Maybe the Nordica Navigator 85 isn't the ski for me after all...

[James]

I'm always interested in trying your suggestions.

Can you get over the fact they’re not blue?

 

[dbostedo]

Can you get over the fact they’re not blue?

He just wishes they had yellow bases.

 

[James]

He just wishes they had yellow bases.

That’ll slow him down.
Meanwhile... I came across a Head Patent for using graphene and carbon black in ski bases.

 

[KingGrump]

Woah now...
Quiver time.

The FIS SL made his a$$ look fast.

 

[Tony S]

The FIS SL made his a$$ look fast.

Waiting for Mike's report.

He at least needs to be on a 165. Which I think he already owns, left back in Massachusetts. Guessing it needs a tune.

What I really think is that an SL can be a great early or late season quiver ski in the west for someone like KG who has a van and spends weeks on location. But for people like @mdf and me, who fly in for a week here and there in hopes of scoring some fresh snow, it's a bit of a fringe choice for the ski bag. So an 85 of the Navigator's ilk is a sensible choice, perhaps with a ~100mm ski as a bag mate. More directly, I think Mike has skied enough skis to know what works for him.

 

[mdf]

This is one of the few times I've skied a slalom ski in spring conditions. I will say that a 12.5 m radius 157 let's you do some things that don't work easily on a 17.5 m radius 184. Today I was in the bumps on Climax at a choke between rocks. I stopped to look and thought "I shouldn't have stopped here, that line would work with rhythm but it's going to be tough from a standing stop."

Then it occurred to me that with the snow skates I could just go the other way around the bump. Easy-peasy.

 

[MarkP]

I still love the way they ski. Great in bumps, groomers, even powder. I love the way the real tail holds on to the end of the turn when you ask it to.

But.... I wore the last pair out in 80 days of skiing. I've skied the new pair for 9 days and most of the camber is gone.

It must run in the family. I picked up a used set of Nav 90s two seasons ago. Everything you said about yours applies to mine. Not much camber when I got them, but they skied great for me and became my one ski flight travel quiver.

Before putting them to bed for the off season I put them together and it was a struggle to convince myself I could see some light between them.

 

[ski otter 2]

Why not just block the things for the summer and see if that restores the camber? It works for many if not most skis, including Stocklis.

 

[mdf]

it's about 7 mm.

 

[Tony S]

Why not just block the things for the summer and see if that restores the camber? It works for many if not most skis, including Stöcklis.

I didn't know that was still a thing. Figured it went out with tennis racquet presses ... for essentially the same reason.

 

[Tony S]

it's about 7 mm.
View attachment 133644

That's more than one mm per day left in your trip. So you are good!

 

[Philpug]

This just hit me...a 323mm shell in a 157cm SL.

 

[mdf]

This just hit me...a 323mm shell in a 157cm SL.

Phil, you are slipping! 321.

Yep, snow skates.

 

[James]

So the boots are too big also?
Rough season. No skiing all season, starts when everyone is golfing, skiing amnesia, now he’s like Swiss racer Ramon Zenhausern, 6ft 8in. size 15 foot.

Bring the slaloms back. I’ll take them. Only 313mm. But, might want to find out Andrew’s bsl of @KingGrump.

 

[KingGrump]

The boot was almost the same size as the SL.
Mamie's BSL is 265. Slightly smaller. I had to remount the binding for him. Not just an adjustment.

 

[Seldomski]

This just hit me...a 323mm shell in a 157cm SL.

Ouch. Hope you were wearing a helmet.

 

[ScottB]

View attachment 133644

Who cares about the skis, that's a very "artsy picture" with the scene through the glass slider. I like it.
Title: A man and his skis............ It looks like Mike maybe saying a prayer.

 

[mdf]

I hate to admit when @KingGrump is right, but these are one heck of a ski.

I know you all are going to scoff, but they ski a lot like my Navigators. Stand on the center of the ski, tip and think about where you want to be, and they go there. They both handle ice, slush, groomers, and bumps. Both skis are happy making short (relative to the TR) turns at higher edge angles and longer, casual turns.

(In hindsight, I realize I never tried side slipping or drifting on them. Would it work?)

The differences, obviously, are length (186 vs 159 cm) and turn radius (17.5 vs 12.7 m).

There were two situations where I felt the lack of length:
1) on irregular surfaces like washboard, suncups, or glue patches. On the Navigators, no big problem. On these, hold on and get to the other side.
2) carrying them. The shovel is so short that they don't balance properly on my shoulder.

On the other hand, being short makes them so playful that they open up options in the bumps. One time I was standing on the edge above a bump run, thinking that I didn't like the looks of the snow on the far side of the first bump. Then it occured to me that the skis are so short that I could go the other way around that bump!

(This experience also makes me want to try the Fischer slaloms in my basement in spring conditions.)

Thanks for letting me try them, KG! Which model year are these?

 

[Tony S]

I hate to admit when @KingGrump is right, but these are one heck of a ski.

I know you all are going to scoff, but they ski a lot like my Navigators. Stand on the center of the ski, tip and think about where you want to be, and they go there. They both handle ice, slush, groomers, and bumps. Both skis are happy making short (relative to the TR) turns at higher edge angles and longer, casual turns.

(In hindsight, I realize I never tried side slipping or drifting on them. Would it work?)

The differences, obviously, are length (186 vs 159 cm) and turn radius (17.5 vs 12.7 m).

There were two situations where I felt the lack of length:
1) on irregular surfaces like washboard, suncups, or glue patches. On the Navigators, no big problem. On these, hold on and get to the other side.
2) carrying them. The shovel is so short that they don't balance properly on my shoulder.

On the other hand, being short makes them so playful that they open up options in the bumps. One time I was standing on the edge above a bump run, thinking that I didn't like the looks of the snow on the far side of the first bump. Then it occured to me that the skis are so short that I could go the other way around that bump!

(This experience also makes me want to try the Fischer slaloms in my basement in spring conditions.)

Thanks for letting me try them, KG! Which model year are these?

View attachment 133977 View attachment 133978
View attachment 133979

If I owned them I'd saw off the nose pickers.

And you'd get the 165s, yes? It's just wrong for you and Sandy to be on the same length.

 

[Tony S]

Meanwhile you still need a midfat, no matter what Grump says.