Tele skier needs alpine advice (binding/boots)

**koolaideprived** · 10-24-2006, 10:39 AM

So I'm in Europe for the season and am looking to buy some gear. Since tele isn't quite all the rage here like it is back home, and I don't feel like shelling out a ton of cash for new boots when I've already got some perfectly good Ener-G's at home, I've decided to switch back to the dark-side and alpine for the season.

I've been out of Alpine for a LONG time, long enough to where I don't have any idea about bindings and boots. Skis I can deal with since I know what I like to ski tele. I'm looking for some input on what kind of bindings and boots I should be looking for while I'm over here, but also my selections will be limited since I can only order through a few websites. There don't seem to be many ski shops on the southern coast of France.

www.telemark-pyrenees.com
http://www.sport-conrad.de/englisch/Index.asp

These are the websites I'm looking at, but the binding and boot pages mean almost nothing to me. Sport Conrad seems to be the better deal if VAT is taken into account. I'm most likelygetting Gotamas in a 183 but don't know what to match up to them. I consider myself a competent skier, but am not the most hardcore guy on the mountain. I avoid the park, but the occassional drop is definitely a part of my skiing experience.

I'm willing to drop some money on boots also. I don't want floppy slippers but don't need the most uber-badass, stiff like concrete thing on the market either. I have absolutely no idea on this part. I have what most boot-fitters in the past called a "normal" foot, in that it's not wide, not narrow, not huge, not small. In this respect I've never had a problem really with the fit of any shoe or boot.

Can anybody help a fellow out? General recommendations or specifics, anything's appreciated.

**lemon boy** · 10-24-2006, 10:44 AM

don't buy markers

**koolaideprived** · 10-24-2006, 10:51 AM

Hah, my post count is above 4, which is the maximum amount of time it would take for even somebody as JONGish as me to know that's taboo on TGR.

**lemon boy** · 10-24-2006, 11:59 AM

so then you do have an idea about bindings

Some solly bindings in the like 6-14 range should be had for lessn' 50 bucks

boots are the same as tele, only time spent in a shop trying them on with a good fitter will get you good results.

you'll quickly find that, well alpine skiing kind of sucks.

**lemon boy** · 10-24-2006, 12:01 PM

and you might think about putting together an AT setup instead of a true alpine setup for euroland playing.

**thd** · 10-24-2006, 04:46 PM

Telemark-Pyrenees don't have alot of alpine boots in stock, their main focus is telemark and randonee (at), but they have a decent choice of skis & bindings. I bought a pair from them a month ago. Conrad seems to have very good prices for skis & bindings though... (but they didn't have what I wanted).

But if there aren't alot of ski shops nearby, then I guess there aren't that many mountains either? You should really try boot on before you buy them...

**Brewski2** · 10-24-2006, 05:54 PM

Why don't you have your gear from back home mailed to you? Or, since you are going to buy new alpine boots, just buy new tele boots and sell your old ones. Thats just what I would do. I can't speak for France but Tele was getting more and more popular in Germany and Austria when I left there last nov. Cause like LB says, alpine kinda sucks

**koolaideprived** · 10-25-2006, 06:45 AM

In all honesty, one of the main reasons I want to alpine is that I'm not in good enough shape for tele right now. And since I'm only going to be getting in minimal days I'd rather be able to take full advantage and see a bigger part of the resort than I would otherwise. Also, alpine was my first love as a youngster, so I like having the option locking down the heel once in a while.

I'm going with Gotamas from one of the two sites. Sport Conrad has the better deals on complete packages, but Telemark Pyrenees has the bindings that were recommended to me by a friend.
Gotama 183 with Salomon 912 Ti PE2 runs 600 Euro assembled and shipped from Telemark Pyrenees.

However at Sport Conrad the whole setup is somewhere in the 560 Euro range assembled and shipped. Anybody have opinions about the bindings available through them?

Also, I found some Salomon X-Wave 9/10 for a reasonable price, and I fit great in a pair of Salomons that I used once last season, would that be a reasonable boot to match with this setup?

**thd** · 10-25-2006, 10:51 AM

At Conrad they are 539 with Salomon 914s and 549 with Rossignol 140s. Either one of those will surely do. X-Waves should also match your requirements nicely

Edit: thats without shipping though..so the price difference won't be that big I guess.