Winter Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 Hey folks, I've been skiing for probably 27 years, but I've never picked up tele skiing before, so I figure now is the right time to start. I need a little gear advice. A girl I know has a pair of K2 Heli Stynx (170 cm she thinks) and Riva II bindings. I go about 5'7" and 130-130 lbs. She paid $500 and wants to sell them to me for $250. I know she has barely used this stuff. So will this be a good set up for me and is the price right? Quote
bDubyaH Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 if you can get her to throw in a pair of skins this would be a nice light backcountry set-up, i wouldn't go any smaller than 170 in that ski though. cheers b Quote
TeleRoss Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 Are you going to be tele-ing in the backcountry, and doing long tours, or are you going to be mostly skiing in bounds and only occasionally touring? You might think about demoing some different set ups to get a feel for what you like before plunking down the $$. Ross Quote
Winter Posted October 11, 2004 Author Posted October 11, 2004 thanks, kepp it comin. mostly b-c. i spend a lot of time on my at set up right now and want something for the b-c, mostly day trips. Quote
cj001f Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 $250 is a bit much for that setup, even with skins. Length is right, bindings are a bit old. Quote
rbw1966 Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 Yeah--I got a similar setup, including brand new skins, for less than 200. Quote
enem Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 i also agree the price is kinda stiff, and the skis must be quite old if they are mounted with rivas, which is a pretty old binding, and not ideal for someone learning to tele imho...also note that the heli stinx are a pretty narrow ski by today's standards so you might be at a disadvatage in the bc, what with our usual crud and need for flotation...at any rate might want to check the for-sale forum at telemarktips, tons of skis for sale there: http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=f25129be26c2fff748b86bbe3ba1ff11 Quote
thelawgoddess Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 if the heli stinx is the type ski you want that setup would probably work fine for you. you can make any ski work really. just curious - what length alpine ski do you currently ski? if you're on shaped skis now, you would probably ski the same length for tele. give or take ... is $250 worth it to you? it's definitely better than paying retail, but you might look around on the 'net for some deals first and then maybe make her an offer ... Quote
David_Parker Posted October 11, 2004 Posted October 11, 2004 My first question is what kind of boots do you have to drive whatever skis you want to get. Put your money into boots that fit and match what you want to do, not what you can do right now. If you already have the new plastic boots, please inform what kind. If you want to learn tele and are coming from a strong alpine background, try to see if you can find some leather boots (cheap). A lot of guys here will scoff at what I'm saying, but if you want to learn the true essence of a tele turn the way it was meant to be, modern gear can keep you from that. (I have my theory; too long to explain) Depends how much a purist to the tele turn you want to be. Sounds like you already have AT gear, thus the ability to go into the BC and ski. If I'm interpreting right, you want to learn the tele turn, not just get a setup that gets you into the BC. Also, I would spend some time at resorts but try to get off piste. The more vert you can crank in a day, the better you'll get faster. It 'aint an easy learning curve, but totally worth it if you're dedicated. I don't believe all the hype about absolutely needing wide, curvy skis. Personally I like my skiis sinking into the pow, not always riding on top. Don't get all caught up in ski hype. Pick a decent pair and you will get used to them and then they will be "your" skis. One day of demo will not help at all. You aren't good enough yet to know the difference and besides, conditions are too varied day to day (hour to hour)anyway. That setup is fine, I'd pay about $150 tops. Tons of used gear out there! Quote
Braumeister Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 The venerable K2 Four is widely recognized as a very capable (yet not tele-specific) free-heel ski. I picked up a pair on eBay last year and my Rainy Superloop bidings screwed right into the front binding holes. Like David Parker, I've skiid mostly on straight skis and the K2 Fours are my set of shaped boards (it DOES take a bit of getting used to when you throw that uphill foot back and suddenly realize you're turning on a dime!). I've also found them to be a very capable ski; they're stiff enough for the groomers (which is what I ski mostly) but also do well in moderate BC conditions. Speaking of bindings, the Superloop is my fave; they're simple, easily repairable (particularly in the backcountry), and easy to get in and out of. But there are a bunch of new bindings out there that shouldn't be ignored, too. I ski my setup with big leather boots (Alpina Tele Lights). If you're interested in newer stuff, particularly bindings and skis, check out the reviews section on www.telemarktips.com. Good luck! Randonne: French, for "can't telemark" B. Quote
thelawgoddess Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 some old guy (i think he was the ski patrol director at some fancy ski resort in colorado where there are actually a lot of telemark skiers) told me last winter that what i was doing was not telemark skiing; it was "freeheel skiing." according to his logic, you can only actually telemark ski on old straight skis without metal edges. probably have to be wearing wool pants and leather boots, too. Quote
iain Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 Randonne: French, for "can't telemark" Good one! Witty and original. By the way, it's Randonee. P.S. It often doesn't take long at all for a solid AT'r to pick up telemark. It can be an adjustment to get used to the heavier gear and resistance at the hinge when breaking deep trail though. Quote
cj001f Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 Randonee: French, for "can't telemark" Isn't telemark Norwegian for "wait for me"? Quote
dryad Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 No, telemark is Norwegian for "slow hippie". Quote
thelawgoddess Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 hmm; don't know about that. there's some hippies in colorado who may be slow-talking, but they ski like bats outta hell! Quote
iain Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 With today's modern tele gear you can crank as hard as you would on AT gear. That is because they are essentially the same gear. You can crank some mean parallel turns in T-1's and active bindings. And there isn't anything wrong with that. Just ski with what you want, but don't play the old "rando can't tele" card. It's so tired. Quote
Billygoat Posted October 12, 2004 Posted October 12, 2004 some old guy (i think he was the ski patrol director at some fancy ski resort in colorado where there are actually a lot of telemark skiers) told me last winter that what i was doing was not telemark skiing; it was "freeheel skiing." according to his logic, you can only actually telemark ski on old straight skis without metal edges. probably have to be wearing wool pants and leather boots, too. Hey! That's me. What am I still doing there?!? Quote
marylou Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Arguing about tele versus AT is only slightly less stupid than arguing about whether it's better to put the toilet paper on the roll with the paper pointing up, or pointing down. Quote
cracked Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Marylou is absolutely right. The physics dictate that no matter what, a telemark binding will never give as much control over a ski as an alpine binding. There's simply no argument. Quote
Rainier_Wolfscastle Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 $250 is way too much for these. Get some fatter skis. The heli stinx are old school. They'd only be good if you plan on doing alot of really long tours were light weight is crucial. Quote
Braumeister Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Yeah, I put that randonee line in to stir the pot-- I believe iain chapped my ass on this once before, so he's consistent. As with most things, it's about what works for you; personally, on a ski mountaineering trip, I'd be much more comfortable on AT gear than tele (my first experience on a severely sun-cupped Mt. St. Helens in 2002 proved that for me). So, ski how you want, and continue to give eachother shit about it so we can all keep laughing. After all, it's really about how many beers one can quaff in the pub afterward that really matters, right? Cheers, B. Quote
b-rock Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Can't we all get along and just dis on the snowboarders? Quote
Braumeister Posted October 13, 2004 Posted October 13, 2004 Can't we all get along and just dis on the snowboarders? Finally--an intelligent thought! As long as somebody doesn't extoll the virtues of free-heeling the half-pipe at their favorite resort... Quote
tobytortorelli Posted October 14, 2004 Posted October 14, 2004 180 cm. K2 Work Stinx (yellow), great condition, with G3 risers and SuperLoops (large or medium cables) $250.00 Quote
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