UKC

Yet another newbie/numpty question!
Which ski would you recommend for ski touring, as an all rounder, used with dynafit speed rads & scarpa maestrale boots.
I'm 5'11, 12st 7lbs (ish)
Crap skier
Will mainly be used in Scotland, but also in alps
occasionaly on piste.
Any recommendations?

Cheers in advance.

In reply to skarabrae:

These. Order them now before someone else nabs them. They are a steal.

http://buy-ski.glisshop.co.uk/alpine_ski/scott/xplor_air-33532.html

In reply to moffatross:

Good skis, but perhaps a tad underpowered for the boots&binders.

I would (as always) look for something a bit wider, say ~100mm at the waist.

In reply to HeMa:

Maybe not for OP's experience level though?

I like my Waybacks but as I've only skied 2 other sets can't offer much comparison. As a Scottish touring ski they are pretty good. Can be had cheap too.

In reply to skarabrae:
I suspect you'd be looking for something roughly 90-100mm at the waist or close to that at least (depending on if you want 'lighter touring' or 'downhill, soft-snow centered').
I expect you'll want a length of not less than 175, and probably not more than 185 (again, if you're not a great skier a shorter ski will be a bit more forgiving).

Pretty much all the usual suspects will have a backcountry ski in that bracket so it kind of depends on how much you want to spend, and if you like your skis light, heavy, flexible, stiff etc.

Have you thought about:
K2 - Wayback, Coomback, Sideshow
BD - Aspect, Verdict
Scott - Mission
Volkl - Mantra, Kendo
Black Crows - Camox
Atomic - Aspect? Drifter?
Hagan - lots but I'm not familiar with them - Daemon?
Dynastar - Cham87/97
Line - Chronic, Blend?

It's probably worth being honest about what kind of conditions they're likely to encounter. At your size and weight you probably want a length of about 185 for skiing powder, but a shorter ski is easier to learn with, and if you're not a great skier might be better for getting a few days practice in resort/on piste.

In reply to moffatross:

Get them, good skis good price, you don't need 100 underfoot for a touring ski.

In reply to Ben Briggs:

Especially not in Scotland!

In reply to DaveHK:

Dont get me wrong i have two pairs of skis bigger than 120 underfoot with touring bindings on but there is a time and place! and thats a great deal on a good sized ski for a 'crap' skier, i have some skis almost exactly that size which i love. Small and light means fresh legs on the way down

In reply to skarabrae: I have a pair of Hagan Skyraiders with Silvretta 500 bindings on for sale. If you dont want the 500's, I can whip the bindings off. Email me if you are interested.
Thanks
Si

In reply to skarabrae: thanks all, ive been looking at k2 waybacks & backups
& hagan dragons, but there are hundreds of touring skis out there & i`m clueless about any of them!
at the mo i have heavy nordic kit ( asnes mountain extremes, garmont excursion booots n riva cable bindings) gonna plod/struggle with these on gentle terrain this season , then maybe go for AT next season, just looking around for prices & trying to decide which skis will be best for me (def gonna go lightweight, dynafit)
having alpine lessons at a dry ski slope & will continue to learn there.

cheers all, but if you have any more advic, feel free to pass it on (as is the ukc norm, i will accept insults as well )

In reply to skarabrae:

I had Hagan Dragons but I found them to be quite soft and didn't hold an edge as well as other skis. That was with tele bindings.

In reply to skarabrae:

Good deals on 2010/11 waybacks on Sport Conrad just now too. Nice and light and easy to ski. If you want to hammer it on hard snow they're not the best tool but for general touring they are a good choice, especially if you are likely to be carrying them.

In reply to DaveHK: i know, thats where i saw them.
conrad are doing fantastic deals on full packages!!
if i didnt have xmas to pay for i`d be buying now!!

In reply to DaveHK:

with my ability, the only thing that`ll be getting hammered will be my ass whn i land on it!!

In reply to skarabrae: Boots & Bindings are your most important consideration... With skis try before you buy - work out what suits you best...
Go second hand and get your bindings mounted on to a good second hand ski for your first pair, especially if it is for Scotland. Any GOOD ski tech can remount a pair of skis several times, and contrary to popular belief, if this is done properly, it DOES NOT effect the strength of the ski.
You could get your new/second hand skis mounted with Quiver Killers
http://www.ski-drop.co.uk/bindings--quiver-killer.html
This will allow you to swap those expensive Dynafits from ski to ski, so you can have ascratch pair for Scotland, and a good pair for the Alps...