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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490

    Snowboarder moving back to skiing: Recs for touring/inbounds setup

    Somewhat of a double post but, i realized I know nothing about ski bindings. I am looking to get back to skiing, snowboarder for 8 years, skied a couple times a year as a kid. I can only afford one setup at this point, so I'd like a binding I can do tours on but is burly enough for resort skiing. Will probly be about 60% resort, 40% backcountry. I am an intermediate skier, black groomers are what I could do, slowly, when I skied a run here or there in the past couple years. I'm a fairly aggressive snowboarder and like to ride off trail in any condition, so thats what I'll be pushing myself to do as a skier. I don't hit the park. 5'10, 150 pounds. Learn me! Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    WA
    Posts
    2,524
    You should buy a used pair of Marker Barons. It should cost you $200 or less. You should get size small if your boot sole length is 320mm or less. Otherwise you should get size Large.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    the desert
    Posts
    883
    Quote Originally Posted by skimaxpower View Post
    You should buy a used pair of Marker Barons. It should cost you $200 or less. You should get size small if your boot sole length is 320mm or less. Otherwise you should get size Large.
    This. I also converted from boarding and the Baron is what you want

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Thanks guys. I assume that you recommend the Barons over Dukes because they are lighter, and I won't need the higher din settings and added strength? Is the added weight that noticeable? I ask because there's lots of skis w/Dukes on SLC craigslist, and very few with Barons

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Oh, and the Dukes are reasonably priced it seems

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Bend
    Posts
    1,350
    Duke are fine if that's what you find, you just don't necessarily "need" them.

    I'd look for a 175 to 180 cm. all mountain ski. My preference for a quiver of one would be tip rise and a flat tail (I might go slightly longer 185 or so if you find a ski with early rise/tip rise), although a good cambered ski would work fine. I've seen a lot of Enforcers for cheap that's a great ski. Rossi S7, Armada JJ, Line's Prophet line, Dynastar Pro Riders, pretty much anything with at least 100 mm under foot - my preference for the area you live would be at least some metal in the construction.

    To be honest, I'd go inexpensive at first until you develop your own preference. Learn to mount those Dukes/Barons and you can find lots of skis for cheap and give 'em a go.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Are 4 year old, cambered gotamas for $100, mounted 1.5 times, in good condition, something that will slow down my learning curve off the groomers vs a rockered ski? Should I spend a little more money for a rockered ski basically?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Bend
    Posts
    1,350
    no, they'll be great - if they're the right size

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Co
    Posts
    1,169
    You'll want rockered, or at least early rise soon enough, not sure if the'll make it easier from day one or rob you of important skills down the road though.

    Coming from 20+ years of snowboarding (I also alpine skied before and every couple of years througout) I found tele to be way more fun, the turns are actually pretty similar to a toe side snowboard turn. Just something else to think about.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Dillon, CO
    Posts
    524
    Kind of off your topic...I did this several years ago, though I still board, too. 2 things that I wish I could do over:
    1. Boots. I got so hung up on the bindings and skis, and ended up with subpar boots. Now I spend money on boots.
    2. Learn to ski correctly - in bounds. I notice you are about where I was when I started. I spent a lot of frustrating hours in the b/c trying to figure it out (on variable terrain). I finally caved in and took time to get some fundamentals down that have made it a lot easier.

    That said, I still have my first setup as part of the quiver: 184 mantras with Naxo 21s.
    “I mean god damn, who could believe that shit.” Greg Noll, Riding Giants

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Thanks for the help all. the Gotamas are 183's so right in the size range I want. Telemark actually really interests me, and it's something I'd love to learn and down the road possibly own a rig to use. It seems like thats a fairly common route for snowboarders to go. If I had the money, I think I'd like to ski resort/slackcountry, splitboard for true touring, and have tele for changing it up wherever. But, I can afford to buy only one setup at this point. My homemade splitboard is about out of life, and instead of spending 500 bucks on a used, nice factory split, I'd prefer to get skis that i can use in resort, and use as my touring gear. I'll keep my solid board for powder days and steeps at Snowbrd while I learn to ski better. I am hoping that by skiing everyday at the resort in the early season, I'll be proficient enough by midwinter to ski most things in the backcountry. I have boots, Nordica HotRod 105's that were new and heavily discounted.

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