Really nice video. I'd concur that Annums and similar skis really need 75 mm to make the most of them. And that E99s are excellent when paired with good NNN-BC boots. Fun!
Thanks for opining! Sorry I missed your comment when you first left it. This winter, I might see how this E99s do with 3-pin, partly because the NNN BC binding I had was faulty, and partly to see if I still like the kick and glide as much, and partly to make ‘em turn just a little more.
I’m planning to get s bound 98 this season. Would you say the alpina Alaska 3 pin is a better choice then the nnnbc setup or fairly even for that combination?
@@ironore8677 I’d say either could work and it depends on the niche this ski fills in your quiver. If you’re using the Alpina Alaska boot, then I’d lean towards NNN BC because the Alaska BC is a comfortable, durable boot for kick and glide and moderate downhill. That setup would be sweet for everything right in the middle of the cross-country/downhill spectrum. The xplore boot/binding could also work for that, but durability is still a question mark. But if you wanted to really push that setup to max out on the downhill, then I’d go with 3-pins and an even stiff leather boot, possibly with a cable on the binding.
I’m interested in your experimentation. A friend once mentioned that people were skiing Alpina Alaska boots on NNN BC bindings with good downhill results in the backcountry. But I just got a pair of those boots, on Rossy BC 65’s, that really do not make me feel sporty on my turns. Reviews say Alpina Alaskas are a good heavy duty kick-and-glide boot but still don’t help much on descents. That seems true.
I can corroborate your experience. I used to own Alaska’s that were too small but I insisted on trying to use them anyways. I agree with your friend: they are definitely better than average for downhill control while still having a good flex for kick-and-glide. I also briefly tried a friend’s Rossy BC 65s, and those are really hard to turn (at least the older model he had). I think they were just really stiff, so they had great glide for a scaled ski but only wanted to go straight. On a softer ski with more curvature (Fischer Traverse 78, Excursion 88, or S-bound 98, or anything of similar dimensions) and some good snow, those Alaskas would probably feel wonderful.
There is a red stiff bumper for NNNBC and possibly a joker white bumper that is crazy stiff. Tried those? Could that bring it closer to 3pin performance?
I do have the red ones but I’ve never tried the legendary white ones. I like the red ones, but it’s maybe at the most roughly similar to a 3-pin leather boot of medium bill thickness, and not quite to the performance of thick leather or plastic, in my experience.
Really nice video. I'd concur that Annums and similar skis really need 75 mm to make the most of them. And that E99s are excellent when paired with good NNN-BC boots. Fun!
Thanks for opining! Sorry I missed your comment when you first left it. This winter, I might see how this E99s do with 3-pin, partly because the NNN BC binding I had was faulty, and partly to see if I still like the kick and glide as much, and partly to make ‘em turn just a little more.
Love the video footage.
Thanks! Your channel helped me learn some things as I was starting out.
I’m planning to get s bound 98 this season. Would you say the alpina Alaska 3 pin is a better choice then the nnnbc setup or fairly even for that combination?
@@ironore8677 I’d say either could work and it depends on the niche this ski fills in your quiver. If you’re using the Alpina Alaska boot, then I’d lean towards NNN BC because the Alaska BC is a comfortable, durable boot for kick and glide and moderate downhill. That setup would be sweet for everything right in the middle of the cross-country/downhill spectrum. The xplore boot/binding could also work for that, but durability is still a question mark.
But if you wanted to really push that setup to max out on the downhill, then I’d go with 3-pins and an even stiff leather boot, possibly with a cable on the binding.
I’m interested in your experimentation. A friend once mentioned that people were skiing Alpina Alaska boots on NNN BC bindings with good downhill results in the backcountry. But I just got a pair of those boots, on Rossy BC 65’s, that really do not make me feel sporty on my turns. Reviews say Alpina Alaskas are a good heavy duty kick-and-glide boot but still don’t help much on descents. That seems true.
I can corroborate your experience. I used to own Alaska’s that were too small but I insisted on trying to use them anyways. I agree with your friend: they are definitely better than average for downhill control while still having a good flex for kick-and-glide. I also briefly tried a friend’s Rossy BC 65s, and those are really hard to turn (at least the older model he had). I think they were just really stiff, so they had great glide for a scaled ski but only wanted to go straight. On a softer ski with more curvature (Fischer Traverse 78, Excursion 88, or S-bound 98, or anything of similar dimensions) and some good snow, those Alaskas would probably feel wonderful.
There is a red stiff bumper for NNNBC and possibly a joker white bumper that is crazy stiff. Tried those? Could that bring it closer to 3pin performance?
I do have the red ones but I’ve never tried the legendary white ones. I like the red ones, but it’s maybe at the most roughly similar to a 3-pin leather boot of medium bill thickness, and not quite to the performance of thick leather or plastic, in my experience.