Strukturas/Freerides-Explores and ????????

[laseranimal]

Need ski recomendations, I've got a G4/Freeride combo thats going to do most of the lift accessed/short BC work. I picked up a pair of struckturas and was wondering what they're capable of ski wise, tried them in the G4's and ran screaming back to my Dabellos, 3 buckles just isn't enough to drive that ski the way I want to. So I'm left with either trying to use the Lowas with something like a TM 22 for a lightweight setup for long day tours in the ADK's or attempting to match them up with a soft fat ski for touring for pow. Problem is Strukturas aren't Dynafit compatable so I don't think I'm going to get lighter then my Cross Terrain/G3/T2 combo, on the other hand I don't really have a handle on whether or not the Struktura has enough power to drive a ski like the soft bro in the wind/raincrust and mank that we sometimes get out here on the EC.

Bindings would be either Explore/Express for the light setup or Freerides/Naxos for the pow boards. I was considering the Pures for the lightweight setups but I heard they don't ski very well????

[splat]

can you retrofit the boot for dynafits?

[laseranimal]

I'm not sure I have the skills to acomplish a retrofit and by the time I procureed all the parts and proceded to fuck up the instalation I'd be better off just buying dynafit compatable boots

[splat]

Page Idris to the whiteroom coutesy phone. If anyone knows that procedure, its Tom.

[nate s]

Buy Dynafit boots/bindings. For dedicated touring, they are the shit. Get some soft fatties and the stiffest Dynafit boot you can find that fits and you will be happy.

Explore = pointless
not really any lighter than FR with brakes, less resale, not that much cheaper...

[laseranimal]

yeah i just was looking at the weight of the explore and you only wind up saving 310 grams which is quickly negated by adding 275 gram brakes So it looks like the light setup is out. I think the Cross Terrain/Targa combo will be better then an AT setup for the long rolling aproaches in the Dacks anyway. Back on topic, anyone have any idea as to what the Struktura is capable of driving? Jaks? Soft Bro's? Work Stinxs? Blue Noodles?(Gasp)

[verbier61]

I have struktura light (just 3 buckles.... no "a-la-Tom" 4th buckle accomodation ) and have been very surprised to see this last november that they drove 190 cm jaks very efficiently. They made an ok combo with freerides. No experience so far with my struktura and my soft BROs, sorry.

[laseranimal]

bump for suggestions

I've got a line on Jak's for $350
Hippie Stinks $384
Ethics $400
TM 22's $260
Norbert Joo's $280
Snow Wolf $440

With that price I'm leaning towards Jaks. I shop flexed them the other day and they are much stiffer then what I was expecting, especially after hearing from all you guys about how easy they were to ski even in 190. Should I downsize given that I'm going to be skiing them on the EC with a 3 buckle boot? I normally ski a 180 Explosive which is fine with alpine boots but I'd love to have more float/length but I'm not going to sacrifice manuverability.

[verbier61]

never skied on EC but I personally would say 190 is fine for the jaks.... is that the bc.com offer?

[weibo]

I'm skiing them (Struktura Lights) with a Big Stix 84 (185cm)/Naxo combo. Seems to power the ski well. You maybe just use to the bigger alpine boot. it does some times take a while to get used to the touring boot feel.