Greetings All-

I am trying to decide on a new pair of skis and have narrowed it down to the Fischer E99 or Madshsus Voss. The Fischers are wider and no-wax, Madshus are narrower and can be had in the waxable version.

I ski on ungroomed since there aren't any groomed trails in my area and I am more concerned about kick and glide than down hill turning.

I am 6'-1" and 200# so I am concerned that the Fischer's may drag the no-wax section. I thought maybe the I could make the kick wax area smaller on the Voss's to compensate. I don't have any experience with Nordic waxing, but was pretty competent in waxing/tuning my Alpine skis so I am ok with learning.

Any thoughts or opinions would be welcomed.

Thanks,

PW

WIsh I could give you some insight,but I'm not that savvy w/Nordic equip yet.

Grip wax is most effective in cold conditions and becomes troublesome as temps approach 32 degrees. No wax skis are ideal for these conditions but tend to be noticeably slower (less glide) in cold conditions.

Both these skis have metal edges, helpful for making turns in hard snow and on open slopes but (and this is a big but...) metal edges grab on rocks and roots, the sudden stop of a ski will lead to falls. The other problem I see with both of these skis is that they are very heavy for cross country- the weight will make it difficult to sharpen your cross country skills.
Many years ago I had an early version of the Fischer E99 that I used for breaking trail. I found the metal edges more harmful than helpful and the weight unforgivable in the end.

I would look for a touring ski with enough width to be functional in ungroomed terrain and buy the lightest ski that fits. Look for a ski shop that will fit your ski by height and weight (possible even on the web). I would decide on wax/no-wax by the temperatures you will most-likely ski in. If the usual is twenties and up go no wax (especially if in the upper twenties).

A little background. I ski a great deal. Most of my classic skiing is on backcountry trails where the track is set only by skiers. and often only by me (no motorized vehicles allowed). Other than when I break the trails at the beginning of the year or after major (10" and above) snow storms, I use skinny racing boards to cruise the woods. Good touring skis will perform well off track and will save you weight and possibly a decent amount of cash.

my two cents...

Thanks for the replies folks. I am really looking to find a medium width ski that is fairly stiff. I was considering the Fischer Country wax/crown, but I had read that these were fairly soft. I currently have a pair of Rossignol Tour AR waxless skis. They drag pretty bad on hard snow, and at 50mm wide are too narrow and seem to want to tip sideways. I end up on the edges too much.

I agree that I want to stay away from skis that are too heavy. I can't conceive using some of the new backcountry skis, they are probably heavier than my old alpine gear.

Any suggestions on specific skis?

Thanks,

PW

I think the Fischer Crowns come in different stiffnesses. If you don't have groomed trails where you are get the widest ski you can find. Fischer and Madshus both make good skis. My first two pairs of skis back in the early 70's were Madshus (wood) and I have a soft spot in my heart for them. I did have a pair of synthetic Madshus racing skis a few years ago which I really liked, but busted a tip the first year I had them. My Fischers (both crown no-wax and extra light touring waxables) seem to be very durable. If you are able to "groom" your own trails by skiing repeatedly over them a narrower ski will work. If you are going to be bushwacking and breaking new trails all the time you will be far happier with wider skis.