Stiff touring ski and binding

[Brent.Nass]

Hello
I am wanting to get a touring ski that is a great all rounder so skis well, is light.
I am looking at a few options and want to get your thoughts
Volkl blaze 94
Volkl blaze 106
Volkl katana v werks

I am going more towards the Volkl blaze 94

Re bindings I am looking for a touring binding that has great downhill ability what are your thoughts looking at
Salomon SLab shift
marker kingpin

Keen to hear your thoughts

 

[chris_the_wrench]

We had a recent discussion about touring skis tacked onto a longer thread that maybe applicable to you:

Long and heavy charger skis

Unless you are a really big guy, these are your skis. I skied them the back in the day, they take no prisoners. They will go over or thru anything you point them at at any speed. They have no speed limit. Just like now, not enough buyers to keep making this kind of ski. Rossignol Experience 98...

www.skitalk.com

Katana Vwerks have been on my someday list, but I do most of my ski shopping on the summer sale page and I never found those, in my size.

For bindings, I know tons of people love those shifts and kingpins. I see them all over the hill, under all kinds of people. I personally will carry the weight penalty uphill so I can ski my favorite bindings(Look Pivot 15's) back down.

Cast Touring - The Standard in Alpine Touring Freeride Bindings.

Skier owned, designed & manufactured backcountry hardware. Developed by Silas and Lars Chickering Ayers (6 time Freeskiing World Tour Champion) The Freetour is the industry's strongest and most trustworthy alpine touring binding, allowing freeriders to ski with total confidence with reliable...

casttouring.com

 

[Rod9301]

If you're a good skier, the katana is really really hard to beat.

I had two pairs, and it's still my favorite bc ski.

Powder of course, but great edge hold on ice too
Great in bad snow, like wind affected.

I weigh 160 and i ski the 184.

The only issue if that on uphill steeps, kick turns are a little hard, so a177 might be better

 

[Mike Rogers]

I haven't skied any of those skis, but I have seriously looked at the blaze 96 and the vwerks katana.

How will you be using the ski?

At 184 the Katana is approximately 2000g/ski, which is the upper limit of my preference for touring weights. Paired with a heavy binding and beef boot, and it might be a bit of work on the uphill. If you are using it inbounds too, it's probably worth the effort. If used exclusively on long tours, it might be worth going lighter....or at least saving weight on your bindings/boots.

 

[Rod9301]

And i forgot to say that i have Salomon mtn, very light binding, but the strongest one.
I wouldn't even consider a binding like the shift.

 

[anders_nor]

blaze 106 is sooo friendly, but still shreds quite hard. for the weight, the performance & float is way up there. even carves darn good!

 

[Snowflake2420]

Big fan of the Blaze skis as touring skis as they can work with both tech bindings and hybrid. I personally ski the Blaze 94 with tech binding for almost all the touring I do.

Main question is how will you use this setup? Strictly touring in the backcountry? Sometime in resorts, but primarily for touring? This will be the do it all set up for all resort and backcountry skiing?

This will determine the binding.

 

[Brent.Nass]

@

Big fan of the Blaze skis as touring skis as they can work with both tech bindings and hybrid. I personally ski the Blaze 94 with tech binding for almost all the touring I do.

Main question is how will you use this setup? Strictly touring in the backcountry? Sometime in resorts, but primarily for touring? This will be the do it all set up for all resort and backcountry skiing?

This will determine the binding.

Thanks for your thoughts
Do you think the 94’s are wide enough for powder days? I like you think they are a great all rounder. I like to charge will they take being pushed? I primary will use for for touring/ backcountry but sometimes in resorts main before going backcountry or at end of day after a backcountry mission
Let me know your thoughts on ski if they are right for me and binding option
Thanks again

 

[Brent.Nass]

blaze 106 is sooo friendly, but still shreds quite hard. for the weight, the performance & float is way up there. even carves darn good!

blaze 106 is sooo friendly, but still shreds quite hard. for the weight, the performance & float is way up there. even carves darn good!

do you think they are ok for the days that are less powder and more hard pack?

 

[Brent.Nass]

And i forgot to say that i have Salomon mtn, very light binding, but the strongest one.
I wouldn't even consider a binding like the shift.

Can you ski the Salomon MTN hard and ride in resort? It is a full touring tech binding so worried it is to light weight.

 

[Snowflake2420]

It sounds like to me something along the lines of Marker Kingpin, Kingppin M Werks, or Fritschi Tecton is more up your alley. It's not so much about the binding being lightweight that it can't handle hard skiing, although I wouldn't recommend bashing bumps with something like a Salomon MTN its more about the performance; tech bindings with pin heels have a harsher feel and the releasability is not on a par with a resort binding. Bindings like the Kingpin and Tecton are closer to having a resort feel vs. something like the Salomon MTN. A binding such as the Tecton has elasticity as well that keeps you in when you want and releases when you want. Tech bindings have a minimal amount of elasticity.

This is the trade off people deal with lighterweight, ok skiing, not as reliable of release vs. heavier, better skiing, more reliable release.

Here is a good video by Cody Townsend
The Blaze is not a super charging ski, however, again you need to ask yourself do you really need a charging ski, which are probably much heavier. I'm not a big person. I like to think I'm a pretty good skier and have skied many places and I personally feel the Blaze is enough for what I do. I like to ski steeps and good snow when I can, but certainly not sending it off drops in my tech gear.

 

[Rod9301]

Can you ski the Salomon MTN hard and ride in resort? It is a full touring tech binding so worried it is to light weight.

I think it's more durable and reliable than heavier bindings like shift

 

[skifishbum]

And i forgot to say that i have Salomon mtn, very light binding, but the strongest one.
I wouldn't even consider a binding like the shift.

i like the mnt lab and tour on it a good bit
but in no way is it stronger or beefier more durable or reliable than a 14 din atk

 

[Rod9301]

i like the mnt lab and tour on it a good bit
but in no way is it stronger or beefier more durable or reliable than a 14 din atk

Not familiar with the atk, all i know is that mtn is bomber. It also had a very strong toe spring, so i never lock it when skinning or descending

 

[slow-line-fast]

@

Thanks for your thoughts
Do you think the 94’s are wide enough for powder days? I like you think they are a great all rounder. I like to charge will they take being pushed? I primary will use for for touring/ backcountry but sometimes in resorts main before going backcountry or at end of day after a backcountry mission
Let me know your thoughts on ski if they are right for me and binding option
Thanks again

Where? Will affect advice.

 

[Brent.Nass]

Where? Will affect advice.

Mainly Australia and Japan