Sir, thank you very much for your instruction video. Through your videos I saw first time the Rottefella Xplore system and I decided to try it out with backcountry skiing. Got bought two skis - Åsnes Falketind 62 and Madshus Panorama 78 with Boots from Apha Skaget Perform/ Alpina Pioneer/ Crispi Futura. I am looking forward to the next winter season here in Switzerland. Best regards - S ki Heil!
I'm sure you will have a blast with your new gear and I hope that next winter will be a great snow season for you. Thanks for tuning in and for posting. Enjoy your summer.
This was beautiful. Thanks so much for putting it together. Just got my Xplores mounted on some new BC 100's. Happy to answer questions for anyone who has them!
Hi, late response here but I just purchased some Xplore bindings to put on a pair of Rossignol XP100 skis which I believe are pretty similar to the BC100s. Did you run into any issues or have any advice from your experience?
Went really smoothly - I don't remember any Gotchas. Go slow is my advice. Getting the template on on the center line so the binding is pointed perfectly forward was the place I spent the most time. @@jacobspencer4981
I like your printing out of the centering rule idea. Useful for other projects as well. I am going to photocopy my steel centering rule. Thanks for the tip, Tom!
Thank you for sharing this. I took the leap this past weekend and mounted Xplore bindings myself. It really wasn't difficult at all and kinda felt like a right of passage in my Free Heel skier journey. I mounted the bindings to some objectives, glad I watched your bonus video about boot center first! Thanks again for all the knowledge you put out here I know it comes at your time and expense but it is very appreciated.
Looks great Tom, except you mounted the left binding on the right ski! (You made this joke to me last year when I mounted my Eons. Gave me a brief heart attack!) Looking forward to seeing what you think of the downhill performance of the Xplore system.
The paper tape works best for me as it is easy to stretch tight and fold over the steel edges. Just be sure to make 3 center marks on the ski and then use a straight edge to make sure all 3 marks are in a straight line. If they don't all line up, then you need to repeat the process.
Thanks again Tom for all your great videos. I am just wondering if you always mount the ski on the balance point? What did you do for your Voile? Many ski manufactures for back country skis recommend binding installation away from the balance point. I am not sure where to mount the bindings on my new Fischer Skis.
I think it is always best to use the manufacturer's recommendations for the binding location. That being said, the traditional location for a cross country binding on a cross country ski is to place the mounting template pin line directly over the balance point of the ski. The Sbound 98's (2022 version) in this video did have a topsheet mark for their recommended pin line and it was very close to the balance point of the ski. I've always mounted my off trail cross country skis with the pin line on the balance point. Just as a side note, downhill skis are very different animals from XC skis and the mark on their topsheet usually indicates the boot center position, so for others who might read this comment in the future, please check with the ski manufacturer for guidance before drilling up your new set of skis.
Hey Tom, thanks for your thoughts. I am a bit unsure what to do with my new Fischer Hannibal 96 backcountry skis and my Xlplore bindings. The mounting point the Hannibal 96s identify is 3 inches behind the balance point. It is actually at the "center of running surface." My guess is that they are anticipating a center of boot mounted on an AT or downhill binding. I guess I will reach out Fisher for their guidance. My thinking is that if I mounted (or had a tech mount) the binding at the balance point, it would put my boot center at about the indicated point on the ski. Any further thoughts you might have on this would be welcome.
@kennethsmith4202 I'm betting that the mark on your Hanibal skis is for the boot center position for fixed heel plastic alpine boots. There are many varying opinions on where a telemark boot should sit in relation to the boot center position. Johnny has a great write up www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=1870 On all of the downhill skis I've owned, I've mounted them with the center of the boot on the manufacturer's boot center location. This has worked very well for me, but to be honest, I've never skied a downhill specific ski with the boot center mounted either forward or behind the recommended boot center position. The most common deviation is to mount the telemark boot slightly rearward of the recommended alpine boot center position. The theory is that for telemark skiing, the ball of the foot is the key to control, and since our heels are not locked to the ski, the boot needs to be a bit further back on the ski when compared to a fixed heel setup. As I mentioned before, I have not tested that theory, but I am very happy with the way my downhill skis perform with the center of the boot mounted on the recommended boot center mark. I owned and skied a set of Hannibal skis in 2017. They were a fun ski. I don't know how they compare to ones you have but I predict you will have a bast with them. I ended up replacing those skis with a set of Voile Hyper v6's, only because I wanted to try the Voile traction patterned ski for backcountry skiing. Be sure to post back on your experience as I'm sure others will benefit. Thanks for posting and best wishes for the upcoming ski season.
Many thanks Tom. I agree the Ski is center marked. I will see if the Alfa Free has a center mark and talk with the technician - or mount them myself (@@tomm9850
Great tip. The video doesn't show it, but I have a spring clamp on the tip and the tail to hold the ski to the bench when drilling and screwing the skis. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you have a great ski season.
There is a definitive guide from black diamond for mounting skis for the best pull-out prevention. They explicitly say not to flex the ski while drilling or mounting. I doubt it's an issue here or with most xc bindings, but I always try to avoid flex while mounting. The guide was back from the O1 days when everything was pulling out.
Thanks for this tip. I'm about to mount some xplore bindings onto a pair of S-Bound 98's, and I will plan on placing a block of wood under the ski while clamped to maintain the camber of the ski while drilling.
Hi Tom. I’m dying to get my hands on a pair of these, and boots too, of course. Not available here in the Whites of New Hampshire yet. Question- how wide is the widest point of the base plate of these bindings? I have a pair of Madshus Eons for backcountry; wondering if they are too narrow for these bindings. I’ll take a look at another one of your videos (the close inspection one) to see if I can figure it out…. Best- Jerry K.
The screw holes are about 40 mm apart (they are the same width as the NNNBC). REI says the Xplore bindings are for skis with a minimum width of 68 mm and the NNNBC are for skis with a minimum width 52 mm. The "wings" on the binding are about 90 mm in width. I see no reason why the Xplore binding cannot be used on any ski that one would mount the NNNBC binding. In fact, if you line up the two templates for the NNNBC and the Xplore on the balance point, two of the screw holes match so there won't be any issues for people who might want to change from NNNBC to the Xplore system on an old set of skis.
Thanks for your objective analysis of equipment which could amount to an expensive mistake. I feel I am able to make a much more informed decision because of the care you take to make your videos. Now if I can only find a pair of Fischer S-Bound 112 in 182, I might just be able to take advantage of Winter in the midwest. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might find a set of these?
It is a tough year to find Fischer skis. They still haven't recovered yet from the fire that destroyed one of their ski manufacturing facilities. Here is a recent response from a Fischer rep on the situation www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4661&p=46355&hilit=factory#p46355 I did see some S-Bound 112's for sale early in the season from REI, but they sell out quickly, so it would be a good idea to check their website regularly to see if they get any more in stock this season.
@@tomm9850 Thanks for the quick reply. That was more information than I was able to get from anybody. That pair of used 112s sold. It looks like i'm going to have to wait until next year.
Really enjoyed that - thank you so much. 98S Bounds, with the same set-up. Really interested in a Telemark skiing comparison side by side like you did with the boots. Probably a pain - and a big ask - but if you do can you swap the skis so your strong and weak side get to try both?
I went out and did some downhill tele turns testing in soft snow with the Xplore / Free and the Voile 3 pin (no cable) / Alfa Greenland. Both systems worked very well. I did shoot some video, but after looking at the video, it was hard to tell the difference between the two systems as far as turnability in soft snow on moderate slopes from the camera perspective. As you might expect, the Alfa Free boots have more support than my Alfa Greenland boots, so they do have better downhill control, but it is hard to quantify. The Alfa Greenland boot hits a pretty high mark in my book, but I'm really warming up to the Xplore system. Next week I'm going to release my video review of the Alfa Free boot (1/21) so stay tuned.
@@tomm9850 the Xplore / Free looks good, the interest is how it copes without or when compared to a heel attachment. We often ski steeper terrain with the spring on the heel so have a lot of interest in the power/control difference. Posting just in case you consider looking into, even if not - the content you produce has kept us that bit more sane inhabiting a lockdown world with no access to snow and mountains. Much appreciated, best wishes and regards from the UK.
Thanks for sharing your tips and adventures. In Feb I took the plunge and bought Fisher S Bound 98 skis, Rottefella Explore bindings and Alfa boots. Unfortunately I have a problem with the sole of the left boot (size 46). The heal of the left boot is off-center on the ski. If I switch skis the left boot is still off center by the same amount in the same direction. The right boot lines up perfectly on either ski. This means that a line drawn through the axis of the pins on my left boot is not 90 degrees to the center-line of the boot. Rottefella makes the sole of the boot and considering wide unforgiving nature of the binding design the pins must be very accurately molded into the sole. I fear that all the 2021 left boots in size 46 would share this same misalignment issue. Is this a known problem? Do you think a warranty replacement would solve the problem? My left heal is off-center by about 1/4". Does this seem unreasonable?
I just went out to check my Alfa Frees (Size 42) and visually they are pretty close to where I would expect the heel to be. It is interesting that I can wiggle the boots left and right, and the loose tolerance allows the heel to be shifted either left or right of what I would consider the center. The heel movement left to right seems to be less than what I had with NNNBC or 75 mm . I don't notice any wobble when skiing and the heel strike feels good to me. If having one boot slightly off center is noticeable when you are skiing then I would definitely contact Alafa / Rottefella and seek a solution. I'd start by taking a couple of detailed photos showing the discrepancy and email them to Alfa. I would ask them to check a couple pairs of the same boots in size 46, and request a replacement or refund.
Hello Tom, I have had some Asnes Kongsvold skis for a couple months now and I really want to ski them. I have purchased an xplore binding but with no boots are available in the US has me losing patience as I want to use this ski. I think I am going to just go ahead and get it mounted NNNBC. By chance do you know if the top two holes are the same for NNNBC and the Xplore? I am just wondering if sometime down the line if I wanted to switch to the xplore if there would potentially be any issues. Thank you again for a great video. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and teaching us new skills.
That is a tricky question. It might be possible to reuse two holes. At a minimum, you would have to drill 2 new holes and fill 2 holes. The catch is that there is about 1/4 inch difference in the location of the balance point if you reuse two holes. The heel plate on the NNNBC uses one screw and the Xplore uses two screws. That is less critical. If you are certain that you will remount to the Xplore binding in the future, then I'd mount the NNNBC so that the balance point matches the Xplore. I just remounted a set of Voile Objective skis with the Xplore binding, moving from the Voile Traverse 3 pin to the Xplore binding. I filled the holes with slow cure epoxy and I have confidence that I will have no issues with the ski. Having full confidence in your skis is important, and it can be a mind game for some. Just for your own peace of mind, go to the link given in the description above and print out the templates for both the NNNBC and the Xplore binding. Be sure your printer settings are set to "print to actual size" and compare the two. I know it is hard waiting for the boots to show up. There are some boots available from retailers in Europe and that is how I purchased my Alfa Free boots. If you have skis that you can ski this winter, it might just be best to wait a little while longer. Which boots are you planning to buy?
Hi Tom, I enjoy your videos on backcountry skiing. I just got a pair of Alpina Alaska XP boots and Rottefella Xplore bindings. I was trying to decide on a pair of skis to pair with them. I was going to get the Madshus Panorama M68 (99-68-84) Cross-Country Skis or the M78 (109-78-95) Cross-country skis. I ride a chair lift up to the cross country area but take green downhill runs back to get down the mountain. Do you have any thoughts on either of these skis?
Hi Robert. I have not skied either of the skis you are considering. When you say "cross country area", do you mean a groomed trail with set tracks? If so, both skis are too wide for use in a groomed XC track. If your intent is to ski mostly off trail, then I'd choose the M68 for rolling and moderate terrain and the M78 if you plan to "tour for turns" and ski deep soft powder. The Alaska XP is a nice boot and should work well with the M68. The M78 is wider, and my best guess, is that it is a more downhill oriented ski. I ski both the Alaska XP and the Alfa Free boots and I'll pick the Alaska's for my narrower skis if touring is the main focus and the Frees when I'm touring for turns on wider skis.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for so quick of a reply Tom. It sounds like the M68 would be a better idea for the terrain and Alaska XP boots. The cross country area does have groomed trail system that I ski with narrow skis, but I would be skiing off trail with the wider skis. I do have many different ski setups, including Telemark boots with 3 pins.
Have you heard of anyone adding a spacer / shim under the binding for dealing with a leg length discrepancy? I know that alpine boots can have material added to the bottom, but I doubt the Alpina Alaska boots can be modified. My LLD is 2 cm, but I’d be happy if I could raise the binding 1/2”.
I can't think of any reason why a flat plate spacer could not be added between the binding and the ski. The angulation on the two skis would be a little different and I suspect that is probably why it is preferable to add the height to a rigid alpine boot. XC boots need to be able to flex so it would take a very skilled cobbler to modify an existing boot. I wonder if one could add a thick insole to one boot and remove the insole in the other boot. I know it would not make up 1/2 inch, but it might be worth a try to see how it feels.
Tom, I just got some S 98's and wondering which bindings and boots to get. Was thinking Alpina Alaska boots, but which bindings? 3 pin or those rotafella? Thanks
Hi Jesse. The Xplore binding works very well for off trail cross country skiing and I think that the new Xplore boots are an improvement over the traditional 3 pin and NNNBC soft boots. The 3 pin binding can be skied with soft boots on one day and with a hard plastic downhill boot on another and that might be a good reason to choose a 3 pin over the Xplore. A cable or hardwire can also be used on a 3 pin with a soft boot, but I'm not a big fan of that combination for typical off trail cross country use. Others would strongly disagree. A few years ago, I had two sets of 98's, one mounted with 3 pins that I'd skied for many years with a wide range of leather boots, and a new set of 98's with the Xplore binding that I skied with the Alfa Free and the Alpina Alaska XP boots. After a month of testing both setups, I just preferred my soft boot Xplore combos over my 3 pin and NNNBC soft boot combos. If you already have a quiver of skis with 3 pins, then it would be most economical to stick with 3 pins, but for those who don't, I think an Xplore system is the future. ruclips.net/video/Ovx48kCVtzM/видео.html
Hi Tom, Thank you for those videos about the new XPlore system. There is very little information about it (except from Rotteffela…). Do you think these bindings would work wit a wide ski (Rossi BC 120) and the Alfa XP boots? Thanks JP
Yes, that would be a great setup. Rottefella is marketing these bindings for wider skis. I've skied two of the 4 boots that are currently available for the system (Alfa Free and the Alpina Alaska XP). They are both very good boots. The Alaska is a great "off trail tourer" and the Free is a great "tour for turns" boot.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for your thoughts… About your Explore boots, are they sizing right? The size chart on Alfa website is a bit weird; it seems 1 size below usual sizing (42 shows 26 mondo, normally it’s 27.5 🧐…).
@@TravelBike1884 When I ordered my Alfa Free boot, I picked a size 43, since my larger foot measured 26.6 mm, and that matched their recommendation. I ski two other Alfa boots, the Starvet and the Greenland, in size 42, so I was a bit worried about the sizing. There is more space in front of the toes than what I am used to. I don't seem to be having any problems with the size 43, but in hindsight, I wish I would have tried the 42 first. Just for reference, I ski a Scarpa T2 in mondo 27.5
Hi Tom, thanks for all the great videos! Got a question I'm hoping you can offer insight on... I'm putting together a new setup for my wife and was considering the Xplore bindings with the Fischer S-bound 112. Probably pair that with Alaska XP. Do you think that's too much ski for the Xplore? Or for the Alaska? The objective is a lightweight touring setup that allows her to make some nice turns in deeper powder on gentle terrain. But perhaps I should go with the S-bound 98. Any thoughts??? Thanks!
The Xplore binding and the S-Bound 112 would be a great combination. The Alpina Alaska XP would be fine with that ski, especially for soft snow on gentle to moderate terrain. The Alpina Alaska XP is a great touring boot. So far, I haven't seen the Alpina Alaska XP show up for sale here in North America. Another good boot to consider would be the Alfa Vista Advance. I haven't skied that boot, but it is available in a woman's version, so keep that in mind as well.
Tom, Brendan - I pestered my local shop and they talked to their rep for me and are expecting their shipment of Alaska XP boots around the end of Feb. Please take that with a large grain of salt.
@Gnukke1 The old screw holes need to be sealed to keep water out of the ski. I fill mine with a medium cure epoxy (30 min to 1 hour), using a toothpick with an up and down motion to make sure there are no air bubbles trapped in the hole. Two of the front screws of the Xplore binding match up to two of the front screws on the NNNBC binding, so you should be able to reuse those two holes, but if they are too loose to get a good bite, then you will need to fill and redrill those holes.
Hi Tom I have been thinking about making the leap to the xplore when there are more skis on the market and I'm wondering how the mounting screw pattern compares to the old voile 3 pin (mounted pins on the balance point)? I have QK inserts on one set of skis and wondered if I could add more inserts to swap bindings but fear the mounting screws are too close to each other.
None of the holes match up with the Voile Standard 3 pin binding (3 screw mount). The front single hole on the 3 pin binding is forward of the closest hole on the Xplore binding and it is about 5/8 of an inch away (15 mm). It should be no problem to drill new holes and mount the Xplore binding, you will just want to do a proper fill of the old holes for strength and water tightness. You can download the templates for each of these bindings as PDF and print them out (be sure to use option to print to actual size) and compare. Voile 3 pin www.voile.com/voile_3_hole_mounting_template.pdf and the Rottefella Xplore rottefella.com/media/sparsh/product_attachment/Paper_jig_Rottefella_XploreOff-Track.pdf
@@tomm9850 Thanks! After skiing today I realized oh I could use the template. Then I came in & saw your answer. I use quiver killer inserts which do a nice job of sealing the hole so I might make the ski look like swiss cheese but I sure could have it set up wiht both options now if I find a new ski!
2 года назад
Hi Tom! I am decided for Fisher S-bound 98, Alpina Alaska BC boots and new Rottefella Xplore binding. I am 173cm tall and my weight is 74kg. Accordig to the table of sizes for Fisher skies, they reccomend to pick 179cm. But from one post from another bc skier with similar body like mine, he picked 169cm size. So now I am undiceded, which one is better for me. Could you help me? :) (sorry for my bad english)
I think I would go with what Fischer recommends (179 cm). It is always a good idea to include your boots, clothing, and pack carry weight along with your body weight when picking a ski size from Fischer's charts. If your total weight falls in the zone where two ski sizes are listed, then pick the longer ski if you ski mostly soft snow and want the best kick and glide performance or the shorter ski if you are short and stalky in body type and you are mostly interested in skiing downhill on firm snow through trees.
I use a slow cure epoxy to fill the hole. If the new screw hole is very close to the old hole, I use a slow cure epoxy and a small amount of very fine steel wool for extra strength.
I just pulled up the mounting instructions from rottefella.com/media/sparsh/product_attachment/Mounting_instructions_Rottefella_Xplore_Off-Track.pdf They list 2 drill bits, same diameter, but different lengths, as the binding is sold with either a set of long screws or shorter screws. The ones I mounted came with the shorter screws. (screw length = 16.3 mm) and the appropriate drill bit is 3.6x9 mm. For the longer screws, (screw length = 21.8 mm), they recommend a 3.6x15.5 mm bit. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4071&p=64877&hilit=screw#p64877
Are you happy with pins on balance point? If I recall I have mounted some skis about 1 cm in front of BP for better downhill performance. I just bought some Radd 68 skis and 3-pin bindings so I need to research this again as it's been far too long ago to remember.
Yes, I'm happy with the performance of the SBound 98's. Mounting the pin line on the balance point is the traditional way to mount XC skis. When I mounted up the Voile Objectives, I did not use the balance point, I used Voile's boot center measurement recommendation. The pin line on the Objective's ended up a bit forward of the balance point, but it was close enough to the balance point that I doubt I would have noticed the difference. If your skis have a boot center mark, that is probably how I'd mount them up.
@@tomm9850 Thank you! No markings so I'll mount on bp. I'm curious how well these Rabb 68 skis holds kick wax. It has more camber than my old Boundless Crowns. I also got the kicker skins
Not sure how I feel about this binding system. Compared to the new Telemark Tech system, seems to be a competition we don’t need splitting the market again. I mean half the reason 3pin survives is because of its compatibility with 75mm, like you have said. I feel Tech toes work can work in xcbc situation as well as offering the option to use beefier boots on hard snow days. The cross compatibility would be easy with the inclusion of something like voiles 3pin setup. Idk, but if those bindings are the reason Scarpa is not putting out new boots, I’ld be even more likely to not like them.
I hope that Scarpa is working on a lighter, more modern version of a backcountry tele boot for NTN or Tech. I love my current setup but I'm not getting any younger and my current setup is nearly 17 lbs without skins, with the T2 boots and the Switchback X2 binding accounting for over 11 lbs.
@@tomm9850 you and me both! I hope something like tech toes are the future. The tech seems light enough for proper touring and is also robust enough for aggressive riding. Might actually be a successful replacement of the old stalwart 75mm
Your mounting operation shows a set of good practices. Probably the first that shows the actual mounting of Xplore. Thanks for that.
Thanks for watching and have a great ski season.
Thanks Tom. This video gave me the confidence to mount Xplore bindings on some new Fischer 98. These practice videos are super beneficial.
I'm glad it was helpful. I'll be skiing and featuring my SB 98's in this week's video which will be released on 1/12/24
Great tutorial! Best one that I could find. Many thanks from 🇫🇮
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for tuning in and for posting feedback.
Sir, thank you very much for your instruction video.
Through your videos I saw first time the Rottefella Xplore system and I decided to try it out with backcountry skiing.
Got bought two skis - Åsnes Falketind 62 and Madshus Panorama 78 with Boots from Apha Skaget Perform/ Alpina Pioneer/ Crispi Futura.
I am looking forward to the next winter season here in Switzerland.
Best regards - S
ki Heil!
I'm sure you will have a blast with your new gear and I hope that next winter will be a great snow season for you. Thanks for tuning in and for posting. Enjoy your summer.
This was beautiful. Thanks so much for putting it together. Just got my Xplores mounted on some new BC 100's. Happy to answer questions for anyone who has them!
Thats awesome. Have fun with your new setup and thanks for tuning in.
Hi, late response here but I just purchased some Xplore bindings to put on a pair of Rossignol XP100 skis which I believe are pretty similar to the BC100s. Did you run into any issues or have any advice from your experience?
Went really smoothly - I don't remember any Gotchas. Go slow is my advice. Getting the template on on the center line so the binding is pointed perfectly forward was the place I spent the most time. @@jacobspencer4981
I like your printing out of the centering rule idea. Useful for other projects as well. I am going to photocopy my steel centering rule. Thanks for the tip, Tom!
That is a great tip for those who have a rigid centering ruler. Thanks for tuning in.
Thank you for sharing this. I took the leap this past weekend and mounted Xplore bindings myself. It really wasn't difficult at all and kinda felt like a right of passage in my Free Heel skier journey. I mounted the bindings to some objectives, glad I watched your bonus video about boot center first! Thanks again for all the knowledge you put out here I know it comes at your time and expense but it is very appreciated.
You should have a blast with your Objectives when touring for turns. Thanks for the kind words and I hope you have a great spring ski season.
Can you provide a link to the boot center bonus video? Thanks
Thanks Tom, it’s a great binding mounting tutorial that I’ll use as a reference. Happy skiing
Thanks, and I hope you are having a great winter.
Looks great Tom, except you mounted the left binding on the right ski! (You made this joke to me last year when I mounted my Eons. Gave me a brief heart attack!) Looking forward to seeing what you think of the downhill performance of the Xplore system.
That explains why my skis seem to have a mind of their own. I hear the only solution is to wear the left boot on the right foot and vice versa. :)
Thanks for sharing the installation video! I plan to try the same mounts (on a par with NN75)
Glad it was helpful!
Nice Tom…time to hit the trail👍
Thanks. I agree.
Great tutorial!
A $8. board center finder is a good thing to add to a mounting kit.
Makes quick work of the CL job.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing.
Tom, thank you! Love your reviews!
Glad you like them!
Great tip to use a paper or flexible center ruler.
The paper tape works best for me as it is easy to stretch tight and fold over the steel edges. Just be sure to make 3 center marks on the ski and then use a straight edge to make sure all 3 marks are in a straight line. If they don't all line up, then you need to repeat the process.
Nice tutorial!
thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks again Tom for all your great videos. I am just wondering if you always mount the ski on the balance point? What did you do for your Voile? Many ski manufactures for back country skis recommend binding installation away from the balance point. I am not sure where to mount the bindings on my new Fischer Skis.
I think it is always best to use the manufacturer's recommendations for the binding location. That being said, the traditional location for a cross country binding on a cross country ski is to place the mounting template pin line directly over the balance point of the ski. The Sbound 98's (2022 version) in this video did have a topsheet mark for their recommended pin line and it was very close to the balance point of the ski. I've always mounted my off trail cross country skis with the pin line on the balance point. Just as a side note, downhill skis are very different animals from XC skis and the mark on their topsheet usually indicates the boot center position, so for others who might read this comment in the future, please check with the ski manufacturer for guidance before drilling up your new set of skis.
Hey Tom, thanks for your thoughts. I am a bit unsure what to do with my new Fischer Hannibal 96 backcountry skis and my Xlplore bindings. The mounting point the Hannibal 96s identify is 3 inches behind the balance point. It is actually at the "center of running surface." My guess is that they are anticipating a center of boot mounted on an AT or downhill binding. I guess I will reach out Fisher for their guidance. My thinking is that if I mounted (or had a tech mount) the binding at the balance point, it would put my boot center at about the indicated point on the ski. Any further thoughts you might have on this would be welcome.
@kennethsmith4202 I'm betting that the mark on your Hanibal skis is for the boot center position for fixed heel plastic alpine boots. There are many varying opinions on where a telemark boot should sit in relation to the boot center position. Johnny has a great write up www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=1870
On all of the downhill skis I've owned, I've mounted them with the center of the boot on the manufacturer's boot center location. This has worked very well for me, but to be honest, I've never skied a downhill specific ski with the boot center mounted either forward or behind the recommended boot center position. The most common deviation is to mount the telemark boot slightly rearward of the recommended alpine boot center position. The theory is that for telemark skiing, the ball of the foot is the key to control, and since our heels are not locked to the ski, the boot needs to be a bit further back on the ski when compared to a fixed heel setup. As I mentioned before, I have not tested that theory, but I am very happy with the way my downhill skis perform with the center of the boot mounted on the recommended boot center mark. I owned and skied a set of Hannibal skis in 2017. They were a fun ski. I don't know how they compare to ones you have but I predict you will have a bast with them. I ended up replacing those skis with a set of Voile Hyper v6's, only because I wanted to try the Voile traction patterned ski for backcountry skiing. Be sure to post back on your experience as I'm sure others will benefit. Thanks for posting and best wishes for the upcoming ski season.
Many thanks Tom. I agree the Ski is center marked. I will see if the Alfa Free has a center mark and talk with the technician - or mount them myself (@@tomm9850
I'd suggest using a clamp to flatten and hold the ski to the table, especially during the drilling operation.
Great tip. The video doesn't show it, but I have a spring clamp on the tip and the tail to hold the ski to the bench when drilling and screwing the skis. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you have a great ski season.
There is a definitive guide from black diamond for mounting skis for the best pull-out prevention. They explicitly say not to flex the ski while drilling or mounting. I doubt it's an issue here or with most xc bindings, but I always try to avoid flex while mounting.
The guide was back from the O1 days when everything was pulling out.
Thanks for this tip. I'm about to mount some xplore bindings onto a pair of S-Bound 98's, and I will plan on placing a block of wood under the ski while clamped to maintain the camber of the ski while drilling.
Really helpful, thank you,
Glad it was helpful! I hope you are having a great ski season.
Hi Tom. I’m dying to get my hands on a pair of these, and boots too, of course. Not available here in the Whites of New Hampshire yet. Question- how wide is the widest point of the base plate of these bindings? I have a pair of Madshus Eons for backcountry; wondering if they are too narrow for these bindings. I’ll take a look at another one of your videos (the close inspection one) to see if I can figure it out…. Best- Jerry K.
The screw holes are about 40 mm apart (they are the same width as the NNNBC). REI says the Xplore bindings are for skis with a minimum width of 68 mm and the NNNBC are for skis with a minimum width 52 mm. The "wings" on the binding are about 90 mm in width. I see no reason why the Xplore binding cannot be used on any ski that one would mount the NNNBC binding. In fact, if you line up the two templates for the NNNBC and the Xplore on the balance point, two of the screw holes match so there won't be any issues for people who might want to change from NNNBC to the Xplore system on an old set of skis.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for your reply. As always, a great help.
Thanks for your objective analysis of equipment which could amount to an expensive mistake. I feel I am able to make a much more informed decision because of the care you take to make your videos. Now if I can only find a pair of Fischer S-Bound 112 in 182, I might just be able to take advantage of Winter in the midwest. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might find a set of these?
It is a tough year to find Fischer skis. They still haven't recovered yet from the fire that destroyed one of their ski manufacturing facilities. Here is a recent response from a Fischer rep on the situation
www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4661&p=46355&hilit=factory#p46355
I did see some S-Bound 112's for sale early in the season from REI, but they sell out quickly, so it would be a good idea to check their website regularly to see if they get any more in stock this season.
@@tomm9850 Thanks for the quick reply. That was more information than I was able to get from anybody. That pair of used 112s sold. It looks like i'm going to have to wait until next year.
Really enjoyed that - thank you so much. 98S Bounds, with the same set-up. Really interested in a Telemark skiing comparison side by side like you did with the boots.
Probably a pain - and a big ask - but if you do can you swap the skis so your strong and weak side get to try both?
I went out and did some downhill tele turns testing in soft snow with the Xplore / Free and the Voile 3 pin (no cable) / Alfa Greenland. Both systems worked very well. I did shoot some video, but after looking at the video, it was hard to tell the difference between the two systems as far as turnability in soft snow on moderate slopes from the camera perspective. As you might expect, the Alfa Free boots have more support than my Alfa Greenland boots, so they do have better downhill control, but it is hard to quantify. The Alfa Greenland boot hits a pretty high mark in my book, but I'm really warming up to the Xplore system. Next week I'm going to release my video review of the Alfa Free boot (1/21) so stay tuned.
@@tomm9850 the Xplore / Free looks good, the interest is how it copes without or when compared to a heel attachment.
We often ski steeper terrain with the spring on the heel so have a lot of interest in the power/control difference.
Posting just in case you consider looking into, even if not - the content you produce has kept us that bit more sane inhabiting a lockdown world with no access to snow and mountains. Much appreciated, best wishes and regards from the UK.
Thanks for sharing your tips and adventures. In Feb I took the plunge and bought Fisher S Bound 98 skis, Rottefella Explore bindings and Alfa boots. Unfortunately I have a problem with the sole of the left boot (size 46). The heal of the left boot is off-center on the ski. If I switch skis the left boot is still off center by the same amount in the same direction. The right boot lines up perfectly on either ski. This means that a line drawn through the axis of the pins on my left boot is not 90 degrees to the center-line of the boot. Rottefella makes the sole of the boot and considering wide unforgiving nature of the binding design the pins must be very accurately molded into the sole. I fear that all the 2021 left boots in size 46 would share this same misalignment issue. Is this a known problem? Do you think a warranty replacement would solve the problem? My left heal is off-center by about 1/4". Does this seem unreasonable?
I just went out to check my Alfa Frees (Size 42) and visually they are pretty close to where I would expect the heel to be. It is interesting that I can wiggle the boots left and right, and the loose tolerance allows the heel to be shifted either left or right of what I would consider the center. The heel movement left to right seems to be less than what I had with NNNBC or 75 mm . I don't notice any wobble when skiing and the heel strike feels good to me. If having one boot slightly off center is noticeable when you are skiing then I would definitely contact Alafa / Rottefella and seek a solution. I'd start by taking a couple of detailed photos showing the discrepancy and email them to Alfa. I would ask them to check a couple pairs of the same boots in size 46, and request a replacement or refund.
Hello Tom, I have had some Asnes Kongsvold skis for a couple months now and I really want to ski them. I have purchased an xplore binding but with no boots are available in the US has me losing patience as I want to use this ski. I think I am going to just go ahead and get it mounted NNNBC. By chance do you know if the top two holes are the same for NNNBC and the Xplore? I am just wondering if sometime down the line if I wanted to switch to the xplore if there would potentially be any issues. Thank you again for a great video. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and teaching us new skills.
That is a tricky question. It might be possible to reuse two holes. At a minimum, you would have to drill 2 new holes and fill 2 holes. The catch is that there is about 1/4 inch difference in the location of the balance point if you reuse two holes. The heel plate on the NNNBC uses one screw and the Xplore uses two screws. That is less critical. If you are certain that you will remount to the Xplore binding in the future, then I'd mount the NNNBC so that the balance point matches the Xplore. I just remounted a set of Voile Objective skis with the Xplore binding, moving from the Voile Traverse 3 pin to the Xplore binding. I filled the holes with slow cure epoxy and I have confidence that I will have no issues with the ski. Having full confidence in your skis is important, and it can be a mind game for some. Just for your own peace of mind, go to the link given in the description above and print out the templates for both the NNNBC and the Xplore binding. Be sure your printer settings are set to "print to actual size" and compare the two. I know it is hard waiting for the boots to show up. There are some boots available from retailers in Europe and that is how I purchased my Alfa Free boots. If you have skis that you can ski this winter, it might just be best to wait a little while longer. Which boots are you planning to buy?
Hi Tom, I enjoy your videos on backcountry skiing. I just got a pair of Alpina Alaska XP boots and Rottefella Xplore bindings. I was trying to decide on a pair of skis to pair with them. I was going to get the Madshus Panorama M68 (99-68-84) Cross-Country Skis or the M78 (109-78-95) Cross-country skis. I ride a chair lift up to the cross country area but take green downhill runs back to get down the mountain. Do you have any thoughts on either of these skis?
Hi Robert. I have not skied either of the skis you are considering. When you say "cross country area", do you mean a groomed trail with set tracks? If so, both skis are too wide for use in a groomed XC track. If your intent is to ski mostly off trail, then I'd choose the M68 for rolling and moderate terrain and the M78 if you plan to "tour for turns" and ski deep soft powder. The Alaska XP is a nice boot and should work well with the M68. The M78 is wider, and my best guess, is that it is a more downhill oriented ski. I ski both the Alaska XP and the Alfa Free boots and I'll pick the Alaska's for my narrower skis if touring is the main focus and the Frees when I'm touring for turns on wider skis.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for so quick of a reply Tom. It sounds like the M68 would be a better idea for the terrain and Alaska XP boots. The cross country area does have groomed trail system that I ski with narrow skis, but I would be skiing off trail with the wider skis. I do have many different ski setups, including Telemark boots with 3 pins.
Have you heard of anyone adding a spacer / shim under the binding for dealing with a leg length discrepancy? I know that alpine boots can have material added to the bottom, but I doubt the Alpina Alaska boots can be modified. My LLD is 2 cm, but I’d be happy if I could raise the binding 1/2”.
I can't think of any reason why a flat plate spacer could not be added between the binding and the ski. The angulation on the two skis would be a little different and I suspect that is probably why it is preferable to add the height to a rigid alpine boot. XC boots need to be able to flex so it would take a very skilled cobbler to modify an existing boot. I wonder if one could add a thick insole to one boot and remove the insole in the other boot. I know it would not make up 1/2 inch, but it might be worth a try to see how it feels.
Tom, I just got some S 98's and wondering which bindings and boots to get. Was thinking Alpina Alaska boots, but which bindings? 3 pin or those rotafella? Thanks
Hi Jesse. The Xplore binding works very well for off trail cross country skiing and I think that the new Xplore boots are an improvement over the traditional 3 pin and NNNBC soft boots. The 3 pin binding can be skied with soft boots on one day and with a hard plastic downhill boot on another and that might be a good reason to choose a 3 pin over the Xplore. A cable or hardwire can also be used on a 3 pin with a soft boot, but I'm not a big fan of that combination for typical off trail cross country use. Others would strongly disagree. A few years ago, I had two sets of 98's, one mounted with 3 pins that I'd skied for many years with a wide range of leather boots, and a new set of 98's with the Xplore binding that I skied with the Alfa Free and the Alpina Alaska XP boots. After a month of testing both setups, I just preferred my soft boot Xplore combos over my 3 pin and NNNBC soft boot combos. If you already have a quiver of skis with 3 pins, then it would be most economical to stick with 3 pins, but for those who don't, I think an Xplore system is the future. ruclips.net/video/Ovx48kCVtzM/видео.html
Great! Thanks for your help. I don't have anything so i'll get the xplore. Have a great day! Looking forward to the snow videos!@@tomm9850
Hi Tom,
Thank you for those videos about the new XPlore system. There is very little information about it (except from Rotteffela…).
Do you think these bindings would work wit a wide ski (Rossi BC 120) and the Alfa XP boots?
Thanks
JP
Yes, that would be a great setup. Rottefella is marketing these bindings for wider skis. I've skied two of the 4 boots that are currently available for the system (Alfa Free and the Alpina Alaska XP). They are both very good boots. The Alaska is a great "off trail tourer" and the Free is a great "tour for turns" boot.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for your thoughts…
About your Explore boots, are they sizing right? The size chart on Alfa website is a bit weird; it seems 1 size below usual sizing (42 shows 26 mondo, normally it’s 27.5 🧐…).
@@TravelBike1884 When I ordered my Alfa Free boot, I picked a size 43, since my larger foot measured 26.6 mm, and that matched their recommendation. I ski two other Alfa boots, the Starvet and the Greenland, in size 42, so I was a bit worried about the sizing. There is more space in front of the toes than what I am used to. I don't seem to be having any problems with the size 43, but in hindsight, I wish I would have tried the 42 first. Just for reference, I ski a Scarpa T2 in mondo 27.5
Hi Tom, thanks for all the great videos! Got a question I'm hoping you can offer insight on... I'm putting together a new setup for my wife and was considering the Xplore bindings with the Fischer S-bound 112. Probably pair that with Alaska XP. Do you think that's too much ski for the Xplore? Or for the Alaska? The objective is a lightweight touring setup that allows her to make some nice turns in deeper powder on gentle terrain. But perhaps I should go with the S-bound 98. Any thoughts??? Thanks!
The Xplore binding and the S-Bound 112 would be a great combination. The Alpina Alaska XP would be fine with that ski, especially for soft snow on gentle to moderate terrain. The Alpina Alaska XP is a great touring boot. So far, I haven't seen the Alpina Alaska XP show up for sale here in North America. Another good boot to consider would be the Alfa Vista Advance. I haven't skied that boot, but it is available in a woman's version, so keep that in mind as well.
@@tomm9850 Exactly the advice I was looking for -- thanks a lot and happy skiing!
Tom, Brendan - I pestered my local shop and they talked to their rep for me and are expecting their shipment of Alaska XP boots around the end of Feb. Please take that with a large grain of salt.
@@angusmorison3756 That is very useful information. Thanks for posting.
Hello :) What would you do with «the old mountingholes» if you were swapping out from a BC bindings to Xplore bindings?
@Gnukke1 The old screw holes need to be sealed to keep water out of the ski. I fill mine with a medium cure epoxy (30 min to 1 hour), using a toothpick with an up and down motion to make sure there are no air bubbles trapped in the hole. Two of the front screws of the Xplore binding match up to two of the front screws on the NNNBC binding, so you should be able to reuse those two holes, but if they are too loose to get a good bite, then you will need to fill and redrill those holes.
@@tomm9850 Thank you for replying :)
Hi Tom I have been thinking about making the leap to the xplore when there are more skis on the market and I'm wondering how the mounting screw pattern compares to the old voile 3 pin (mounted pins on the balance point)? I have QK inserts on one set of skis and wondered if I could add more inserts to swap bindings but fear the mounting screws are too close to each other.
None of the holes match up with the Voile Standard 3 pin binding (3 screw mount). The front single hole on the 3 pin binding is forward of the closest hole on the Xplore binding and it is about 5/8 of an inch away (15 mm). It should be no problem to drill new holes and mount the Xplore binding, you will just want to do a proper fill of the old holes for strength and water tightness. You can download the templates for each of these bindings as PDF and print them out (be sure to use option to print to actual size) and compare. Voile 3 pin www.voile.com/voile_3_hole_mounting_template.pdf and the Rottefella Xplore rottefella.com/media/sparsh/product_attachment/Paper_jig_Rottefella_XploreOff-Track.pdf
@@tomm9850 Thanks! After skiing today I realized oh I could use the template. Then I came in & saw your answer. I use quiver killer inserts which do a nice job of sealing the hole so I might make the ski look like swiss cheese but I sure could have it set up wiht both options now if I find a new ski!
Hi Tom! I am decided for Fisher S-bound 98, Alpina Alaska BC boots and new Rottefella Xplore binding. I am 173cm tall and my weight is 74kg. Accordig to the table of sizes for Fisher skies, they reccomend to pick 179cm. But from one post from another bc skier with similar body like mine, he picked 169cm size. So now I am undiceded, which one is better for me. Could you help me? :) (sorry for my bad english)
I think I would go with what Fischer recommends (179 cm). It is always a good idea to include your boots, clothing, and pack carry weight along with your body weight when picking a ski size from Fischer's charts. If your total weight falls in the zone where two ski sizes are listed, then pick the longer ski if you ski mostly soft snow and want the best kick and glide performance or the shorter ski if you are short and stalky in body type and you are mostly interested in skiing downhill on firm snow through trees.
If one were to reuse skis that had been drilled for a different binding, how would you fill the old screw holes?
I use a slow cure epoxy to fill the hole. If the new screw hole is very close to the old hole, I use a slow cure epoxy and a small amount of very fine steel wool for extra strength.
Hi, would you please help me? Where can I find this template?
rottefella.com/media/sparsh/product_attachment/Paper_jig_Rottefella_XploreOff-Track.pdf
Thank you very much!
We are trying to understand what kind of drill tip we need…it gives two sizes on the instructions.
I just pulled up the mounting instructions from rottefella.com/media/sparsh/product_attachment/Mounting_instructions_Rottefella_Xplore_Off-Track.pdf They list 2 drill bits, same diameter, but different lengths, as the binding is sold with either a set of long screws or shorter screws. The ones I mounted came with the shorter screws. (screw length = 16.3 mm) and the appropriate drill bit is 3.6x9 mm. For the longer screws, (screw length = 21.8 mm), they recommend a 3.6x15.5 mm bit. www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4071&p=64877&hilit=screw#p64877
Том, добрый день! Хорошее видео! вы настоящий мастер своего дела! Чем вы смазываете свои fisher s-bound 98? Я не могу найти нужные мази для своих лыж
ruclips.net/video/K7U7JfB1U3w/видео.html
Я использую Maxiglide в схеме тяги. Я утюжу кончики и хвосты твердым воском.
@@tomm9850 , спасибо большое!!! Понял!
Are you happy with pins on balance point? If I recall I have mounted some skis about 1 cm in front of BP for better downhill performance. I just bought some Radd 68 skis and 3-pin bindings so I need to research this again as it's been far too long ago to remember.
Yes, I'm happy with the performance of the SBound 98's. Mounting the pin line on the balance point is the traditional way to mount XC skis. When I mounted up the Voile Objectives, I did not use the balance point, I used Voile's boot center measurement recommendation. The pin line on the Objective's ended up a bit forward of the balance point, but it was close enough to the balance point that I doubt I would have noticed the difference. If your skis have a boot center mark, that is probably how I'd mount them up.
@@tomm9850 Thank you! No markings so I'll mount on bp. I'm curious how well these Rabb 68 skis holds kick wax. It has more camber than my old Boundless Crowns. I also got the kicker skins
Not sure how I feel about this binding system. Compared to the new Telemark Tech system, seems to be a competition we don’t need splitting the market again. I mean half the reason 3pin survives is because of its compatibility with 75mm, like you have said. I feel Tech toes work can work in xcbc situation as well as offering the option to use beefier boots on hard snow days. The cross compatibility would be easy with the inclusion of something like voiles 3pin setup.
Idk, but if those bindings are the reason Scarpa is not putting out new boots, I’ld be even more likely to not like them.
I hope that Scarpa is working on a lighter, more modern version of a backcountry tele boot for NTN or Tech. I love my current setup but I'm not getting any younger and my current setup is nearly 17 lbs without skins, with the T2 boots and the Switchback X2 binding accounting for over 11 lbs.
@@tomm9850 you and me both! I hope something like tech toes are the future. The tech seems light enough for proper touring and is also robust enough for aggressive riding. Might actually be a successful replacement of the old stalwart 75mm