Tele skins

[YocumRidge]

Advice needed from the BC experts...

 

I am looking for skins for my telemark skis.

 

Nylon vs Mohair? What would be your preference and why?

How would you customize them to fit your skis?

 

Thanks.

[Frikadeller]

Depends on what you intend to do.

 

If you are looking to do more touring, the mohair skins tend to glide a bit better. But they are a little less durable than Nylon skins.

 

Personally I prefer nylon skins, because they are cheaper, and tend to last longer. But with nylon skins you have to make sure that in certain conditions you carry some skin wax or treat the skins with something hydrophobic, or else you might end up with snow sticking to the skins, causing a hellish nightmare.

 

I prefer skins that have a tail hook. This is good because the skins will still be secure even if the glue is not sticking very well. Also, some skins have rather poorly sized loops at the front ends that sometimes do not fit very well on some skis. (Like mine that have stupid rubber covers on the tips) For those, you might have to buy a bigger tip loop and replace the stock one. But from what I saw yesterday at the store, BD is making adjustable tip loops now, so that might solve that.

 

Most skins are designed to be custom cut to your ski profile. You just follow the instructions. This is good because if your skins cover the entire surface of the ski, you have less issues with the ski slipping in icy or hard pack conditions (like in spring)