mtskier]

those skins will work very well.

this pertains to trimming the tips and tails, but i thought you guys might find it interesting.

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/ski/knowledge/tech-tip-taper-trimming-your-skins

[D(C)]

You already own the skins?

Yeah, they came with another pair of skis and I'm hoping to reuse them.

[D(C)]

those skins will work very well.

this pertains to trimming the tips and tails, but i thought you guys might find it interesting.

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/ski/knowledge/tech-tip-taper-trimming-your-skins

That's a great article...

[LightRanger]

Ideally you want pretty much no metal edge showing under your foot and for a bit behind the boot.

I disagree.

And so does Andrew McLean: http://straightchuter.com/2008/12/skin-set-up-part-one/

He never skis steep icy stuff. :wink:

Here's another tip D(c), for what it's worth: http://straightchuter.com/2009/03/steep-skinning-gear-adjustment/

I've had more issues going wall-to-wall than the alternative.

[PNWbrit]

Same as Seattle I imagine.

I really (http://www.pbase.com/nolock/central_n_centralcascades) doubt it (http://www.pbase.com/nolock/olympicglaciers)

[shirk]

ZOMG how did you not DIE just putting those onto the ski?

DEATH trap.

[D(C)]

ZOMG how did you not DIE just putting those onto the ski?

DEATH trap.

It was a close call but I pulled through.

[johnsv]

I'm planning on using some of my old 94mm waisted skins on my new 110 waisted skis myself. I'm wondering if I would be better served if I applied them off center, like very close to the inside edge and farther from the outside edge of each ski.

I guess the outside edge is pretty important switchbacking up ice tho...

[gregL]

I disagree..

You're right, I meant to say no P-Tex showing, though Rando Steve is a proponent of covering the edges as well, and he skins some pretty burly stuff.

I used to allow a very small gap of P-Tex to peek through when all my skins were fairly thick (purple or gold Ascension nylon - it seemed that the edges worked better on icy sidehills with them cut that way.

Now that some of my skins are of thinner fabric (ie. Colltex) it seems you can cut closer to the edge and still get edgehold, since the skin isn't holding the ski up off the snow as far.

[D(C)]

You're right, I meant to say no P-Tex showing, though Rando Steve is a proponent of covering the edges as well, and he skins some pretty burly stuff.

I used to allow a very small gap of P-Tex to peek through when all my skins were fairly thick (purple or gold Ascension nylon - it seemed that the edges worked better on icy sidehills with them cut that way.

Now that some of my skins are of thinner fabric (ie. Colltex) it seems you can cut closer to the edge and still get edgehold, since the skin isn't holding the ski up off the snow as far.

Yeah, I was always under the impression you want your edges showing...

[DeathVan]

1. Like others have said, the skins will do well, no problems. I've had greater gaps and still had success.

2. Not sure what binding you've got but the crampons are killer on the dynafits! no more "clenching" on the icy pitches = peace of mind and body, I couldn't believe what I could go straight up, buddies were stressing and purchased pairs of their own later that night.

[Big Steve]

When reading McLean's view on skin width, remember that he rants against the use of harscheisen. Sometimes he needs an exposed sharp edge where most of us would be cruising with ski crampons. McLean might disagree, but it'd be nice to have harscheisen in this situation (pic appears on McLean's skin width link): http://straightchuter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/full_skin.jpg

[gregL]

it'd be nice to have harscheisen in this situation

You and I might think so; for Andrew maybe just another opportunity to showcase his Whippets?

Big Steve brings up a good point; when the skinning gets sketchy you can often make marginal skins suffice by using ski crampons.